THE OOLOGIST 



127 



very large number of colored plates 

 and the description, technical as well 

 a§ popular of all birds found within 

 the territory which it covers. It is 

 indeed one of the most valuable bird 

 books that can be acquired by either 

 amateur or scientist, and within its 

 pages will be found not only the de- 

 scription of the birds, but a complete 

 and thorough treatise of the manner 

 of collecting, photographing or pre- 

 serving the birds, their nests or eggs. 

 Would that there were more Chap- 

 mans in the ornithology of the coun- 

 try, and more Chapmanlike books ac- 

 cessible to us all. We can recom- 

 mend this as standard in every way. 



Birds of the West Coast Section of 



Santa Barbara, During the 



Month of September. 



As this is the wind-up of the rainy 

 season and because of new roads be- 

 ing soft, we will go on horse. We leave 

 Santa Barbara after an early break- 

 fast riding along the fine main roads 

 lined with open pine woods, pretty 

 bungalows, pineapple patches and cit- 

 rus fruit groves. In these the Cuban 

 Quail, Robin (red-legged Thrush) and 

 Yellow-faced Grassquit are in evi- 

 dence. 



After about two miles we leave the 

 main road and start west. Almost im- 

 mediately we notice a change in the 

 bird life. We pass a small marsh in 

 which we notice a pair of Florida Gal- 

 linules which the quite rare here; a 

 Cuban Green Heron, also a rare bird; 

 Southern Green Herons and Cuban 

 •Grackles. 



As we ride along, the road passes 

 through a thick jungle (wet), the 

 ditches at this time of year full of 

 water. Here we see Little Blue Her- 

 ons, Snowy Herons, Solitary Sandpip- 

 ers, Least and Semi-palmated Sand- 

 pipers and Yellowlegs. F'eeding in the 

 road are West Indian Mourning Doves, 



Pigeons (Columba inornata) and the 

 ever present Cuban Ground Doves. 

 In the brush are Cuban Pewees and 

 Crested Flycatchers while feeding on 

 the "nuts" of the "Bottle Palms" are a 

 score of Cuban Green Parrots. 



Passing through this we come to a 

 higher rolling country, four hundred 

 acres of which is being developed by 

 Winnipeg people. This is the virgin 

 open pine woods cut here and there 

 by small streams lined with real 

 tropical jungles. 



First let us proceed to the main 

 pineapple patch of over 20,000 plants. 

 Here we see the Cuban Meadowlarks 

 and West Indian Killdeer with an oc- 

 casional Black-bellied Plover running 

 between the plants looking for grubs 

 and flitting from plant to plant are 

 Yellow Palm Warblers and Yellow- 

 faced Grassquits. 



From here let us go North a short 

 distance for it is nearly lunch time, 

 and find a cool shady spot on the 

 banks of "Arroyo Largo." While here 

 eating if we are quiet we may see a 

 Limpkin, Belted Kingfisher, Giant 

 Kingbird, Cuban Tody, Florida Yellow- 

 throat, Black and White, Blackpoll 

 and Sycamore Warblers and also the 

 Water thrush. 



While returning, at the edge of the 

 jungle we see the Cuban Green Wood- 

 pecker busily pegging away at an old 

 stub while on a distant Palm is a 

 Cuban Red-bellied Woodpecker. Here 

 again we are in the pine woods and 

 see some White-crowned Pigeons 

 (rare at this time of year), also some 

 "El Bobo" or fool pigeons (Columba 

 squamosa) the largest of our pigeons; 

 in fact, it is as large as the domestic 

 bird and greatly prized for food. It 

 is only a question of a few years be- 

 fore it will be entirely exterminated. 

 Formerly it was abundant all over the 

 Island and now it is only in a few 

 places where it is found at all. At 



