An Ancient Bird Census in Asphaltic Petroleum 209 



far as known, either fossil or existing, is the bird Miller named Teratornis 

 (meaning 'Terrible Bird') — a huge sailing bird larger than any existing 

 species. A wishbone has been found that measures 7 by 43^ inches from tip 

 to tip, and the skull is larger than that of an Ostrich. Dr. Merriam tells of a 

 legend among a tribe of California Indians of a gigantic Vulture so large that 

 he was able to capture the Condor and carry him up through a hole in the sky, 

 which leads Miller to think that Teratornis may have existed after the advent 

 of man and given rise to the legend. Indeed, some scientists think that all 

 the bird remains recovered from La Brea represent a time after the advent 

 of man, and that he, perhaps, assisted in their extermination. The generally 

 larger size of the ancient birds is noted. 



And so the tar-pools are unfolding their marvelous record of life in a former 

 geological period of nobody knows how many centuries ago. 



Oregon Notes 



By SARAH GRACE PICKENS, La Grande, Ore. 



THE Western Evening Grosbeak is generally considered a late winter 

 bird, but it appears in our vicinity in eastern Oregon at a much earlier 

 date. Last autumn the leaves were not yet off the trees when we saw 

 a flock of them feeding on box-elder seeds in the center of the town. It was 

 December 16, however, before they visited our garden, alighting on the sun- 

 flowers and chirping in their peculiarly chicken-like manner. 



Juncos had been attracted to our bird-shelf attached to a long window in 

 the kitchen, and the Redpolls also came, although they refused the canary 

 seed scattered for them and touched only the water. After the visit of the 

 Grosbeaks to the sunflowers, we decided to put sunflower seed out, and by the 

 20th the Grosbeaks came. From that time on they held undisputed posses- 

 sion of the shelf, the Redpolls, which also ate the sunflower seed, leaving 

 shortly after the Grosbeaks descended upon us. 



For descend upon us they did. The flock was scarcely ever less than fifteen 

 or twenty in number, and twice great flocks of them came down, covering 

 the trees and ground, digging the box-elder seed from the dry grass, and fight- 

 ing for possession of shelf and seed-box in the tree beside the window. We 

 estimated that there were over sixty in the flock. This, however, was unusual, 

 the flock, as before mentioned, being generally about twenty strong. Shortly 

 after daybreak they would come and call cheep! cheep! and talk sweetly 

 among themselves. I would try hard not to listen, but I could not forget the 

 empty shelf and the hungry birds, and I would always end by getting up and 

 scattering the seed for them from the window, and breaking the ice from their 

 earthen drinking-saucer, filling it with lukewarm water so that it would not 

 freeze so rapidly. 



