98 
THE CONDOR 
Vol. XVII 
they appear at all pugnacious, as do baby Squawks, but drew away timidly at the ap- 
proach of the hand, and for the rest divided their time between panting lustily and 
scrambling about in search of shade. 
The parent birds on all occasions were perfectly silent, and they maintained a dis- 
creet aloofness — sad commentary on the fiery furnace of affliction through which this 
gentle race has passed. — William Leon Dawson, Santa Barbara. California. 
Additional Records of the California Clapper Rail and Red Phalarope in California. 
—On November 22, 1914, Mr. L. P. Bolander, Jr., secured at Tomales Bay, near Point 
Reyes Station, Marin County, California, the following two specimens which have been 
donated by him to the California Museum of Vertebrate Zoology. 
Rallus obsoletus, California Clapper Rail (no. 24915, Mus. Vert. Zool.), immature 
male. This is the first record of the species on the ocean side of the Marin peninsula. 
Phalaropus fulicarius, Red Phalarope (no. 24916, Mus. Vert. Zool.), immature female, 
in full winter plumage. The present record is the latest for the season for the north- 
western coast of California. Beck (Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci., 4th ser., 1910, vol. 3, p. 70) 
states that there are fifteen specimens of this species in the collection of the California 
Academy taken near Monterey during December and January. 
Early in January, 1915, Mr. F. J. Smith submitted two specimens of Clapper Rail 
taken on Humboldt Bay, to the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology for determination. The 
specimens are typical Rallus obsoletus (California Clapper Rail). One of these birds was 
taken by Mr. Fiebig and is at present in the library of the Eureka School. The other is 
the property of Dr. F. J. Ottmer. These specimens -substantiate the Humboldt Bay rec- 
ord made by Cooper and Suckley (Natural History of Washington Territory, 1859, p. 
246) and, together with the Tomales Bay specimen, extend the area of occurrence of the 
species beyond that given by Cooke (U. S. Dept. Agric., bull. 128, 1914, pp. 18, 19). — 
Tracy I. Stoker, California Museum of Vertebrate '/.oology. Berkeley. California. 
Red Phalarope in the San Diegan District. — In view cf the scarcity of records of the 
Red Phalarope (Phalaropus fulicarius) from inland points in southern California, it 
seems worth while to publish a statement relative to specimens recently collected by 
myself at Nigger Slough, Los Angeles County, California. A female in full breeding- 
plumage was secured May 25, 1914. On November 8, 1914, a male and a female in winter 
plumage were taken from a flock of about fifty of the same species. The next day, cov- 
ering the same ground, just three of the birds were observed, and I have seen none since. 
A large flock of Avocets ( Recurvirostra americana) was seen, and a pair secured, 
at the same place, November 15, 1914; and a pair of Marbled Godwits ( IAmosa fecloa) 
were also taken at this time. — I. D. Nokes, Los Angeles. California. 
A Two Hours’ Acquaintance With a Family of Water Ouzels. — On August 5, 1914, we 
were following down Rattlesnake Creek, near Cisco, Placer County, when our attention 
was drawn to the screaming of some nestling birds. Water Ouzels ( Cinclus mexicanus 
unicolor) had been seen in the vicinity, and the locality seemed to be ideal as a nesting- 
site for this species. A waterfall about, fifteen feet in height tumbled over a rocky ledge 
at this point into a fine large pool of clear water which was surrounded, on all but one 
side, by perpendicular walls of rock. We were not surprised, therefore, to find, on inves- 
tigation, a Water Ouzel’s nest built in a cleft of the rock about two feet from the falling- 
stream of water. The moss of which the nest was built had formerly been kept green 
by trickling water, but at this date had begun to turn brown. White excrement below 
the entrance to the nest led to its discovery. 
On approaching the nest, one of the occupants, a well-fledged Water Ouzel, flut- 
tered from the entrance and dropped down into the pool of water below. Here it imme- 
diately dove and swam for a distance of six feet or more and at a depth of about two 
feet below the surface of the water. Quick, short strokes of the wings enabled the bird 
to swim rapidly in this medium. 
A moment later a second bird flew from the nest. This one, unlike the first, did not 
dive, but swam about on top of the water, using its wings in the same manner, how- 
ever. Still another young bird remained in the nest, but repeated attempts to dislodge 
it failed. 
An adult with food in its mouth soon appeared, jumping from rock to rock and 
“bobbing” continuously. Its call was answered by the birds in the water and the one in 
