THE NIDIOLOGIST. 



COOPER ORNITHOLOGICAL CLUB. 



Organized at San Jose, Cal., June 22, 1893, for 

 mutual study in ornitholog}'. All ornithologists 

 residing in the state invited to join. For full par- 

 ticulars address the Secretary. Members desiring 

 in full any paper read before the club can obtain 

 same by enclosing stamp with request. 



The monthly meeting was held March 3, 

 at San Jose. Mr. Paintoti r^ad a paoer 

 on the Yellow-billed Magpie {Pica mitt- 

 ali,) which was based on his experience at 

 a large rookery in Santa Clara County. A 

 typical nest of the Magpie is situated in 

 the topmost branches of an oak, and com- 

 posed of sticks about a foot long. It is 

 about a foot and a half in diameter. The 

 sticks are cemented together at the bottom 

 with mud, which, becoming dry, forms a 

 very solid structure. The walls are built 

 up and completely arched over the top. 

 The nest proper is composed of fine rootlets 

 and grasses, and is about 5 inches in diam- 

 eter and 3j^ inches deep. The entrance is 

 level with the brim of the inner nest and 

 four inches across. An average set is six 

 or seven, but Mr. Pain ton had found four 

 incubated, and had heard of a set of ten 

 eggs being taken. April seems to be the 

 favorite mouth for nidification. 



Mr. Osgood read a paper on the Califor- 

 nia Bush Tit treating chiefly of its nest- 

 building habits. An incident was related 

 of a bird building three nests successively 

 iu a few weeks, on account of its nests 

 being taken or destroyed. Six or seven 

 eggs is the average and not uncommonly 

 eight are laid. Mr Beck has taken a set of 

 nine. 



Mr. Edward Wall, of San Bernardino, 

 presented a paper on the Plumed Partridge. 

 Oreortyx pictus pliimtferus . He found them 

 quite abundant at Strawberry Valley in the 

 summer of '92 at 6,000 feet altitude. They 

 were found in small flats containing a spring 

 or creek, which they visited twice a day; 

 about 8:30 each morning and at 4 in the 

 afternoon, in flocks of from twenty to sixty. 

 Their food consisted of the seed of a kind 

 of wild rye, leaves and what was apparently 

 the berries of the elder. They did not 



associate with the Valley Quail, and when 

 hunted were easily scattered. Their call is 

 a series of short whistles all in the same 

 tone. They begin mating about the last of 

 January, and begin laying in three or four 

 weeks after. Bight to eighteen eggs, of a 

 creamy white color, are laid in a depression 

 in the ground, under a bunch of grass. 

 The birds are easily tamed. 



A paper was next read from Ralph Ar- 

 nold, on the Tule Wren. On May 22, a 

 swamp was visited and seven sets of five 

 eggs each, three of four and one of three 

 eggs were taken. On an average two ' 'dum- 

 my" nests were found to every true one. 

 The false nests were placed high up in the 

 tules and were very conspicuous, while the 

 inhabited nests were lower down and well 

 hidden. The nests are elliptical, with a 

 small entrance hole in the side near the 

 top. The nests measured about 9 inches 

 in height by six in width. They were 

 lined with "cat-tail" down and fine grass. 



Messrs. A. W. Johnson, of Upper Lake, 

 and W. B. Judson, of Pasadena, were 

 elected to membership. • Upon request of 

 several members the discussion of the Wrens 

 of the State will take place at the July 

 meeting, and the Vireos will be considered 

 in August. Members will please note the 

 change. C. Barlow, Secretary. 



Santa Clara, California. 



CARDINALS AND PURPLE FINCH. 



In my daily drives all over the country 

 this winter, I have been surprised at the 

 almost total absence of the Cardinal Gros- 

 beaks in their usual haunts. I had about 

 concluded this was an off winter for them, 

 and they had gone elsewhere. A few days 

 ago the mystery was explained. I was 

 driving through ''Cottonwood Bend," on 

 Spoon River, six miles west of Lewistown, 

 when I was surprised at the great number 

 of them that flew along ahead of my horse 

 on either side of the road. Great patches 

 of dead horse weeds ten or twelve feet high 

 and back of this, on one side, a little lake 



