Mar., 1904 I 
THE CONDOR 
47 
That the elf owl is a resident of California is now settled beyond doubt, but I 
seriously question their being far west of the Colorado river. On the Arizona 
side, immediately opposite Duncan Elate, is an extensive growth of saguaras, and 
in them scores of favorable nesting sites. These conditions in southern central 
Arizona would produce at least twenty to one on the Colorado. I am not very 
familiar with the desert flora west of the river, although I crossed the country 
twice, once by stage and once by horseback, but that was so long ago that I may 
be pardoned for forgetting. I do know, however, that the upper reaches of the 
desert have a heavier growth than the middle lower. Furthermore its character is 
such that if the elf owl goes far west of the Colorado river it must be by way of 
the Mojave desert and not by way of the Colorado. As Mr. Frank Stephens is 
better informed on that subject than I am, I pass the question up to him. 
The two elf owl skins I sent to the Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, but 
the eggs I still have, two beautiful sets of four each. Even the five hawk eggs 
turned out first class. The family of Mexican screech owls I brought home with 
me. I kept them for two months and then sent them to Central Park, New York. 
As they were the first lot of young, of their kind, ever taken in California I offered 
them to the Park Commissioners, San Francisco, but they declined the proffered 
gift with thanks. The mother, of course, went with them. They certainly were 
a beautiful lot if such expression can be used to describe a family of owls. 
Yuma, Arizona. 
Nevada Notes 
BV WILSON C. HANNA 
D uring the late spring and early summer months of last year (1903) work on 
the Central Pacific Reconstruction brought me to that part of Humboldt 
county, Nevada, lying between Golconda and Battle Mountain. This 
division of the railroad lies in the valley of the Humboldt River, which here varies 
in width from a few hundred yards to many miles; while the river itself containing 
a good volume of water flows slowly through its very winding channel, in some 
places dividing into several branches. This condition of the river causes many 
shallow alkaline ponds and a considerable amount of marshy meadow land which 
in most places is covered with coarse wild grasses. 
The valley is bounded by rocky mountains, the height of which varies from 
several hundred to several thousand feet above the floor of the valley. Upon the 
highest of these snow lies during most of the year. Their sides are sparsely cov- 
ered with low chaparral. The soil is more or less alkaline which is probably the 
cause of the absence of trees, but willow and wild rose bushes thrive along the 
river banks and in some places form almost impenetrable thickets. The elevation 
of the railroad through the valley is about 4300 to 4500 feet above sea level. 
During May and June I had a chance to see many of the birds of this section, 
and when possible I spent my time along the river collecting birds and eggs. There 
are very few birds here compared to the many found in California, and collecting 
has to be done while you are enduring torments from the mosquitos that breed in 
great numbers along the banks of the stream. 
