around flowers by house, 88.
attacking horse and rider, 7.
building, 149-155.
call, 153.
courtship dance, 149.
enter house, 89.
feeding from primroses, 69.
feeding young, 23, 24, 155, 217.
help in cross-fertilization, 150.
nest, 23.
nest destroyed, 26.
nesting sites, 23, 89, 130, 147-148, 155, 158, 161, 217-218.
perch, 57, 167.
probing tobacco-tree flowers, 88.
tremulous moulding, 152.
Hummingbird, Rufous, 147.
around wild gooseberries, 147, 168.
song, 168.
Irrigation, natural, 21, 38, 159-160.
Jay, California, 59, 61, 84-85, 105, 123, 160, 161.
disciplining young, 85.
frightening small birds, 28, 58, 60, 84, 141.
local name, 6.
protecting young, 85.
scream, 169, 184.
tender to young, 84, 85.
Kingbird,
Arkansas. See Bee-bird.
Cassin's. See Bee-bird.
Eastern, 91.
Linnet. See Finch.
Lions, colts killed by, 30.
List of Birds referred to, ix.
List of Illustrations, vii.
Lizards, as eggers, 28, 150, 200, 203.
Magpie, 51, 98.
Mexican bridle, 3.
Miring, 17-19.
Mockingbird, thrasher's resemblance to, 6.
Mountain Billy, 20.
a good lope, 42-43, 112.
a narrow escape, 120.
a petted companion, 165, 187.
carrying blue gum boughs, 211.
carrying a chair, 60-61.
enjoying blue gum grove, 214, 218.
frightened by deer, 28-30.
ignoring snakes, 187-188.
improving his time, 68, 69, 114.
inventing a fly brush, 54, 55.
rolling, 165-166.
Mutual help in nature, 150.
Nesting season, date in southern California, 21, 30, 67, 69, 86.
Nests, broken up, 10, 26, 27, 47, 127, 143, 145, 158, 172, 204,
206, 217.
building, hard work, 56, 60, 107.
building methods, 49-50, 52-54, 82, 107, 108, 109, 127, 135,
136, 142, 150-154, 158, 175, 199, 200, 203, 204, 205-206, 207.
defective building (?), 106.
excessive amount of material, 96, 107, 108.
knothole entrance too small, 131.
materials of first nest used in second, 60, 107, 109-110, 154.
moved to safer place, 60, 154.
odd situations, 9, 95, 130, 171.
protective coloration, 82, 90, 144, 150.
rapid building, 108, 206.
second, 48 (?), 60, 107, 154, 186.
snakes in, 108.
third (?), 60.
time taken to build, 60.
unusual materials, 14, 89, 90.
Observing, 1, 2, 40, 60-61, 66, 67, 68, 81, 82, 109, 114, 123,
130, 135, 139, 141, 166, 195, 196, 197, 198, 201-205, 215.
assisting in nest building, 97, 109-110, 175-183.
delight of finding a new bird, 13.
proportion of birds identified without a gun, 2, 140.
temptations in, 92, 93, 194.
Oden Canyon, 159-160.
Oregon Robin, 20.
Oriole, 27, 104, 130, 131.
Oriole, Arizona Hooded,
building, 89.
Oriole, Bullock's, 162.
attacking an owl, 139.
nest, 117.
song flight, 184.
Owl, 105, 215-216.
asleep in window, 137.
diet of rats and mice, 137.
hiding in wells and mining shafts, 137, 138.
Owl, Barn,
an old crone, 139.
nesting site, 139.
Owl, Burrowing, 119, 212.
battles with a collie, 11, 12.
feeding young, 11, 12.
nest not shared with rattlesnakes, 11.
screws head off, 11.
Owl, Western Horned,
devices to protect young, 8, 9.
mobbed by neighbors, 138.
Pewee, Wood, 161-162.
building, 57, 59, 61.
nesting site, 57, 60.
nest moved, 60.
perch, 62, 161.
Phainopepla, 194-210.
a distinguished bird, 194.
building (done by male), 199, 203, 204, 205, 206.
call, 205.
eating pepper berries in door-yard, 197.
nest, 205.
nesting site, 199.
song, 205.
