July, 1902. I 
THE CONDOR 
87 
would have taken but little abrasion of 
the tips of these feathers to have rend- 
ered this bird indistinguishable from 
specimens taken during April and May. 
On Dec. 19 I secured another, almost a 
counterpart of the one described above, 
except that the black on the crown was 
not quite so extensive as in that bird. 
Whether these birds acquire the 
spring plumage through a moult of the 
entire crown, or whether they merely 
renew the few feathers which are en- 
tirely gray, is a question. As I have 
taken one or two summer birds showing 
very faint traces of gray in the black 
crown, I rather incline to the latter 
supposition. Possibly those birds which 
retain more or less of a black cap 
through the winter, are the old males; 
the younger ones retaining the plum- 
age of the female until the spring. 
Possibly, also, for several years they re- 
assume this plumage each fall, and after 
each fall moult a few more gray-tipped 
black feathers remain on the crown. 
As to the black streak over the eye, T 
think that it is acquired at an early age; 
I have taken quite young birds which 
show it distinctly. 
The time for the spring moult seems 
to be extremely variable; I have speci- 
mens taken at the end of February, 
with no trace of the black crown, and 
not yet commencing to moult; while on 
January 20, 1902 I took one with many 
pin feathers on the head and the black 
cap nearly complete. Usually, I think 
that the change of plumage is not fin- 
ished before the first week in April. 
No part of the bird but the crown seems 
to be affected by the moult, but winter 
birds have the back tinged with brown, 
which color disappears by spring. 
Often the plumage presents rather a 
worn and abraded appearance by the 
time the black cap is donned; I have 
taken specimens which had just barely 
acquired their black cap, and yet their 
retrices were so worn that the white 
markings of the lateral ones were com- 
pletely obliterated. 
An Unusual Set of Eggs of Clarke Nutcracker. 
BV H. C. JOHNSON, AMERICAN FORK, UTAH. 
I HAVE the great good fortune and 
honor to record the taking on April 
8, this year, of Clarke nutcracker, 
(^Nzicifraga coliimbiajia) male parent 
nest and five eggs; also the female par- 
ent, nest and three eggs on April 17, by 
W. Dunsdon on the southwest slope of 
Box Elder Mountain, Wasatch Range, 
Utah Co., Utah. 
The same collector secured the three 
nests mentioned in The Condor, May- 
June 1900, and on the same mountain, 
Mr. Dunsdon to whom all honor is due 
is an old and seasoned miner and pros- 
pector and above all a courageous 
mountaineer. For four consecutive 
years he has made some of the gamiest 
mountain climbs in March and April, 
seeking the nests of that elusive rara 
avis, Clarke crow. He will permit no 
dallying with names, laughs at your 
latin and will not stand Clarke nut- 
cracker or Clarke crow; "It is just sim- 
ply ‘camp robber,’ lad, for I have 
known it as such before you were born 
and that settles it.” 
In March he tried a “little trip” but 
could not get up the mountain, but 
early in April he made another attempt, 
gaining the altitude where he found his 
previous nests in 1900. According to 
former experience gained he watched 
the birds rather than the trees but could 
not get around very much on account 
of the deep snow. Finally he was re- 
warded by seeing one fly directly to a 
large balsam tree near by; then he could 
see the nest. The setting bird immed- 
iately left the nest and the newcomer 
took charge of the incubation. For some 
two hours he waited, then the mate re- 
turned allowing the other to go. In 
