72 THE CONDOR Vol. XlII The female frequently begins depositing eggs before the nest is finished, and may be seeh carrying twigs to it, after the full complement of eggs has been laid. I have not ascertained the exact period of incubation for the Cuckoo but it must be very short. I know of one case where the nest was built, three eggs laid. and incubation about one-fourth, all in a week; this must be admitted to be rapid work. The bird is a close sitter often allowing one to touch her before she will leave the nest. She will then leave as if she was crippled, and flutter along the ground for a short distance, very much like a dove. The note in the breeding season is a quickly uttered "kuk-kuk-kuk", and is gen- erally given at some little distance from the nest. The birds when in close prox- imity to the nest are usually silent. If the eggs are taken or destroyed, a second and even a third set will be laid within a very few days. The young when first hatched are naked and look as though they were made of India rubber. They grow very quickly, and I believe if undisturbed two broods are reared in a season. On July 10,1910, Mr.J.Eugene Law, Mr. C?. Willett, my brother and myself, in Mr. Law's auto started out to locate some new breeding grounds of the Cuckoo. We proceeded on the east side of ? ?- the Los Angeles River until we had gone about sixteen miles south of the city? when we came to several small willow groves, xvhich we started to search. It was not long before we heard the ? call of a Cuckoo, and Mr. Law
, ? soon discovered the nut, which
was placed in the top of a slender xvillow about twelve feet from the ground? and contained three ? j young. The rest of the groves I were not very promising so we boarded the auto and made for Fig. 32. YOUNG OF CALIFORNIA CUCKOO, AUGUST 14,191{) the old grove, which we reached in a short time. We had not been there long before I heard Cuckoos calling in several directions. We made for the nearest call, and after a thorough search I located a nest placed in the top of a small willow fourteen feet from the ground. This contained four slightly incubated eggs. I tried to take a photo but it was impossible, so I cut the tree and lowered it about half way down to a better position and took several pictures. I then searched in the direction where another bird was heard calling and in a short time found another nest. This was built in a willow bush about five feet from the ground and contained three badly incubated eggs. The bird was very tame and allowed me to touch her, but when I broke some small limbs which were in the way for the taking of a photo she flew away and did not return, so I was obliged to give up the picture. I again visited the grove with Mr. Willett on July 24, and about forty feet from where I had found the first nest another was found resembling the first both in situation and construction. I took two photos of this, and we then made our way toward nest number two. Mr. Willerr discovered this nest in a willow
