Mar.,.1919 ALBERT MILLS INGERSOLL—AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY 57 
fornia; but the birds of New York, [llnois, Florida, Arizona and Idaho have 
also received visits from me. Favorable opportunities enabled me to add to my 
collection of nests and eggs a larger proportion of personally taken species and 
subspecies than is commonly the privilege of an oologist. A set of Spotted 
Owl, taken in San Diego County, March 24, 1884, is the most highly prized of 
any set in my collection. Most oologists, however, might consider as of greater 
value my Condor egg or either one of the following nests accompanied by beau- 
tifully marked sets of eggs: Everglade Kite, Golden Eagle, Farallon Rail. My 
collection of bird skins, nests and eggs is willed to the California Museum of 
Vertebrate Zoology. 
The most important capture of my life, is Mrs. Ingersoll, formerly Miss 
Laura I. Stevens, of Sacramento, California. 
ALBERT MILLS INGERSOLL. 
San Diego, California, January 18, 1919. 
NOTES ON THE BREEDING HABITS OF THE RED CROSSBILL 
IN THE OKANAGAN VALLEY, BRITISH COLUMBIA 
By J. A. MUNRO 
HE FOLLOWING notes apply chiefly to a small section of timbered coun- 
try close to Okanagan Landing, its topography being the familiar. Oka- 
uagan type of low mountain covered with Douglas fir and yellow pine, 
including both original forest and second growth. 
Red Crossbills (Loxia curvirostra minor) were present in unusually large 
numbers during the year 1918, and in order to compare their relative abund- 
ance with other years, a synopsis of my field notes, taken since 1911, is in- 
eluded. : 
These birds were fairly common on December 14, 1911, in yellow pine 
country near Okanagan Landing. A series of males collected on this date had 
the sex organs enlarged, but no mated birds were seen. It is probable thai 
these birds remained until the following spring, but as no special interest was 
taken in them at the time, no attempt was made to keep a record of their 
movement as was done in subsequent years. The only record for 1912 was 
made on March 13, when a flock of fifteen birds was seen at Nahun, fifteen 
miles south of Okanagan Landing on the west side of the lake. A small flock 
was seen several times in the same district at an altitude of 4000 feet during 
the first week of December, 1913. 
No other records were made until July 21, 1915, when a small flock was 
seen at Okanagan Landing, probably their first appearance for that year. As 
this locality was being carefully worked at the time it is unlikely that they 
would have escaped observation, had they arrived before this. A female taken 
on August 5, and another taken on August 18, had the worn abdominal patch 
of breeding birds and a third female in breeding condition, was taken on Feb- 
ruary 24, 1916. This small flock was seen at intervals until April 20, 1916, 
which was the last date on which Crossbills were observed until the big year 
1918, when they were first noted on January 9. They were seen daily there- 
