132 THE CONDOR Vo?. 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 watcht 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-CRO?'NED 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 nest 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. Late 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
