Mar., 1902. I 
THE CONDOR 
39 
of hours loitering among the mesquite 
clumps within half a mile of the plant. 
The old Hanlon ranch with its huge 
date palms loaded with ripening fruit, 
is located here. There are also some 
other fruits in their season. The Mexi- 
can in charge complained that the birds 
damaged his fruit and he constantly 
made pot shots among them. 
I saw half a dozen western gnat- 
catchers ( Polioptila ccprulea obsciira) 
gleaning insects which had adhered to 
the sticky surface of the dates. 
It was here that I saw my first Gila 
woodpecker {Melanerpes iiropygialis'). 
He flew from these same palms to a 
stub sticking out of a mistletoe-covered 
mesquite. The mistletoe was white 
with berries and he may have been 
after these, but catching a glimpse of 
me, scarcely fifty feet away, he gave 
several decided jerks of his head and 
then flew back to the palms. About 
fifteen minutes later he came to the 
same spot and I had another good view 
of him. Other birds noted, and of 
which I secured specimens, were the 
verdin {Aunpanis fiaviceps) cactus 
wren, {Heleodytes brimneicapillus) cow- 
bird, (^Molothrus ater') house finch, {Car- 
podacus mexicafius frontalis') sharp- 
shinned hawk, {Accipiter velo.x) and 
red shafted flicker; {Colaptes cafer col- 
laris). Also noted a flock of seven 
western bluebirds, (Sialia mexicana 
occidentalis), white rumped shrikes, 
(Lanins hidoviciajins excubitorides) and 
rock wrens, the latter about the gravel- 
covered slopes leading up from the river 
bottom to the main desert. I was pre- 
vented by serious illness from making 
a more extensive examination of this 
field, but I am convinced that that part 
of California which lies next to the 
Mexican boundary has much in store 
for ornithologists who may investigate 
it in the future. 
A Few Notes on the Nesting of Trochilus alexandri. 
R. C. WUE.STE, S.\N DIEGO, C.VI,. 
I T would be hard to find an individ- 
ual displaying no interest at the 
sight of a member of the family un- 
der discussion tonight. Ornithologists 
and laity alike seem always imbued 
with enough of the aesthetic to grant 
these little gems a warm spot in their 
hearts. Personally, I will say at least, 
that I have found their acquaintance 
most fascinating. 
I have chosen the black chinned 
hummingbird (T. alexandri) because of 
a greater experience with the species 
and also because I consider it the char- 
acteristic form of this locality; certainly 
it is the most abundan tnesting spec- 
ies I have observed here. Although I 
have met with this hummingbird forty 
miles inland, nearly all of the nests and 
eggs in my possession have -been col- 
lected within two miles of the sea and 
practically at sea level. The small 
patches of willows which here and 
there dot dry, sandy water-courses are 
shown perhaps a necessary partiality. 
However where cotton-woods and syca- 
mores are found, they are not despised. 
Two cases in which a weed stalk and a 
wild grapevdne were used have even 
come under my notice. By the side of 
such willow patches, strips of wild to- 
bacco often run, and it is then that we 
have found an ideal nesting ground. 
Nest building commences during the 
latter half of x\pril and during May 
nesting is in full swing. During this 
month their purpose to perpetuate their 
kind is deeply seated; in one case the 
domicile and contents of a pair were 
taken tliree consecutive times from the 
identical position; the fourth nest and 
eggs were allowed to remain in the 
possession of the ambitious though un- 
wise little mother. The nest is a dainty 
cup-shaped affair placed at heights 
varying from two to twenty feet. It is 
composed only of plant down and spider 
webs, with never a lichen or feather to 
