VOL. It. ] Notes from Alameda County. 115 
long, very chunky, and was taken from a little cavity in the extreme 
tip or distal end of the fruit. 
LEPIDOPTERA. 
Pronuba (?) larvee. What are undoubtedly larve of a species of 
Pronuba were found May 15, 1891, in pods of Y. macrocarpa (?). 
Four pods, picked May 10, showed two infested. A whitish lepi- 
dopterous larva was found eating through the white seeds, usually 
in the stem or proximal end of the fruit. Three were found in one 
pod, two being in the same tier of seeds. Out of 21 pods of this 
Yucca picked May 15, only five were found infested. Some pods 
contained several larve, in one case located near the tip or blossom 
end. Nine large larva, averaging over Io mm. in length, and two 
small ones about 5 mm. long, were extracted from these pods (25 
pods). 
DIPTERA. 
A small black acalyptrate muscid, apparently belonging in or near 
the family Phycodromide, is very abundant on the flowers of Yucca 
macrocarpa(?) throughout its blooming period. In fact this fly is 
about the only insect to be found plentifully in the flowers through 
the day, sofar as I] have seen. Specimens were collected April 4, 
1891. It is about 3 to 3.5 mm. long (body length), while the wings 
are 3.5 to 4 mm. long. ' 
_ Sarcophaga spp. I have also noticed, in Ron and May, several 
species of Sarcophaga frequenting the flowers of this Yucca in the 
day time. They are often quite numerous on and about the flowers, 
but doubtless have nothing to do with the fertilization of the latter. 
neni nan 
BIRD NOTES FROM ALAMEDA COUNTY. 
BY F. O. JOHNSON. 
WESTERN Rosin. Merula migratoria propinqgua.—On the 
morning of Deccember 6, 1891, while pursuing a Townsend’s sparrow 
_which had flown to the top of a tall growth of jasmine, I noticed on 
the opposite side of the bush a strange bird moping in the shade. 
It observed me just as I saw it, and hopped sluggishly to another — 
branch putting a bough between us. I thought I was acquainted 
___-with all the birds of this region, but this dusky stranger was alto- 
gether unknown to me. My first impression was that it might be | 
