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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,