220 
THE CONDOR 
Vol. XV 
Conditions at Buena Vista Lake 
During the early part of September. Deputy Tipton Mathews of Wasco, 
California, visited Buena Vista Take, in southwestern Kern County. At 
that time, ducks were dying very ra];)idly. Deputy Mathews, in walking from the 
shallower portions of the lake along a slough on the northeastern side, counted 
over 1500 dead ducks in less than one mile. In some places the dead almost 
touched one another. On October 9 the writer visited this spot. Few birds were 
then flying there, but the great mass of carcasses was simply appalling. The ac- 
Fig. 77. Sick ducks removed from Buena Vist.a Lake and placed on fresh 
WATER soon recuperated. ThESE birds WERE ENCLOSED BY PERPENDICULAR 
BANKS AND WIRE FENCING, THE FLIGHT FEATHERS OF ONE WING BEING CLIPPED TO 
PREVENT THE BIRDS FROM FLYING AWAY AS SOON AS WELL; PHOTOGRAPH TAKEN 
October 9, 1913. 
companying photograph (hg. 76) docs not nearly do justice to the situation. 
Dudes constituted the main portion of the remains ; still, rnanv cormorants, peli- 
cans, etc., were represented. A number of sick birds were obtained and exam- 
ined. Postmortem showed conditions similar to those of the Tulare Lake ducks. 
Samples of the water of Buena Vista are being analyzed. 
It is hoped that by further experimentation the .specific factor of the malady 
may be brought to light, and that it may prove expedient to effect means by which 
this great loss of birds may be greatly reduced, or even prevented. 
FROM FIELD AND STUDY 
Two Stragglers on the Oregon Coast. — Plccfroplicnax nivalis nh'ajis. Snow Bunting. 
On December 31, 1912, Mr. O. J. Murie collected one of these birds on the ocean beach at 
Netarts, Oregon. It was alone and no others were seen during ten days hunting in this 
vicinity. 
Salpinctcs ohsolctus obsoletus. Rock Wren. On December 27, 1912, Mr. IMurie collect- 
ed a Rock Wren where it was running about over tbe drift-wood on the beach at Netarts. 
This is the first record, to my knowledge, of this wren occurring on the coast of Oregon, and 
the record in midwinter makes it doubly interesting. 
Mr. Murie has kindly allowed me to publish these notes. — Stanley G. JEwETT, Port- 
land, Oregon. 
