November, 1902. | 
THE CONDOR 
chanced upon a nest containing two 
eggs, uncovered; my visit to this nest 
on June 20 disclosed three eggs, well 
covered, evidently a complete set, No. 
6. This nest was a large, strong mound, 
made as usual, 4 inches in height, 22 
inches wide at water, cavity 7 inches 
across and 1.5 inches deep. It was 
anchored in the edge of a small clump 
of reeds. The eggs varied from one in- 
fertile to an advanced stage of incuba- 
tion. 
At this time it appeared to me that I 
had located every nest of C. holboelli in 
the swamp, but the morning of June 18 
brought a pleasant surprise in the form 
of nest No. 7, a new nest, among buck- 
brush in the edge of the swamp. It 
was made on depressed branches of the 
bushes, a large, strong mass of decayed 
reeds with some new material inter- 
mingled in the top. Here were four 
eggs, well baked, incubation far ad- 
vanced; indeed, the shells appeared to 
contain only black feathers and bones. 
However, by patient applications of 
soda for the better part of a week, the 
only suitable article in camp, I made a 
fine set of this find. 
A review of the foregoing data shows 
131 
that at least five pairs of C. holbcelli 
were breeding in the region explored. 
I am certain that no other species of 
grebe was living in the swamp, and also 
that no more than the five pairs were 
inhabiting the region. No nest was 
found within at least one hundred yards 
of any other occupied nest. Seven sets 
of eggs were taken, as follows: June 4, 
five eggs, loosely covered, incubated to 
blood; June 7, four eggs, covered, incu- 
bated to blood; June 17, five eggs, un- 
covered, fresh, likely a second set; June 
17, three eggs, covered, incubated to 
blood; June 18, four eggs, covered, in- 
cubation almost complete; June 20, 
three eggs, well covered, incubated to 
blood; June 20, four eggs, uncovered, 
fresh, evidently a second set. In the 
majority of instances, eggs were de- 
posited not oftener than on alternate 
mornings. 
Thus far I have no time to give to 
accurate measurements of the eggs, but 
in preparing them for specimens there 
was found to be wide variation in size, 
as they range approximately between 
2.10 and 2.50 inches in length, and 1.15 
and 1.50 inches in width. 
The Redwood Belt of Northwestern California. 
II. LAND BIRDS. * 
BY WALTER K. FISHER. 
T he following list of land birds of the Redwood belt of Humboldt and Del 
Norte counties is by no means complete. The region is one of considerable 
interest, and in publishing the list I have been largely actuated by a desire 
to aid those Californians who are interested in geographical distribution. So far 
as I am aware no list of the breeding birds of this region has yet appeared. With 
the exception of Ampelis cedrorum and probably of Melospiza cinerea phcsa all the 
birds are breeding species in the region. The time, circumstances, and limits of 
these notes have already been alluded to*. I am much indebted to Dr. T. S. Pal- 
mer for the use of a manuscript list of the birds of this region, made by him dur- 
ing the latter half of May and the first part of June, 1889. In each case I have 
accredited his records by initials. I am also indebted to Dr. C. Hart Merriam for 
the use of specimens in the Biological Survey collection, and to Mr. Robert Ridg- 
way for the use of types. 
*See Condor IV, Sept., p. iii. 
