116 
THE CONDOR 
Vol. XV 
it was not until we had reached this that we were aware that our journey was 
over for the time being. It is a shallow artificial lake eight or ten miles long by 
four wide. In the winter it and the extensive marshes and fields adjacent teem 
with ducks and geese. Here, as it is all free hunting ground, professional hunt- 
ers get in their deadly work. They are there to kill, and easily find means to' 
evade the law. One hunter who lives there told us of the great, numbers of 
Western Grebes {Acdunoplionts occidcntalis) that had been taken, and he openly 
stated that he never missed a chance to take a grebe. During our stay not a 
single bird of this species was seen. 
A short distance from the lake, tides are found growing in the roadside 
ditches and here occurred many Red-wings — hybrids between A. p. ncutralis and 
A. p. calif oniicus. There were also countless numbers of Arkansas Kingbirds 
{Tyraituiis ccrticalis) , and their nests were to be seen in about every fourth one 
of an unusual type of telegraph pole. About eight feet up where two boards 
came together was a shady notch, and liere the nests were situated. It was surely 
extraordinary to see the number of these nests for miles along the roads. West- 
ern P.lue Grosbeaks (Giiiraca c. laaiila) were very numerous also on the tele- 
jihone wires, where the neighboring fields contained a rank growth of nettles, and 
specimens were obtained grading from the soberly dressed males of the first year 
to those in the brilliant blue of full maturity. 
We located our camp in a deserted shack on top of the levee where we 
could get the benefit of the scant supply of wind, and where we could be com- 
paratively free from the torments of mosquitoes. 
^^'hile searching for a camping site, a pair of Long-billed Curlew (Ninncnius 
anicricanus) was flushed, — the only ones seen on the trip. In the immediate 
vicinity of the lake, hordes of Tri-colored Red-wings (Agclaius tricolor) had 
their abode, with an occasional hybrid Red-wing, but the latter seemed to prefer 
the country farther back from the lake. 
I'he following morning we were up and away in two metal rowboats be- 
fore daybreak, bound for Pelican Island some three miles away. This we were 
soon approaching, which in the distance with the sun shining on it, looked like 
an enormous sheet striped black and white. This effect we soon discovered wa.s 
caused by the combination of White Pelicans (Pciccaiuis crythrorhynchos) and 
Farallon Cormorants [Plialacrocorax a. albociliatus) , — tlie latter being nearest 
the shore while the former were farther up on the island. The Cormorants rose 
first in a body and began circling overhead, but it was not until we were within 
a hundred yards that the Pelicans awkwardly and uneasily flopped into the air, 
kicking frantically. They settled far and near on the lake in companies and 
battalions, while some would return every few minutes to wheel low above us 
and see what we were up to. Several flocks could be seen at their favorite pastime 
of floating as mere white specks high up in the heavens. 
AT found the lake to be exceedingly shallow at this time and one could 
wade in it almost anywhere in from six inches to two feet of water, though there 
were a few deeper places. The bottom is of adobe and it is the particular de- 
light of the large carp that infest the lake, to lie in the shallows with their backs 
sticking out and wallow violently in the ooze. Pelican Island, however, is formed 
of fine gravel and bits of broken shell. 
We estimated that there were six hundred occupied nests about equally di- 
vided between the Pelicans and Cormorants. The former had apparently pre- 
empted the middle and higher part of the island, while the latter were ne.sting 
closer to the water. The nests of the Cormorants were usually well constructed. 
