THE OOLOGIST 



133 



and the cactus wren were recorded 

 on this trip. 



We circled in and out among the 

 huge trees and wandered here and 

 there among huge granite rocks, up 

 steep inclines and down into ravines. 

 At last, we came under the shadow 

 of Mt. El Capitan towering like a 

 mighty sentinel. Her dome penetrat- 

 ing the cumulus clouds in a field of 

 blue sky. We sat down under a 

 spreading oak, and opened our lunch. 

 We were alone with the birds and the 

 I'owers. 



The afternoon was devoted to bird- 

 study and wben the shadows of night 

 began to creep over the hills and the 

 .sun vanished, and the air changed to 

 H cool breeze, we left the oaks and 

 cycamores and hurried to the car and 

 in a few hours reached San Diego, 

 having enjoyed a day long to be re- 

 membered. Tlhirty-eig'ht species of 

 birds were seen and several were 

 taken for scientific purposes and 

 added to my collection. 



Alfred Cookman, 

 Los Angeles, Cal. 



NOTEBOOK NOTES 



Do Blue Grosbeaks build several 

 nests, and, like the Long-billed Marsh 

 Wren, use them as a blind? In one 

 field of about twenty acres I found 

 nme of their nests, though none con- 

 tained eggs or young; these nests 

 were apparently fresh and none had 

 any body scales in them, thus proving 

 that they had not been used. Two 

 or three pairs of Blue Grosbeaks 

 were in the field flying about as if 

 displeased at my intrusion. 



A Yellow-breasted Chat, that lived 

 near this field had learned to crow 

 like a Bantam rooster, and was im- 

 mensely proud of his accomplish- 

 ment. First he gave three plain whis- 

 tles as if to call attention, then, after 



a pause, he gave his crow, a little 

 crude perhaps, but unmistakable; as 

 if satisfied with himself he always 

 ended with several "chuckles." 



Another Chat that I noticed cawed 

 like a crow; this formed much of his 

 .-ong, and was used on every possible 

 occasion. 



A habit that many Chats have is 

 that of singing while on the wing. Tbe 

 bird seems to choose two "bases," 

 and flies back and forth between 

 them; this performance usually being 

 very ludicrous as the whole body 

 seems to be kept in motion. 



I have never observed any night 

 singing on the part of Chats here. 

 While pumping water at my home 

 one morning, a Goldfinch circled 

 around me several times, and finally 

 hung in the air above me and sang 

 one of the sweetest thrills or songs I 

 have ever heard one sing; it some- 

 what resembled the song of the Lark 

 Sparrow. 



Another peculiar incidence was 

 connected with a pair of Blue-headed 

 Vireos that were searching for lich- 

 ens on the limb of a tree; from there 

 they fiew to another tree upon an 

 outer limb of which was a lichen- 

 covered nest that I supposed was 

 their own as they were coming and 

 going as if they were building on it. 

 Close observation, however, disclosed 

 the fact that the nest once belonged 

 to a Wood Pewee, and that they were 

 tearing it down for material with 

 which to build one of their ovra. In 

 three days the nest was entirely re- 

 moved. J. G. Lewis, 



Bentonville, Arkansas. 



