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THE CONDOR 



Vol. X 



mouth. There were still two eggs in the nest when I reached for the fourth. After 

 placing it with its three counterparts I reached for the fifth supposing it would be a 

 cowbird's. What a surprise and delight it was to bring forth another Vireo's egg. 

 Five fresh eggs and such beauties. This was my first set of Plumbeous and the 

 only one of five I have seen. Four is the usual number tho three eggs are not un- 

 usual. The proportion varies with the different years. I have not been in the 

 field late enough to make any observations in connection with the young. 



With the Stephens Vireo it is different as my observations always began with 

 families of fuUfledged young, and until this season, ended there, too. In speaking 

 of Stephens Vireo the first thought is always of their song, if it can be dignified by 

 such a name. It is like the mewing of a very small and lonely kitten repeated with 

 even more energy, frequency and persistence. At times the "me-ow" is made 

 more heart-rending, like a kitten in distress, the interval being slightly longer but 

 the "me-ow" more drawn out and fuller in volume. The male will keep this up for 

 minutes at a time, never pausing for breath. One was so persistent I timed him. 





91 



1 



W ^ ^ 1 









M 



^m 



NEST OF THE STEPHENS VIREO 



This series lasted thirteen and one-half minutes at the rate of one every second. 

 This seems incredible but was actually timed by a watch. He sat still on the top of 

 a madrone tree most of the time. The cadence scarcely varied at all. Twice he 

 hopped to another perch but did not let the movement interrupt his song. The 

 female does not have the same note but is restricted to the usual scolding note of the 

 Vireos and a peculiar chirp which I am unable to describe and which she shares 

 in common with the male. This last note was heard only around the nest or when 

 feeding the j^oung. The first brood of 3^oung is frequently flying by the 10th of 

 May and they are fed by the parents until so well grown that it is impossible to 

 tell them apart. The usual number of young seen at this time is three, tho once or 

 twice I have counted four juveniles in one group. 



On May 21, 1908, I was seated on a steep mountain side watching a Grace 

 Warbler. There were a few large pine trees, some red oaks, and a scattering 

 growth of oak brush, one clump of this being about thirty feet below me. A pair 

 of Stephens Vireos flew into this and the female began arranging some nesting 



