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 Sept.,1917 NESTING HABITS OF CLARKE NUTCRACKER IN COLORADO 153 ucst assumed same pose as those found iast year, head thrown back and beak open. "March 17th. Covered region again today, but nothing new found. Weather nild and snow melting fast. Mountain lion again seen at distance of quarter of a nilc, slowly walking along rocky ridge. Three eggs in nest that contained one on the 14th, and I left them. "March 19th. Went to canyon no. 3 to collect nest and eggs. Found the bird brooding and tried to get a picture of her by climbing tree. She left when I got to the required position. I photographed the set after breaking away. branches con- cealing part of the nest. (See fig. 52.) I then built up a platform so that I nlight get a photo of the old bird on the nest. When i returned and covered the eggs, first investigating the broken branches and the platform of the old trees which I had constructed. Returning 1 attempted to get on the stand, but she flew from the nest and I went away, concluding that 1 would have to be satisfied with a picture at, an angle and about eight feet distant. She soon covered the eggs again and 1 snapped her, but this picture proved to be a failure. I then took the nest. The two birds up to this time were close by and it- tered repeated ca;vs, but when I took the nesi they disappeared. In about ten minutes one of them, the female, returned, and I shot it. The male came Nest contained three eggs, as I expected. o, Fig. 52. NEST AND EGGS OF CLARKE NUT- CRACKER 1 S1TU. SET WaEX' MAnC 19, 1917. in for a moment, and then flew to the top of the ridge to a perch on a cedar tree, where 1 xvatehed it through glasses. With neck stretched out and bill pointing skyxvard, he would hold a strained position for several seconds. I have seen the birds do this same thing at close range, when squeaky notes were uttered, but in this ease he was too far away for me to hear. When I left he flew to the nest site and I returned to collect him, but he was now very' wary and I xvas unable to do so, though I disliked leaving one of the pair. This nest was situated at the bottom of the eauyon near its head, at about 8,500 feet altitude, and ;vas placed in the crotch of a good-sized limb of a
 * vent a few paces away she