Issued Quarterlyby the

Western Bird-Banding Association

The Williams Station at iakersfield, CaliforniaSpecial Studies of Raptorial Birds • Ralph Dixon, C. W. Berrey

and Harold Hill

president of W.B.B.A ••• J.L.Partin2151 Balsam Ave., Los Angeles,Calif.

Address all contributions to the H!!! toMrs. M. C. Sargent, Scripps Inst. of Oceanography, La Jolla, California

Pacific Gull Project in SwitzerlandFrom Geneva, Switzerland comes a reprint of an article entitled

"Annelage de go~lands au moyen de bagues de couleur" by R. Poncy, from the maga-zine "Dar Ornithologische Beobachter," Bern, for July, 1939. This is nothingmore nor less than a review in French, in a Swiss magazine with a German name,of the article on the Pacific Gull Project which appeared in the January, 1939issue of Bird-Banding.The January 1940 Issue of The Condor

This special issue is dedicated to Dr~ Joseph Grinnell. It containsa biography of Dr. Grinnell by Hilda Wood Grinnell and a complete bibliographyof his work. In addition are articles by many of his former students, of whichthe editor is proud to have been one.A New Predator CMapaign

A United Press bulletin from Phoenix Arizona, dated January 18, 1940,states that The Predatory Animal Control League of America, Inc. has inaugurateda nation-wide program to decrease predatory creatures because they upset "thebalance in the animal kingdom of the nation" by killing of game in "alarmingnumbers."

As usual, conservationists must patiently point out that it is ~not animals who upsets the balance of nature and who, both by uncontrolledshooting and by destruction of natural cover and environment, has alarminglyreduced the quantity of game. Exterminating predatory animals and birds is apleasantly obvious solution which doesn't workMovies of the California Condor

Mr. Ed N. Harrison's colored moving pictures of the California Condorcan hardly be praised too highly. These pictures were taken in 1939 in coopera-tion with an Audubon Society observer, in the remote Sespe region of California.They show the development of a young Condor over a period of momhs, and thebehavior of both parents and young.

Mr. Harrison has exhibited the pictures many placesj the editor sawthem, and also excellent films of Golden and Bald Eagles, at the December meet-ing of the Fellows of the San Diego Natural History Society. Banders shouldseize any opportunity to see these films.

Don't forget to send in your Annual ReportPlease return the blank to us even if you were not able to band in

1939 - it gives us a check on our filesAnd remember to fill out the News sheet - we like to hear from you

and are glad to knOW what you are doing.

The Annual Meeting pf the Western Bird-Banding Association will beheld at 2:30 p.m., April 14, 1940, at the home of Mr. and Mrs. J. L. Partin,2151 Balsam Avenue, Los Angeles, Oalifornia. This meeting will require only afew minutes after which the Los Angeles Chapter will take charge with its regu-lar monthly meeting.

The principal items ot business to come before the Annual Meeting arethe reports of officers and committees and the election of officers for theensuing year.

Dirpctions for reaching the meeting place: From the intersection ofWilshire and Santa Monica Boulevards in Beverly Hills go westerly on SantaMonica Boulevard to Beverly Glen, turn left on Beverly Glen to La Grange Street,turn right on La Grange to Holmby, turn left on Holmby to Balsam Avenue. Turnonto Balsam instead of driving straight onto the Part ins , front lawn.

Since a new highway is being constructed south of the Partins' homethe approach from that direction will be in bad order and the above routeshould be followed.

Since 1930 I have banded 469 haWks and owls of thirteen species, theFerruginous Roughleg leading the list with 131 banded. Recoveries are reportedfrom nearly all of the western states and from as far east as Minnesota.

I am pleased to note that recent appeals for the banding of theraptors are already producing results. Mr. Richard Pough writes me from NewYork that he has banded 386 hawks and OWls to date through interested personswho answered his appeals, such as the one which was published in the H!!! inFebruary, 1937. It is a matter of great satisfaction to me to see accomplishedin two years by an organized group almost as much as it has taken one personnine years to do.

