THE NIDIOLOGIST 



Notes on the Dotted Canyon 

 Wren. 



MV observations on this bird have been, 

 with one excej^tion, confined to one 

 deep, rocky canyon within fifty miles 

 of San Jose, Cal. While in the mountains in 

 Monterey County this summer I heard one bird 

 near the head of a small gulch, but as the 

 mountain was steep, the sage brush thick, the 

 sun hot. and myself tired, and one quarter of 

 a mile from him, I left him singing in peace. 

 In the canyon spoken of I have seen three or 

 four pairs of birds. Although first seen four 

 years ago, I was unable to 

 find a nest until last year. 

 On the 1 2th of May I en- 

 tered the canyon to fish, 

 but finding, after rigging 

 my pole and line, that, ow- 

 ing to a large rent in my 

 pocket, I had lost my flies, 

 I concluded that I didn't 

 want any trout. After ar- 

 riving at that conclusion, 

 I turned my thoughts to 

 eggs. I soon saw a Wren 

 and also a few twigs in a 

 crevice under the cliff. 

 Looking closer, I found 

 the twigs were the founda- 

 tion for a nest, which con- 

 tained five fresh eggs. The 

 nest was composed princi- 

 pally of moss from the 

 rocks, with a few twigs at 

 the bottom. It was four 

 feet from the floor of the 

 small cave, and not more 

 than four inches from the top. Both birds were 

 around "weep"-ing. About one half mile farther 

 on another pair were seen that had anest.but the 

 nest itself remained unseen. Visiting the canyon 

 again about a month later, the young birds were 

 seen among the rocks near where the nest could 

 not be found. I was surprised, on going to the 

 spot where I found the eggs, to find another 

 nest with five birds just hatched in it, not more 

 than thirty yards from the former nest. This 

 was of similar construction, on a small ledge 

 under an overhanging rock. While standing 

 about ten yards from the nest the 9 came up 

 with a grasshopper in her bill, but, being dis- 

 turbed by my ])resence, after standing on the 

 edge of the nest a moment she ran back under 

 the rocks, where the 3 kept peeping out, first 

 from one spot and then another. This year, 

 on the 9th of May, I made a trip to the canyon, 

 hoping to find another nest. Passing the cave 



where I obtained the eggs last year, I saw the 

 bird drop down from the very s])ot where the 

 nest was last season. Cioing up, I put in my 

 hand and felt the five young birds just hatched. 

 The old birds came up within eight or ten feet, 

 asking if I would " weep," but I declined. The 

 other pair were not seen, but one and a half 

 miles farther on, while trying to hook a trout, 

 I heard a ringing "weep, weep, weep you." 

 Glancing around, there was a Wren on a large 

 rock twenty yards behind me. Laying down 

 my rod, I started for him. He went off down 

 stream, but I didn't follow, as there was a nice 

 cavern formed by two bowlders falling together 

 not more than eleven yards from where he had 



NEbl' AND EGGS OF BURROWING OWL. 



been sitting. Walking up to the entrance, I 

 noticed a bunch of twigs at the top that seemed 

 to have been left there by the spring floods. 

 Seeing nothing else worth looking at, I put my 

 hand up to this bunch. As there was quite a 

 bit, I reached up still higher, and as it began 

 to feel soft, I reached still higher. Finally I 

 felt the top with a cavity in it. Inserting my 

 fingers, an egg was felt. After feeling it a few 

 moments, I decided to leave it and return in a 

 week with the hope of finding a full set. The 

 birds were about " weep"-ing. I saw no other 

 birds. On the 19th I returned and found six 

 eggs. The nest was in a hollow near the roof, 

 the entrance being from either side of the bot- 

 tom. The entrance was so narrow I could only 

 take my hand out open, and was compelled to 

 take the eggs out with the sides of my fingers. 

 It was ticklish work, as I was afraid of either 

 squeezing too tight, not tight enough, or break- 



