i6 AMERICAN OBNITHOLOGY. 



•doubtless was a factor in their choice of a location. One of the birds, 

 presumably the male, seemed to be continually on guard, for no matter 

 at what time of the day I had passed, a small speck on the highest 

 point of the stone showed that he was on duty. No sooner would we 

 show ourselves above the stone wall, than he would utter the peculiar 

 trill and commence to travel excitedly back and forth over the top of the 

 rock. Within from fifteen to twenty seconds his mate would appear be- 

 side him as suddenly as if she had come from within the rock. 



Not having the slightest idea as to which direction from the lookout, 

 the nest was, all search for it was in vain. Upon our approach both 

 birds would fly to the opposite wall, where perched at some distance 

 apart, each in turn would venture remarks congratulatory to each other 

 ■on their success in fooling us. Time after time we concealed ourselves 

 behind the wall and with powerful glasses watched every movement in 

 the hope of seeing one of them return to the coveted spot; the result 

 was the same every time we tried this plan, — we got left. As soon as 

 we had seated ourselves behind the wall both birds would return to the 

 •observation rock. For five or ten minutes they would remain there 

 still scolding but not as frequently, then one of them would quietly slip 

 off into the grass and return to the nest without our being any the 

 wiser. As we found later, not only did she walk all the way to the nest, 

 iDut even started from the rock on the opposite side. We finally did 

 locate it by remaining in concealment for a little more than two hours, 

 when having left the nest for food she returned without the usual cau- 

 tion and flew to a certain spot in the grass. After waiting for about 

 iifteen minutes longer, a quick rush to the spot where she disappeared, 

 flushed her from the nest before the male had an opportunity to warn 

 her. • 



The nest was about twenty-five yards from the lookout, faced towards 

 the north and was artistically roofed over with dead grasses. What 

 forethought these little birds show in building their home so that the 

 liot rays of the sun can never strike upon their little ones. What a con- 

 trast was the nest of the Bay-winged Sparrow or Grassfinch which was 

 "but a short distance from this one. This Sparrow's nest was in a patch 

 where the grass was considerably shorter than elsewhere and had no 

 protection of any kind. On some of the hottest days during the sum- 

 mer this bird was compelled to brood the young nearly all day long to 

 protect them from the scorching heat, she herself, with feathers all 

 ruffled out being a picture of misery, while her neighbor sat comfort- 

 ably in her snug little home. This nest of the Yellow-wing when found 

 on June 15th, held four eggs; the next day it had five, which was the 

 •complete set. I only called on her occasionally for two weeks, but had 



