133 



THE OOLOGIST. H(a.> 



I saw, for the first time, a flock of Ari- 

 zona Qaail. These birds differ from 

 our Valley Quail in having more black 

 on the head, and a reddish belly instead 

 of the blue-gray underparts possessed 

 by our bird. These are also known as 

 Gambel's Quail. Here I saw speci- 

 mens of the Kingbird — common 

 throughout our lowlands in summer — 

 which were evidently spending the win- 

 ter in this more equable climate. A 

 black Flycatcher— the Phainopepla — 

 was here also, as well as two or three 

 Woodpeckers and dozens of Audubon's 

 Warblers. A saucy Butcher Bird spent 

 most of his time about the alfalfa lot 

 catching grasshopper?, which even at 

 this late date were plentiful all over the 

 country. There were several Towhees 

 here scratching about among the under- 

 brush, but I did not take the trouble to 

 shoot any, so cannot give their names. 

 Dougherty, our guide and head team- 

 ster, shot a fine male Swainson's Hawk 

 fiom his perch on the summit of one of 

 the highest nitre hills. 



My list embraces some fifty or sixty 

 species, but I think I have told you 

 enough of the more interesting species 

 to enable you to see that Death Valley, 

 barren as it is, is not devoid of interest 

 to the observing traveller. 



An Usurper. 



From the collectors point of view 

 Cowbirds are a nuisance, for many an 

 otherwise fine set of eggs has often been 

 marred by the addition of one or more 

 of the eggs of this species. 



The female Cowbird is not at all par- 

 ticular in her choice of a resting place 

 for her eggs, and the nests of birds as 

 large as herself or much smaller are 

 chosen, regardless of the stage of incu- 

 bation of the eggs in the nest, should 

 there happen to be any. 



Owing to the excessive amount of 

 rain, and the cool cloudy days during 

 the earlier part of the spring months. 



the nesting season was long delayed^ 

 much to my disappointment. 



Ground uesters, especially, were so 

 hindered by the frequent heavy rains 

 that it seemed as if the season must pass 

 without their raising a single brood. 

 But as the spring faded into summer, 

 the rains gradually lessened in number 

 and violence, and the nesting season 

 was at its height. 



On the fifteenth of June, while search- 

 ing among some low hazel-nut bushes 

 on the side of a hill, I found the nest of 

 a pair of Towhees, or Chewinks, com- 

 monly called {Pipiloerythrojjhthahnus).. 

 The nest contained, at this time, a two- 

 thirds grown Cowbird and eight eggs 

 of the same species, in all stages of in- 

 cubation, from nearly fresh to fully de- 

 veloped embryos. 



At the first glance, I thought them to 

 be eggs of the Towhee, but upon closer 

 examination they were all found to be- 

 long to birds other than the builders of 

 the nest. 



The ground around the nest was cov- 

 ered with leaves to the depth of an inck 

 or more, the nest itself, (in a slight de- 

 pression in the ground) was composed 

 entirely of leaves, and was built under- 

 neath a wild vine of sort, which gave to 

 the whole a very pretty and artistic ap- 

 pearance. 



Both the male and female Towhees 

 came into view while I was examining 

 the nest and its surroundings, and kept 

 up a constant chirping at my intrusion, 

 but at no time did they come within a 

 dozen yards of me, they seeming to pre- 

 fer to keep to the topmost branches of 

 a birch tree some distance away, and 

 out of reach of any impending danger. 

 After photographing the nest and its 

 contents I came away 



In the Istter part of June I paid the 

 nest another visit, tbe youug usurper 

 had probably followed its foster parents 

 to higher ground, but the nest still con- 

 tained the eight unhatched eggs, all of 

 which I threw away. 



