also helps to make things unpleasant, but all these things can be endured when one has the opportunity to meet so many birds so rare or unknown to us in California.
These observations cover three weeks at Las Penas, three weeks at San Blas and five days on the Las Marietas Islands. On account of missing steamer connections at San Blas we were compelled to wait there three weeks; and as we did not figure on this extra time our ammunition gave out, so little or no collecting was done. We left Mexico just before the rainy season started, May 26. The natives and what few Americans we interviewed assured us that the birds were much more numerous in the rainy season. Specimens were taken of all birds mentioned in this sketch, with the exception of the following, the greater number by Mr. Osburn.
Species seen, of which no specimens were secured: Cassin Auklet, Xantus Murrelet, Western Gull, Black-tooted Albatross, Sooty Shearwater, Black-vented Shearwater, Least Petrel, Black Petrel, FarMlone Cormorant, Brandt Cormorant, Blud-winged Teal, White-faced Glossy Ibis, Purple Gallinule, Long-billed Curlew, Mourning Dove, Turkey Vulture, Black Vulture, Duck Hawk, Desert Sparrow Hawk, Pigmy owl, Coppery-tailed Trogon, Texas Nighthawk, Brewer Blackbird, Cuernavaca House Finch, Painted Redstart, Western Gnatcatcher.
FROM FIELD AND STUDY
A Pink-Legged Term—On December 6, while walking along the beach, neat Santa Barbara, California, with Mr. Bradford Torrey, he called my attention to a peculiar looking tern just ahead of us. It was standing on the sand in company with several Royal Terns (Sterna maxima), but was at once distinguishable from them by its intensely pink legs, in markt contrast with the black legs of the Royal. A long examination at close range with our binoculars seemed also to show that it was a trifle smaller than the others, with if anything a rather more pronounced crest.
Our inference pointed to its identification as the Elegant Tern (Sterna elegans), but none of our books offered any clew as to the pink legs. Any information will be most sincerely appreciated.—J. H. Bowles
The Western Winter Wren (Nannus hiernalis pacificus) in the Yosemite.—On the 18th of May, 1909, while in the footpath below Vernal Falls, I caught the sound of a Winter Wren's voice. The bird sang for some minntes ("full of music" my pencilled note says), but the place was difficult, and an attempt to see him was unsuccessful. However, a sight of the bird could have added nothing to my assurance of his identity.
On the 14th of June in the same place, I heard the song again, the this time the bird seemed to be farther away, while the river was fuller and noisier, so that the notes came to my ear rather faintly, and if this had been my only hearing of them I should hardly feel justified in recording the bird's presence. But thirteen days later (June 27) I was again there, and after long silence the bird struck into song. Now he was close at hand, and presently I discovered him on one of the lower branches of a small maple where he sang repeatedly with my glass focussed upon him. I am told that there is no previous Yosemite record for this species.
I have had an acquaintance of many years with the New England bird, but I had met with the western form only once before this,—under the big redwoods at Santa Cruz. It may have been the effect of prejudice, but in both places I seemed to perceive that the westerner's song was a shade less beautiful than the easterner's, tho the difference between the two, if there really is any, is certainly very slight.—Bradford Torre}.
The Ring-neckt Duck (Marila collaris) in Colorado: A Correction.—In a paper on the birds of southwestern Montrose County, Colorado (Condor, XI, Jan. 1909, p. 13), I recorded a specimen of the Ring-neckt Duck as talden at Coventry, April, 1906. This bird was a female and turns out to be a female of the Lesser Scaup (Marils affinis.) While the original identification of the specimen as a Ring-neck was made by one in whose knowledge I had confidence, yet I am myself much to blame for not checking it up by reference to descriptions; and of course now regret very
