Nov., 1918 211 



FROM FIELD AND STUDY 



The Kaeding Petrel in California. — The note by Dr. Grinnell in the January-Febru- 

 ary issue of the Condor (vol. xx, 1918, p. 46), in which he concurs with Oberholser's con- 

 clusions concerning the white-rumped petrels of the California coast, is of considerable 

 interest to California ornithologists. It leaves us with a blank space in our avifauna op- 

 posite the name Oceanodroma leucorhoa kaedingi. I have in my collection a petrel which 

 I have always considered to be kaedingi, and Mr. George Willett, whose acquaintance 

 with the petrels on their breeding grounds is large, has also considered the specimen to 

 be of that race. Dr. Grinnell has recently examined the same skin and concurs in this 

 subspecific determination. He kindly furnishes me with a copy of the measurements as 

 taken by himself: — Wing 142.7 mm.; tail 73.8; forking of tail 14.0; culmen 14.6; tarsus 

 21.2. 



The specimen was taken at sea between San Clemente Island and San Diego at a 

 point charted by the navigating officer, a graduate of Annapolis Naval Academy, as 32 

 degrees 32 minutes north latitude. Where the International boundary intersects the 

 coast line below San Diego, there stands a monument recorded as 32 degrees 31 minutes 

 58 seconds north latitude (Am. Practical Navigator, U. S. Hyd. Office). Except for 

 some unrecognized human error, the subspecies 0. Z. kaedingi must be restored to the 

 avifauna of California with two seconds to spare. — Loye Miller, State Normal School, 

 Los Angeles, California, September 23, 191S. 



First Occurrence of the Dwarf Cowbird in the San Bernardino Valley, California — 

 The long days of late June and early July, with the extra hour of daylight given by the 

 daylight saving law, gave me some time in the evenings, after supper, to inspect various 

 thickets in the bottom lands of this section. The time was well spent and resulted in 

 the discovery of the Dwarf Cowbird (Molothrus ater obscurus) at several points within 

 six miles of Colton. 



Dr. J. Grinnell examined the bird collected and pronounced it of this species, and 

 the first record 6f a cowbird being taken in the San Bernardino Valley. Mr. R. B. Her- 

 ron, the veteran collector of the valley, examined the specimen and stated that he had 

 never seen any of the birds or their eggs hereabouts. My investigations would indicate 

 that there are a few cowbirds here this summer and that they are causing considerable 

 damage to other small birds. 



The following notes on the subject may be of interest: 



June 20, 1918. Nest of Traill Flycatcher (Empidonax trailli trailli) in a thicket 

 several miles east of San Bernardino with two Traill Flycatcher's eggs and a young bird. 

 The young bird looked large for this species, and I returned several days later to find it 

 much larger in size, while there were two dead flycatchers trampled to death in the bot- 

 tom of the nest. I killed the young cowbird. 



June 23, 1918. Nest of California Least Vireo (Vireo belli pusillus) in a thicket in 

 East San Bernardino, with four vireo eggs and one of the cowbird. On June 20 the nest 

 had contained only the four fresh eggs of the vireo. 



June 26, 1918. A nest of California Least Vireo in a willow thicket between Riv- 

 erside and Colton contained three eggs of the vireo and one of the cowbird. 



June 27, 1918. A nest of California Least Vireo in a willow thicket in East San 

 Bernardino contained two eggs of the vireo and one of the cowbird. On June 25 there 

 had been two eggs of the vireo in the nest in perfect condition; on the 27th one of the 

 eggs had a small hole in it, probably the work of the cowbird. 



June 28, 1918. On June 26 I found a nest of Traill Flycatcher between Colton and 

 Riverside with two eggs of the flycatcher and one egg of the cowbird. One of the fly- 

 catcher eggs, being badly dented, was removed from the nest. On June 28 only the cow- 

 bird egg remained in the nest On this same day I noticed a California Yellow Warbler 

 feeding a large cowbird which I later collected. 



Another nest of Traill Flycatcher containing one egg of the cowbird was collected, 

 as it had been under observation some days and no eggs of the flycatcher had been de- 

 posited. It is possible that the flycatcher eggs had been destroyed by the cowbird. 



June 30, 1918. In a willow thicket between Redlands and San Bernardino I found 

 a nest of California Least Vireo with one large-sized young cowbird. The two foster 

 parents, not one-third the size of the cowbird, made much fuss because I tried to rid 

 them of their charge. 



July 2, 1918. A nest of the Traill Flycatcher between Colton and Redlands which 

 had contained two fresh eggs on June 30 was apparently deserted, and one of the eggs 

 had two large holes in it. I lay the blame for this on the cowbird. This same date a 



