Nov., 1916 
MORE SUMMER BIRDS FOR SAN FRANCISCO COUNTY 
227 
10. Geococcyx californianus. Roadrunner. A second record for the County, Lake 
Merced, March 19, 1911 (Carriger and Ray). 
11. Ceryle alcyon. Belted Kingfisher. We located a freshly-dug nesting burrow 
March 19, 1911, and an old one, July 4, 1912; both in sandy cliffs at Lake Merced. 
12. Colaptes cafer col laris. Red-shafted Flicker. De Groot found a nest in a 
fence-post cavity in Golden Gate Park, May 21, 1916, with five well-incubated eggs. 
13. Calypte anna. Anna Hummingbird. An early nesting date is that of a set of 
two fresh eggs noted by De Groot at Lake Merced, February 23, 1915. He notes that 
this and other early nests were thickly lined with feathers, perhaps for the reason he 
gives, that plant down and “willow cotton” were not procurable. He states that all late 
nests had the latter lining. 
15. Selasphorus alleni. Allen Hummingbird. I have since found this hummer to 
be a common nester through a long season in our County. Carriger found a very beau- 
tiful nest in an acacia tree near North Lake, April 18, 1915. It was exceptionally high 
walled, very light colored and daintily decorated. Incubation had made a slight start in 
one of the two eggs it held. In sharp contrast to the actions of Calypte anna, this hum- 
mingbird usually whizzes off its nest and does not return to debate the question of own- 
ership. This, a very striking difference in temperament, I do not remember having seen 
noted by other writers. 
17. Empidonax difficilis. Western Flycatcher. A second breeding record for the 
County is De Groot’s nest found in the Lake Merced region, May 26, 1916. It was 
placed fifteen feet up in a cypress crotch and held four eggs, dark with incubation. 
18. Otocoris alpestris actia. California Horned Lark. On April 22, 1911, Carriger 
collected a set of four well-incubated eggs in a very open situation on the Ingleside Golf 
Links. The bird flushed at our feet it being almost dusk at the time. De Groot also 
found a nest of this bird, May 24, 1915, on the top of Twin Peaks about ten feet from 
the reservoir. The nest, a slight hollow, grass lined, contained three eggs well along in 
incubation. 
19. Sturnella neglecta. Western Meadowlark. 
23. Euphagus cyanocephalus. Brewer Blackbird. Carriger and I have noted both 
these species breeding in the Lake Merced district. 
24. Carpodacus mexicanus frontalis. House Finch. I saw a veritable cloud of 
these birds, at least 5000, settle on the telegraph wires and nearby trees near Lake Mer- 
ced, April 23, 1911. From the thousands of feathered throats came a great chorus that 
was indescribably beautiful. 
27. Passer domesticus. European House Sparrow. I can record two very late nest- 
ing dates: August 30, 1914, birds building in the Mission district; October 10, 1914, four 
fresh eggs noted in a nest above a door step, where I then lived, no. 299 San Jose Ave- 
nue. 
34. Petrochelidon lunifrons. Cliff Swallow. Carriger and I noted an unusual de- 
parture in the nesting of this bird, in the sandy cliffs at Lake Merced. The sand was 
evidently too soft to hold a plastered nest, so the birds were using burrows like the 
Bank Swallows, with a very small arch of mud plastered over the entrance. 
43. Hylocichla ustulata ustulata. Russet-backed Thrush. My only nests of this 
bird were several found years ago. De Groot located one May 21, 1916, in Golden Gate 
Park, with four fresh eggs. It was situated in a patch of bamboo bushes close to the 
nest of the Western Robin, previously noted. 
San Francisco, California, October 9, 1916. 
FROM FIELD AND STUDY 
Grammatical Errors in Vernacular Names. — Many times we see earnest recommen- 
dations in these columns from ardent ornithologists advocating changes in the vernacu- 
lar names of birds, the present names of which seem to be misleading or erroneous. 
Two apparently glaring grammatical errors seem to have escaped notice up to now but 
here we have them. 
Most birds have qualifying names which tend to point out some peculiarity in the 
