Page:Condor20(6).djvu/11

Nov., 1918 NB, STING O1? THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN JAY 205 found no indication of a nest. l?Iareh 21 I saw a pair of birds, one following the other from tree to tree, one of them apparently with something in its mouth, but the hill was so steep I could not follow straight up with skees, and lost them. An hour or so later I discovered them, the lead bird with its mouth full of nesting material, and soon located the nest. It was about four feet from the top of a spruce tree, on the east side of a hill, absolutely concealed in thicl? foliage. I could detect nothing from any point either with or without my glasses, and as the birds were only building, did not disturb the nest. March 28 I revisited the nest site and saw both birds, but they were shy, and did not approach the nest, though they stayed in the tops of nearby trees. Fig. 42. NEST AND EGGS OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN JAY; SET NO. 3. "April 5 no birds were present, but I investigated the nest, which was ap- parently completed but empty. I concluded it had been abandoned. "April 9 could see nothing of the birds, but being now convinced that the nest was abandoned, I did not climb to the nest. "April 15, seeing nothing of the birds, I decided to collect the nest for ex- amination. To my surprise it contained two eggs, which I deemed an incom- plete set, and left it undisturbed. "April 21 no trace of the birds was to be seen, but when I climbed the