Nov. I9o6 [ LIFE HISTORY OF THE CALIFORNIA CONDOR. PART I I39 By this tinhe it ha.d begun to rain in earnest; so we stopped and built a fire and ate lunch, hoping it would clear off so we could continue. V?re waited for two hours, but there was no change in the weather except for the worse. so we gathered our traps and set out for home thirty-five riffles away. The weather continued stormy and our next trip to the coudor's nest was post- poned till March 23. A heavy sea-fog hung low over'the country, but we had hopes that there was blue sky beyond. As we went on the fog did not clear, and we seemed likely to have a day sinhi- lar to our last trip. V?re finally ? stowed away part of our equip- ment in the brush and with one canhera and sonhe lunch, started '- -- up the creek, which was still .? ? 4? ?,?' The last two storms had car- ried down great m?ses of rock and shale from the steep slopes and washed out the trail in some places. In another place a ? r bowlder weighiug a tou blocked the path. V?rhen we reached the steep asceut up the side of the tnountain, the trail was ahuost obliterated. but just enough was left to follow. It took au hour to reach the top of the ridge. Followiug the trail that skirt- ed the mouutain side, we reached a place several hundred yards down the cauyon from the nest, and thou desceuded to the stream which we crossed several times before reachlug the spot below the uest. Here it begau to rain aud we stopped under a tree for lunch. At one o'clock it still raiued aud the trees and bushes were wet. But we were too near the big nest not to try a few pic- " tures eveu in the rain. Strap- ' -- - ping the camera firmly to my NEST ANO EOO OF CAllFOI?NIA CONDOIR. SHOWS MATEIRIA 1 back, we began the steep ascent ?OS,N? FI. OOR OW NEST-?AVE. PHOTO TAKEN WI?ON I.EO?E of fifty yards to the cave. OVE.HEAO. ANO 1OO?'N? DIRECTLY DOWN INTO NEST Hanging to the roots and bushes aud edging from side to side up the rock>' surface. we both reached the pocket contaiuing the nest. ?rheu we climbed over where we could look between the rocks aud see iuto the cave, the old bird was on. I went closer and could see her bald head of orange color, and the great black bird still sat on the nest. I climbed up within four feet of her and whistled and yelled till she rose on her feet, She looked so big that I
