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Jan., 1909 NOTES ON THE HABITS OF PHAINOPEPLA NITENS 23 from the nest, but she didn't return tho I watclxed for eight minutes. About this time I noticed a pair of Phainopeplas building a nest in another pepper tree, perhaps 150 feet away. This nest was near the top of a small branch that grew in an almost perpendicular direction. A small piece of rolled-back bark seemed to be its only support. It seemed an almost impossible place for a nest, but the birds were building industriously despite a high wind. I did not go to the first nest at this time; but the next afternoon when I '?vent to look at it, it was entirely gone. Not until then did I realize that undoubtedly this second nest was built by the Same pair of birds that had built the first. What made them change their nest I could not guess, unless the wind and rain had done so. All the next forenoon (May 5) the birds were seen working at the new nest. It was noticed that a pair of mocking birds that were 'nesting near by often both- ered them, driving them about and making themselves generally disagreeable. On the afternoon of the 6th, as;I passed this second nest tree I noticed a male Phaino- pepla go down to the nest and fly away again with something in his mouth. if'his was carried to another pepper tree only a few yards away. Investigation proved that a third nest was being constructed on a horizontal branch of the tree. There was no crotch and the nest was a flimsy affair; never- the-less the male sat upon it so long that I wondered if brooding had begun. Going back to nest number two I saw that it was almost gone. When, two days later, I again looked for this third nest, like the other two--it had vanished. ? Just where the birds went after this I am not sure, but a'pair of Phainopepl&s were seen in a large oak tree less than a block away. I have always thought that the last two nests were moved because of the action of the mocking birds. This is not the first time that I have known these Phainopeplas to change their nests, but I never knew them to do so, so many times. Later in the season I found a Phainopepla's nest which Coniained two well- leathered young. In fact they were nearly ready to leaVe the nest. One of them seemed quite restless, flirting his short tail, spre?/ding' his wings, and callirlg "scrat" vigorously. This was on July 10, and was, I believe, the second riest'of the birds. Saturday morning, July 11, while. I watched at the tree, the restless nestling jumped from the nest onto the branch beside it, paused a moment, turned around, and jumped back. The next morning shortly 'after eleven o'clock one of the young birds again jumped out of the nest onto the limb and then hopped into the tree above the nest. He flew and hopped about in the tree for twelve minutes and then flew back to the nest and cuddled down beside his companion. While he was in the tree the male fed him once and the bird in the nest also once. The food was nightshade berries carried in bill and throat. The next morning, July 13, the young were still in the nest, but when I visited it a little before ten o'clock they had both left and were not even in the tree. One of them I found across the street in a pepper tree. The male came to feed him but would not do so while I was near. All the time that I watched at this nest only the male bird was about. Some ill fate had evidently overtaken the female, leaving the care of the nestlings en- tirely to the male, no hardship for a bird that does so much of it anyway. ];os Ang?eles, Cahfornia.