S an t a Bei rb ar a, C a 1. 
Jan. 24, 1912 . 
My dear Mr.Brewster, 
This is the first season in many years when I have 
not written you on or about the firat of the year.My reason,however, ia 
all to good a one for my motner died on the eleventh of this month.We 
were prepared for it,but had a long siege . 
During the past fall I have had so little time for the field 
that I devoted all there was to spare on the shore-birda.Bor a couple 
of months Mr.A.B,Howell, of Pasadena, was here with his automobile and we 
were able to put in the few hours to best advantage.Our success was not 
far from phenominal,as we took such rare things for this locality as 
Pectoral and Baird's Sandpipers, Knot, Surf-bird, Ruddy Turnstone,etc.In 
one of the corning "Condor" numbers we are giving an account of the sit¬ 
uation from the shore-bird point of view,which I hope will be of value. 
My spring work was chiefly notable for the Troupial I took 
and the number of hummingbird nests I found.The Troupial,while it is in 
the most perfect plumage,the"powers that be"in Washington consider must 
be an escaped cage bird, as it is so very far out of its normal range.I 
am,never the less, very much pleased to have taken it. 
In regard to the hummers, I never imagined anything like it. 
In mission canyon alone I found 104 occupied nests,47 being Black-chin- 
ned,27 Anna's, 22 Allen's, and 8 Costa's.When one considers my very limit 
ted amount of time and the difficulty of finding the neots, this figure 
cannot represent half the actual number really there. I never before 
found enough nests to suit me of these beautiful little birds and, while 
I took only two or three of a kind, I fairly gorged myself with finding 
them and studying the habits of the different kinds. 
