1913 BIRDS OF THE FRESNO DISTRICT 19 



range over much of the same part of the valley as their larger relative, but usually 

 go about in larger flocks and are more noisy. 



As yet this species returns to us in large numbers each winter, but upon 

 every return visit they find a more restricted feeding range and a greater army of 

 hunters in the field ; so it is only a matter of a few more years until this species, 

 together with most of our large game birds, will have disappeared from this 

 part of the state. 



Farmers complain of the damage done in grain fields by these and other 

 geese, and as the birds are not protected at any time during their winter sojourn 

 with us they are often slaughtered in large numbers by market hunters and 

 others. 



Ten years ago when much of the country northeast of Fresno was given 

 over to grain ranches these geese were seen very often and were sometimes 

 noted in large numbers during late March when the spring migrations began ; 

 but during the last four or five years I have not seen half a dozen flocks any- 

 where east of the city. 



Fulvous Tree-duck. Dendrocygna bicolor (Vieillot). 



Mr. J. Eugene Law furnishes the following notes regarding this species : 



"On June 7 (1912) while on the Murphy Slough, on the Burrel Ranch (28 

 miles southwest of Fresno), I three times saw Fulvous Ducks, twice a pair and 

 the other time three individuals. These were flying quite close to me and appar- 

 ently settled only a little ways off among tules. At this time the water was over- 

 flowing the low lands having been on the rise for some time. The birds had not 

 been observed during the five days previous during which time I had been in 

 this vicinity." 



These ducks are known to occur quite commonly over much of the region 

 from Firebaugh northward, wherever suitable water occurs, and have been 

 frequently recorded from the vicinity of Los Banos. 



Mr. Law writes me further as follows: "On the 13th (June, 1912) while en 

 route between Dos Palos and Los Banos, I think a mile or so above Dos Palos, 

 these birds were really abundant, every little pond having two or three indi- 

 viduals and sometimes several little groups. At one time I saw six birds together 

 on the wing. I noted also that they have a peculiar un-duck-like metallic call re- 

 peated rapidly as they are settling in the water or rising, which was quite new 

 to me. Nothing that I saw would indicate that the birds were nesting at this 

 time and the fact that there were as often three together as two might indicate 

 that the birds observed were all males. I suppose that I saw as many as twenty- 

 five or thirty birds during the couple of hours I spent near Dos Palos. There 

 were, at a short distance, beds of very rank tules which would, I imagine, make 

 proper nesting places for these birds." 



Whistling Swan. Olor columbianus (Ord). 



In former years swans occurred in some numbers wherever large bodies ot 

 open water offered an inducement to spend a part of the winter. The flocks 

 usually numbered ten or twelve birds each. 



I have been informed that fifteen years ago it was no uncommon sight to 



