July, 1903 | 
THE CONDOR 
95 
nests were identical. Both were constructed of an outer layer of coarse grasses, 
then a thick layer of finer grasses, and a lining of cow hair. The inner cavity 
measures two and one-fourth inches across and one and one-fourth inches deep, 
while the outer measurements are two, and two and one-half inches in depth re- 
spectively. The contour is elliptical, in each case being four by five inches. Both 
nests were placed within a foot of the upper edge of a steep embankment in a 
shallow cavity, and the nest wall where it rested against the earth in the rear, was 
made of double thickness, or fully as thick as the bottom, being one and three- 
quarters inches in thickness, while the front and side walls were one inch or less, 
this doubtless being a provision to keep out the dampness resulting from contact 
with the earth. 
The lining of these two nests is an interesting matter for speculation, as the 
one bird chose only pure white cow’s hair without a dark one to mar its beauty, 
NEST OF SHUFELOT JUS^CO 
PHOTO SV M. T. SOHLMAN 
while its neighbor chose the same kind of hair, but of the most intense jet black, 
and as the two nests are before me, the contra.st is very marked, but does not show 
to good advantage in the accompanying illustrations. 
The interesting point is, did each of the birds possess an eye for color, and an 
individual taste and preference for a certain color, or was it merely a matter of cir- 
cumstance which found a quantity of white or black hair convenient to each nest- 
ing site? 
The eggs in each case were four in number, the usual complement. Those in 
the light nest were fresh, while the other set was advanced in incubation. The 
set in the black-lined ne.st has a ground color decidedly bluish, with distinct choc- 
olate markings, mainly at the larger end, and are strong and decided in their spot- 
ting, while those in the white lined nest have a very pale pinkish ground color, 
profusely marked with reddish, and deeper pale lavender shell markings which 
give them a very delicate appearance, in perfect harmony with the color of the 
nest lining. 
