lOS 
THE C(.)XI)OR 
Vol. XIV 
What few American Ra\-ens 1 know of in this section did not share in the migration 
l>nt were present in their nsual liaunts all winter. — F. C. Willard, 
The Western Marsh Wren Wintering Near Helena, Montana. — On March 12, 1911, 1 
observed a Marsh Wren {Tcliiiatodytcs palustris picsius) in cattail marshes near Helena, 
Montana, 1 both saw this bird closely and heard it sing several times, so that I feel 
certain of its species, though 1 was unable to secure it. This was in the same locality in which 
1 found the Virginia Rail a few weeks before, reported in The Condor, xiii, p. 108. Since 
the spring migration had barely started, only the ^Mountain Bluebird and Desert Horned 
Lark ha\ing arrived at that date, it is reasonable to suppose that the Wren was not a 
migrant but had spent the winter there. Wilson Snipe and a Virginia Rail were again 
tibserved there on this date. — .Aretas A. Saunders. 
Who Will Save the Band-tailed Pigeon? — Band-tailed Pigeons {Colitiiiba fasciata) 
were aliundant this winter from Paso Robles south to Nordhoff all through the coast range 
of mountains. One hunter from Los Olivos shipped over 2,000 birds to the San Francisco 
and Los .\ngeles hotels. 
The morning train from San Luis Obispo to Los Olivos on Sundays averaged H)(> 
passengers who came to hunt pigeons. .A prominent hunter told me that these passengers 
averaged about thirty birds apiece per day. This would make this one day’s exciuvsion over 
3,000 pigeons. Now ! — this is only one train and one day’s hunting. One can hardly calcu- 
late the number of birds killed by hunters in automobiles and those who started from Los 
Angeles, San F'rancisco, Santa Barbara, Ventura. Santa Maria, Paso Robles, Lonpioc and 
other small towns. 
The writer, who is in the gun and ammunition business, was thoroughly disgusted with 
the game hogs who simply shot pigeons for the sport ( ?) and could not even eat them all. 
It is a shame that something is not done for these beautiful birds, which are doomed to 
follow in the footsteps of the Passenger Pigeon. 1 honestly believe that tiic people will 
never again sec such a flight of Band-tailed Pigeons. In Nordhoff it is the largest they 
have ever seen, and the birds evidently hung around until they were simply shot out. I'liis 
same state of affairs is probably true in other localities. 
If something is not done very quickly these birds are doomed; for any bird that fi\'s in 
such Hocks is bound to be exterminated. What can be done? — W. Lee Cii.\mi!eks. 
Two New Birds for Colorado. — 1 wish to record two more species of birds new to 
the State of Colorado. 
F'irst, the Lapland Longspur {Calcarius lapponicus lapponiciis) . Two of these birds 
were taken December 28, 18 miles northeast of Denver; one of them identified by Mr. 
Oberholser. 
Second, the Sierra Hermit Thrush { Hylocichla guttata sequoiensis) . F'our of these birds 
have been taken in Colorado and three of them identified by Mr. Oberholser. One was 
taken on the Arkansas River, May 16, near Holly ; one taken near Golden, May 2, and the 
other two taken west of the range near Granby on October 7, thus proving that they 
sometimes pass through Colorado both fall and spring. 
All of the above are in the collection of the Colorado Aluseum of Natural History. — 
L. J. Mersey. 
A Correction. — My attention has recently been called to the fact that 1 recorded 
the Savannah Sixirrow { Passcrculus saiidnuclirnsis saz’aiiiia) in my list of birds of South- 
western Montana in the January, 1912, number of The Condor. This is an error for 
which T am unable to account. The list should read Passcrculus sainhcichciisis alaudiiius 
(Western Savannah Sparrow). — Aret.vs A. Saunders. 
