2 24 Gejieral Bird Notes. [zoe 



dagger. While collecting through this growth, I heard the very 

 well-known notes of L,econte's thrasher and found the author; 

 but as is generally the case with this species, a bird seen is by 

 no means in the cabinet. After chasing him for several minutes 

 I got a long-range snap-shot, but lost him. L,ater I heard one 

 or more others, but they could not be secured. 



A. W. Anthony. 



[In North American Fauna No. 7, Part 11, Lecoute's thrasher is recorded 

 from the San Joaquin Valley, near Bueua Vista Lake, upon the observa- 

 tions of Mr. Nelson. The maps which are published show that the dis- 

 tribution of the creosote bush {Larrea trideulata) and the northern 

 distribution of Leconte's thrasher are almost ex ctly co-extensive. — 

 W. E. B.] 



Vaux's Swift at Redwood City. 



On June 25, 1893, Mr. C. L,ittlejohn of Redwood City col- 

 lected a pair of these birds which had been seen about the 

 town on several occasions, probably the same individuals, as 

 none have been seen since that date. The first appearance of the 

 species was in the fall of the previous year, when two or three 

 were seen. In reply to a letter of mine, Mr. lyittlejohn writes: 

 " I too thought the swifts had been living in a chimney, and as 

 I had never seen a chimney swift I thought these might be a 

 pair of them that had found their way out to California. When 

 they were taken they had a strong smokj' smell, which they still 

 retain in a less degree. I think the odor was too strong to come 

 from any charred tree, as you suggested, and it reminded me 

 strongly of the smell of an Aleut's hut in Alaska. The female 

 was probably not nesting at the time." 



Vaux's swift is an irregular summer resident of Sebastopol 

 according to Mr. F. H. Holmes, W. E- Bryant. 



Note on the Nesting of Samuel's Song Sparrow. 



At Redwood City as at Haywards, Samuel's song sparrow is 

 confined during the breeding season to the salt marsh, where 

 it begins nesting early in March and has its young reared 

 before the high tides in the latter part of May or first of June 

 would interfere. This season I found them with young in the 

 latter part of June in the woods and at the base of the mountains 