I am now preparing a paper for Bird-Banding based upon the recoveriesand returns of the Sparrow Hawk. I should greatly appreciate it if you couldprevail upon any of your members to give me any information that they may haveregarding their experiences in banding Sparrow hawks, and the results thereof.Credit will be given, of course, for any information used. Since this paper isintended to cover all material pertaining to the banding of Sparrow hawks, andis one of a series of articles of similar nature being published by Bird-Banding, it behooves all banders to see that their records are not omitted.

w. Ray Salt10936 88th AvenueEdmonton, Alberta

BANDING AT LAKE BOWDOIN REFUGE, MALTA. MONTANAAll the ducks (9 species - 245 birds) and small shore birds (1 Stilt

Sandpiper and 1 NorthernPha1rope) banded at Bowdoin Migratory Waterfowl Refugeduring 1938 were picked up while sick with Botulism, treated and released whenrecovered.

Some Recoveries on Birds banded at Lake Bowdoin(1933-34 banding by V.L. Marsh, rest by B.M. Hazeltine)

White Pelicans36-809170 banded 6-28-3736-809236· " 6-28-3736-809124 " 7-22-3636-809177 " .6-28-37A-725166 " 6-21-3334-700034 It 6-17-34

Blue Herons36-722744 It 6-28-3736-722769 " 6-28-3736-722734 " 6-28..3736-722718 " 7-22-3636-722764 II 6-28-37C-622009 II 6-20-33

Found dead Foster Co. N. Dakota byL. A. Alme 10-17-37

Band found at Bossier parrish, Lousiana byJ. D. Houseman 5-27-38

Found sick at W8tmor8,Kansas by Atchen Bros.10-12-36

Shot by Oruz Riviera, Jr. Mexica1i, Mexico1-7-38

Dead bird found at Lake Bowdoin, July 1938Found dead at Lake Bowdoin Summer, 1938

Captured by Gustavo Vasavi1baso, MexicoD.F. Mex. 2-11-38

Found by J. P. Williams, San Angelo, Texas12-30-37

Caught in muskrat trap by Harry Klingman,Binger, Oklahoma 12-26-37

Found 011 soaked by Chester Addington,Skellytown, Indiana 5-19-38

Killed by Antonio Romo, San Felipe, Gto.,Mexico 5-23-38

Found dead at Lake Bowdoin Summer of 1938Ring-billed Gull

A-571697 It 6-19-33 Found dead at Lake Bowdoin Summer of 1938Herring Gull

A-571999 " 6-17-34 Found dead at Lake BoWdoin Summer of 1938Baldpate

36-666953 " 9-3-38 Shot near Watertown,S. Dakota by ChaunceyBrumbaugh 10-19-38

36-666930 " 8-26-38 Shot 10 miles W. of Jetmore, Kansas byWalter E. Smith 10-20-38

Two foreign recoveries at Lake Bowdoin are of interest: both wereMallards, found dead of Botuli~m at the Lake on Sept. 13 and 14, 1938.36-617861 was banded at Sand Lake Refuge by P. A. DUMont 12-28-34; 34-554746was banded at Kart1esvi11e, Oklahoma by V. H. Montgomery December, 1934

B. M. HazeltineLake Bowdoin RefugeMalta, Montana

The Western Society of Naturalists met Dec. 20-23, 1939 at Monterey,California, under the auspices of the Hopkins Marine Station of StanfordUniversity. The Friday afternoon session, Dec. 22, was devoted to Animal Migra-tion.

Dr. E. Gorton Linsley of the University of California at Berkeley,spoke first on the "Mass Movements of Insects," giving as examples locusts,leaf hoppers, Monarch butterflies and lady beetles. Little is known of the dis-tances traveled or the reasons for such movements. The Monarch movements seemto be migration - south in fall, north in spring. With the locusts, the foodsupply does not appear to be involved; temperature changes, and the sexualcycle do. No satisfact,ory means has yet been devised for following markedindividuals.

