4 THE CONDOR [VOL. VII by its smoky crown. How long the nutcrackers and jays remain in families, and whether the jays look after their young later than the nutcrackers, whose vertical migration to the pition belt begins in August, perhaps only mountaineers can tell us. Butin cases of early accident to a normal spring breed, a second brood could doubtless be reared before cold weather even at such high altitudes. Some such explanation might apply in the case of a pair of golden eagles (,4quila chrysaetos) which we encountered in coming down out of the Taos Moun- tains through Hondo Canyon in August. The canyon with its timbered sides, its cliffs and bold rock towers afforded good eagle country, and when our outfit halted at 8000 feet by a grove of young spruces that promised to supply a needed tent pole, my attention was attracted by two of the noble birds flying back and forth across the slope of the canyon wall. While holding the horses I noted idly, but with the satisfaction one feels in intelligent work, that the eagles seenled to be hunting over different beats, and also that they saved themselves work by flying back and forth almost without a wing stroke, merely tilting their outspread oblong wings at different angles to act as sails. Occasionally one would light in a small pine top for a few moments, and in descending to the tree one at least showed a white base to its tail. Sounds of dropping came from the spruces and I thougilt impatiently of the Helminthophilas we were anxious to hunt in the willows down the canyon, when suddenly the eagles claimed all my attention. One of them was proceeding calmly across a slope when its companion started and flew straight out to it. On the in- stant the one approached shot away, rising high in air, to come sweeping down again magnificently on set wings. The whole performance had such an appear- ance of coquettish courtship play that it suggested the boonling of the nighthawk. What did it mean--in August? As I was pondering in bewilderment, Mr. Bailey, tent pole in hand, emerged from the spruces, and when I pointed excitedly to the eagles, got out his field glasses to watch developments. In a moment, to our sur- prise, the two birds lit side by side, on the face of the cliff, as it seemed at our distance. Focusing the glass sharply on them however, Mr. Bailey exclaimed, "They're sitting on the edge of a nest---a big stick nest on a ledge!" This was indeed a surprise. Could they be birds of the year--one had the white tail--re- visiting their old home? Or were they, perchance, a pair hunting food for a belated brood, though the normal breeding time is from December to March. What was it ? As we speculated, first one bird and then the other pitched off the cliff and resumed sailing. Presently, however, one of them flew to a tall tree, lit on a dead branch, gave a jerk and a backward flap and flew off, the broken branch bristling beneath its feet. It made its way quickly back to the nest which when closely examined with the glass proved to have a top layer of freshly broken sticks. We looked at each other in amazement, finally exclaiming, "Eagles--building --the tenth of August!" I4/ashington, D.C.
