Nov., 1901. I 
THE CONDOR 
141 
new birds have appeared, as always 
happens with changes of weather and 
seasons. This last week has brought 
several sweet singers to the grove: the 
foliage growing denser all the time 
gives them a feeling of more security. 
Pileolated warblers and mockingbirds 
are our choice singers now. While the 
larks were in possession, the mocker 
hardly showed himself or at least he 
was so unusually quiet that I did not 
observe him. A .song sparrow was 
heard here two or three times within 
the week. A new bird has given me 
no end of trouble in the way of neck- 
aches and disappointments. He always 
perches high and in such a way as to 
make it difficult to get his exact colors. 
The truly scientific (who no sooner sees 
a bird than he has it in hand to study 
every detail) can hardly appreciate the 
trials and vexations of a would-be bird 
student who does not re.sort to the gun. 
However I’m satisfied that much can 
be learned without destroying life, as 
no doubt did Emerson think when he 
asked : 
“'Hast thou named all the birds without a 
gun? 
Loved the wood-rose and left it on the stalk?” 
iffli ® ® 
Two Additions to the Land Birds of Santa 
Cruz County, and Additional Notes 
on Two Other Species. 
T. Nyctea nyctea. Snowy Owl. Some 
years ago while visiting at Santa Cruz 
the capture of a Snowy Owl was men- 
tioned to me. ' The bird was shot as it 
flew across Wood’s Lagoon, a slough 
near Santa Cruz. As the owl was only 
winged it was taken home alive by the 
lucky hunter, — James Francis, and 
placed in a large chicken coop. The 
broken wing-tip soon healed and in a 
short time the bird became remarkably 
gentle, taking food from the hand of its 
owner. Finally it became so tame that 
it would sit on his arm and shoulder. 
Mr. Francis had this owl in his posses- 
sion for a number of years, but about 
two years ago it sickened and died. It 
was mounted and is now in the pos- 
session of Mr. Francis at Santa Cruz. 
The bird was very large and unusually 
white. Its sex is unknown to me, as 
also the exact date of capture, but as the 
duck season was open at the time, it 
must have been taken between Oct. 15 
and Feb. 15, not very definite, but a 
record nevertheless. 
2. Melanerpes torqitatus. Lewis 
Woodpecker. On Dec. 26, 1900 while 
wheeling from Santa Cruz to Capitola I 
saw a Lewis Woodpecker in an apple 
tree near Moran’s gulch about half way 
between the two towns. The bird was 
very unsuspicious and I was able to ap- 
proach quite clo.se. For some time it 
searched about in a listle.ss manner, not 
caring apparently whether food was 
obtained or not. Finally, after I threw 
several clods at it, the woodpecker took 
flight, soon perching in another tree 
about 100 yards from the first one and 
bunching itself up as though very 
sleep}'. 
Falco peregrimis anatiim. Duck 
Hawk. The Duck Hawk is spoken of 
by McGregor in his list as rare. I have 
met with it quite frequently and con- 
sider it not an uncommon bird. Several 
times at Moore’s beach and also near the 
Santa Cruz lighthouse I have seen this 
falcon dash into flocks of Brewer Black- 
birds and Western Meadowlarks, some- 
times capturing two birds, one in each 
talon. Mr. A. G. Vrooman of Santa 
Cruz has quite an extensive series of 
eggs of Falco p. atiatu»i which he has 
personally collected on the Santa Cruz 
coast. 
Spinas pinas. Pine Siskin. In May 
1896 Mr. A. N. Towne showed me a 
pair of siskins which he had taken from 
a eucalyptus. They were feeding high 
up in the smaller branches and were 
collected at one shot. Spi 7 ias pinas is 
probably a resideirt as the birds seem to 
have been taken several tinres in the 
breeding season. Eggs have been given 
me which tallied exactly with the print- 
ed descriptioirs of eggs of this species. 
Chas. S. Thompson. 
Stanford University, Cal. 
