July, 1916 
MIGRATION AND FIELD NOTES 
169 
Selma, California. A female quail shot near O’Neal’s, Madera County, on the opening 
day of the season, Oct. 15, 1911, was found, upon examination to contain well-developed 
eggs, the largest of which would probably have been ready to deposit within a very 
few days. Other quail shot on the same day had long since ceased to be in breeding 
condition. 
Columba fasciata fasciata. Band-tailed Pigeon. Several residents of the mountain 
districts have reported pigeons as being quite common this winter (1915), all through 
the oak covered foot-hills. One man informed me that in former years an experienced 
hunter never failed to secure a full bag of pigeons in a day’s hunt even though the birds 
sometimes became rather wary. He further explained that when a flock took wing 
from a tree, one bird remained in nearly every instance and by approaching slowly this 
lone bird could easily be taken. As flocks seldom flew far before again alighting, a cer- 
tain amount of perseverance was the only requirement for accumulating good-sized 
“limits”. 
Buteo swainsoni. Swainson Hawk. Several large flocks of this Buteo, choosing 
a most inopportune time, were migrating southward through the valley when the shoot- 
ing season for quail and ducks opened on October 15, 1913. Much expensive ammuni- 
tion was worse than wasted on the low-flying hawks and many a hunter returned home 
firm in the belief that he had rendered a valuable service by killing several- And the 
farmers, too, instead of protesting, joined in the sport and in some cases organized auto- 
mobile parties to hunt hawks out on the plains. Locating a number of these birds 
perched on the ground they would drive rapidly among them and slaughter them 
right and left with pump guns as they slowly took wing. Sometimes it is with a feeling 
akin to grim satisfaction that we note the ever-increasing horde of ground squirrels, 
pocket gophers and field mice! 
Chordeiles acutipennis texensis. Texas Nighthawk. A single Nighthawk — a new 
arrival from the south — was observed near Firebaugh late in the evening of March 20, 
1914, and twelve or more were noted circling over a city park in Fresno on October 4. 
The former is my earliest spring, and the latter my latest fall, record for this species. 
Tyrannus verticalis. Western Kingbird. Latest fall record for 1912, September 23, 
for a single bird. For 1913, October 2, when two were seen. My earliest spring record 
is March 6, 1914, for a single bird near Sanger. 
Petrochelidon lunifrons lunifrons. Cliff Swallow. A large colony was found nest- 
ing in an open cave among the lava caps on a mountain west of Friant, Madera County, 
last spring. On April 3, 1915, nearly all of the nests contained full sets of eggs, some, 
at least, being partly incubated. This is rather early nesting. I have never seen this 
species in the spring earlier than March 13 (1913). October 21, 1915, I noticed a large 
migrant flock of Cliff Swallows near Sanger. 
Hirundo erythrogastra. Barn Swallow. My earliest date of spring arrival is March 
4, 1914. Last spring (1915) they did not arrive until March 12, when two pairs were 
seen. The previous season they were quite common by that date. 
Fresno, California, December 15, 1915. 
FROM FIELD AND STUDY 
Early Nesting of the Lutescent Warbler in Los Angeles County. — April 1, 1916, I 
found a nest of this bird containing six eggs, in Franklin Canyon, near Los Angeles. It 
was impracticable to collect bird, nest or eggs at that time; and four days later, on 
again visiting the spot, the nest was found destroyed and no sign of bird or eggs. There 
is no possible question as to the identity of the bird, as when I started it from the nest 
it “fussed” around me for ten minutes or more, a part of the time within eight feet of 
where I sat beside the nest. To make more certain, I moved away a few yards, when 
the bird returned to its eggs, and started a second time when my face was within three 
feet of the nest. Apparently this is a record for early breeding, as well as for the large 
number of eggs.— -L. E. Wyman, Museum of History, Science and Art, Los Angeles, 
California. 