Dr. Lionel Walford of the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries, StanfordUniversity, spoke on the migration of Fishes. He exhibited different types oftags used for marking individuals. These are brightly colored, used both onthe fins and internally. The Bureau of Fisheries offers a reward for their re-turn. With mackeral. the results seem to show that large segments of the popu-lation may migrate, while some of the fish are "homesteaders." Fish migrationin some cases has the effect of keeping the temperature more constant, while inothers food supply and spawning are involved.

Dr. G. Dallas Hanna of the California Academy of Science, SanFrancisco, speaking on movements of Marine Mammals, stated that little wasknown about the migration of any of the large mammals except the fur seal. Thisseal breeds mainly on two small islands, so that its dispersal can be observed.However, no experiments have been made with marked individuals.

Dr. Alden Miller of the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University ofCalifornia, spoke last on liTheMechanism of Annuai Migration in Birds." Helimited his subject to discussion of recent experiments with captive birdsmade by Rowan, Bissenet, and others. Rowan found that increase of day lengthincreased the activity of the birds, and affected the growth of the gonads.Migration would thus seem to be part of the sexual cycle. Rowan then experi-mented with castrated birds and found that they did not migrate like normalbirds.

However, Mr. Wolfson of the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology repeatedRowan's experiments with castrated birds and did not get the same results. Hefound that after a short period of adjustment to liberation the castrated birdsmigrated as usual. Dr. Miller suggested also that Rowan may have used forexperimentation, birds from mixed breeding grounds in Alberta, whereas Wolfsonused a resident race of Junco, marked with colored chicken feathers. Wolfsonfound that birds held captive at the regular migration period, and later re-leased, would still migrate up to sixty days later.

Dr. Barbara Blanchard, at the Museum, found that migrant and residentsubspecies of White-crowned Sparrows had different threshholds for migrationwhich seemed to depend on the ge~eral physiological state. Dr. Millerstated moreover that fall migration was not explained by the gonads, but that"the state of the gonads is an index of the state of the body.II A rhythm ofthe pituitary gland cyclical in nature, and operati~g in spite of changes in

daylight might bethQ explanation. He cited the case ot northern birds heldcaptive in the south which porsisted in the northern cycle for some time beforegradual changcj, and added liThespeed at which change of light changes tho inher-ent cycle must vary greatly." In summary, Dr. Mlllerremarked that the pituitaryis probably the controlling element in an inherent cycle, but further experimen-tal work is needed.

During a snow storm here at our winter ranch, 29 miles east ofBakersfield, I cover my traps so the birds won't get wet, scrape the snow offthe ground in front of the traps and sprinkle feed there (usually Egyptiancorn) as well as baiting the traps and, as long as there is snow on the ground,trap more birds than at any other time.

For the first time in at least 20 years we have ~ive Phainopeplasseemingly wintering at the ranch. One, a male, stays quite near the ranchhouse. I have seen or heard him every day s1nceDec. 19, 1938. He does' notdart out high in the air for insects as they often do in spring or summer, butusually stays hidden in a clump of mistletoe high in an oak. In the earlymorning and late afternoon he perches on a top leafless twig and over and overgives his short, peculiar, penetrating call. A mile below 1s another male.first seen Nov. 16, 1938 and many times since; and a mile above a male and twofemales or immatures. Mr. Williams watches for these Whenever riding the rangeand sayathey also are apparently feeding on mistletoe berries.

I had ne.ver seen or heard a Song Sparrow here until Oct. 28, 1938 atour summer ranch. This is op.Lumreau Creek, 46 miles northeast of Bakersfield,and 1000 feet higher in elevation than the Winter ranch. This Song Sparrow,which I trapped and banded, was a much darker and richer brown than the SongSparrows I have seen in Berkeley. A Heerman7 (By the range, presumably yes. -Ed. )

Then on Oct. 29 at the same place, in the same trap I caught a littleThrush and again I am pUZZled. This little bird had the color, the long bill,the standing posture of a Hermit Thrush, but he was only five inches long. Hestayed near our cabin from Oct. 29 till Nov. 17, when we left for the winterranch. He repeated to the trap, which was baited with corn and mission grapes,every day, sometimes three timos a day. The last few days he did not fly abouttrying to get out as at first, merely stood by the little door waiting for meto lift it and release him. Could it have been a Dwarf Hermit Thrush7(Probably yes, but \ery small. - B'rl.)

