TEXAS NATURE OBSERVATIONS AND REMINISCENCES. 105 



Its contents, the two white oval 

 shaped eggs, were about three times 

 larger than a dove egg and the 

 young "chaparral," only a day or 

 two old, when first seen, July 2nd, 

 was of a leaden-dark and bluish 

 body color and nearly nude. The 

 nest was not disturbed in taking a 

 view of it later at close range 

 with extra near focusing lens. The 

 inside of the nest was snugly 

 outlined with short-cut particles 

 of straw — perhaps of Johnson grass 

 from a closeby Johnson grass 

 pasture. The nest with this " chap- 



very near to securing a snapshot 

 of an old hen on its nest at close 

 range — about 8 feet off; but some 

 limbs and foliage prevented the 

 full view and the chaparral hen 

 suddenly escaped the nest in the 

 moment of lifting the camera. 

 It was a beautiful sight to see the 

 large chapffrral hen with its long, 

 greenish, glittering, white 

 and black striped tail erected 

 nearly in a straight line outside 

 of its nest; its large and 

 beautiful black ey;es and long beak, 

 sitting there on its breeding nest, 



Nest in Brush Thicket of Chaparral Cock With Young Cock About Fifteen Days Old, 

 AND Two Undeveloped Eggs (at Close Focus and About Normal Size) 



arral" about 15 days old, when I 

 took the photo, being near the 

 center of a thick bush with but 

 rather dim light, the photo is 

 not quite as clear as desired. The 

 main body of the nest was securely 

 adjusted with broken branches of 

 the yellow berry- bearing bush 

 between the branches and leaves 

 of the large and broad bush, 

 which was laden with the sweet 

 and eatable yellow berries. 



On another occasion after taking 

 the view seen in this book in 

 company with a friend, I came 



and how, with a sudden movement 

 and swift jump with out-spread 

 wings, the chaparal hen flew in 

 a long straight line to the ground,, 

 where it ran as fast as a horse, 

 and midst loud and characteristic 

 rattling sounds disappeared in the 

 brushy jungles. 



As to its habits, I have no 

 literature whatever on this typical 

 bird of the wild prairie plains, 

 and the following are some original 

 observations gleaned from recol- 

 lections of older times during 

 outings and hunting trips. 



