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Mar.,  1920                                                           61


                   NESTING  OF  THE  DUSKY  POOR-WILL  NEAR  SAUGUS,
                             LOS ANGELES COUNTY,  CALIFORNIA

                           By  A.  J.  VAN  ROSSEM  and  J.  HOOPER  BOWLES
                                        WITH  ONE  PHOTO
             I  wills,  even within their regular ranges,  mainly from  their weird calls  that
               'f IS probable that the majority of us are acquainted with most  of the Poor-
                come  to  us shortly after dusk.  We  consider  ourselves fortunate  if we  are
            able  even  occasionally  to flush  one  of the  birds,  and thus  to  obtain  a  fleeting
            glance or two  as they disappear through the  underbrush.  Among  their favor-
            ite  haunts  seem  to  be  the  sides  of  canyons  where  there  is  a  heavy  growth  of
            wild lilac and white sage; and it was in such a  locality that A.  J. van Rossem
             was  fortunate  enough  to  discover the nest and  eggs  that are  de5cribed  in this
            paper.  As  is  not  infrequently  the  case  with  some  of  our  best  finds,  the  col-
            lector was not even thinking of birds at the time, being in hot pursuit of a  rar1~
            butterfly  instead.  · Dashing  through  the  thick  brush  he  nearly  stepped  upon
             the sitting bird, which flushed from her eggs almost between his feet.  As was
            natural enough,  the butterfly continued down the canyon unmolested,  and the
            ardent  entomologist,  upon  retracing  his  steps  to  the  spot  where  the  bird  had
             made  its  unexpected  appearance,  was  promptly  transformed  into  a  most  en-
             thusiastic  oologist.
                 No  attempt  whatever  seemed  to  have  been  made  at  constructing  a  nest,
             the  eggs  lying  on  the  bare  ground  among  pebbles,  etc.,  in  the  shade  of  some
             dense  brush that bordered upon a  small  open space,  as  may  be  seen  in the ac-
             companying  illustration.  Only  one  of  the  parent  birds  was  in  evidence  and,
             after flushing from  her eggs,  she returned twice while van Rossem was at the
             nest.  'l'he  date  was · 'April  18,  1919,  at  which  time  the  incubation  wa5  only
             slightly advanced.  This is much the earliest of any set that we have been able
             to find recorded, June  and early July being dates for  the very  few previously
             taken.
                 This set of eggs of Phalaenoptilns nitttalli cal if ornicits, two in number, was
             sent unblown to J. Hooper Bowles,  of Tacoma, Washington, in whose collection
             it is at the present writing.  A good supply of the materials upon which the eggs
             WPre  laid accompanied them, for nothing shows off a set of eggs in a  collection
             to better advantage than the materials upon which  the bird placed them.  This
             is  always  true from  a  scientific  viewpoint,  and  usually from  an  artistic  point
             of view as well.
                 In a  majority  of  the  descriptions  that  are  given  for  eggs  of  the  various
             forms  of  the  Poor-will,  the  color  is  stated  as  white,  without  markings,  some-
             times with a  pinkish tinge.  However, such was by no  means the case with the
             set of eggs under discussion.  Before  blowing,  the  ground  color  was  a· strong
             salmon pink;  but this,  after  blowing,  turned to  a  clear,  glossy,  pinkish  white,
             strongly suggesting eggs  of  the Merrill  Parauque  (Nyctidromu.s  albicollis  rner-
             rilli),  although the pink of the Poor-will eggs showed a  closer approach to  sal-
             mon.  Around the larger ends was a rather dense wreath of lavender and dusky
             spots and dots, making the eggs look exceedingly like the marked eggs of some
             small  petrel.  In fact that is  what the present owner thought they were at first,
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