Sept., 1909 
17.3 
FROM FIELD AND STUDY 
The Wilson Phalarope at Santa Barbara. — On the morning of the 30th of April, 1909, 
while scanning a flock of small sandpipers in the muddy flats near the railway track at Santa 
Barbara, my glass fell upon a bird which at the second or third glance I saw to be a Wilson Phal- 
arope ( Steganopus tricolor ), a female in handsome plumage; and presently I discovered nearby 
her plainly drest small mate. In the afternoon I found the pair in the same place, and 
watcht them at short range as long as I pleased. Both birds were still present May 2d, 4th, and 
6th. On each of the next three days I saw the male only, and on the 10th I left home for two 
months. It amused me to notice how to the very last I involuntarily thought of the bright 
large female as the male, and vice versa. — Bradford Torrey, Santa Barbara , California. 
Limonites ruficollis in Alaska. — I have bought from time to time a good many bird-skins 
of Mr. A. H. Dunham, of Nome, Alaska. He usually spends his winters in his old home at New 
Haven, Conn., leaving' Alaska early in the autumn. He has on several occasions brought back 
with him a number of rather rare birds, such as the Kittlitz Murrelet, Emperor Goose, Specta- 
cled Eider, etc. 
On his last trip he had a large number of skins, some rare ones and some of little interest. 
Among the lot were a pair of Sandpipers and two of their young, which he had shot at Nome, 
July 10, 1908. He “threw these in” with the other birds I bought, saying, that he “remem- 
bered my telling him to collect a few nestlings. ’’ The skin of the female was such a miserable, 
greasy thing and so wretchedly made (most of Dunham’s skins are very poor) that I threw it 
away without examining it. On looking over these Alaskan skins one day, I found that I 
couldn't make out what this Sandpiper was. I sent the remaining adult skin to Mr. Outrain 
Bangs, who sent it to Professor Ridgway, who identified it as Limonites ruficollis. 
This is, I think, the first record of this bird being taken in Alaska, and that it bred there is 
also interesting. — John E. Thayer, Lancaster , Mass. 
The Allen Hummingbird at San Diego in Winter. — On January 26, 1908, I found an 
adult male Allen hummer {Selasphorus alleni) in a small hollow in the city park at San Diego, 
feeding upon the blossoms of the tree tobacco. The place was close upon the Fifth Street side- 
walk, within a five minutes walk of my hotel, anil for three weeks I saw the bird almost daily. 
To be precise, I listed it fifteen days between the date of its discovery and the 16th of February, 
the day on which I left the city. On one occasion Mr. Frank .Stephens was with me. I am told 
that there is no previous record of the wintering of this hummingbird on the mainland of 
California. — Bradford Torrey, Santa Barbara , California. 
Red-eyed Cowbird at Sacaton, Arizona. — May 28, 1909, I noticed one morning a new- 
looking bird strutting about the barnyard; and a near approach showing his flaming eyes, I 
decided he was a Red-eyed Cowbird. Later in the day I saw him again, this time accompanied 
by a mate to whom he was very attentive. I collected him, the female escaping, and found he 
was the Red-eyed Cowbird (Tangavius aeneus involucratus) . I saw the female several times the 
next two or three days, and June 1, a pair of the birds were in evidence. Later, by several days, 
I noticed a male making violent love to some lady Dwarf Cowbirds, but they were not 
responsive to his courtship. I have seen the pair nearly every day since, and they are here yet, 
July 16. I am certain of having seen at least two pairs and believe there were six pairs of them. 
This locality is rather far from their reputed range, and I have been carefully examining all 
the nests of the Sonoran Redwings here to see if the cowbirds are breeding. As before stated 
they showed indications of mating, and it would be very interesting to determine if they ever do 
breed in this territory. 
Since recording these notes I have received the July Auk , and notice Mr. S. S. Vislier, 
Carnegie Laboratory, Tucson, Arizona, reports capturing a male, and seeing several others of the 
birds. — M. French Gilman, Sacaton , Arizona. 
The Blue-winged Teal at Santa Barbara. — Between January 21 and May 1, 1908, I saw 
drakes of this species ( Querquedula discors ) on fourteen days and in two places, an artificial lake 
at Hope Ranch and the ditches and pools near the freight station of the Southern Pacific Rail- 
road at .Santa Barbara. The two places are perhaps four miles apart. I cannot assert that I ever 
saw more than one bird in either place, tho on several occasions the drake was accompanied 
by a female which it seemed fairly certain was of the same species. The following winter the 
birds were again in both places, and were listed seven times between December 6, 1908, and 
March 16, 1909. I had no doubt that at least one male spent both winters at Hope Ranch, where 
