158 



THE OOLOGIST 



Snowy Plover — Breeding on dry al- 

 kali flats. 



Great Blue Heron — Several hundred 

 in colony. 



Snowy Heron — Several colonies, 

 breeding. 



Black Crowned night Heron— Com- 

 mon, breeding. 



White faced Glossy Ibis— Large 

 flocks seen every morning coming 

 from the farther marsh fields. 



Am. Egret.— On July 17th, 1910, a 

 colony in which 64 nests were found 

 containing young and eggs in various 

 stages of incubation, being so late in 

 the season I considered that these 

 birds must have been driven from 

 other localities. 



Long-billed Curlew, on the grassy 

 ridges between the waterways also in 

 the dry meadows adjoining. 



Double Crested Cormorant — Fre 

 quently seen flying inland, evidently 

 from Egg Island. 



White crested Cormorant — Same as 

 above. 



Western Willet — Along the margin 

 of the narrow water ways leading into 

 the marshes, not common. 



Wilson's Snipe — In the marshy 

 meadows before one comes to the 

 marshes proper. 



Desert Horned Lark — On the dry 

 sandy sage-brush knolls in the flats. 

 Common. 



Meadow Lark — In all grass mea- 

 dows. • 



Yellow throat — A few seen in tules. 

 Song Sparrow — Often heard, but 

 seldom seen. In old tule marshes. 



Savannah Sparrow — Common in salt 

 grass near margin of marshes. 



Wilson's Phalarope — Seen breeding 

 in pools near grassy flats. 



Duck Hawk — Seen almost every 

 morning and evening seeking prey. 



Tule Wren — Seen and heard every- 

 where along water ways in tule. 



Barn Swallows — All barns near the 

 marshes have its colony. 



Am. Bittern — Usually common, but 

 this year (1911) very scarce. 



This is a record of two four-day trips 

 to these grounds, including time of 

 travel. 



In Denver. 

 While in Denver early in July on a 

 short business trip it was our pleas- 

 ure to make the acquaintance of Mr. 

 J. D. Figgins the director of the Col- 

 orado Museum of Natural History. We 

 found him a very pleasant and enter- 

 taining gentleman and much inter- 

 ested in Ornithology. It was a satis- 

 faction to have him call attention to 

 his recent contribution to THE AUK, 

 Vol. XXXI No. 1, while discussing the 

 unfortunate drift of some ornitholo- 

 gists toward infinitismal and unjusti- 

 fiable subdivision of species of birds 

 into alleged geographic races. This 

 cur readers all know we abhor. 



We found a real up to date museum 

 and one that bore evidences of re- 

 cent and substantial growth and of 

 having a master mind at the head. — 

 Editor. 



The Carolina Wren. 



(Thryomanes ludovicianus ludovi- 



cianus) . 



By S. S. Dickey 



It is now March and during the past 

 few days the cheery song of the Caro- 

 lina Wren has sounded from the briers 

 and brush that cover a steep hillside 

 near my home. Not only as spring 

 approaches does this spry bird send 

 forth its shrill song but upon any 

 bright day of autumn or winter one 

 may chance to hear the wren's music 

 as it pauses to sing from a safe re- 

 treat. 



In Southwestern Pennsylvania this 

 Wren is quite an abundant species. He 

 flits about brush heaps, hops over 

 board piles, and scans every nook 

 and crevice in search of his favorite 



