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 SE?a'., 9o 3 [ THE CONDOR z 9 arroyo, narrow and rocky in the center of the canyon, and found shady pools of clear cold rain water not yet evaporated from their cisterns of stone. Wending our way along and exploring many grotesque caves with the prints of buzzards, coyotes and wild cats on the sandy floors, constantly alert against surprise by the chance rattlesnake, we came into close quarters with a skunk and disposed of him without any inconvenience to ourselves, and in a large cave wherein we were at- tracted by a white-throated swift (Aeronatles melanoleucus) that had its nest in a 'deft in the "ceiling," we tried to mix up with a wild 6at that retreated far back to safety in a dark and narrow passage. By a eireuituous climb we gained the ledge where the falcon fed. This ledge skirts the top of the canyon for a hundred feet or more and then breaks up into sandstone hummocks and rocky pinnacles, ten- anted bv the drowsy barn owl and sluggish turkey vulture. The height of the ledge is less than 200 feet at any place and the hill over the nest slopes gently up- ward and is well covered with chemise, sage, manzanita, suddenly changing to scrub-oak and timber with grass and low growing vegetation. The male took wing off a resting place dose to the nest as we were making the circuituous climb, while the female, a very close sitter, closer than any of the duck hawks that have come under my observation, waited until we were almost over her, then darted out on a downward curve with great speed, for almost sixty yards, then rose to a height about twenty-five feet above us and flew to and fro over the canyon in trips about 2000 yards long, just out of gun range, almost constantly emitting a vociferous cackling or screeching. She continued in this manner for the space of half an hour and became more excited and approached closer at my descent to the nest, which was a small cave in the face of the smooth concave surface of the ledge and only eight feet from the top. The male remained flying about farther away and much higher, being much less concerned than his mate, finally alighting upon a dead limb across the canyon and then uttering a few short notes of one syllable, sometimes doubled by quick repetition; a sort of chug with considerable squeak to it. The actions of both birds were much the same as those of the duck hawk upon such occasions, but noticeably less fierce. The cackling or screeching was of about the same duration and in detail but of a different key. The flight of both species is quite similar, being rapid, of short, frequent strokes, producing a gliding motion, and at a distance reminding one of large swifts. Little sailing is indulged in except at considerable elevation at which time it is done in a circular course and within a defined radius. After adjusting the rope about me, I made the descent but found the nest de- void of eggs so went downward a few feet and stood braced on a narrow foothold while my helper moved the slack rope preparat)ry to investigating other potholes and clefts, the wind and force of gravity sending quantities of sand down my neck and into my eyes, from the friction of the rope on the soft rocks. [ was soon sat- fried the bird had deposited no eggs, but was only holding down her claim prepar- atory to depositing the second set. There was insufficient rope, by sixty feet, to allow me to reach foothold below but my helper hauled me up the last few feet, i5o pounds dead weight, overcoming the friction of the rope besides. He sat, braced on the surface of the sloping hill, with a hole kicked for either heel, and occomplished a feat of main strength that I have no desire to be accessory to again The following year found us on this exact spot at xo:x 5 a.m., April 2, a heavy fog over all, which allowed us to approach within ten feet of the male keeping vigil in a small cave to one side of the nest. He flew towards and past us, ereat-