Several years ago Mr. 'Williams found in one of our water troughs,eleven dead baby quail. Since that time we have kept several pieces of floatingwood in our water troughs so that the birds may water there in safety.

Edna Elden WilliamsPosey Star RouteBakersfield, Calif.Feb. 1939

In 1939, I placed bands on one Golden eagle and two Red-tailed hawks,and if I could only devote more time to the work I believe I could place a goodmany more. But it does take time, especially the eagles. About one day pereach band is the best I have been able to do.

A Golden eagle which I banded June 18, 1938, about a mile from myhouse, was found 4ead Nov. 21, 1938 at El Triunfo, Baja, California. JamesFessaro of Pasadena, and myself made a 16mm movie of the life history of thisbird from hatching to time of leaving nest. You may have seen it at somemeeting.

Ralph E. DixonEscondido, Calif.

The most interesting part of my 1939 banding was the observation andbanding of haWks, eagles and owls near Midwest, Wyoming. This is a country ofhigh cliffs, and it was on these that the greater part of the nests were placed.I was assisted in the work by a group of Senior Boy Scouts from my Troop whoare very enthusiastic bird students. In the course of the nesting season webanded 71 hawks of 4 species - Ferruginous rough-legged, Red-tailed, Swainson,and Prairie Falcons; 4 Longeared and 42 Montana Horned OWls; and 8 young Goldeneagles. We found 4 nests of the latter, the last nest containing 3 young eagles.

The last Red-tailed hawk we banded was in the Big Horn Mountains,above Buffalo, Wyoming, at an elevation of 7800 feet. The nest with the youngbird was high in a fir tree. We had to use lineman's climbers to reach it.

It is a constant source of regret to me to see the many hawks thatare killed along the highways and the flimsy excuses that pot hunters advance,merely to cover up their wish to use almost any living thing as a target.

C. W. BerreyBox 1767Casper, Wyoming

In 1939, attention was paid particularly to the predatory birds nest-ing near Redlands. With help, especially from Dwight Finfrock and MaxSilvernate, juvenile Red-tailed, Red-bellied, Cooper, and Sparrow hawks; Horned,Barn and Screech Owls, and Ravens were banded. Also some rather good pictureswere taken by Mr. Silvernate.

We found a particular grove of oak trees which held the nests of apair of Cooper hawks, a pair of Long-eared oWls (20 feet from the Cooper nest),and a pair of Barn owls. A pair of Horned owls nested about a half a mile away,and this area was also part of the territory of a pair of Red-tails and a pairof Sparrow hawks.

We were impressed by nesting casualties due to human interference.The Red-tails seemed to have suffered most. From four nests that were foundonly one brood was raised. In two cases it appeared that the young had beenshot on the nests and in the third the young, which should have been three weeksold, were missing. As the last mentioned nest was easily accessible, a nearby

boys camp offered a possible explanation. An eagle was robbed of her eggs(presumably by an oologist), and though the bird laid again only one egg waslaid and it was deserted before hatching. A raven nest with its young waspushed from its ledge with a pole. One afternoon we c~e upon a Mexican tryingto catch some Barn owls in a nest in which we had banded the young; he said hewanted them for pets. At a nearby Barn owl nest, one of the parent birds waskilled when the young were about half grown.

Harold M. Hill329 Summit Ave.Redlands, Calif.

