THE SEASON OF 1919. 



By William Leon Dawson 



The Santa Cruz Island Trip 



The war was over. Thank God for that! It was meet, then, to go bird- 

 egging. Two of the youngsters, William Oberlin Dawson and Robert Canter- 

 bury, were assigned to Santa Cruz Island, the little principality of the Caire 

 Estate, twelve miles by twenty-five in dimensions, and which lies twenty-fife 

 miles distant (over a sometimes choppy sea) from Santa Barbara. Their instruc- 

 tions were to concentrate on Ravens, Dusky Warblers, Island Wrens, Island 

 Shrikes, and Santa Cruz Island Jays. Regarding the last-named species they 

 were enjoined not to take "threes." Thereby hangs a tale of meager returns, 

 for threes were the ordained fashion for Santa Cruz Jaydom for the season of 1919. 

 In a residence of over five weeks, 39 days, to be exact, these young men, both of 

 them familiar with island ways, took only five sets of the Santa Cruz Island Jay, 



all fours; and they estimated that approximately forty sets of three were "passed 



>> 

 up. 



Since open confession is alike good for the soul and corrective of preju- 

 dices, to which even scientists are liable, I submit a complete list of the "takes" 

 for the island residence, March 17th to April 25th, inclusive. (We are so often 

 approached by collectors who wish us to use our influence with the Island manage- 

 ment to secure privileges for them, that we submit this record with the query, 

 Is it really worth your while?) 



Number of sets take 



Dusky Warbler {Vermivora celata sordida) None 



Island Shrike {Lanius ludovicianus anthonyi) 7 



Raven {Corpus corax sinuatus) 7 



Western Mockingbird {Mimas polygloltos leucopterus) 6 



Santa Cruz Jay {A p he toco ma insular is) 5 



Bald Eagle {Haliaeetus 1. leucocephalus) 2 



Santa Cruz Island Wren {Thri/omanes bewicki nesophilus) .... 2 

 "Sparrow Hawk" {American Kestrel) {Falco s. sparverius) .... 1 



Allen Hummer {Selasphorus alleni) 1 



Western Chipping Sparrow {Spizella passerina arizonae) 1 



Total 32 sets — representing an average of less than one set of eggs per day for 

 the combined efforts of two experienced workers (who, incidentally, spared noth- 

 ing they came across except House Finches and Black Phoebes) — about $300 

 worth "exchange." And yet some of our exchange correspondents in the East 

 insist that our western rates are still too high! 



On the 25th of March and continually thereafter, as often as they passed 

 that way, the boys encountered a flock of some twenty Band-tailed Pigeons 

 {Columbajasciata), the first ever recorded from any of the Santa Barbara Islands. 



The Falcon Trip 



On the 7th of April the Director, accompanied by another "youngster," 

 a layman, Giles E. Dawson, to wit, set out in a Studebaker Six for a ten day run 

 in the Falcon country. An incidental object of the expedition was the securing 

 of a representative nest of the Yellow-billed Magpie {Pica nullalli). Thanks to a 

 recently completed highway which penetrates a hitherto unexploited canyon, 

 we sighted a superb nest not two hours from home. The birds had built their 

 castle solidly about a sturdy upright branch of white oak {Quercus lobata), and 

 the protruding twigs bore everywhere flaunting gray-green banners of lichen. 

 The immense size of this structure — it is three feet high by three feet in hori- 

 zontal diameter, say eight cubic feet in bulk — made it a veritable prize, impera- 

 tive for museum use. Accordingly, we removed the five fresh eggs, wrapped the 

 nest copiously with twine, cut away its supports, and lowered it, 45 feet, into the 



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