Nov., 1904 I 
THE CONDOR 
165 
that often happens and luck was again with us to an unusual extent, for the nest 
contained nine beautiful eggs varying from fresh to about half incubated. The 
birds were somewhat more shy than those in the case of the first nest, never com- 
ing nearer than six feet but squeaking continually. 
This nest closely resembles the first one, but is a trifle larger, measuring six- 
teen and a hall inches in circumference by four inches in depth. The inner 
dimensions, however, are slightly smaller, measuring one and a half by one and a 
half inches. It was suspended from the lower side of the branch, most insecurely 
as usual, fifteen feet from the trunk of the tree and eighteen feet from the ground. 
The eggs are quite different in coloring from those of the first set, the ground 
being aperceptable reddish wdiite strongly clouded about the larger ends with fine 
red-brown dots. Several have a fine line of the same color, as if made with a pen. 
They are very slightly larger than the first set, measuring .60 by .42 inches. 
The only other occupied nest found was situated fifty feet up in a fir tree in 
the middle of a large grove. In size and construction it is similar to the two above 
mentioned, but the young had only recently vacated it. Curiously enough they 
had scarcely damaged it at all. 
To try to arrive at any definite conclusions concerning the nesting habits of 
these birds would be hardly wise, owing to lack of sufficient data, but let us hope 
to hear from others on the subject. However, it seems extremely likely that my 
nests with eggs were unusually low ones, the fifty foot one being nearer the aver- 
age as the birds are almost always high up in the trees. This seems the more 
probable since both my brother and I had found nests that had fallen to the 
ground that could not have came from lower than sixty feet, and po.ssibly were 
built at a much greater height. 
That they build a great many decoy nests is beyond a doubt. Indeed I have 
found two in one tree. I watched a bird working on one of these nests in the 
middle of July but could find no trace of an occupied nest in the vicinity. These 
extra nests are built of the same material as the occupied ne.sts, but are not so neat 
in their construction nor are they so large. 
The texture of the egg shell is the most delicate that I have ever seen, not 
even excepting eggs of the hummers, the drill sinking into the shell at the slightest 
touch. In spite of such a nerve-destroying process, however, I am happy to say 
that all seventeen of the eggs are prepared in perfect condition. 
I feel positive that two broods are reared in a season, on account of the dates of 
my nests as well as owing to the fact that old birds with their troops of young may 
be seen at intervals between the middle of Ma)^ and the first of July. 
Tacoma^ Washington. 
A Set of Abnormally Large Eggs of the Golden Eagle 
]!V C. S. SHARI' 
A FEW miles west of the Escondido Valley, and forming one of the outlets to 
the coast, is a picturesque canyon, officially known, I believe, as Aliso 
Canyon; locally by every resident within a mile of it and among the unre- 
generate youth of this place as “Spook” Canyon, from the fact that the spiritual- 
ists of Escondido and vicinity hold an annual camp meeting in its groves. Through 
