The Gray-Crowned Leucosticte. 



37 



pounds, was an easy matter. Even with the boulder re- 

 moved, Heinemann pronounced the nest photographically 

 impossible. Before disturbing the boulders we had taken 

 a view of the nesting site, so we had to content ourselves 

 with this. Bringing the eggs to light disclosed the fact 

 that these consisted of four instead of three, one being 

 hidden by feathers and the depression of the nest, and in- 

 stead of being advanced in incubation as we had sup- 

 posed, they proved almost fresh, two being practically so 

 and two slightly incubated. One of a poetical turn of 

 mind might compare the rosy plumage of the leucosticte 

 with the gorgeous tints of the sunset clouds or liken the 

 eggs to the drifted snow that characterizes its home. The 

 student of bird-life cannot, however, indulge in such fancy 

 flights, if he is desirous of following the straight and 

 narrow path of science. Thus it behooves me to simply 

 state that the eggs are pure white, unmarked, ovate- 

 pyriform in shape, and in size measure in inches : ,89 x .62, 

 .90 X .63, .91 X .63, .92 X .62. The sharply pointed end and 

 the peculiarly fine texture of the shell make the eggs at 

 once distinctive. After being carefully taken from the 

 nest, one by one, the specimens were well wrapped in 

 cotton and placed in a partitioned box made of heavy 

 block tin. 



Our time was next devoted to the nest. To show how 

 difficult this was to see, I may state that I pointed out 

 the aperture to Duttke and asked him if he could see the 

 nest within. After viewing it from seemingly every pos- 

 sible angle he declared he could see nothing of it and 

 was rather amazed when it was later shown him. In- 

 vestigation showed the nest was situated in a small patch 

 of soil, in a depression inches deep, which had un- 

 doubtedly been hollowed out by the birds themselves. 

 As the nest was 2^ inches high it was thus equally above 

 and below the soil. It is a curious fact that this spot was 

 one of the few places on the entire peak where soil was 

 visible. If in all cases the birds penetrate to the soil to 

 build, it would explain why they go to such great depths. 



