May 1890.] 



AND OOLOGIST. 



67 



flood tide drove them from their feeding 

 grounds. It was reported that seventeen Brant 

 were stopped at one discharge by a member of 

 the Monomoy Club. 



Canada Geese have been more numerous 

 than usual and (juite a number were taken 

 early in April. 



Sheldrakes were usually abundant in April, 

 and Scoters have been more numerous than 

 for the last two springs.- Long-tailed Ducks, 

 Loons and Golden Eyes seen in usual numbers. 

 Missed seeing our usual several large rafts of 

 Eiders that pass over our " Inward Point" box 

 in April. They were, however, seen in large 

 flocks at the "Point." One flne adult swam 

 to our decoys and was dispatched byaremark- 

 able shot by "Dr. B." How about that second 

 shot Doc? 



Two Pectoral Sandpipers were taken on the 

 salt marshes April 4th, by a Taunton member, 

 making a second record for this bird in the 

 spring at the island. Piping Plover unusually 

 scarce. 



Commim Gannets have been common, and 

 were noted as abundant on the outside about 

 the 14tli of April. 



Several BrunnicU's Murrc and a Razor-billed 

 Auk were taken about April 15tli, which I con- 

 sider late for these birds at Monomoy. 



Several Short-eared Owls put in an appear- 

 ance April 14th, and a fine specimen was 

 taken by "Dr. B." the next day. Two Hud- 

 sonian Curlew were seen early in April, and 

 with the exception of the several pi-eviously 

 mentioned, and one Snipe, no other birds were 

 seen up to this date, April ISth. 



John C. Cahoon^ 



For the Bristol Branting Club, Monomoj- Island, 

 April 18th, 1890. 



Notes on the Winter Birds of Clat- 

 sop County, Oregon. 



My observations here have not been very 

 extensive, as it is but a few months since I 

 left New England, and my time has been 

 pretty well taken up on other w^ork, but per- 

 haps a few notes on the winter birds of Clat- 

 sop County will be acceptable to the readers of 

 tlie O. & O. 



On the way out, coming through Wyoming 

 and Idaho, my attention was attracted by the 

 Magpie. Being a bird of peculiar shape and 

 color and quite common by tlie railroad, they 

 were easily noticed from the car \viu(U)Ws. 



When coming down the Columbia river 

 ducks were quite plenty, and some geese were 

 seen. 



On reaching Astoria I was surprised to 

 I see the Gulls so plenty and tame. All through 

 the lower part of the city they were common 

 on the roofs and chimneys and in the streets, 

 remaining on the railings until people passing 

 would get within a few feet of them. I am 

 not very well acquainted with the sea birds but 

 think the three most common species were 

 the Western Herring Gull {L. occidentalis), 

 California Gull (L. californici(s), and the 

 American Mew (L. hrachyrhi/nchus). 



Grebes, Loons, and Cormorants were also 

 common along the river. 



From Astoria, I came up the Youngs and 

 Klaskanine rivers about ten miles to Olney, 

 tlien about ten miles farther to the head waters 

 of tlie Klaskanine. This is a rough, hilly 

 country covered with a thick, lieavy growth of 

 timber (flr, spruce, cedar, hemlock, and larch). 



Birds are not at all plenty here, but by keep- 

 ing one's eyes and ears open one can soon find 

 quite a variety. The pert little Winter Wrens 

 {A. t. pacifirus) are common here, being here 

 and there and somewhere else at about tlie 

 same time. They ai*e just beginning to prac- 

 tise a pretty little song. I think they breed 

 here. By patient watching, troops of active 

 Kinglets (i?. satraj)a or olivaceus) and Chicka- 

 dees (P. rnfescens) can be located for a few 

 moments. 



Tliere is at least one variety of Spar- 

 row seen here in the winter, but I have 

 not identified it as yet. Neither am I sure of 

 one or two varieties of Woodpeckers that I 

 have seen. The Oregon Jay (P. c. obscunai) is 

 common, especially where they can get any 

 meat. Steller's Jay (C. steUeri) is also seen 

 occasionally. This is a handsome bird with 

 its black-crested head and rich, blue-back 

 wings and breast. 



Game birds are not at all jjlenty here 

 through the winter, especially a severe one 

 like the present, with a large fall of snow. I 

 secured one Grouse with my rifle, the only one 

 I have had a chance to shoot since being here. 

 These Blue Grt>use (C. obscura) keep in the 

 high trees much of the time through the winter. 

 They are a large, fine looking bird. Their 

 general color is bluish or slatey, with w^aved 

 markings of gray and black. A bright yellow 

 line of naked, comb-like skin is over the eye. 



The Ruft'ed Grouse (called Pheasant here) 

 (B. snbinii) I think can hardly be distinguished 

 from B. uiiihelltis of the Eastern states. 



