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 182 THE CONDOR Vol. XIV the locality where on June .13 we had seen the first birds on the Plateau. Here, in passing along the edge of deep snow-drifts which lay everywhere through the woods, Littlejohn came upon a emale Pinicola feeding on the snow, while a brilliant red-plumaged male was fliffl,ng among the boughs above. In endeavor- ing to secure the latter the female .was seen to fly to a nearby tree where she began hopping from branch to branch until a height of about 25 feet had been attained whereupon she flew to, and disappeared in, the thick foliage of a hem- lock bough. Advancing nearer, Littlejohn could just discern the tail of the bird projecting over what might be a nest and which on my climbing the tree proved so to be. Being situated eight feet out near the end of the limb, and in a thick patch of foliage, it could not be' seen from above except by spreading the branches apart. On doing this and after the sitting bird had been urged off with a long stick the nest was seen to contain three eggs. Being unable, without equipment, to do anything further, we started back to camp, Littlej0hn and Heinemann going direct while I headed over the ridge-to our first nest. Here, although the bird was seen nearby, the nest contained no further eggs. On the following morning we returned, with Heinemann, to the second Grosbeak's nest with carpenter tools and sufficient boards to build a rough plat- form up. in the hemlock, which would serve in securing the eggs as well as photographs of the-birds. After the writer had climbed the tree, and the tools and lumber were hauled up, a strong though rough platform was built; and to show how remarkably close Pine Grosbeaks sit I may add that the bird remained on the nest during the entire time, nor did she flush even when the edge of the staging was placed and nailed but a few feet from her. Heinemann came up next and being somewhat unaccustomed to tree climb- ing was aided by a rope around the waist. His photographic apparatus was now brought up and preparations made to secure pictures of the bird. These could be taken only as the birds approached the nest; for when sitting on the latter, she was almost invisible. Never have I seen any bird so persistently return to a nest as the Pine Grosbeak did; for no matter how often she was driven off she continued to immediately fly back, and often so quickly that we had no opportunity to get her on the plate. Owing to deep shade in the forest we soon realized that we could scarcely hope for the best results photograph- ically. Considerable snow lay beneath the trees, but being in the shade and as we, too, were 35 feet above, its effect was not perceptible. When flushed the bird almost invariably flew across to one of the nearby firs and pausing but a moment immediately returned. As our only opportunity for pictures lay in getting the bird in a certain position, and as she frequently lit close to a dark fir trunk or against the light it was necessary in all to flush the bird forty-one times. No photographer could wish for a more willing subject, for she promptly returned on each occasion. The bird was utterly fearless, coming at times very close to us and seeming rather puzzled than alarmed or angered by our aggressive operations. Once a Mountain Chickadee and at an- other time a.Sierra Junco came near the nest-tree, and the female being off on- both occasions, she joined her mate in driving them away. Another time, how- ever, when a Western Robin lit close to the nest the birds showed no concern whatever. The pictures shown were taken when the bird lit in a fir close by, the best being secured when the Grosbeak was on the extremity' of a long branch in a rather open situation. The male only put in his appearance at intervals, and