May I9OI.] LAND BIRDS OF SANTA CRUZ COUNTY. 9 



tvveen the woodpeckers and a pair or two of California and Blue-fronted 

 Jays. The woodpeckers would go away for acorns; then in would slip a 

 bluejay to steal an acorn, one being left on guard. The guard would 

 screech when he saw the woodpecker coming antl off the jays would fly 

 until anotlier chance came for them to slij) in. Sometimes a jay was 

 caught in the act and in the hght which followed it would lose a great 

 many feathers. Kaeding found it common and undoubtedly breeding. 

 Fiske records taking .l/<;'/a;/<;'r/>o- r^?/-6'//;//^j> at vSanta Cruz, but I consider 

 the record very doubtful. 



37. Colaptes auratus ( A/,7;/.j. Flicker. 

 One taken in April, 1SS5, l)y Fiske. 



3S. Colaptes cafer collaris ( F/i/^.). Red-shafted Flicker. 



Emerson. — Connnon all over the ranges. Several of the N-ellow form 

 were seen. Kaeding. — Very abundant. Fresh eggs were taken June i. 

 Skirni. — Common; after breeding it frequents orchards and feeds on fruit. 

 A clutch of eggs is five or six, rarely seven. '^ 



3 ). Phalaenoptilus nuttalli californicus Ridg-a'. Dusky Poor-will. 



Kmerson. — The lonely note of this sprite was heard in the openings 

 in the spring months. Kaeding. — Not connnon, only one noted. Skirm. — 

 \"ery rare in this vicinity. I have seen but five individuals since I came 

 here. IngersoU found the eggs in 1SS3; they were on the bare ground: 

 color, pure wliite.^ 



40. Chordeiles .?/)? Nighthawk. 



Kaeding. — Xighthawks were seen often but none secured. I am not 

 prepared to name the form upon authentic grounds; very probably it will 

 prove to be C. a. (cxeiisis. 



41. Chaetura vauxi (77;zt'7/.y.). Vaux vSwift. 



August 30, 1891, I saw a number of swifts flying over the river near 

 town, which I supposed to be of this variety. 3 Emerson. — Was noticed 

 in large numbers in September and October, always at dusk, through the 

 Soquel canyon. I believe they breed there. Kaeding. — For the first two 

 weeks in May hardly a day passed without one or two flocks of the.se 

 swifts being seen. On May 14, for about three hours, the air was full of 

 feeding swifts, passing due north. Ovaries and testes were undeveloped 

 as late as May 18. Cooper. --Arrives May 4; leaves October 5.'* 



42. Aeronautes melanoleucus {Baird). White-throated Swift. 

 F^merson saw this swift with C. vajixi, but in less numbers, and Kaed- 

 ing noted a breeding colony. 



43. Calypte anna (Less.). Anna Hummer. 



This species is abundant about the town of Santa Cruz. Both l{mer- 

 son and Kaeding record it as common. 



1. Belding, op. cit., p. 74. 



2. Ibid, p. 75. 



3. Nat. Hist. Santa Cruz Co., p. 57. 



4. Proc. Nat. Mus., 1880, p. 230. 



