222 
THE CONDOR 
Vol. XIV 
the male visited the iiest for a moment. During one of the brooding intervals 
a blackbird rested on the telephone wire near the nest, and the male immediately 
drove him away. 
I did not visit the park again until May 3, five days later. Then I stayed 
only a short time and did little watching, as a picnic party claimed my atten- 
tion. The leaves had grown so large around the nest that it was harder to 
watch than at first, and I could not be sure whether the female was still brood- 
ing, or not, but from later developments I believe that the young had probably 
hatched. Three days later, when I watched for an hour, there was no doubt 
of it. During the hour fifteen trips were made to the nest, the feeding being- 
very equally divided. In fact, with tw'O or three exceptions, the birds were both 
at the nest at once each of the fifteen times. Several times the female stayed 
from one and one-half to two minutes at the nest. The male also lingered, 
though not so long as the female. 
Only a few times did I hear either bird utter a note. No song w'as heard 
(luring my watching, only a single call note given in a very low tone. Though 
many of the writers on California birds speak of the Bluebird’s song, I am 
inclined to think he has none. W. Leon Dawson author of the “Birds of Wash- 
ington” tells us that in the fifteen years he has studied the Western Bluebird 
in Washington he has never heard one sing. If so reliable and thorough a bird 
.'tudent as Mr. Daw^son has heard no song in Washington, where they nest 
abundantly, I believe we are quite safe in saying that they have no song. It is 
an interesting point, w^ell worth the bird lovers’ while to observe, should he 
come across a pair of these birds nesting. 
I was prevented from visiting the nest until May 14, when I found the young- 
had flown. They were nowhere about, but a friend told me that she had seen 
several young bluebirds in another part of the park the day before. On this day 
I watched at the nest for over an hour, and was mystified at the actions of the 
birds. It was evident that they were not feeding, and several times both birds 
made trips of inspection to the nest. The young were not about, nor did the old 
birds seem to be caring for them, so I came to the conclusion that the birds, 
having raised their first family, were making preparations for another. On 
j'une 2 I visited them long enough to assure myself that they were, indeed, 
(-'cc'.ipying- the same nest for a second brood. 
Although I have not again watched the nesting habits of these Western 
Bluebirds I know that they are still about in this park. 
FROM FIELD AND STUDY 
Notes on the Texas Nighthawk. — The lield party from the Museiuii of Vertebrate 
Zoology which spent the last season ( 1912) in the Sacramento Valley remained at Wins- 
low, Glenn County, from June 15 to 20. 
About 6 p. M. on the afternoon of June 17 1 was tramping over the rocky country bor- 
dering Stony Creek, when a Texas Nighthawk (Chordeiles acutipeiinis texensis) was 
flushed. An examination of the place from which it flew showed the presence of two 
young, resting side by side on the rocky ground. The parent bird feigned a wound, flut- 
tering about on all sides while I was in the vicinity. When I finally followed it, I was led 
farther and farther away from the site of the “nest.” 
