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THE CONDOR VoL. IX the nest, but the parent birds deserted it. Towards evening when I returned I went into this clump of cottonwoods again and by keeping quiet was surprised to see this pair of gnatcatchers again building. This time they had selected the very top of a young live cottonwood for their home, which grew about thirty feet from their former tree. They already had the foundation built. Both birds helped to build but the female bossed the job. She would always be there to inspect the work of the male, but would come there alone too, at times. Before leaving the nest to get more material she would hop all around the nest, chirrup twice and then fly. Never while I watched did she chirrup more thau twice. I did not have a,chance to return again to see this nest. The last nest I found- this day was one of the spurred towhee (-Ppi[o macu- [?hl$ J;1e?z[oll.l,x). While walking under the trees beside the road I stepped. on a dead limb lying on the ground. A bird flushed so close that it gave me a scare. On looking I found the nest, flush with the ground and lined with a few grasses. It contained four fresh eggs. The parent birds kept up a continual noise while I was there. M? 7, 1906.--On the way to work I saw a yellow-breasted chat (/cleria z, irens lo?.g/cauda). He flew about thirty feet up into the air, then spread his wings and tail, fluffed all his feathers up and sloxvly came back to the brush. All the time he kept up his imitations. A mate was evidently dose at hand. At lunch time I found another set of yellow-throat's eggs. The nest was in sword grass about txvo feet from the ground and contained five fresh eggs. The female was flushed. Near at hand I heard the familiar chirrup from the guat- catehers. I easily followed thereto their nest in the top of a slender cottonwood. The nest was made of lichens and cob webs lined with some kind of down and plenty of feathers. It contained three fresh eggs. The birds flew within an arm's length when I was near the nest and kept up a constant cry. I also saw several lazuli buntings, some small-sized herons, and two males and one female of the mallard. YUBA DAM TO SHEEP DIP, MAY 7 TO 12.--As we got nearer to Sheep Dip, our next camp, I saw quite a few magpies. I saw one flock of about twenty. There were tree swallows in the dead oaks. Also saw one canvasback duck. On May 11, I found a nest of the yellow-throat. It was built over a swamp in sword grass and contained four heavily incubated eggs. The parent birds did not return even tho I flushed the female. I also found a nest of the "marsh blackbird" built in the rules above the swamp. It was made of tules and mud, and eontaiued four incubated eggs. The parents were noisy. On the way home I found a nest in a coffee pot in an old tin can heap. Two days before I had seen the parent bird enter with food for her young, but did not have time to investigate. When I looked this time the nest was empty; but under- neath the layer of feathers, I found a rotten egg ?vhieh the parent bird had evi- dently covered. By a later set I saw it nmst have been a nest of the Vigors wren. On May 12, I found a deserted nest of the linnet containing four eggs. The rain two days before had evidently caused the desertion. I also saw a ground owl beside a hole which must have been its nest. I caught a young killdeer near Sheep Dip. In a locust tree near Sheep Dip I found a new nest of the western kingbird. The birds never returned to it after I looked at it. In a similar tree down the road a little further I found a nest of the California shrike. It was about ten feet above the ground and was made of straws, etc., lined with hair and wool. There were six heavily iueubated eggs in it. The parent bird did not utter a cry