t96 THE CONDOR Vol. XXI nest. Though several hundred nests were examined, in no case were more than three eggs seen in a fiest, and in many. instances the birds were incubating one or two eggs. Podilymbus podiceps. Pied-billed Grebe. Breeding rather commonly in Malheur Swamp, though much less plentiful than the last and differing considerably in nesting habits. The nest of the Pied-billed Grebe was rather rare near the open water but was fairly common in ponds in the swamp well back toward the hay lands. It also nests earlier than the last, beginning to lay the first week in May and continuing throughout the month. Young were noted early in June. Six or seven eggs was the usual comple- ment, eight was occasional, and nine was found once. The nests were larger and more substantially built than those of C. n. ca?i?ornicus, and were always floating, whereas those of the other species are often built on supporting tules. Larus californicus. California Gull. At Malheur Lake this and the next species were nesting on Pelican Islands, a chain of small grass-covered islets near east end of lake. The gull colony was on parts of two of these islands, the tv?o sections of the colony being separated by a channel of water about fifty yards wide. There were only about sixty pairs of L. caZi?ornicus nesting, they being greatly outnumbered by the next spe- cies. Their nests were all in the same corner of the colony on a strip of bare ground and, although they were immediately contiguous to those of deZawarensis, the nests of the two species did not intermingle. The California Gull began to nest about June 7, but it was not through laying until ten. days later. On the ninth of July a severe hail storm occurred that played sad havoc in the gull colonies, killing a large percentage of the downy ySung. This gull suffered very little, however, only two dead. downlea being noted. Larus delawarensis. Ring-billed Gull. By far the most abundant of the gulls nesting' on Pelican Islands, there being about five hundred pairs in the col.9nies. Only a small percentage of the nests were on the bare ground like those of the last species, lnost of them being in the short grass. They began to lay about June 5 and the majority of the clutches were complete by June 15. There was evidently some co .n?u. sion among them as to location of their nests, as one nest containing five eggs and several with four eggs were noted. In most of these cases two distinct types of eggs Were in the clutch and they were probably the product of different females. It is feared that a small num- ber of the young 0f this gull survived the summer. Over three hundred dead downies were counted that were killed by the hail storm July 9, and many of the young that sur- vived this disaster were apparently stricken with disease at about the time they were be- ginning to fly and died in considerable numbers. While the gulls had not yet begun to nest at Clear Lake at the time of my depart- ure from that section, they were present in some numbers at the usual breeding grounds on isIands in the lake. These islands were visited April 10, on which date about two thousand gulls were present. In direct contrast to the gulls at Malheur, at least nine?y percent of these were cali?ornic?s, the remainder being delawarensis. ': $terna ca?pia. Caspian Tern. First seen at Malheur May 14.. The breeding col- ony consisted of about one hundred pairs and was situated on a sandy section of the shore of one of the Pelican Islands directly adjoining one of the Ring-billed Gull colo- nies. The Caspian Terns began to lay about June $ and had apparently finished by June 15. Most of the nests were hollows in the sand with very little lining. The usual num- ber of eggs was two, though several nests contained three and one held four. Thirty- two dead downlea were counted after the hail storm previously mentioned. $t,rna for?t,ri. Forster Tern. By far the most abundant tern in the Malheur re- gion, nesting in rules entirely around the lake, though more plentiful on south and west sides. The nesting colonies, however, did not extend back into the swamps but were in rules in the deeper water, generally within a half mile of the open water of the lake. Two types of nesting sites were generally used, one being the tops and sides of muskrat houses and the other on broken-down rules floating on the water. The birds using the first type of site built no nest whatever, laying the eggs on the rules composing the muskrat house, while those using the second location generally built a substantial nest composed of dead rule stalks. This species began to lay about June $ and the nesting season was considerably extended, some eggs being laid as late as the first week in July. Three eggs was the usual complement, though two was rather common and four occasional. First young were seen June 28, and they were noted flying by July 20.
