44 
Vol. XII 
FROM FIELD AND STUDY 
The Alaska Longspur in California. — On October 2, 1909, I was hunting rails in the tide 
marshes of False Bay, San Diego County, California. At the edge of the marsh I saw a sparrow 
on the Salicornia that lookt like a lark finch in molt. As this was so unusual a place for that 
species I flusht the bird. It rose to some higlit but soon came down alighting near the place 
from which it started. In flight it showed so little white in the tail that I followed it to observe 
it further, when it flew again, passing over me and alighting in weeds at the foot of the slope 
outside the Salicornia, where I shot it. The bird was an adult female in winter plumage, and has 
been identified by Robert Ridgway as the Alaska Longspur, Calcarius lapponicus alascensis. I 
believe this is the most southern record for the Pacific coast. — Frank .Stephens. 
Limonites ruficollis (Pall.) as an American Bird. — In the .September number of The 
Condor I see an interesting record by Air. John E. Thayer of Limonites ruficollis (Pall.) breed- 
ing in Alaska, at Nome. 
When working over the second part of my Russian work on “The Limicolae of the Russian 
Empire” (sub-family Tringinae), I went in 1903 to Warszawa, Poland, as some questions could 
not be properl)- resolved without examining skins that served the late Dr. L. Taczanowski for his 
“Faune Ornithologique de la Siberie Orientale”. Here in the ornithological museum of Count X. 
Branicki, especially rich in South American skins, I found, among specimens of L. minutilla 
(Vieill. ), an adult sandpiper in full winter dress, labelled “Tr. pusilla, Wilson. America septen- 
trionalis. ” 
As I had just minutely studied a large number of Tringinae and their allies, including 
Ereunetes , the identification of this skin presented no difficulties: it was a specimen of Limonites 
ruficollis (Pall.). The history of this specimen could not be traced, but as it was bought from a 
dealer, and the first known American specimen of L. ruficollis of course could fetch a much high- 
er price than so common a bird as Ereunetes pusillus (L.), there could be no possible fraud. 
Dimensions of this specimen are: wing, 102.5 mm.; tail, 43; exposed culmen, IS; tarsus, 19; 
middle toe with nail, 20. The shaft of the first primary does not differ in coloring from the sev- 
eral next ones, all being brownish near the bases ami at tips, and whitish in pre-apical parts; 
lower throat quite unstreaked; feet, of course, not webbed, black. 
This fact was recorded in my work “Limicolae of the Russian Empire” Pt. II, p. 133, Moskva, 
1905. — S. A. Buturlin. 
Additions to Grinnell’s List of Birds of the San Bernardino Mountains. — Porzana 
Carolina. Sora Rail. I saw one of this species which was shot by a camper at Bear Lake, June 
20, 1907. 
Columba fasciata. Band-tailed Pigeon. During the first half of June, 1906, I found the 
Wild Pigeon not rare around Mountain Home and in the Santa Ana Canyon up to about 8000 feet. 
Asio wilsonianus. Long-eared Owl. I have a female of this species which I took near Bear 
Lake at about 7000 feet elevation, June 15, 1907. 
Tyrannus verticalis. Western Kingbird. I took an adult finale of this species at the east 
end of Bear Lake, June 24, 1907. 
Baeolophus inornatus murinus. San Diego Titmouse. I saw a pair of this species feeding 
young near Seven Oaks, June 12, 1906. 
Chondestes grammacus strigatus. Western Lark Sparrow. I found a nest of this species 
containing four young, on the ground near Bear Lake, June 16, 1907. 
Sialia currucoides. Mountain Bluebird. This species, altho not so common as the Western 
Bluebird, was breeding commonly in the timber around Bear Lake in June, 1907. — G. Willett. 
The Pectoral Sandpiper at Santa Barbara — On the morning of September 17, 1909, I 
found and watcht at my leisure a single bird of this species ( Pisobia maculata ), feeding in and 
about some small muddy pools here at Santa Barbara. The next day it was still there, and after 
some time another one walkt into sight from behind a bunch of reeds. This second bird was more 
brightly buff on the breast than the first — a younger bird, I suppose. Number one would not 
allow number two to remain beside it, but chased it away as often as it approacht, sometimes on 
the wing, sometimes on foot. Then both birds, once more well separated, resumed their feeding. 
In the same place were three Northern Phalaropes, a Greater Yellow-legs, a Green Heron, a Spot- 
ted Sandpiper, and a mixt flock of Western and Least Sandpipers, all more or less pestered by a 
flock of Brewer Blackbirds. The ^Pectoral Sandpipers, feeding, bathing, and preening their 
feathers by turns, allowed me the closest kind of approach, in a perfect light, so that all details 
were abundantly seen: the greenish legs, the parti-colored bill, the black rump, and the imniac- 
