60 
THE CONDOR 
Vol. XIV 
and was on the eggs when 1 felt in the hole. They seem to exhibit this uneasiness 
only when the eggs are highly incubated or when there are newly hatched young, 
and not very frequently even then. When there are no eggs and both birds of the 
pair are in the nest hole, one is likely to crawl up to the entrance and look out at 
any intruder. At such times they do not snap their mandibles and, in retreating, 
gradually fade out of sight with a movement so slow as to be scarcely perceptible. 
As I carried my ladder to the next cactus, a Gambel Partridge flushed from 
under a small mescpiite, and glancing that way I saw a nest full of eggs in a slight 
hollow at the foot of the mesquite and without any protecting cover. The twelve 
eggs it contained were fresh. One of them had two large claw holes in it and was 
partially dried up. The bird could be heard calling near by while I was engaged 
in photographing the nest and eggs. 
C'limbing the next cactus I cut into a hole around which two Gila Wood- 
peckers were making a big fuss. There was nothing in it. I think it is their 
habit to dig fresh holes after raising their brood of young. These fresh holes 
are not occupied that year but are made use of the next year when the sap has 
had a chance to dry and form the hard lining which coats the inside of all the 
cavities. 1 have found but one fresh hole occupied as a nest. 
Farther on I found a set of five Ash-throated F'lycatcher eggs just hatching. 
In the same cactus was a nest with young Mexican Screech Owls, how many I 
do not know, as when I first put my hand into the hole one bit me. I jerked my 
hand out to find it covered with bedbugs of all sizes, hundreds of them. How I 
did hustle to get rid of them, spending some ten minutes of precious time care- 
fully examining to see that not the smalle.st mite remained to crawl. How the 
young owls could survive is a mystery to me. 1 think the hole must have become 
infected from bats which quite commonly roost in such places. 
The next giant had a Cactus Wren {Hclcodytcs hriinncicapiUiis couesi) nest 
in it. A large open cavity had been stuffed full of the usual mass of grass and 
feathers which constitutes this bird’s nest. There were three well incubated eggs 
of an unusually dark type. It looked very odd to see this nest in such an unusual 
situation. There were plenty of normal nesting sites all around, too, and that 
such a one should be selected would probably have to be laid to the eccentricity 
of the individual bird. 
Crossing the Rillito we went a couple of miles and examined several very 
tall sahuaros and took, another set of four Elf Owl, with incubation far advanced. 
We also found young of iMexican Screech Owl, Gilded Flicker and Gila Wood- 
pecker. 
As we were intending to start for Tombstone that day we could go no 
farther. Getting back to Tucson, we replenished our oil and gasoline and about 
ten A. M. started on the homeward trail. A terrific, hot wind was blowing which 
made driving very unpleasant. The heat caused some tire trouble so we did not 
stop for any collecting and about five o’clock reached the Empire Ranch again. 
Leaving here at six-thirty the next morning we stopped to look through some 
mesquites, and secured a set of badly incubated eggs of the Swainson Hawk 
{Butco swaiitsoiii) , and one of almost fresh Western Redtail {Buteo borealis 
cahirns). May 26 is a pretty late date for the latter to have eggs. Both these 
nests were about fifteen feet up in small mesciuites. 
In crossing a flat covered with sacaton grass I saw and heard several 
iMeadowlarks ( StnnicUa iieglccta), and while watching them heard the unmis- 
takable notes of a Grasshopper Sparrow {Aininodrainus savannaruin bitnacn- 
