74 
THE CONDOR 
| Voi.. VII 
the mountains instead of being bona fide residents. The horned owls, however, 
most evidently belong in the desert, as hereinafter noted. 
When we first arrived in Victorville we naturally enquired if there were 
many birds about the neighborhood. As is often the case we were assured that 
there were very few, possibly half a dozen kinds! We actually noted 72 varie- 
ties, as the following list shows. 
Anas boschas. Mallard. Mareca americana. Baldpate. Nettion carolinense. 
Green-winged Teal. 
Ducks were rather common along the Mojave River. The above three species 
were represented among those shot in the immediate vicinity of Victorville during 
our visit, either by ourselves or by local sportsmen. 
Fulica americana. American Coot. Numerous about lagoons in the 
river bottom. 
Gallinago delicata. Wilson Snipe. Snipe were present in small numbers 
along the river, according to local hunters. Specimens secured during our stay 
were examined by us. 
Oxyechus vociferus. Killdeer. Few along the river. 
Lophortyx californicus vallicolus. Valley Quail. One flock of quail was 
discovered in the river bottom a mile or so below Victorville. The birds obtained 
were of the above species, which has doubtless penetrated this far into the desert 
from the southward by the way of the Mojave River. The desert quail was not 
detected here, but we were told of its occurrence on the desert twenty miles to the 
eastward. 
Accipiter velox. Sharp-shinned Hawk. Two were shot and others seen 
among the cottonwoods of the river bottom. One of those secured was in the act 
of slaughtering a Townsend solitaire. 
Accipiter cooperi. Cooper Hawk. Several were seen in the river bottom. 
Buteo borealis calurus. Western Red-tail. Fairly common along the 
cottonwoods. 
Falco mexicanus. Prairie Falcon. Two were seen dying over the desert. 
Falco sparverius. American Sparrow Hawk. Common. Noted among the 
tree-yuccas far out on the desert as well as along the river bottom. 
Strix pratincola. American Barn Owl. Several were noted in the vicinity of 
the alfalfa patch in the river bottom below Victorville. At dusk the owls emerged 
from the cottonwoods and began beating back and fourth over the fields on the 
hunt for meadow-mice. One bird was seen to plunge abruptly into the grass, and 
so intent was it upon its capture, that it was very closely approached. There was 
every evidence that the owl had thrust its foot and leg far down a burrow in 
pursuit of the fleeing mouse. 
Nyctalops wilsonianus. American Long-eared Owl. Two were obtained at 
the alfalfa patch. Their stomachs were full of the remains of meadow-mice (Afi- 
crotus californicus) and kangaroo rats ( Dipodomys merriami.) 
Asio magellanicus pallescens. Pallid Horned Owl. Horned owls were act- 
ually plentiful along the river bottom where they evidently obtained a ready live- 
lihood. The stomachs of those secured were crammed with the remains of meadow- 
mice. The three specimens captured agree in characters which distinguish them 
from the race pacificus of the coast region of southern California. They are re- 
markably pale throughout, the feet and legs dorsally being totally unbarred, and 
white predominates over the dark markings on most of the under surface. They 
measure as follows: 
