The boj's struck it just right this year, so far as Santa Cruz Island Jays were con- 

 cerned. They secured thirty-three sets of this interesting bird, Aphelocoma insularis, 

 more than were ever taken before, all told, and the series thus established we count so 

 important in its phylogenetic bearings that it will form the subject of a special report. 



Upon the return of the party, March 31st, Truesdale repaired to Shandon to take 

 in the early crop of California Jays' nests, and to make preparations for an extended 

 tour of eastern San Luis Obispo County, in which he was to join us. Vrooman hustled 

 out the very next day and bagged a set, 1/4, of Duck Hawk, Falco peregrinus anatum, 

 from a spot overlooking the La Cumbre trail, the first that had been taken in Santa 

 Barbara County in a good many years. 



On the 7th of April, the Director, accompanied by Mr. Vrooman, set out in the auto- 

 mobile, the "Jolly Ellen," for a reconnaissance of the "upper country." On the 9th we 

 were joined by "Kelly" Truesdale at Shandon, and made camp' that evening in Cumata 

 Canyon in the heart of the old cattle country. Of the busy days that followed it is 

 impossible to give a full account here. Suffice to say that we ran several hundred miles 

 in exploring the inner coast range; and that we had experience of fifteen pairs of 



Bringing in the Eagle's Nest: N 2 Golden Eagle, Now in Case XXIV, Drawer 5 M. C. O. 



Prairie Falcons and nineteen of the Raven. This does not mean that we acquired that 

 number of sets, for we lost several of the Falcons to heavy incubation; while the 

 Ravens, long persecuted by "Kelly," had adopted every ruse "known to science" to 

 escape the anticipated annual raid. Some of the black rascals had young, one pair as 

 early as the 24th of March; while others, not a few, were just beginning to build; and 

 some had deferred nesting outright. 



Bert returns on the 21st of April to his home town, Santa Cruz, for two weeks' 

 intensive work on Coast Jays (Cyanocitta stelleri carbonacea) and Point Pinos Juncoes 

 (Junco hyemalis pinosus), securing several fine sets of each; while I return to Santa 

 Barbara, a reluctant captive, to make certain financial collections. Oh, the wanton 

 cruelty of the mid-season hold-up! The exquisite torture of watching a great man 

 twiddle his thumbs or discuss the markets while birds are nesting! But the great man 



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