The Prairie Falcon 



— — ! — — 



Taken in San Luis Obispo County 



A NESTING HAUNT IN THE SHANDON HILLS 



Photo by the A ulhor 



humorously pathetic. A Falcon which one year occupied the front of a 

 noble escarpment in a wild valley (and forfeited four clouded beauties 

 thereby) was found the next year, after a lengthy search, in a tiny niche 

 once occupied by a Road-runner, on the back, or hill-facing side, of a minor 

 sandstone tooth, and not over twenty feet from the ground. The retreat 

 had been betrayed by an incautious line of white excrement, and the 

 occupant, when summoned by a shout from the triumphant Kelly, 

 looked the very picture of disgust and chagrin. She was mad all through, 

 too disgusted for utterance, and she sat glooming upon the edge of the 

 nest until we drew very near. When she flew she gave vent to the usual 

 number of futile expletives, whereupon the male joined her and gave us a 

 double blessing. 



The two handsomest sets of eggs in the extensive M. CO. series were 

 obtained on successive days in the Shandon country, and the finding of 

 both resulted from a combination of professional suspiciousness, durch- 

 heit, and happy accident, which taken together constitute "collectors' 

 luck." A page from the note-book gives the details as follows: 



"It was the 'white' Falcons who more nearly outwitted us this year, 



1621 



