212 



THE OOLOGIST 



approach no nearer than 30 feet, where 

 I could catch only occasional glimpses 

 as he skulked through the grasses. 

 He was undoubtedly "shy." 



On June 13th, I wheeled to a larg- 

 er pond four miles south of town and 

 found King Rails where I had in sea- 

 sons past, looked in vain. I located 

 four more nests — one of which con- 

 tained 9 eggs, one 10, and two nests 

 had complements of 12 eggs. Of the 

 ten birds represented by the 5 nests 

 found, not a single one flushed or rose 

 from the ground. 



Indeed I never would have seen a 

 Rail had I not carefully looked over 

 each bunch of grass and parted each 

 one for a close investigation. 



Because of the difficulty in flushing 

 the King Rail, explains why my many 

 miles of weary tramjnng availed me 

 nothing. 



And all the time I had but to look 

 to find the golden treasurers at my 

 feet. 



ISAAC E. HESS. 



Nesting of Himantopus Mexicanus in 

 Los Angeles Co., California. 



While collecting at Nigger Slough, 

 June 12th of this year, with two 

 friends, we observed several Black- 

 necked Stilts flying about. One of my 

 companions had been up to the other 

 end of the slough a few days before 

 and had found a great number of 

 these waders there. So we started for 

 the upper end with the intention of 

 collecting a few sets of Stilt's eggs 

 if possible. The birds were there in 

 great numbers, and apparently breed- 

 ing, but the results of a two hours' 

 search were a few eggshells, two eggs 

 found at different places on the bare 

 mud, and a few young. We gave up 

 in disgust, and started for home, but 

 while crossing a shallow arm cf the 

 slough, dotted with clumps of marsh 

 grass, I turned and saw four Stilt's 



eggs on their flat, disc-shaped nest of 

 sticks, placed on a clump of marsh- 

 grass. They were far-advanced in in- 

 cubation, so I guess we were too late 

 for eggs of this species. 



This was the only set of Black- 

 necked Stilts that we found, but we 

 got sets of the Tule Wren, Killdeer, 

 American Coot, Pied-billed Grebe, 

 Western Yellow-throat, and found a 

 nest and flve eggs of the Californian 

 Clapper Rail. This is unusual, as this 

 species rarely breeds in fresh-water 

 marshes. 



D. I. SHEPARDSOX. 



Glossy Ibisc in Wyoming. 



While duck shooting in Odin Bay on 

 Lake Pend Oreille, Wyoming, a few 

 weeks since, my friend Dr. Patterson 

 shot what was to me a very puzzling 

 bird. When he brought it to me and 

 asked me to classify it I unhesitating- 

 ly pronounced it a Long Billed Curlew 

 (Xumenius longircstris), but when I 

 examined it closer I found that I was 

 in error. We brought the bird in and 

 I made a careful comparison of it and 

 came to the conclusion that it was a 

 White faced Glossy Ibisc (Plegadis 

 guarauna). The next day I returned 

 to the bay and saw a flock of eight of 

 which I killed two. They were mount- 

 ed by a local taxidermist and are on 

 exhibition here. 



If I am correct in my diagnosis it 

 is the first time those birds have ever 

 been known to penetrate thus far 

 north. Can you shed any light on the 

 subject? Perhaps if you will give 

 this space in the Oologist some of the 

 family may be able to tell us some- 

 thing. 



Yours very truly, 



CHAS. S. MOODY. 



In California. 



As this issue of THE OOLOGIST is 

 mailed. Ye Editor hies himself to the 

 sunnv clime of Southern California to 



