(iamfcIrnia pish And gamM. 



U 



(iiic of ui.v ri;l\<)us (luc.kK was dn the 

 pouil. iiud fearing tlial. the other had beeu 

 h)iit or had di<Ml. I started an investigation 

 and after some days found the iiest very 

 close to the water's edge ou a ledge of 

 rock in a rustic rockery constmicted in the 

 pond for ornamental purposes. This ledge 

 was concealed by overhanging vines and 

 it was very difficult for me to see it. Not 

 wishing to disturb the birds, I did not 

 make a close investigation, but as near 

 as I could tell, there were five or more 

 eggs in the nest. (This last is somewhat 

 of a guess ou my part.) As the birds 

 seemed to be sitting, I left the nest 

 severely alone, and some time around the 

 20th of June (I can not give the exact 

 date) I was rewarded in seeing the 

 mother duck bring out four young ones 

 into the p'ond. These little birds did not 

 api)car to me to be much larger than 

 young quail and I used my very best 

 efforts in an attempt to segregate them, 

 but without avail. My pre.sent pond is 

 not constructed properly for breeding pur- 

 poses, having been erected in the first 

 instance purely for ornamental purposes, 

 and the birds have not access to and from 

 the water at all points, with the result 

 that these little ducks became chilled and 

 (Irouned, or were molested by the other 

 ducks, all dying within four or five days. 

 — J. y. DeLaveaga. 



RARE FISH FROM MONTEREY BAY. 



The true halibut (Ilipixnjlo/isus hippo- 

 f/lnsfiHs) was occasionally taken this last 

 summer (191S) in Monterey Bay. It has 

 not boon reported before south of San 

 Francisco. 



A specimen of a fish sometimes called 

 the "blacksmith" (Chromis punctipinnis) 

 was brought to Hopkins' Marine Station 

 at Pacific Grove by Japianese fishermen 

 this summer. This fish has hitherto been 

 unknown north of the Santa Barbara 

 Channel. — E. C. Starks. 



MARLIN-SPIKE FISH USED AS FOOD. 



The marlin-sp'ike fish (Tetrapterus nut- 

 siilurii) now being caught by anglers 

 near Santa Catalina Island is finding a 

 good market in Los Angeles at a retail 

 price of 25 cents per pound. It is said 

 to be undistinguishable in taste from the 

 swordfish. The writer recently enjoyed 



citing some of it, and found ii one tif the 

 most delicious fishes he had ever tasted; 

 Fresh (ima Avas served at the same timri 

 for comparison. It was much coarser 

 fleshed and much less delicately flavored 

 than the marlin-spike fish. — -E. C. Starks. 



BREEDING OF THE FULVOUS TREE- 

 DUCK IN SANTA CLARA COUNTY. 



Early in the month of November, 1917, 

 a fulvous tree-duck (Dendrocygna hi- 

 color) was brought to me for identifica- 

 tion by Miss Ethel Emerson. It had been 

 caught when but a downy bird in the 

 salt marsh near Mountain View, Santa 

 Clara County, and was now nearly grown. 

 Several others taken at the same time 

 had died, one by one in captivity, but 

 the survivor, when placed in a large cage 

 with a pair of bantams, soon became very 

 active and contented. Later its plaintive 

 whistle might be frequently heard during 

 the night, and at times it seemed to show 

 irritation at close confinement. It re- 

 mained wild and was easily frightened at 

 the approach of people or other animals, 

 as dogs and cats. When opportunity of- 

 fered it made its escape after having 

 spent somewhat over a year in captivity. 



The most interesting point in all this 

 is that it appears to furnish the first 

 account of the breeding of the species 

 in the marshes of San Francisco Bay, 

 and I believe that the bird has not been 

 recorded before in Santa Clara County. 

 — J. O. Snyder. 



BANDED PINTAIL TAKEN IN 

 ALAMEDA COUNTY. 



On November 13, 1918, I shot at Alva- 

 rado, California, a pintail duck (Dafila 

 acuta) bearing a metal band stamped 

 "U. S. Biological Survey, No. 4009." 

 Upon returning this band to Washington 

 the following information was obtained: 



The duck was captured while sick with 

 alkali poisoning at Utah Lake, cured and 

 banded October 10, 1916, after which it 

 was exhibited with others at the Utah 

 State Fair, and released. Its capture is 

 good evidence of the pei'manence of the 

 cure, and is of interest because of the fact 

 that over two years intervened between 

 capture and the date of banding. — Eari.e 

 Downing. 



