THE OOLOGIST 



57 



as there is six inches of snow on the 

 level and it is knee-deep along the 

 fences in the open stretches and still 

 falling heavily in large flakes. 



Three California Jays sit in a pine 

 tree apparently wondering wliat this 

 blanket of whiteness is all about. A 

 few Western Robins and Western 

 Meadowlarks are also noted. 



I climb over a' fence into a field on 

 the opposite side of which is anotlie;' 

 field, bordered on each side by rows 

 of eucalyptus trees. From the ground 

 at the base of one of these trees, ;i'e3 

 a Burrowing Owl. He lights on a 

 fence post not far away, stretches out 

 both his neck and legs to observe me, 

 and upon approach flies from the post 

 and lights behind a big rock. From 

 there I chase him over a hill out of 

 sight. I have my "Game Getter" with 

 me and I go after him with the result 

 that he is soon my specimen. On skin- 

 ning "he" proved to be a female. 

 Though the stomach was empty uner.^ 

 was a good layer of fat between the 

 flesh and the skin. 



Wliile tramping over the hills I see 

 a few Brewer Blackbirds and a flock 

 of Horned Larks. In a' lower part ot 

 another fleld the snow is black with 

 small birds which prove to be a flock 

 of some two thousand House Finches. 

 I collect a male and they scatter into 

 smaller flocks. The ground being 

 covered witli snow the birds are feed- 

 ing on the seeds in the tops of some 

 weeds and keep up a constant little 

 chatter among themselves. A Sharp- 

 shinned Hawk flies over a spot wner? 

 a flock of the Finches had been feed 

 ing, surveying the ground closely and 

 apparently looking for a' straggler 

 which might have stayed behind. Later 

 he flies into another flock of the Finch- 

 es though he does not attack any of 

 them and sails on by, and the smaller 

 birds being much frightened fly to 

 atiother part of the fleld 



A flock of a dozen geese fly low 

 overhead as I wend my way home- 



ward. I have tramped in the snow for 

 over two hours, and though it is com- 

 fortable to be at home again by the 

 flre, it has been a rare treat to ex- 

 perience a bit of the weather to which 

 our eastern friends are well ac- 

 customed. 



Emerson A. Stoner, 

 Jan. 30, 1922. Benicia, Gal. 



BRUSHLAND NEST PHOTOGRAPH 

 OF PINNATED GROUSE 



In a recent issue of The Oologist 

 was produced, presumably from Reed's 

 North American Birds' Eggs, a half- 

 tone bearing no legend as to either 

 the subject or the photographer. Pre- 

 suming that readers of The Oologist 

 will wish to know what the half-tone 

 represents, and possibly, also, to learn 

 its origin, I venture to elucidate: 



The subject is, Brushland Nest and 

 Eggs of Pinnated Grouse, Minnesota. 

 This is the only brushland nest I ever 

 found, out of at least twenty nests 

 discovered of the "Prairie Chicken." 

 As such, it is a negative of unusual 

 value. (It may interest readers to 

 learn that I missed securing a por- 

 trait of the sitting Grouse by only a 

 few seconds). 



I would modestly suggest to the edi- 

 tor of The Oologist that he be sure 

 that the publishers of the magazine 

 fail not hereafter to add to every half- 

 tone a legend giving both the name of 

 the photographer and of the subject. 

 Some of us care to know both these 

 items about re-produced photographs, 

 and care to know very much. 



P. B. Peabody, 

 Blue Rapids, Kansas. 



The half-tone referred to was on the 

 outer cover of the January issue. 

 These cover pictures are furnished us 

 by our publishers free and we know 

 nothing of these until we see them on 

 the magazine. We a'ppreciate the kind- 

 ness of our publishers very much and 

 see no need of making a mountain out 

 of a molehill. — Editor. 



