76 PACIFIC COAST AVIFAUNA Xo. 7 



II. S. Swarth it appeared irregularly in small flocks near Los Angeles during 

 the winter of 1898-99, one being seen as late as .March 23 (Condor n, 1900, 

 38). Mr. Swarth also noted a flock of about two dozen birds in the same 

 locality, April 15, 1901 (Condor in. 1901, 66), and saw several more. Novem- 

 ber 4. the same year. L. II. Miller saw a bird in the Arroyo Seco in Los 

 Angeles city, October 2 ( >, 1908. F. Stephens took a pair of Siskins at Santa 

 Ysabel, San Diego County, April 11. 1890. lie informs me that the species 

 migrates regularly through San Diego County, principally along the moun- 

 tain ranges and foothills. I found it common at Bear Valley, San Bernardino 

 Mountains, in June, 1907, but was unable to locate any nests, although birds 

 taken seemed about to breed. 



252. Passer domesticus (Linnaeus). English Sparrow. 



This little pest arrived in southern California, west of the mountains. 

 about 1 ( J04, apparently coming in from the north and the east at about the 

 same time. At the present writing it is probably pretty well distributed over 

 southern California and, judging from its increase as shown in other localities, 

 it is with us to stay. On the north, it was noted by ( >. W. Howard at 

 Tehachapi in 1903 (Condor vm, 1906, 157). It was recorded from Newhall, 

 Los Angeles County, by Cooper Club members at the club outing meeting 

 held May 19, 1906. They found a small colony nesting near the railroad 

 station (Condor vni, 1906, 157). J. S. Appleton saw it at Oxnard, Ventura 

 County, in 1905, and in the Simi Valley in 1 ( '07. Bradford Torrey first saw 

 it at Santa Barbara in 1909 (Condor xi. 1909, 208). II. C. Hurt reports the 

 birds fairly common around Santa Paula, Ventura County. On |une 1, 1910, 

 he found a nest containing four fresh eggs. 



At about the same time that the species arrived from the north, it seems 

 to have come in through the Cajon Pass from Victorville and spread out 

 over the San Bernardino Valley. W. L. Holt first noted it at Banning, River- 

 side County, in 1910. Jt arrived in Los Angeles about 1907, first being noted 

 at the corner of Eleventh and Main streets. In spite of the efforts of L. II. 

 Miller and other Cooper Club members to exterminate them before they ob- 

 tained a permanent foothold, they have increased in numbers until they are 

 now quite common in some portions of the city. I saw fully fledged young 

 on one of our city streets, April 25, 1911. F. Stephens and A. M. [ngersoll 

 inform me that it has not yet put in its appearance at San Diego. 



I?.^. (536a) Calcarius lapponicus alascensis Ridgway. Alaska Long- 



SPUR. 



One record. F. Stephens took a female near San Diego, October 2, 1909 

 (Condor xu, 1910, 44). Now no. 9411 collection F. Stephens. 



254. (540a i Pooecetes gramineus confinis Baird. Western Vesper 



Sparrow. 



Common winter visitant to the stubble fields and washes, and on the dry 

 mesa land at the foot of the mountains. Noted by J. Grinnell in the vicinity 

 of Pasadena from September 14 (1897) to March 19 (1895) (Pub. 2, Pasa- 

 dena Acad. Sci., 1898, 36). 



