1913 BIRDS OF THE FRESNO DISTRICT 75 



increase from year to year, notwithstanding the fact that conditions appeared to 

 be favorable for the maintenance of a much larger number of these birds than 

 were to be found at any one time. With seemingly an almost unlimited supply of 

 food during the greater part of the year, and a long, warm summer, it was not 

 an easy matter to determine why Linnets were not really abundant at all times. 

 Among the possible causes the English Sparrow \^'as considered but was soon 

 freed froni suspicion, as these imported pests are established at only a few widely 

 separated points outside the towns. 



It has been only during the past two or three years that anytliing like a 

 satisfactory explanation has presented itself: I now attribute the failure of our 

 Linnets to increase in numbers to the fact that there appears to be, each season, a 

 large proportion of non-breeding birds represented among the Linnet population 

 of the valley. 



During early February each year for the past three seasons I have noted the 

 appearance of from twenty to forty of these birds in a warehouse where raisins 

 are stored, but to which an easy access is gained through a foot or more of coarse 

 wire mesh, all around the building just beneath the eaves. I am positive that 

 none of this flock nested anywhere about the building, and am convinced that 

 there were no breeding birds represented. This belief is based not only on the 

 fact that this flock remained until well along in June but also upon the examina- 

 tion of one or two specimens. 



Although the flock each year was made up of about an equal number of males 

 and females yet they were all, to the best of my knowledge, unmated. It must not 

 be thought that the writer is endeavoring to convey the impression that Linnets 

 are anything but abundant residents in all the region about Fresno wherever the 

 original arid conditions have been modified, for, without a doubt, they are, in 

 point of numbers and wide distribution, the most common of birds in this part of 

 the state outside of the towns. There, of course, the English Sparrows hold un- 

 disputed sway. 



It seems unnecessary to describe the habits of a bird of so wide a range, 

 especially since there appear to be no noteworthy variations in this region. In 

 ten years of observation I have only seen two Linnets that were unlike the usual 

 specimens in coloration, one of these being a male noted on May 27, igo6, in 

 which the usual red areas were a brilliant yellow throughout. The other was an 

 albino of a rather streaked pattern but very noticeable among a flock of normally 

 colored individuals. 



A nest of this species with five almost fresh eggs, found March 31, 1908, 

 is the earliest nesting record that I have from this district. April, May and June, 

 all have their quota of nesting I^innets in about equal numbers. I have found 

 sets of four eggs to predominate, but five is by no means an uncommon number. 



Willow Goldfinch. Astragalinus tristis salicamans (Grinnell). 



"Wild Canary" is the name by which this handsome little bird is most com- 

 monly known, and it is a matter for congratulation from the standpoint of a 

 bird lover at least, that these cheery yellow-plumaged birds have noticeably in- 

 creased in numbers during the past few years. The name "willow" seems to 

 have been well chosen, as the favorite haunts of this species are along the canals 



