338 LAND BIRDS 



Breeding Season : April and May. 



Nest : Usually in a scrubby tree ; from 5 to 30 feet from the ground ; 



bulky; made of coarse twigs, straws, grass, feathers, cotton, and 



wool. 

 Eggs: 4 to 7 ; gray, marked and spotted with purple, light brown, and 



olive. Size 0.97 X 0.73. 



In a scrubby tree or thorny bush the California Shrike 

 builds her nest of whatever materials may strike her 

 fancy. Usually the bulk of it consists of weed stems 

 and rootlets ; but an astonishing amount of trash, such 

 as string, bits of lace, black ribbon, and feathers, were 

 woven into one that especially interested me. The lace 

 was recognized as belonging nearly half a mile away, and 

 had probably been carried by the bird all that distance. 

 Feathers which waved rakishly on the rim of the struc- 

 ture came from the chicken yard of the same ranch where 

 the lace was originally owned. In place of the usual 

 tough rootlets, palm fibre and yucca thread had been 

 used with a large proportion of shredded bark and 

 weed stems. The whole was lined with a felted mat of 

 cow hair nicely padded into place on sides and bottom. 

 Inasmuch as the bird was seen to bring this hair in 

 small bunches and all this felting was done by him, the 

 result was surprisingly smooth and compact. Both sexes 

 worked busily at the building, being frequently at the 

 nest together. 



On May 17 the first egg was laid, and one each day 

 thereafter until there were five. Twelve days were re- 

 quired for incubation, and on June 3 five naked nest- 

 lings were cuddled in a tangled mass in the soft cup. 

 And now we had a fine opportunity to watch the hunt- 