Ph[oe]be, Black, 115, 128-130, 189.
brooding under a pump, 129.
in the hen-house, 130.
nest, 130.
nesting site, 117, 128-129, 130.
Pipit, American, 16.
Pond, made by spring rains,
rendezvous of birds, 5, 14-17.
Poor-will, Dusky,
call, 101-102.
flycatching, 101.
Quail, Valley,
call, 5.
flight of covey, 30.
in chaparral, 55.
in vineyard, 73.
tracks, 43.
Rabbit,
cottontail, 94, 118, 164.
jack, 5, 29, 94-95, 97.
Road-runner, 98-101.
around ranch-house, 100.
drowned in windmill tanks, 100.
eating with hens, 100.
fleetness, 98.
hunting cocoons, 100.
love call, 101.
nest, 99, 216.
Robin, 8, 92.
Shrike, White-rumped, 124-127, 128.
absence of birds in neighborhood, 126.
building, 125, 126-127.
gentle at nest, 125, 126.
invading blackbird premises, 124-125.
nest, 125.
nesting site, 125, 127.
Snakes,
gopher, 43, 71, 120, 187-188.
racer, 108.
rattle, 43, 120, 121, 203.
ringed, 55.
water, 15.
Sparrow, 15.
Sparrow, Golden-crowned, 16.
Sparrow, Song, 21, 22, 117.
nest, 83-84.
young, 83.
Sparrow, White-crowned, 16, 162.
Squirrels, ground, 11.
Swallow, 96.
Swallow, Eave,
drinking on wing, 17.
getting mud for nests, 16-17.
nests on sycamore, 114.
Tanager, Louisiana, 27.
a brilliant stranger, 131.
Thrasher, California, 163-164.
digging with sickle-shaped bill, 163-164.
in chaparral, 6.
song, 6, 169.
straight bills of young, 164.
Titmouse, Plain, 141, 184, 175-183.
building, 175-182.
gladly accepts feathers, 177.
needs no horsehair or straw, 179-181.
nesting sites, 175.
song, 175.
Tit, Wren-, 57, 60, 62, 189-193.
breaking up gnatcatcher's nest, 45, 46, 48.
skulking manners, 49, 59.
song, 6, 169.
usurping a mother's rights, 189-193.
Towhee, California, 28, 46, 47, 57, 58, 59, 92-95, 163, 189, 200.
call note, 92.
common and tame, 92.
nesting, 93, 94.
shy at nest, 93-94.
song, 93.
Towhee, Green-tailed, 162-163.
Towhee, Spurred, 18, 160, 162.
singing, 169.
Trade wind, 68-69.
Trees,
acacia, 189.
elder, 15.
eucalyptus, 211-220;
character of, 213-214, 219-220;
grove, 211-220;
raised for fuel, 211.
live-oaks, 5, 6, 21, 86, 159-170;
garden of, 159-160, 170;
sapped by mistletoe, 167.
pepper, 197.
sycamore, 15, 21, 24-25, 67, 68;
the big, 112-122, 159.
tobacco, 88.
willow, 123.
Turkey Buzzard. See Vulture.
Turtle Dove. See Dove.
Twin Oaks Canyon, 5-6, 159.
Ughland Canyon, 21, 38, 123, 159.
Vineyard, birds eating grubs in, 12-13.
Vireo, Hutton's, 140-146.
a devoted pair, 142.
building, 142, 145.
call note, 145.
fond of nest, 143, 145.
nest, 144.
nesting site, 141, 144.
Vireo, Least,
song, 6, 44, 169.
Vireo, Warbling, 27, 59.
building, 56.
scolding jay, 60.
Vulture, Turkey, 16, 97-98, 162.
circle over fighting snakes, 97.
eating woodpecker, 70.
eating skunk, 201.
queer attitude, 98.
scavenger, 97.
soaring, 97, 98.
Warbler, 160.
migrants, 6, 7, 123.
Waxwing, 69.
Whip-poor-will. See Poor-will.
