172 



THE NIDIOLOGIST 



California Water Birds. No. l, Monterey and vi- 

 cinity from the middle of June to the end of August. 

 Leverelt M. Loomis, Curator of the Department of 

 Ornithology of the California Academy of Science. 

 Ext. Proc. Cal. Acad. Sci., Ser. 2, Vol. V, June iq, 1895, 

 pp. 177-224. lUus. by map of Monterey Bay and 

 vicinity. [From the author.] 



This excellent paper by Mr. Loomis is prefaced by 

 a brief account of the Bay of Monterey and its envi- 

 rons, with notes uponphysical aspects, the climate of 

 the locality, and to the extent of his observations up- 

 on the water birds of the vicinity. These latter "were 

 made during the summers of 1892 and 1894 ; the first 

 season covering the interval between June 20 and 

 August 23, and the second season between June 15 

 and August 28." Migratory movements of the birds 

 observed were not only studied in the bay, but for 

 several miles out on the ocean proper, the latter 

 offering very favorable conditions for this class of 

 work. The memoir treats of two subjects : first, the 

 '' Early Southward Migrations, "and second, "General 

 Remarks on the Birds Observed." In the first sec- 

 tion we are presented with considerable interesting 

 and often valuable matter referring to the habits, mi- 

 grations, and history of the water birds of the Pacific 

 Coast, while in the second section the species and sub- 

 species are taken up in detail and in their proper order, 

 with brief notes upon each form. In these general 

 notes "only species of which specimens were taken 

 are mentioned," and that only during the year 1894. 



Observations are made upon the following birds : 

 ^chmophorus occidentalis. Colymbiis n. californicus, 

 Podilymbus podiccps, Liinda cirrhata, Plychoramphus 

 alenticu!:, Brachv ramp hits ninrmorstus, B. hypolencits, 

 Cepphus columha, Uria troile californica, Sfercorarins 

 poiiiarinus, S. parasiticus^ S. longicaudus, Lartis occiden- 

 talis, L. cali/oniiciis, L. licertiiani, Xeuia sabinii, 

 Sterna paradiscsa, Diomedea nigripes, D. albatrits. Fill- 

 inarus g. glupischa, F. g. rodgersii, Paffimis creatopus, 

 P. gavia, P. grisetis, P hnlacrocorax penicillatus. P. p. 

 resplendens, Pelecanus californicus, Histrionicjis histri- 

 onictts, Oidemia deglandi, O. perspicillata, Ardea hero- 

 dias, Ftilica aincricaiia, Cryinopliilus fulicari us , Phala- 

 ropus lohalus, Ereuuctcs occidentalis, Syiitpliciiiia s. 

 inornata, Heteractitis incanus, Numeniiis longirostus. 

 yEgialitis vocifera, Ai, nivosa, Aphriza virgata, Aren- 

 aria interpres, A. nielanoccphala, and Hcrmatopus bach- 

 viani. This is a very interesting list of species, and 

 Mr. Loomis's notes about them in some cases are es- 

 pecially so. Tufted Paffins are said to be possessed of 

 a great deal of curiosity, and the northward range of 

 Xantus's Murrelet is extended. Very full notes are 

 given on Brandt's and on Baird's Cormorants that are 

 welcome contributions to what we already know of 

 those forms, and indeed the entire paper will prove to 

 be of value to the student of birds of the coast of 

 California. 



We have a very excellent number in The Aukiox July 

 (1895). The contribution," Notes on Birds Observed 

 in Trinidad," by Messrs. Brewster and Chapman, is 

 one of very decided interest; indeed, one of the best 

 articles that this well-known magazine of Ornithology 

 has printed for a l<jng time. It is illustrated by a 

 beautiful colored plate of Nyctibius jainaicensis (the 

 frontispiece), which doubtless is the best figure of this 

 species extant. Good papers are also given us by 

 Captain Thorne and by Mr. O. Widmann ; and 

 another of very unusual interest by Mr. George Spen- 

 cer Morris, entitled " Notes and Extracts from a Let- 

 ter of Edward Harris." This latter is of special his- 



toric value, giving as it does parts of the Missouri 

 River Expedition of Audubon, Bell, and Harris in 

 1843, and contains such descriptions as the discovery 

 of Harris's Sparrow, the Western Meadow Lark, and 

 other birds. 



Following this, Lynds Jones continues his articles 

 on Bird Migration, and Mr. Brewster aiiiis an account 

 of "A Remarkable Flight of Pine Grosbeaks," while 

 in still another Dr. Mearns, of the .Army, describes a 

 new Heron [Ardea Tirescens antlionyi),. We have 

 " Hawk Flights in Connecticut " dealt with in an able 

 manner by Mr. Trowbridge, and other interesting 

 papers are from Major Bendire, Cory, and Mr. A. W. 

 .•\nthony. The review department, general notes, etc., 

 are, as usual, full of interest and matters of impor- 

 tance. 



Tlie Auk is now in its twelfth volume, and still 

 every year exhibits marked evidences of improvement 

 and progress, and it is difficult to see how any active 

 worker in ."American Ornithology can afford to do with- 

 out it in his librarv. 



Cooper Ornithological Club. 



THE July meeting was held at Alameda, 

 July 6. After the business of the 

 evening had been transacted, a paper 

 was read by H. Ward Carriger, of Sonoma, on 



The California Pygmy Owl. 



As a preface to the paper, Mr. Carriger de- 

 scribed the nature of the country in which his 

 observations had been taken. Sonoma Valley 

 lies between two ranges of hills, and is 

 bordered on the south by San Pablo Bay. The 

 hills are cut by canyons at intervals, and the 

 lower parts are sparsely covered with the 

 different sy:)ecies of trees, while farther back 

 are heavy forests. 



The California Pygmy Owl is rarely seen in 

 the heavy timber, but prefers to remain in the 

 sparsely timbered tracts. Unlike the other 

 members of its family, it does not hunt its food 

 entirely at night, but is active in pursuit of its 

 prey in the early morning hours. Lizards and 

 the several varieties of beetles seem to be its 

 favorite food. One of the birds was met one 

 morning bearing a lizard in its claws, and, 

 although followed for ten minutes, it retained 

 its prey and disajjpeared in the heavy timber. 



The flight of this Owl is jerky and at times 

 quite swift. It is not often one sees this bird 

 fly for any distance, as it usually flies, if dis- 

 turbed, from tree to tree. As the birds are 

 very (juick in winter they are not often seen, 

 though you search carefully for them. One 

 rainy day in October two were met sitting side 

 by side in the low limbs of a laurel tree, and 

 they retained their position until the limb was 

 forcibly shaken, and then flew to another 

 portion of the tree. Along in February they 



