Sept., 1917 NESTING HABITS O1' CLARKE NUTCRACKER IN COLORADO 151 "March 28th. Made trip afoot 25 miles to nearest station to express eggs, nest and skin to you, having no appliances for preparing and preserving eggs so far advanced in incubation. "April 5th. Returned to camp. "April 7th. Nest no. 5 found in pinYon about eight feet up, the young having recently vacated the same. Weather stormy; heavy snow fell during the night. Made trip to nest no. 2, located in bottom of canyon in Douglas fir, to take notes of birds during stormy weather. Found old bird covering young. It was cold and windy, and the ground was covered with eight inches of 'snow. Nothing of interest occurred. The other bird did not put in an appearance; probably feeding in the lower country. Returned in the afternoon and found both birds away and a rim of snow around the outer edge of the nest. One old bird soon returned and three necks straightened up to receive the food. The parent's throat was bulging out with pinyon nuts. These nuts were all full and round, so had evidently been placed where the "meat" had not dried up. Apparently, therefore, fresh pinyon nuts are always available during their nesting period. They were the chief items of sustenance that the gullets and stomachs contained, with an occasional small beetle or particle of the same. Both birds came in with food while I was at the nest site, and the feeding was done by regurgitation. The gullets of the old birds were very much enlarged, and plainly showed they contained a quantity of the pinyon seeds. The bill was thrust into the youngster 's mouth, and whole shelled nuts were given it. No shells or particles of same were found either in the gullets of old birds or stomachs of young birds. "Apparently the food brought in by one bird was sufficient to feed the entire family. I saw two of the three young ones receive food from one bird, but the other parent bird came in before the third young bird was fed by the first bird, and this mixed things up so that afterward I could not tell which was ?vhich. After feeding a young one, the parent bird would preen herself and jabber in a nervous manner, as though aware that an unwelcome visitor was at hand. "The stomachs of the old birds examined always contained masses of pinyon shells, this far exceeding in bulk the mixture of insects and meat of pinyon nuts, about 75 per cent nut food and 25 per cent insects and other matter. "April 8th. Found nest no. 6 in a pinyon tree about twelve feet up. Con- tained one young about a week old. Old bird sat very close, with beak up and open as usual. I almost touched her with my hand. Upon examination of nest no. 4, which had contained two young, I found the same to be vacated. "April 10th. Found nest no. I vacated when I visited it to photograph contents. The young of nest no. 2, though I considered them about two days older than those of nest no. 1, were still in the nest, and I took several photos of 'them. Also collected the male bird and young for a Museum group. (See fig. 51.) The male was the dominant defender of the brood, though I thought it was the female until I prepared the skin. Examination proved it to be the male, with testes much smaller than in the mating season." Being dissatisfied with results of the foregoing expedition, and getting none from my other parties, I arranged with Mr. Sheldon to make an earlier trip to the same camp and location this year (1917), in hopes of fuller notes on the building and nesting habits of the Nutcrackers, as well as better exhibits for ?ny collection. Little further knowledge was obtained, and I will briefly
