1912 BIRDS OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA 45 



species was taken by M. F. Oilman at Banning, Riverside County, in October, 

 1902. A. M. Ingersoll has a specimen that was shot by F. Judson at San Pas- 

 qual, San Diego County, about 1900. 



151. (324) Gymnogyps californianus (Shaw). California Vulture. 

 Tolerably common resident in the mountainous sections of the country, 



occasionally straggling down into the lowlands in search of food. This great 

 bird, although not nearly so abundant as formerly, is regularly reported from 

 various of the more rugged regions of southern California. The center of its 

 abundance at the present time appears to be the mountains of Santa Barbara 

 and Ventura counties. The average nesting time seems to be in March and 

 the first part of April. O. W. Howard took an egg in Sisquoc Canon, Santa 

 Barbara County, April 25, 1895 (Shields, Xidiologist n, 1895, 148). A fresh 

 egg was taken by F. Ruiz in San Roque Canon, near Santa Barbara, April 

 17, 1899 (Redington, Bull. Cooper Orn. Club i, 1899, 75), and another egg was 

 taken for W. F. Webb in the same locality, April 29, 1897 (Museum iv, 1898, 

 103). In November, 1905, an egg was found in Sespe Valley, back of Nordhoff, 

 Ventura County. The egg was uninjured, but the contents were dried up (Galla- 

 gher, Condor vm, 1906, 57). A fresh egg was found by a little girl in the 

 Santa Monica Mountains, Los Angeles County, April 11, 1900, and is now in 

 the collection of J. E. Law. A nest containing an egg was found by W. L. 

 Finley and H. T. Bohlman in the mountains near Pasadena, March 10, 1906. The 

 egg was allowed to hatch and a most interesting series of photographs was 

 taken of the young and old birds. The young bird was taken from the nest 

 on July 6 and was sent to the New York Zoological Park (Condor vm, 1906, 

 135). A fresh egg was taken by W. V. Dyche in the Cuyamaca Mountains, 

 San Diego County, in March, 1900 (Gidney, Condor n, 1900, 124). 



152. (325) Cathartes aura septentrionalis Wied. Turkey Vulture. 

 Common resident from the mountains to the ocean. Breeds plentifully in 



the foothills and occasionally in the lower country. Eggs are generally de- 

 posited in early April in caves of the foothills or in blackberry thickets in the 

 river bottoms. Antonin Jay took a set of two eggs, incubation commenced, 

 near Whittier, Los Angeles County, March 15, 1903, and I took a set of two, 

 two-thirds incubated, in the same locality. May 8, 1897. 



153. (328) Elanus leucurus (Vieillot). White-tailed Kite. 

 Formerly a fairly common resident of the lowlands, where it bred in the 



willow timber. Now rare. Fifteen or twenty years ago this bird might be 

 seen frequently in the lower country, but at the present time it is decidedly 

 uncommon. I have not seen one since 1906. There are probably, however, a 

 few pairs left in the more remote willow regions of southern California, but 

 their extinction is only the matter of a short time. C. P. Streator took a set 

 of five eggs near Santa Barbara, April 14, 1886 (Orn. & Ool. xi, 1886, 152). 

 B. W. Evermann located four or five pairs of birds breeding in the Santa 

 Clara Valley, Ventura County, in the early 80's (Auk in, 1886, 92). A. M. 

 Shields took five fresh eggs near Alamitos, Los Angeles County, April 4, 1896, 



