132 
THE CONDOR 
Vol. XI 
preened herself, said “dear, dear,” deliberately, and in four minutes flew directly 
up the hillside and out of sight. At 11:55 she returned and alighted on the pole 
back of the nest. My presence evidently distrest her, for she gave her call several 
times and flirted her tail. I moved farther away, but still in sight, when she was 
quiet, and in four minutes from the time of her coming went to the nest. For one 
hour and thirty-one minutes after the bird took the nest I sat and watclit it, and 
when at 1:30 I left, she was still brooding. 
The next day I took my camera hoping to get a picture of the brooding bird; 
but the presence of the camera so disturbed her that I gave up the undertaking. 
Two days later, at 1:12, I found the bird brooding. For an hour and forty- 
six minutes she stayed on the nest, not once turning or moving. When she left 
the nest she did so quietly, slipping thru the grass, then onto a bush, and from 
there flying directly up the hillside, a route she invariably took. In twenty-nine 
NEST AND EGGS OF RUFOUS-CROWNED SPARROW 
minutes she returned, resting on the stalk back of the nest and calling “dear, 
dear" at me; I moved farther back and she took the nest. It seemed that once 
she had the courage to take the uest she felt safe, and my presence did not disturb 
her even when I was only a few feet from her; but she was always somewhat shy 
about going on when I was very close. She did not mind if I was at least ten feet 
away. 
Tate Thursday afternoon — the 15th — when I visited the nest the eggs were not 
hatcht. Friday forenoon three young were found in place of the eggs. Saturday 
afternoon a little before six o’clock I made a trip to the nest. The orange- 
skinned nestlings were partially covered with tufts of black down. In ten minutes 
an old bird came to a nearby bush, an inch-long green worm dangling from its 
bill. I was about ten feet from the nest. After giving the plaintive call-note twice 
the bird carried the worm to the nest. From where I stood I could not see just 
