Meanwhile we were keeping as quiet in the hot sun, as numerous ants, flies, mosquitoes and other winged abominations would permit. Finally, the bird made her last circuit, approached the bush and hopped up on the edge of the nest; the shutter clicked and the watch said we had waited something over three hours for the photograph. This, however, was not forthcoming, for when I reached home and developed the plate it was almost completely "fogged," there being but an outline of the bird and nest. While our direct object failed I cannot say I regret my three hours close acquaintance with little Dendroica occidentalis.
Mr. Cartiger collected the nest and eggs which he describes as follows: the nest is composed outwardly of small, light weed stems and bleached pine needles, lined with cedar bark and horsehair. The nest measures: inside diameter /{x2 inches; outside 3x4 inches (extremes); outside depth 3 inches; inside depth 112 inches. Placed 2 feet from the ground in a small cedar, resting on a small limb about two inches from the trunk. The eggs measure .66x.52; .65x.53; .66x.53 and .67x.54 inches, and are marked principally at the larger ends, some confluently, with reddish brown and a few spots of black. The markings are heavy and more in the form of a wash than distinct spots. The female parent was secured. We noticed that the male Hermit Warblers were usually singing from the tall pines and black oaks and it is unlikely that the female sings during the breeding season. The position of the male bird has little to do with the location of the nest, and in the ease of Mr. Carriger's nest the male did not appear for nearly an hour.
On June 9, two miles above Fyffe I saw a pair of Hermit Warblers and watched the female, thinking she had left her nest to feed. I watched her for half an hour, during which time she searched the deer brush and small trees industriously for food, covering both sides of the road, and the number of worms consumed was really remarkable. Finally I discovered her feeding a young bird in the road and had no trouble in capturing it. It was just out of the nest and could not fly apparently. The plumage consisted of a few pin feathers, wing coverts and down of a dark grayish color, with two white bars on each wing. After examining it, I left the bird perched on a low limb.
While walking along a narrow traiI in the woods on June 9, a Calaeras Warbler ( [felminlhofihila ruficapilla turalis) flushed a few feet ahead of me and I found the nest beneath a small cedar bush, built in the "mountain mis- ery" flush with the ground. The cav- ity was lined with soap root fiber and the nest contained five half grown young.
Three nests of the Plumed Quail were found by us, all built in the tar- weed or "'mountain misery" (Chamre- bati foliolosa), and all near paths or roads. The one shown in the illustra- tion was built at the. foot of a large cedar tree, and was nicely concealed and shaded by the foliage of the weeds. The nesting cavity was about six in- ches across and three inches deep, lined with feathers from the parent bird. It held ten eggs, in which incubation was well advanced. Several times the bird was flushed in order that we migh t ob- serve th& nest, but she was persistent and always returned. The photograph was taken in the early morning of june 7, at which time the bright sunlight presented a variety of shades in the for- st. The 'mountain misery" was in full bloom at this time and the nature of the shrub is well illustrated in the half-tone photograph. A.nother nest containing inc.ubated eggs was found on the same day, placed amongst the tar-weed in the shade of large cedars. This nesting cavity was about six in- ches in depth, and composed of dry leaves from the tar-weed and lined with feathers. From the nests observed it seems certain that the Plumed Quail makes a nest of its own, for the one last mentioned was substantial enough to bring home. On June Io Mr. Carti- ger took a nest and o eggs built beside the road in the tar-weed three miles above Fyffe. The whistle of the Plumed Quail could be heard commonly through the woods, but the birds' were seldom seen.
