Jan., 1921 33 
FROM FIELD AND STUDY 
Range of the Plain Titmouse in Oregon.—In the Auk (xxxvu, 1920, p. 594) Mr. W. 
F. Henninger records the Plain Titmouse (Bacolophus inornatus inornatus) as a new 
bird for the state list of Oregon. In looking over the available literature I was surprised 
to see that this species had not hitherto been mentioned (except in Bailey’s Handbook 
of Birds of the Western United States, 1914, p. 456) as a common resident in the south- 
central part of the state. Its occurrence there has long been known to ornithologists. I 
have found it common at Grants Pass (November 30), Rogue River (October 4), Gold 
Hill (March, April and May), Medford (June, 1916), and Ashland (June, 1916). We 
therefore have a continuous line of records from Grants Pass on the north to within a 
few miles of the California line on the south. Specimens were taken by the writer at 
Grants Pass, Rogue River and Gold Hill during the spring of 1916, and I have seen sev- 
eral skins from Medford and, Ashland. The species is common in the scrub-oak forests of 
the region along Rogue River and its tributaries in the lower valleys. So far as known 
it does not occur in the Douglas fir forests to the east or west of the valley.—STANLEY 
G. JEwETT, Portland, Oregon, November 10, 1920. 
California Woodpecker Steals Eggs of Wood Pewee.—It is common knowledge 
that the jay is not the only egg eater among our birds. On occasion birds of many other 
species rob nests. The worst egg eater yet discovered in my aviary is a Santa Cruz 
Song Sparrow.. The following note adds the California Woodpecker to the list of guilty 
birds. 
While riding horse-back about a mile west of the village in Yosemite Valley, on 
July 17, 1920, my attention was attracted to a pair of Western Wood Pewees who were 
snapping their bills and making a great fuss. On looking above my head, I discovered a 
California Woodpecker (Melanerpes formicivorus bairdi) calmly perched on the pewee’s 
nest and eating one of the eggs. I could see the white and the yolk of the egg on the 
woodpecker’s bill, as he raised his head. After watching for some time, I attempted to 
frighten the robber away, but experieneed considerable difficulty in doing so. When he 
finally left the nest the pewees continued to dart at him, to drive him farther away. 
Soon one of the pewees, apparently the female, returned to the nest, picked up an egg- 
shell and flew off with it. I was unable to see what she did with it. In half a minute 
she returned and began incubating the remaining eggs.—Harou_p C. Bryant, Berkeley, 
California, November 10, 1920. 
Late Nesting of the Green-backed Goldfinch.— While working around my place on 
November 1, last, I was attracted by the notes of a Green-backed Goldfinch (Astragalinus 
psaltria hesperophilus) and upon investigating found two young in a nest. ready to 
leave. On November 2 the birds had gone and I could not locate them.—W. Ler CHanx- 
PERS, Hagle Rock, California, December 6, 1920. 
Speed of Flight of the Red-shafted Flicker.—In the forenoon of November 1, 1920, 
I was driving a motor car on the main highway going north out of Fresno. We were 
making just 30 miles an hour on a level, straight road. The throttle was set and the 
speedometer was registering the Speed very accurately under these conditions. A few 
miles north of Fresno a Red-shafted Flicker (Colaptes cafer collaris), flying from our 
right, attempted to cross the road about 100 feet in front of us, hut upon arriving at the 
center of the road turned north and flew ahead of us for two-tenths of a mile. Keeping 
about fifteen feet above the road. My guess is that the bird was surprised and, think- 
ing itself pursued, made the best speed it could. We did not change our speed nor did 
the flicker change its course, and we overtook and passed under the bird in two-tenths 
of a mile. There was a little wind from the west but not enough to affect the speed of 
flight. The weather was fair and had been for several days. Evidently the bird was 
making only 27 miles an hour and flying as fast as it could. While there is no way of 
proving that the flicker was flying at top speed, the circumst 
: ances made me think it 
was. ne of these birds was given a speed of 25 miles an hour when flying parallel with 
