82 
THE CONDOR 
Vol. XVIII 
Canachites franklini. Franklin Grouse. Not common resident of the heavily tim- 
bered sections. An adult female examined October 10, 1915. 
Aquila chrysaetos. Golden Eagle. Rare. An adult male examined, taken October 
11, 1915. 
Otus asio macfarlanei. Macfarlane Screech Owl. Rare resident. A specimen in 
the gray phase examined January 18, 1916. It was taken in a pigeon coop within the 
city limits, having forced its way into the coop and killed and partly devoured a pigeon 
when taken. 
Regulus calendula. Ruby-crowned Kinglet. Common in spring in fir thickets. 
Probably resident. Specimen taken April 20, 1915. 
On December 9, 1915, I was surprised to hear faint notes of the Bluebird (Sialia 
mexicana occidentals?) and discovered three individuals flying rather low over the 
housetops. Later I was told that three Bluebirds had spent two days, December 10 and 
11, in and about a bird house in a pine tree in this city not far from where I had noticed 
them flying overhead. The weather being not far from zero, and with deep snow, this 
struck me as being an unusual record for Bluebirds in this vicinity. 
During the extreme cold weather and deep snow prevailing from January 1 to 20 of 
this year, many small owls, particularly the Saw-whet (Cryptoglaux ac adieus) and 
Screech Owls, took refuge in barns and outbuildings, and were attacking pigeons and 
chickens. In one instance a Saw-whet had killed and partly eaten a bantam chicken. — 
Henry J. Rust, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. 
Plumage of the Young Male Red-shafted Flicker. — Near the Biological Station at Flat- 
head Lake, Montana, I found last summer a nest of the Red-shafted Flicker ( Colaptes 
cafer collaris) containing six well grown young. In the process of banding these young, 
I noticed that one of the birds was already equipped with the red mustache marks, the 
feathers then just breaking the sheaths. In all the books in which I have searched for 
information on this subject the statement is made that young flickers lack the mustaches. 
This observation, however, indicates that in some individuals the young male has this 
mark, even in the nestling plumage. — Aretas A. Saunders, New Haven, Connecticut. 
Concerning Vernacular Names of Passer domesticus. — In looking over The Condor 
of January, 1916, I notice, in treating of a publication by Ernest Harold Baynes, that the 
reviewer, among other things, says: “The English Sparrow, or European Sparrow as Mr. 
Baynes calls it, apparently has no terrors for the author;” etc., etc. This brought back 
to me the thought that has often occurred to me before, why this unwelcome alien should 
be so persistently known as the “English” Sparrow. If the bird was originally brought 
over from England, one would not consider the name unfair, but England is a small 
spot on the map of Europe, and who knows from what country it was really introduced 
into North America? 
I have found no record as to this; Chapman, in his “Handbook”, states that it was 
“first introduced into the United States at Brooklyn, N. Y., in 1851 and 1852”; but from 
what country and by whom is not stated. I believe that I am not alone in the opinion 
that "House Sparrow” or “European Sparrow” would be far better, and more correct. — 
H. H. Mitchell, Provincial Museum, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. 
Auburn Canyon Wren: An Objection.— Having often thought over just the point 
brought up by Dawson in the last Condor, page 33, I would like to offer a few opinions 
of my own; all in a most friendly spirit of discussion. 
I do not believe that vernacular names should be governed by as strict rules of prior- 
ity as are the scientific names, for it is well to have a loop-hole through which to crawl 
in case of a serious error, or, as in the case of the “Louisiana” Tanager, when subsequent 
alterations of political boundaries make the old name too misleading. I approve of the 
change to the name of Western Tanager, and I think it high time that some of the other 
misleading geographical names of birds were changed. 
The case of Catherpes to. punctulatus is a different matter, however. The bird is 
dotted, although this character is not as noticeable as the prevailing color, of course. 
Uniformity in all things is desirable, and especially so in scientific matters. If we alter 
one English name to another that is slightly more appropriate, the whole A. 0. U. Check 
List should be gone through and revised. Dotted Canyon Wren is no more offensive to 