Mr. Allen, our custodian of extra copies of the ~, says that inorder to fill orders on hand for back numbers and have a few numbers in reserve,he is in need of copies of the following issues:

Volume V - Number 1Volume VI - Number 3

Volume VII - Number 2Volume IX - Number 2

If anyone has copies of these n~Abers which they do not wish to pre-serve in their own files the Association will be glad to receive them. It maybe that some have complete files, up to a certain date, which they do not wishto keep longer. If so, the Association would like to have them. Send copiesdirectly to Mr. Walter I. Allen, 2057 Pepper Drive, Altadena, California.

Very little happened in the bird line at Woodacre, Marin County,California, in 1938. Except for the Zonotrichia group there never are a greatnumber of birds in that locality. The winter of 1937-38 even this genus werescarce, but as the old ranch has been subdivided and built up, it may be thatthe birds get so much feed in other yards that they are in the valley but outof my sight. I only banded on week ends, but always had an automatic feedergoing while I was absent. Now, however, some mischievous boy or boys havetaken up the habit of climbing my fence and doing what mischief they find todo, one of which has been dismantling my feeder and scattering the bird seedaround. This trouble and my advancing years (81), together with failing eye-sight, have caused me to give up banding altogether.

Joseph Mailliard1815 Vallejo St.San Francisco, Calif.

(Ed. Note - Mr. Mailliard's long and productive work with the Zonotrichias iswell known. We are sorry to lose him as a bander, but hope he will continuewith us as a reader of the ~.)

T~e most noticeable feature of the severe months of January andFebruary, 1938, was the absence of ~raried Thrushes from my banding station.only two being seen. December, 1938, was mild, and the thrushes were seen occa-sionally after the 17th, almost a month earlier than the previous winter, and inconsiderable numbers.

During January and February, Juncos were banded in numbers as usual.By the end of March only a few were left, nearly all of them birds banded earlYthe previous fall or in earlier seasons. None were seen after April 24, asthey do not come down into the valley to this feeding station in summer. Itseems that most of our winter birds are of the oreganus subspecies, the breed-ing birds being shufeldti. In the fall, a few juncos were seen by Nov. lsti bythe 16th a large increase in numbers was noted, and thereafter until the end ofDecember about the same flock frequented the neighborhood. Quite a number ofthese were banded with color, making it possible to be reasonably sure that theindividuals comprising the flock did not vary much if any during this time.

First Tree and Violet-green SwalloWS were noted February 25, but thesewere evidently only migrants, as the regular resident birds did not arrive untilMarch 22. During June most of the Tree Swallows, and some Violet-green, werebanded -- young Tree Swallows were ready to leave the nest boxes as early asJune 20.

In April, a Western Robin was picked up in the highway about fourmiles north of Beaver, with a broken leg. The leg was put in splints, a bandplaced on the other one (B.340789) April 2, and the bird released in BeaverApril 3. On May 14th, about 200 yards from the place where it was released,the bird was caught by a cat, apparently healthy, and with the leg nicelyhealed. As the bird was able to fly when released it seems strange that itdid not return to the locality where it was first found. Robins were off thenest by May 15, but, here at least, seem difficult to trap, and are caught onlyrarely, by accident.

A group of Brewer Blackbirds was banded in October at various dates.These were assumed from actions and grouping, to be a family party. The adultmale was a partial albino. The adult female, not trapped, was not seen to haveany white feathers. Of six immature birds, four were males and two were females.All but one of the fenmles were banded, and she was seen closely several times.All of these immatures were marked by varying amounts ot albinism, mostly intail and contour feathers, but some with white f~athers on the head. Allthrough October this group continued to stay by ~hemselves, although nearly allof the other blackbirds at this time were gathered in large flocks. On one occa-sion, Oct. 28th, a fairly large flock was seen to join this group in a nearbyfield, and they were together for a few minutes, but in less than an hour thealbinos were seen at the feeding station again, unaccompanied by any of theother flock. The first week in December, however, some albinos were seen in alarge flock about a mile east of Beaver, and one of them was seen to be banded.

