336 



THE OOLOGIST 



consin before 1860. It is evidently an 

 error in identification and should be 

 so considered until the writer can give 

 actual proof to the contrary. 



While the author does not claim his 

 list to be a complete list of Herons of 

 South Central Wisconsin, I might men- 

 tion that other species, records all 

 verified, have been taken in the terri- 

 tory under consideration. Among them 

 Cory's Least Bittern, Snowy Heron, 

 Glossy Ibis, Wood Ibis, and even the 

 Roseate Spoonbill. 



W. B. Snyder. 

 Beaver Dam. Wis. 



Two California Birds. 



Two of the most interesting birds, 

 with which I became acquainted dur- 

 ing my sojourn in California, were the 

 California Blue Jay, a jolly, noisy 1 el- 

 low and the western Meadow lark, an 

 exceedingly interesting bird of the Al- 

 pine meadows, whither I often retired 

 to search for specimens of wild flow- 

 ers of the great and glorious old state 

 California, a veritable Empire by her- 

 seld. Of the former bird I often caught 

 glimpses in the live oaks along the 

 trails and mountain sides and often 

 did I head his loud scream, some time 

 before I got to know him at close 

 quarter; when the birds began nesting 

 I looked for nests and one day in the 

 foot hills on a steep incline, covered 

 with an almost impenetrable growth 

 of small trees and bushes, I spied Mrs. 

 Jay on her nest, I had a good look at 

 her and a hard job to scare her off 

 her set of four eggs, for she was set- 

 ting hard. Of course I ought not to 

 have disturbed them but as I was ex- 

 pecting to leave soon and had none 

 of these eggs, which I very much wish- 

 ed to possess, I decided to take them 

 and make every effort to save them, 

 although all the blow pipe I had at the 

 time was the neck of an oil can. I 

 got them partly blowed and had to 



pack up and come to Wisconsin. After 

 I arrived I tried every way to save 

 them but could save only one, which 

 I have with the nest. 



I first became acquainted with the 

 Western Meadowlark in Minnesota; a 

 bright whole souled bird of the Al- 

 pine meadows of the coast Range, in 

 California where we became better 

 acquainted and where I used to hear 

 his clear singing notes on all sides. 

 I succeeded in finding two nests, but 

 one was destroyed. I still have the 

 other, with four eggs, in my collec- 

 tion. This bird can be heard a long 

 distance and I usually could hear him, 

 away up near the top of the mountain 

 before I had gotten very far up. He 

 is a livelier bird than the eastern bird 

 and carries himself more erect. Both 

 birds won my admiration and I secret- 

 ly determined to portray them on 

 paper some time in the future as sou- 

 venirs of my visit to California. 



George W. H. Vos Burgh. 

 Zion City, Illinois. 



Notice. 

 We are again out of bird notes — 

 get busy — this is meant for you Mr. 

 Reader. — Ed. 



