THK NIDIOLOGIST. 



drove tliein into a pasture surrounded by a 

 high fence so the animals could not make 

 their escape. So much wholesome meat 

 close at hand was a great temptation for a 

 band of Indians in the neiuhborhood. so 

 one night they made a swoop down on the 

 pasture, killing and carrying off many An- 

 telope, stealing three horses, and pillaged 

 a house, and made off before the cowboys 

 could be got together to give them a chase. 



June i6. My last day at Rush Lake. 



I collected two clutches of Say's Phoebe. 

 They build their nests on rafters in the 

 barns, and at Crane Lake one had built its 

 nest under the verandah opposite the house 

 door, and every time I came out of the 

 house it would flv off the nest and settle in 

 a tree in the garden. 



Some distance from the farm a group of 

 seven Turkey Vultures were feeding on a 

 dead horse, and I was surprised to observe 

 a Raven also sharing in the feast. After 

 packing my specimens and baggage, Spald- 

 ing drove me to the station, and I returned 

 to Manitoba, feeling sorry to part with one 

 who had made this and my former visits to 

 Rush Lake so pleasant for me. 



Spalding wanted me to make a trip with 

 him down the White Mud River into Mon- 

 tana, but I was anxious to join F. Dippie 

 in Manitoba, so I had to decline. Poor 

 Spalding's life was short after 1 left him. 

 He removed to British Columbia, and one 

 night he fell down an open cellar door and 

 broke his neck, and next morning was 

 found dead. This was the .sad end of the 

 farm manager I wrote so much about in my 

 book " Bird-Nesting in North-West Can- 

 ada." 



(TO BK CONTINUED.) 



<»•♦• 



Mr. R()i.r,o H. Beck informs us that he sliot a 

 Hlack-chinned Sparrow {Spizella atri^iilaris) June 

 25, 1S94, in Monterey county, where lie says it was 

 undoubtedly breedinj^. The skin was identified 

 by Prof. Ridgway. This is the first record of this 

 bird's occurrence so far north. It has previously 

 been noted as breeding at Poway and San Bernar- 

 dino, Cal. 



"High Jinks" of the Great Blue 

 Heron. 



THl'v Great Blue Heron {Ardca hcrodias) 

 is by no means a rarity in California. 

 Nevertheless, acquaintance with its 

 habits and with certain marked peculiarities 

 of Its social life is so extremely limited as to 

 be sui^ject of doubt and dispute whenever 

 set forth. Local readers of The Nidiolo- 

 GIST will remember that some months ago, 

 in the Alameda Lantern, I gave the result 

 of observations which I had undertaken 

 with a view to settling the mooted question 

 whether the bird sat on its nest or straddled 

 it with legs pendant. I hopefully thought 

 that I had then settled the point in favor of 

 the straddling proposition to the satisfaction 

 of every one; but consequent criticism and 

 subsequent remarks lead me to believe that 

 the only person to whose satisfaction I have 

 settled the matter is my.self. 



This, I confess, is discouraging, and 

 tends to make me somewhat chary of 

 spreading abroad such further knowledge 

 of the peculiarities of this particular member 

 of the Ornithological .section as I have been 

 able to acquire. 



With the physical conformation of the 

 bird most of us who live on the shores of 

 vSan Francisco Bay are acquainted; and I 

 have no hesitation in saying that the pecu- 

 liarities of its build are not more striking 

 than the strangeness of its habits. It may 

 frequently be seen at nightfall standing on 

 one leg at the verge of the water, a picture 

 of despairing loneliness; looking in the 

 moonlight like a silhouette of hope on its 

 last leg, and seemingly waiting for the tide 

 to undermine the leg and engulph the whole 

 outfit. 



The Great Blue Heron measures over 

 three feet from bill to tail, the greater por- 

 tion of which extent is made up of neck. 

 Its expan.se of wing is more than six feet, 

 while the weight of the whole layout is 

 only between three and four pounds; a lack 

 of avordupois that has thus far completely 