Reed FerrisBeaver, Oregon

1. A pair of Western Flycatchers bullta nest on a beam above myfront door, incubated and hatched young, then had two misfortunes. First alizard climbed up a vine and "sat" upon the young until a great cOJ'lJlnotionfroma band of linnets on a nearby wire attracted my attention and caused the removalof the lizard. Later circumstantial evidence led me to believe that some of theself-same linnets from a near-by beam nest tore the flycatchers' nest from thebeam, dispersing (possibly destroying) the young. I had observed an increasingfeud between the two sets ot nestors, and the flycatchers had utilizod in theirnest, old nesting material of the linnets.

2. Of all the birds in creation the one who, by the beauty of hisquaint and striking clothing and his unique and appealing (early morning) song,can claim the deepest and warmest place in my heart. is the little good neighbor,the Canyon Wren! For two years now I have had him at hand. No other bird cancome close to him for personal charm; he is distinctly a superior creature:

Hatch Graham10300 Viretta LaneLos Angeles, Calif.

Black-headed Grosbeaks, numbers 36.224203 and 36-224214, banded atCamp Curry, Yosemite, in June 1937 were trapped in exactly the same place inJune, 1938.

Vincent MoWbray5052 Fairfax Ave.Oakland, Calif.

Work at my banding station is of three types: 1. Miscellaneous band-ing of any and all birds which enter the traps. 2. Banding of Golden-crownedSparrows to ascertain something of their winter return ratio •. They haveregistered up to 43~ return from a preceding year. 3. Study of the speciesthat breed in and near a small piece of land, two thirds of which is in naturalchaparral, and one third in garden and lawn, in order to know as much aspossible about every individual bird in that area. Three years ago tentativecolor work was done on the Song and White-crowned Sparrows, with interestingresults indicated. This year, color bands are being used on resident birds ofthese species.

Laidlaw O. WilliamsBox 453carmel, Calif.

The banding station at Saguaro National Monument, carried on as oneof the units of Southwestern National Monuments, has been operated only in thewinter. We hope in the future when there is a year 'round custodian at thisarea to carry on more intensive bird study. This region prOVides excellentopportunity for the study of the Cactus Wren and the Gilded Flicker, both ofwhich are present in good numbers.

Carleton S. WilderRanger in charge, Saguaro

National HonumentTuscon, Arizona

This won't be news to the Micheners of Pasadena, but it was a newexperience for me: during July and August, 1938 the House Finches used my homestatiun as a nursery. In my dozen olderberry bushes I banded 1 adult male,about 24 adult females, and 175 young. And there was not a single nest in myyard - the California Jays see to that. Some of these youngsters were abandonedat so tender an age as to constitute a misdemeanor in a less tolerant civiliza-tion.

Blackheaded Grosbeaks and orioles also brought their families in butdidn't leave them on the doorstep. I even bad ono R~dshafted Flicker as aregu-lar elderberry customer.

I have been trying to devise a satisfactory method of photographingthe birds at my station in Kodachrome. The process of experimentation is longdrawn out, and expensive. If anyone else is attempting or has succeeded withthe film I'd be interested in comparing notes with him.

Irl Rogers402 Alturas Ave.Modest 0, Calif.

Too busy with research on distribution and migration of Arizona birdsto run an active station in 1938.

Allan R. Phillips113 Olive RoadTuscon, Arizona

Owing to sickness, I have done no banding recently but have been try-ing to teach the children in our little community about birds. I gave theAudubon Society material on Hawks to our 8th grade teacher who is also the Scoutleader. Another teacher, third and fourth grade, has asked me for material fora bird project, and I am helping her with that. The children do need to betaught the good birds do here.

Marguerite R. LymanLogandale, Nevada

Swainson Hawk found with wounded Wingtip. Took home and kept in acage for several weeks until the wing mended. Thon set free. It stayed aroundfor an hour or two and then took off.

R. Fischer215 E. Foothill Blvd.La Verne, Calif.

I attempted, successfully, to teach my pupils in school the value ofbirds and how to identify them. I set up a small banding station on the schoolground and trapped a few birds. I showed the children how to handle the birdswithout hurting them and thay did it very well. The Western Journal of Educa-tion published our work in one of its last issues. I find that this kind ofteaching in the school has its effect on keeping the boys from killing the birds.

