230 
TIIE CONDOR 
Vol. XVIII 
Peculiar Nesting Site of Ash- 
throated Flycatcher. — We had just 
discovered a Phainopepla’s nest in a 
pepper tree along side of a road in 
Linda Vista, four miles west of Pasa- 
dena, California, when a women ap- 
peared and asked us what we were 
doing. After explaining, to her sat- 
isfaction, that we did not intend to 
disturb any of the nests in her vicinity 
she gained sufficient confidence in us 
to ask the identity of a bird nesting 
in her yard. Investigation disclosed 
an Ash-throated Flycatcher ( Myiar - 
chus cinerascens cinerascens) carry- 
ing food in its bill to a peculiarly sit- 
uated nest. At the northeast corner 
of the house a four-inch galvanized 
pipe about three feet long had been 
soldered to the outlet of the eaves 
trough in order to prevent rain water 
from falling against the house. In 
the elbow of this three-foot length of 
pipe a pair of Ash-throated Flycatch- 
ers had built their nest (see fig. 56). 
We were told that in build- 
ing the nest the birds first 
entered the open end of the 
pipe, but later used the entrance through the eave trough, which was little more than 
two and one-half inches in diameter. At the time of our visit, June 23, 1916, the nest 
contained young, which, by their calls, must have been partly feathered. Although the 
Crested Flycatcher of the East (Myiarclius crinitus ) is known to nest occasionally in an' 
artificial environment this is the first instance that has come to our notice of the Ash- 
throated Flycatcher, with its notably retiring disposition, taking kindly enough to civi- 
lization to nest in a door yard. — Harold C. Bryaxt and Amy M. Bryant, Berkeley, Cali- 
fornia. 
Bird Notes from Palo Verde, Imperial County, California. — Querquedula cyanoptera. 
Cinnamon Teal. On June 30, 1916, I was out in the flooded country when I found a 
duck's nest with seven creamy white eggs. No bird was on the nest but there were lots 
of duck tracks in the mud close by. The nest was under a small bush on the top of a 
levee about three feet from the water’s edge. It was not very well lined but contained 
some grass and a few feathers. On July 2 I was back, but the young had hatched; on 
looking around I saw six young, with the mother teal trying to get them away. The old 
male was on hand and tried to lead me away with the broken-wing game. The young 
were seen often after that but would always be in the brush. 
Porzana Carolina. Sora Rail. One pair was seen all summer in a large bunch of 
tules on the lagoon about half a mile south of Palo Verde; no nest found. 
Plegadis guarauna. White-faced Glossy Ibis. 
Himantopus mexicanus. Black-necked Stilt. Both these were seen all summer from 
May 12, till the fall migration, but no nests were found, though some young birds were 
seen flying around. 
Oxyechus vociferus. Killdeer. Several nests were found and lots of young seen in 
the flooded country during high water. 
Melopelia asiatica. White-winged Dove. No nests were found this year, but several 
seen in 1915. This year the birds were mostly back on the mesa or along the edge of the 
valley. They may have moved back on account of the flood. 
Chaemepelia passerina pallescens. Mexican Ground Dove. Two nests found in 1915. 
Only one pair of birds seen regularly this summer. Several seen in August and Septem- 
ber in the grass flats where the overflow had been. 
Fig. 56. Drain pipe used as a nesting site 
by a pair of Ash-throated Flycatchers. 
