July, 1904 
THE CONDOR 
109 
some other individual, was last seen June 26, perched on the topmost branch of a tall eucalyptus, 
where its loud call rang forth as in the coniferous forests of its usual summer home, the Transi- 
tion and Canadian zones. — Walter K. Fi.sher. 
A Water Ouzel’s Nest. — 
The accompanying photograph 
of a water ouzel’s nest {Ciuclus 
mexicaniis) was secured on the 
San Lorenzo, in Santa Cruz 
County, California. The nest 
was beautifully situated on the 
down-stream side of a big rock 
in the middle of rapids, where 
the water was boiling all around 
it. Although taken in 1897, the 
ne.st was so round and compact- 
ly built that it is in perfect shape 
to-day, and the moss has a green, 
fresh look. The inside of the 
nest is lined with twigs, strips 
of redwood bark, and bay leaves. 
— George .S. Town it, Pa/o 
Al/o, Cal. 
Bell Sparrow (Amphi- 
spiza belli) in Santa Clara 
Co., California — On March 31, 
1904, I took two specimens of 
Bell sparrow near the San An- 
tonio Creek (locally known as 
Adobe Creek) in the foothills of 
Black Mountain (Monte Bello) 
Santa Clara Co., California. At least two others of the same species were seen, and since the 
specimens secured proved to be male and female adults, with sex organs well developed and en- 
larged, it is very probable that the species breeds here. — IIuRERT O. JitNKix.s, Stanford Cniv., Cat. 
Nesting Habits of the Rock Wren. — Noting Mrs. Bailey’s most interesting article on 
the rock wren (Salpi nctes obsolctn.<;) permit me herewith to quote a few lines on this interesting 
wren from my note book. 
During the years of 1898 and 1899, while sojourning in San Antonio, Texas, it was my good 
fortune to run across a colony of eight or ten pairs of rock wrens. Near the head of the San 
Antonio River in the northern suburbs of the city where the land is broken, of a limestone for- 
mation with almost no surface soil and covered with prickly pear and laurel, is quite an extensive 
lime-stone cpiarry. This, with its immediate environs, is the home of the colony of rock wrens, 
and was where I located and examined thirteen nests as follows; Nest /, April 2, 1898 ; building 
ill crevice in wall of quarry 20 feet up, the male assisting in its construction. This nest now be- 
fore me, and which is typical of this colon}^ is composed outwardly of weed stalks and dead 
grasses with a heavy layer of fine rootlets, the inner nest being fairly well cupped and heavily 
lined with grayish goat hair. Inside diameter of this nestis 2^4) inches with a depth of 1]/% inches, 
the whole being placed in and upon a cu])-shaped foundation or rim composed of numerous and 
various sized flat stones deposited by the birds, the interstices and uneven places on bottom of 
crevice being filled with these stones, forming a walk to the nest which was placed 8 inches in 
from face of wall. There must have been at least a half pint of these lime-stone chips, and it 
seems incredible how so small a bird with so slender a bill can carry stones of such a size and 
weight to such a height. Measurements of three of the larger stones before me are as follows: 
2 >4 by J4(by ‘4^ ; Ij4 byiby 44: by bc' 3-16. In weight they each run something over one- 
fourth of an ounce. On April 15th this nest contained 6 eggs. 
Nest 2, April 2, building. This nest was placed in a small cavity in a jjile of loose refuse 
rock and debris 3 feet up, the material being practically identical with that of No. i. This nest 
rested in a cup-shaped foundation of flat stones. No signs of a walk existed, possibl}' owing to 
lack of space. On April 26th nest contained 6 newh' hatched young. During incubation the 
male was quite wary but very attentive to his mate, taking her all the most choice morsels in 
the way of small beetles. On .\pril 7th I was rewarded by locating three nests. Nest 7 con- 