W. K. GorsuchStar Route,Oroville, Calif.

List of TrapsModesto Funnel Trap} 2411x2411x8tll

WBBA Government Sparrow Trap1 l4"x28"xlO"WBBA One-cell Trap~ Small, 5"x7,"x81t

4WBBA One-cell Trap, 7"xll!"x8", LargeWBBA Warbler Trap; at"x15l"x9t"Rogers Two-V-cell Trap~ 8I1x8"x8"

In U. S. West of East of MississippiMississippi River River and in canada

$4.50 Postpaid $5.00 Postpaid4.50 " 5.00 "1.00 II 1.15 II

1.25 " 1.40 II

3.00 II 3.25 II

1.50 If 1.75 "All traps strong, welded throughout, and painted with good green enamel.

1. The Modesto Funnel Trap, made of hardware cloth, may be used either withfood or water as bait, either on the ground or on an elevated platform. In oneday Mr. Irl Rogers, who designed the trap, took 489 Cedar Waxwings using two ofthese traps.

2. This well-known trap, made of hardware cloth, is always set, and whenbirds come in flocks will catch them to the limit of its capacity. In this par-ticular modification of the Government Sparrow Trap design, the comparativelysmall dimensions and especially the low height make it difficult for the birdsto hurt themselves by flying against the top and sides.

3. This small one-cell trap is made of vertical wires. It consists of onecompartment with a drop door, automatic treadle, and a wire bottom.

4. The same as the small one-cell trap except 211 wider and 411 longer.5. This trap is made of vertical wires. The whole top is open when set and

is closed by two doors hinged along the sides of the top and closing at the sametime. This is an excellent trap for birds that go to ~watcr bath.

6. Similar to WEBA 2-cell trap but with improved doors, treadle and shapeof cells. See drawing and description, Vol. XI, Dec. 1936, pp. 49-50.

For EMERGENCY SUPPLY OF BANDS andinformation in regard to banded birds found, address

Mr. C. V. Duff, 1922 Tamarind Avenue, Hollywood, California

MembershipAssociateActive ••SustainingLife (Total,

For ~nmcmERSHIP AND DUES addressMrs. N. Edward Ayer, Business Manager, 1300 Hillcrest Drive, Pomona, California

W.B.B.A. and CooperOrnithological Club

· . . . $ 3.50• • • . 3.50

· . . . . . . ... 7.50· . • . • 125.00

W.B.B.A.$1.00

1.005.00

50.00Members outside of the United States add twenty-five cents to the first

three items of the last column for additional postage on The Condor.If C.O.C. dues of $3.00 have been paid direct, remit difference to

Issued Quarterlyby the

Western Bird-Banding Association

President of \'V.B.B.A•• J. L • Partin2151 Balsam Ave., Los Angeles, Calif.

Address all contributions to the News toMrs. ~J. C. Sargent, Scripps Inst. of Oceanography, La Jolla, California

Sunset Masazine _~si Bird BandingOn Feb. 10, 1940, a special delivery letter arrived from Dorothy Donn

Wagner of San Francisco, stating that §un§~t Magazine was planning for its Aprilissue an article on banding (the Biological Survey furnishing data) and theyurgently desired details about the Gull Project and pictures of banded birds.

With the help of several photographically minded banders, the editorwas able to mail the requested me.terial by Feb. 19, with a note hoping that theproofs cOuld be checked before the article was printed.

On Feb. 27, Mi~s ~agner wrote that the material had arrived as thearticle was being set in type but that she had added a few lines on the GullProjectj that she would like to keep the pictures for awhilo for possible futureuse; and that Mr. Joseph Dixon wa.s roading the proofs.

In the Anril 1940 issuo of Sunsot, banders can see the article as itfinally appoared - in two sections - aw'rito up "Bird Flights" on p. 21 and anillustrated article on p. 30 "Amateurs Assist Science."