Woodpecker, California, 65-80, 81, 123.
building, 28.
flycatching, 160.
hunting ground distant from nest, 69.
long intervals in feeding, 69.
lying in wait for prey, 141.
nesting site, 28, 71.
notes, 69.
old birds poisoned (?), 70.
rescuing the young, 71-73.
young orphans, inherited instincts, 75, 76, 78, 79;
notes, 78.
Woodpecker, Red-headed, 66, 69.
Wood rat,
in chaparral, 55.
Wren, 9-10.
Wren, Vigors's, 170-174.
linnets quarreling over materials, 171.
nesting site, 171.
young buried alive by linnets (?), 172-174.
Wren, Western House, 20-37, 65, 67, 69, 81, 84, 112, 117, 123, 160,
219.
building, 22, 25, 30, 96, 128.
common birds, 95.
feeding young on insects, 31.
nesting takes six weeks, 35.
nests in sycamore holes, 22, 128.
odd nesting sites, 95.
song, 22, 30, 96, 97.
tremulous motion of wings, 30, 33.
Yellow-bird. See Goldfinch.
Young birds,
Bluebird, 185.
Brewer's Blackbird, 87.
Burrowing Owl, 11-12.
Bush-tit, 28, 110, 111.
California Jay, 85.
California Woodpecker, 69-80.
feather tracts, 79.
fed at long intervals, 155.
fed on insects, 31, 36, 76, 82.
first flights, 36, 73-74, 88, 156.
Gnatcatchers, 63-64.
Horned Owl, 9.
Hummingbird, 23, 24, 88, 155-157, 217, 219.
interest in each other, 78, 79.
Lazuli Bunting, 189-193, 217;
adopted by wren-tit, 189-193.
Mourning Dove, 47.
Owl, 137.
Sparrow Hawk, 135;
subdued on leaving nest, 36;
time kept in nest, 69.
Titmouse, 182-183.
Vigors's Wren, 171, 172, 174.
Western House Wren, 33-37.
INDEX TO ILLUSTRATIONS.
Bee-birds, 13.
Blackbird, Brewer's, 13.
Buntings, Lazuli (old and young), 189.
Bush-tits (birds and nest), 104.
Bush-tit (nest in oak), 108.
Chewink, California (head), 93.
Chewink, Eastern (head), 93.
Chewink, Green-tailed (head), 163.
Eucalyptus Avenue, showing pollarded trees, 212.
Eucalyptus Wood stored for Market in a Eucalyptus Grove, 214.
Gnatcatcher, Western (birds and nest), 39.
Grosbeak, Black-headed (head), 8.
Grosbeak, Rose-breasted (head), 8.
Hummingbird, Black-chinned (nest), 157.
Hummingbird, Black-chinned (on nest), 148.
Mountain Billy Deserted, 220.
Mountain Billy under the Gnatcatcher's Oak, frontispiece.
Oaks, Live, 160.
Oriole, Arizona Hooded (head), 89.
Oriole, Baltimore, Eastern (head), 89.
Phainopepla's Nest in Oak Brush, 198.
Phainopeplas on Pepper-tree, 194.
Ph[oe]be, Black (head), 129.
Ph[oe]be, Eastern (head), 129.
Quail, Valley, 99.
Road-runner, 99.
Sycamores, Along the Line of, 124.
Sycamore, The Big, 114.
Titmouse, Plain (at nest), 176.
Valley in Coast Mountains, 4.
Woodpecker, California, (head), 66.
Woodpecker, California (young), 78.
Woodpecker, Red-headed, Eastern (head), 66.
Wren-tit, 189.
Wren, Vigors's (at nest), 173.
Wren, Western House, 32.
Wren, Western House (singing), 20.
* * * * *
Transcriber's Notes:
The oe-ligature is denoted in this text by being enclosed in brackets
[oe].
Obvious punctuation errors repaired.
Page 33, "delighful" changed to "delightful" (It was delightful)
Page 75, "formicivorous" changed to "formicivorus" (Melanerpes
formicivorus)
Page 190, "non-commital" changed to "non-committal" (non-committal air)
Page 190, "eeding" changed to "feeding" (feeding it, especially)
Page 257, "2" changed to "216" (nesting site, 40, 166, 216.)
End of Project Gutenberg's A-Birding on a Bronco, by Florence A. Merriam