Nov., 1908 



NESTING NOTES FROM THE HUACHUCA MOUNTAINS 



233 



material. Not enough had yet been placed to show up. The Grace Warbler was 

 immediately forgotten in view of the more engaging prospects. The female was 

 evidently using some cobweb. After it was placed to her satisfaction the male took 

 a turn at re-arranging it. During all the time I watched him he did this and sev- 

 eral times he brought material which he invariably dropped, none of it ever finding 

 its way into the nest. On June 5 the female was sitting. She did not leave the 

 nest until touched. The four eggs were slightly incubated. In size they compare 

 very closely with the Western Warbling Vireo. They are considerably smaller 

 than those of the Plumbeous. The spots are rather large, some larger than a pin 

 head. They are not as black as the spots on either Western Warbling or Plum- 

 beous, rather, a sienna brown. 



The nest is a wonderful piece of bird architecture. It is composed of a frame 

 work of fine grass holding together a thick mat of oak down almost as compact as 



NEST OF THE WESTERN WARBI^ING VIRRO 



felt. The prongs of the fork are entirely covered with the down held on by cob- 

 webs. There is a scanty lining of fine grass tops. As is the case with the Plum- 

 beous, the seeds are all removed from the grass tops used in the lining. The nest 

 has a yellowish appearance. 



On May 22 another bird was seen building, the nest being almost completed, 

 apparently. June 3rd no bird was around and June 12th, when I again visited it, 

 the nest had entirely disappeared. Not a vestige was left. I climbed up to exam- 

 ine the fork where it had been and it was cleaned off completely. I feel sure they 

 had moved the nest to some oak bush near by, but I could not locate it. Both these 

 nests were about twelve feet from the ground, near the top of the same kind of 

 oak brush. 



On June 10th an intruding Jay helped me locate a nest with three well-feath- 



