Mar., 1906 | 
FIELD AND STUDY 
57 
A Novel Find.— In November, 1905, a California condor’s egg was found in Sespe Valley, 
back of Nordhoff, California. The egg was uninjured, but the contents were dried up. The nest- 
cave was in a huge ledge of rocks facing towards the south, the egg was found accidentally by a 
party of campers climbing about the rocks, and is one of the greatest pieces of luck I ever heard 
of; for who has found even so common an egg as that of the turkey vulture in the middle of 
November on an exposed ledge ? — William Gallaher, Santa Barbara , Cat. 
Pacific Kittiwake in Southern California. — On January 9, 1906, a specimen of the 
Pacific Kittiwake ( Rissa tridactyla pollicaris ) was picked up dead at Playa del Rey, one of the 
new beach resorts between Redondo and Santa Monica. The bird was forwarded to me by a 
friend, and proved to be a female in first winter plumage (No. 7487 Coll. J. G). It was very lean, 
and somewhat emaciated, tho no direct cause of death could be determined. I think this is the 
first recorded instance for Los Angeles County, — J. Grinnell, Pasadena , Cal. 
Cannibalism in Owls.— On March 21, 1905, Dr. Wm. Bebb of this city, kindly gave me a 
female specimen of Syrnium occidentate (spotted owl) which was killed on the Old Wilson Peak 
trail near here. Upon dissection, the stomach was found to contain remains of a pygmy owl 
(Glaucidium gnorna), a portion of the skull enabling me to positively identify it. The spotted 
owl was taken about 6 p. m., and judging from the freshness of the stomach contents, the pygmy 
owl could not have been captured any great length of time. The case of “owl eat owl” is not a new 
one, but it would be of interest to determine which species is the greatest offender. — C. H. Rich- 
ardson, Jr., Pasadena , Cal. 
New Bird for Amador County — On August 28, 1905, while driving in the western end 
of the County, near Carbondale, I saw a roadrunuer ( Geococcyx Californian us). My brother and I 
collected in Amador County during four years without ever seeing the roadrunner, and as far as 
I know this is the first record of its occurrence in that region. — G eo. L. KaEding, Goldfield , 
Nevada. 
A Small Fgg.— All average-sized hummingbird egg is a small and delicate thing. After 
examining several hundred sets and records of many more I concluded that an adnorinal hum- 
mer’s egg was something unheard of. 
However, on June 11 of last year, while strolling along the bottom of a heavily wooded can- 
yon near Escondido, a female hummer was flushed from the low limbs of a small live oak. 
Closer investigation by my brother proved that her nest was placed on a small twig about five 
feet from the ground. “One fresh egg, "was the first report; then, “O! GeelLookat the runt!” And 
sure enough there was the smallest egg \ had ever seen just partially visible among the yellow 
down and feathers which lined the nest. 
The bird was secured and proved to be a very small Costa (Ca/ypte coster), measuring about 
3.40 inches in length. 
After much speculation as to the possibility of blowing so small an egg I succeeded in making 
a fine specimen of it. It measured .29 x .21 inches and contained no yolk. The other egg was 
slightly incubated and measured .50 x .33 inches. 
May I ask, has anyone else so small an egg? If so I would like to hear of it. — N elson 
Carpenter, Stanford University , Cal. 
Pacific Fider in Washington. — The Pacific eider ( Somateria v-nigra) has been reported 
from the vicinity of Tacoma off and on this winter since early December. Only one has been 
shot, this being reported to me as “looking like a hen mallard, only much larger with a heavier 
bill”; evidently a female. I went down to tlieNisqually flats, 18 miles from Tacoma, on January 
(> 6, and had the good fortune to see a flock of seven eiders, besides a pair of females. The latter 
I approached within 80 yards as they were feeding in a slough, but they were very wild, and I 
failed to secure any. — J . H. Bowles, Tacoma , Wash. 
A Correction. — Thru an inadequate knowledge of the two species, and altogether too 
hasty identification on my part, Oreospiza chlorura was noted as Aimophila ruficeps in my “List 
of Summer Birds of the Piute Mountains, California’’, The Condor, Vol. VI. No. 5, page 136. 
Acknowledging my mistake, I wish here to offer a correction for the same. — C. H. Richardson, 
Jr,, Pasadena, Cal. 
