Jan. 1885.] 



AND OOLOGIST. 



16. [53.] Sitta canndenm Linn. lied-bellied 

 Nuthatch. — Migrant, and occasionally a Winter 

 resident. Remains with us sometimes as late as 

 .June 1. A tinaint fellow. Not so familial' as the 

 last. 



17. [.5.5.] CertJiiii fiiwiVin-i« rnfa (Bartr.) 

 Uidgw. Brown Creeper. — A common migrant. 

 Often a Winter resident. A rare Summer resident. 



18. [GO.] ThryothiniK liid"i-iriii/iiis (Gm.) Bp. 

 Carolina Wren. — I feel positive tliat I once saw 

 an individual of this species. A large Wren with 

 a loud song. Known by several collectors in the 

 State. 



19. [til.] T/i ri/oiiiii ii<'« bririrki (Xm\.} BaM. Be- 

 wick's Wren. — Have only taken this species once, 

 May .5, 1877. Two others have been secured. 

 Not known to breed. 



20. [f>3.] Trngl,)d!/f,'s ,v;lon Vicill. House Wren. 

 — A common resident from May .5 to Seiit. 1.). 

 Arrives occasionally as early as Ajiril 20 Breeds 

 plentifully. Twenty years ago. a rare species 

 here. 



21. [(w] Annrthiini t,w/h(l//t,:'< /,i/tiniili.'<(ym\\.) 

 Cones. Winter Wren. — The earliest date of ar- 

 rival is March 10. It is to be douljted if the bird 

 ever remains throughout the Winter. A few re- 

 main during Summer. Common migrant. 



22. [67.] Tdmf,!wl//t,'s p,thi>:trh (Wils.) Brd. 

 Long-billed Marsh Wren. — A couunon species. 

 A great many breed each year. Nests found at 

 Gull, East and Sugar-loaf Lakes. 



23. [68.] CisM/mnis ^idhn-h (Liebt.) Cuban. 

 Short-billed Marsh Wren. — Only rarely met with. 

 A few taken. Mr. Syke once found j-oung. 



Some Californian Raptores. 



BY .\. L. P-VUKIIURST, S.\N .lOSE, C.\L. — P.VRT I, 



Feb. 22, 1884. Found a nest of the American 

 Barn Owl with live eggs so nearly batched tliat I 

 could not save them. The nest was a bole in the 

 face of a steep bank. 



jr.\RCH 29. Found a nest of the Western Red- 

 tail wilb three eggs partly incubated. Tlie female 

 did not leave the nest until frightened off by a 

 shower of fine clods and dirt. After leaving the 

 nest she kept well out of gun-shot, alighting in 

 oak trees in the vicinity and venting her wrath 

 and indignation by loud shrill screams. 



Apiul 6. Found another nest of Western Red- 

 , tail with three large, fine, well marked egg.s. The 

 female left the nest just as I got under the tree 

 and flew around from one tree to another with 

 her mate, each keeping well out of range and 

 continually uttering their loud screaming notes. 



April 7. Took a set of three handsome eggs 



from a White-tailed Kite, [Eltinus glartcun) which 

 were ready on the 4lh, but were left over for an- 

 other egg. The nest was one built this year of 

 line twigs, and stubble pulled up by the roots. 

 It was lined with stubble and grass and was in 

 the same tree from which I tooli a set of four last 

 year. A large live oak near this tree (which is 

 also a live oak,) bears evidence that they have 

 nested here for several years past and that they 

 build a new nest each season. This tree also con- 

 tains a very large Buteo's nest and when I first 

 visited the place March 6, 1883, a pair of Buteos 

 lingered in a large dead Sycamore near their 

 house. As I approached nearer, I saw the male 

 Kite leave bis perch in the top of a Black Oak, and 

 dash toward the tree in which the Buteos were 

 sitting. The Buteos however seemed peaceably 

 inclined and left the place without so much as 

 al tempting to assert their rights. 



I visited the place several times after this in 

 search of the Kite's eggs which I expected to find 

 in the Buteo's nest. The male was always found 

 perched in the top of the Black Oak sometimes in 

 company with his mate. In due time the female 

 began to sit and yet the bird was so wary that I 

 could not catch her in tlie act of leaving her nest, 

 which slie always did at my approach. April 6, 

 I staja'd in the vicinity longer than usual and had 

 just started for home discouraged, when as I ap- 

 proached the tree, in which the nest was placed, 

 from an unusual quarter, I was suddenly startled 

 by the bird leaving the nest when I was within a 

 few yards of the tree. She immediately joined 

 her male on the Black Oak, and together they 

 witnessed the robbery of their home. As I left 

 I be place, the male swooped toward me as if half 

 inclined to make an attack. 



In a week or so the Kites left, and were suc- 

 ceeded by a pair ot Buteos who ])atched up their 

 old home. On May 13, I climbed to their nest 

 in the presence of the old bird, who, thinking 

 perhaps that I was " too familiar on short ac- 

 ciuaintance " concluded to take up quarters else-, 

 where. 



The Kites however were not so easily disheart- 

 ened and this year returned. The male still held 

 his old perch but not so constantly as last year. 

 The female however betook herself to the tree in 

 which she was building and remained there. 

 Althoush I walked around the tree and threw 

 sticks into it, she did not fly until I began to 

 climb in order to visit last year's nest. 



The eggs are nearly elliptical, about the size and 

 shape of the Long-eared Owls. In color they 

 closely resemble the eggs of the Osprey. 



