50 



THE OOLCXilS'I 



low, swung a pensile nest, ownership 

 unknown. A vigorous shaking of the 

 tree sent a female Bullock's Oriole {Ic- 

 terus bullocki) off the nest in short or- 

 der. Four young birds nearly ready to 

 fly rewarded my climb. 



Walking slowly along the banks of 

 the Arroyo 1 was surprised to see a Cal- 

 ifornia Chickadee leave an old stump 

 in response to a hearty rap with my 

 cane, for the first time in my life! 

 had found the home of Farus rufescens 

 neglecius, I was almost afraid to open 

 the nest for fear that no eggs would be 

 found. Much to my delight five half 

 incubated eggs were lying on a mass of 

 fur, feathers and seed down, fitted so 

 closely together that no possible cold 

 could come to the young, when hatch- 

 ed. These eggs do w t differ at all 

 from those of the common Chickadee 

 {Farus atricapillus) so well known to 

 Eastern collectors. 



Passing under the spreading branches 

 of a live oak I heard the sudden whirr 

 of tiny wings. Just on a level with my 

 eyes I found the nest, and a few min- 

 utes' waiting showed me the parent 

 birds. The cinnamon colored throat 

 and metallic crest plainly showed them 

 to be Rufous Hummingbirds. The nest 

 contained two fresh eggs and was well 

 hidden on the extreme tip of a small 

 limb. The eggs seem to differ from 

 those of other Trochilidoe. only in being 

 more oval, and the nest larger than us- 

 ual with Hummingbirds. On the oppo- 

 site side of this tree was a nest of Costa's 

 Hummer [Trochilus costce) containing 

 two eggs nearly fresh. Further on, in 

 the top of a tall Willow was found a 

 nest of Cassin's Kingbird ( Tyrannus 

 vociferans). To my surprise the nest 

 contained four eggs, incubation about 

 one-half. This is riie only nest of 

 this species I have ever found placed 

 on a horizontal limb. Usuallv a fork is 

 taken and the nest placed on a more 

 solid foundation. 



By 'this time I was quite ready for 



my lunch as it was past two o'clock. 

 While eating I noticed a pair of Cassin's 

 Vireos but was unable to locate the 

 nest. Perhaps, however, their house- 

 keeping was over for that season. By 

 carefully watching a pair of Violet- 

 green Swallows I found two nests high 

 up in the face of a limestone clift'. 

 They had chosen two cracks in the face 

 of the stone, but by dint of hard labor 

 had so tilled them up that a sort of shelf 

 was formed, on which the eggs, three 

 and five respectiuely, were laid. Gen- 

 erally these birds pi-efer a hollow tree 

 or else a "tunnel" into the face of the 

 cliff; rather than an open nest. 



The eggs were pure white and fresh. 

 I think the set of three was incomplete, 

 as they generally, in this section at 

 least, lay from four to seven eggs. 

 There were at least fifty nests of the 

 common Cliff Swallow {Petrochilidon 

 lunifrons) on the same cliff, but these I 

 did not disturb as my series of this spe- 

 cies was full and probably most of the 

 nests contained young. 



For the next hour my search was un- 

 rewarded. Then I took a fine set of 

 California Towhee {Pipilo fuscus cris- 

 salis). The nest, firmly woven and 

 well lined, was placed in a white sage 

 bush which overhung the stream. It 

 contained four eggs incubation slight. 

 While these nests are large and bulky 

 and their owners very familiar, still 

 they are not so easily found as might be 

 supposed. But it was now time to start 

 for home, so retracing my steps I went 

 slowly down the canon. Walking care- 

 lessly along I brushed my hand against 

 a tall "nettle weed." This brought an 

 exclamation from me and a sudden 

 "whir-r-r" from the bush. Looking 

 down I saw not over two feet from the 

 ground a Hummingbird's nest contain- 

 ing two eggs. The return of the birds 

 at once identified the eggs as those of 

 Trochilus alexandri — the Black-chinned 

 Hummingbird. Packing these in my 

 case I started once more on my return 



