204 
THE CONDOR 
Vol. XVIII 
The Coming of the Cowbird. — The bird-lovers of California will regret, I am sure, 
that that shirker among the feathered tribe, the Dwarf Cowbird ( Molothrus ater 06 - 
scurus), is fast getting a foot-hold in the southern part of the State. Los Angeles 
County, where until a year ago these birds were rare, is now harboring many of them. 
The first time I saw one of 
these birds was on June 22, 
1916, when I was giving a bird 
talk at a picnic in South Park, 
Los Angeles. As I told about 
our common birds, many of 
them hopped about, picking up 
crumbs near the table much to 
the delight of my listeners. 
Presently some one exclaimed: 
“Look at that small bird feed- 
ing that large one”; and, peek- 
ing beneath a bench, I was 
amazed to see a Song Sparrow 
feeding a young Cowbird twice 
her size. The two were about 
all the afternoon, the Cowbird 
going to the garbage can by 
himself and trying to feed. 
On July 5, of the same year, 
I was called to a neighbor’s to 
see a small bird that was feed- 
ing a young Oriole, for such my 
informant called it. Mistrust- 
ing that it was a Cowbird in my 
friend’s garden, I hastened over 
to find my surmises were right 
and that, again, a Song Sparrow 
had been the victim. The little 
mother was bringing the big 
nestling to the baskets where 
bread was always out for the 
birds, and was stuffing it down 
him. I regret that by the 
time I was able to get a 
picture the Sparrow had weaned 
her charge and I was only able to get a picture of the Cowbird on the feeding table, 
where it frequently came and seemed quite at ease, as indeed it should have been when 
the only mother it knew had brought it there (see fig. 52). — Harriet Williams Myers, 
Los Angeles, California, July, WIG. 
Fig. 52. Young Dwarf Cowbird at feeding stand; 
PHOTOGRAPHED JULY 6, 1916, NEAR ARROYO SECO IN 
Los Angeles 
Humboldt County Bird Notes. — A female Long-billed Curlew (Numenius americanus) 
was shot near the mouth of Eel River, Humboldt County, California, July 18, 1916, and 
sent to me for preservation. It was evidently a young bird of the previous year, a 
straggler in the northwest coast region, where no previous record of it seems to exist. 
For several days during the last week in July of this year a flock of Western Even- 
ing Grosbeaks (Hesperiphona vespertina montana ) were welcome visitors at our 
home in Carlotta. They were a surprise so near the coast, and were evidently attracted 
by the bountiful supply of berries on the cascara trees ( Rhamnus purshiana). Eight 
young and old could be counted at one time, and the clear whistle of others could be 
heard among the fir trees. In four years residence we had not seen them here before. 
The Anna Hummingbird (Calypte anna), which has been noted as a rather sur- 
prising winter visitor in Humboldt County, appeared in our garden August 6 this year. 
A handsome adult male at a distance of but a few feet appeared almost gross in size 
compared with the numerous and smaller Selaspliorus alleni. 
