The Phainopepla 
from below, and not deigning to retreat until twenty or thirty captures 
have been registered. 
Insects form, undoubtedly, an important element of the food supply 
of the Phainopepla in summer; but as in the case of the Cedar Waxwings, 
their distant cousins, berries constitute their chief food at all times of 
the year. The staple winter diet is the mistletoe berry (of that variety 
which grows chiefly on the mesquite tree). In spring and summer, or 
irregularly in winter, the birds subsist chiefly on the berries of the pepper 
tree; but their diet also includes berries of the juniper tree, night-shade, 
manzanita, and, indeed, any small edible berry which grows in profusion. 
Like the Cedar Waxwing, again, the Phainopepla has the habit of dis¬ 
gorging the indigestible kernel of the pepper-berry; and it is evident that 
it must consume enormous quantities of this food in order to derive a 
sufficient sustenance from the thin, viscid inner surface of the berry, which 
alone is wholesome. 
In building a nest the male Phainopepla takes the initiative and does 
at least nine-tenths of the work. Indeed, he seems to be jealous of any 
attention to this drudgery on the part of the female, and will even drive 
her away if she meddles over much. Visits of inspection are, however, 
permitted, and the virtuous architect is not insusceptible to words of 
praise. “Architect” is, perhaps, an over-pretentious word; for a Pep’s 
nest is a mere aggregation of soft substances, such as, by reason of a 
general stickiness, will under pressure assume some sort of coherence. 
Twigs there may be, but these are used for filler rather than as structural 
support. Sage-leaves, string, catkins, dried flowers, lichens, bits of wool, 
cobwebs, soft shredded bark,—anything which will lend itself to a soft 
gray or greenish gray ensemble, is acceptable. The nest is settled into 
branching twigs or forks, whether upright, horizontal, or declining; or 
occasionally it may be balanced upon the shaft of a bare branch. Bunches 
of mistletoe in mesquite trees are the almost invariable hosts of the early 
spring desert nestings. In the interior return-nesting, elderberry trees 
( Sambucus glauca ) are prime favorites, with live oaks a close second. 
After these come pepper trees and sycamores, with rare chances for almost 
anything else. My son has found nests in the mountain lilac (Ceanothus 
spinosus ) here at Santa Barbara. 
Nests are placed at any height from five to sixty feet, though fifteen 
would be a near average for those which are placed in mesquite and 
elders. The builder reserves the right to change his mind as to location 
at any stage of construction; so you may waken to find a nest which 
you had supposed about done, being carried off piecemeal into a neighbor¬ 
ing tree. Similarly, the architect is never quite satisfied with the finish, 
and a particularly seductive catkin goes into the outside in spite of the 
clamor of hungry babies. 
