134 General Notes. \j** 



The Crow of Colorado. — In a recent publication ('Auk,' Vol. XXXVI, 

 No. 2, April, 1919, p. 198) the undersigned expressed his belief that the 

 crows known to occur in San Luis Valley, Colorado, would prove to be of 

 the subspecies hesperis. Thanks to the energetic efforts of Mrs. Jesse 

 Stephenson of Monte Vista, Colorado, I received on September 29, 1919, a 

 crow in the flesh, which gave an opportunity to pass on this belief. It was 

 unusually good fortune that this specimen was an adult male in bright 

 plumage. The small size, and weak bill and tarsi attracted immediate 

 attention, and were too obvious to be overlooked, and subsequent examina- 

 tion of this bird confirmed the preliminary diagnosis of subspecies hesperis; 

 the measurements while in the flesh, are as follows: — 



Length 480 mm., wing 322 mm., tail 172 mm., tarsus 55 mm., depth of bill 

 at nostril 17 mm., exposed culmen 42 mm. 



All of these measurements are well within the limits given by Ridgway 

 (Birds, North and Middle America, Vol. Ill, p. 270) as characteristic of 

 hesperis, the single exception being that of length, and in this case the con- 

 flicting lengths are not comparable, since one is of skins, and the other of a 

 bird in the flesh. 



The specimen weighed sixteen ounces, forty-eight hours after death. — 

 W. H. Bergtold, 1159 Race St., Denver, Colo. 



Appearance of the Canada Jay at Moorehead, Minn. — On October 

 5, 1919, while paddling up the Red River in a canoe, I was surprised to hear 

 the unmistakable call of a Canada Jay (Perisoreus c. canadensis) . A moment 

 later the bird flew across the river and I was able to confirm my identi- 

 fication. October 12, I saw one again near Wild Rice, North Dakota, 

 about ten miles south of here. A week later these birds had become com- 

 mon in this locality, five being seen at one time on one occasion. At 

 present they are common along the river, having apparently established 

 themselves as winter residents. 



This is the first time I have seen the Canada Jay in this part of the 

 State, and it is the more remarkable in that this is a comparatively thinly 

 wooded region, not at all resembling the coniferous, Canadian zone, which 

 is the natural home of this non-migratory bird. The woods here are con- 

 fined to narrow strips bordering the Red River and other neighboring 

 streams, with a few groves about various farm houses on the " Prairie," 

 the trees being all deciduous. 



This season has been rich in bird records for this vicinity. November 3 

 1 saw a flock of eighteen White-winged Crossbills (Loxia leucoptera) feeding 

 on the weeds along the roadside in the outskirts of Fargo, N. D. There 

 was driving snow from the north at the time. November 17, I saw a 

 Magpie {Pica p. hudsonia) south of Fargo. This is the first record I have 

 for these species in this locality. 



In this connection it may be of interest to note that abnormal weather 

 conditions have prevailed this fall. October was unusually cold, snow fell 

 October 23, and the ground has been snow-covered ever since. The night 