The write ups appear to the editor to be good ones - technically cor-rect, and simply and attractively enough presented to interest ~arden owners intheir bird neighbors.

Except tor a slight prejudice against such haste in preparation, onlyone objection occurs to the editor in the article itself. This is the sugges-tion on p. 31, that laymen, with the pOrfilissionof their state fish and game com~mission, might trap nonmigratory bires and mark them with colored celluloid bandsonly. This seems a doubtful idea. Divorced from the survey bands, and usedthoughtlessly or without proper records, the colored band could become a sourceof misinformation and confusion. Let us hope the game commissions are cautiousin issuance of such permits.

Several errors appeared in the bird section of the article in theJanuary 1940 News, on "Wl;:sternI'laturalistsDiscuss Animal Migration." Mr.AlbertWolfson, whose-wQrk was reported in the article, lists the errors as follows:

"Neither Rowan or I have used castrated birds. We used birds withtheir gonads in breeding condition.

I used both resident and migratO~i races in all of my experiments.Dr. Blanchard found that resident and migratory races have differ-

ent inherent sexual cycles. She does not believe in a differenco inthreshold, nor did she find that both subspecies are migratory."

Thanks to Mr. Wolfson for this correction and apologies for a bad jobof reporting. For an able statement of the newest developments in this field,see Hr. Wolfson's article "E;:periments on Bird Migration" in the March-April,1940 Condor.

During 1939, 123 western banders marked 55,153 new birds of 265 species.This considerably betters the 1938 record of 47,609. Fifteen states and provincesare represented, from the Rockes to the Pacific, and from Alaska to LowerCalifornia, Mexico.

The most banded species was the Common Mallard, 7,596 being reported frommany refuges, with American Pintail a close second at 6,960.

Credit for compilation of the report thisCrawford, 1270 E. 37th St., Long Beach, California.flair for statistical analysis. He not only did anbut also tabulated the list of banders for the next

year goes to Mr. Franklin G.~rr. Crawford has a distinct

excellent job on the report,issue.

Mr. Milton G.Wetherill of Flagstaff, Arizona banded 9 Caccabis chukar inArizona. He writes regarding the bird "The Chukar is an introduced upland gamebird from Northern India. It is generally classed with the Old World Partridges,and has been introduced since the last A.O.U. checklist was published."

Mr. D. E. Gorsuch, Associate Conservationist o:fthe U.S. Forest Service,at Williams, Arizona banded 27 i;erri~ilTurkeys. He writes "The 27 wild turkeyslisted were trapped under the Blue Rim in eastern Arizona, transported to and re-leased in two for~mer ranges of the species in the Chiricahua and Santa catalinaMts. in southern Arizona. This is another attempt to re-establish a bird on thehereditary range from which it had been extirpated. At last reports the birds aredoing well, and it is believed nested the past suwner. The project was a coopera-tive one between the Arizona Game and Fish Comnlission, U.S. Biological Survey, andthe U.S. Forest Service."

Note: 1. The letters (sp.) follow a name to indicate that several sub-specieswith different n~~es are included under the one heading.

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.Western Red-tailed Hawk 3 7 3 19 l' 27 60Red-bellied Hawk 2 2Swains on Hawk 3 9 8 20American Rough-legged Hawk 7

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8 10Southern Bald Eagle 2 2Marsh Hawk 1 6 1 11Prairie Falcon 1 15 4 22 42Duck Hawk 1 1Desert Sparrow Hawk 12 1 1 25 5 1 45Oregon Ruffed Grouse 1 1Arizona Scaled Quail 80 80California Quail (sp.) 11 96 13 5 125Gambel Quail 197 197

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Long-billed Curlew , 1 1Spotted Sandpiper 5 5Western Willet t 13 19Lesser Yellow-legs ~ 18 21Pectoral Sandpiper 18 18Least Sandpiper 381 I 381Western Sandpiper 113 113Marbled Godwit ~ 1 43 46Avocet ~ 1 3Black-necked Stilt 3 3Wilson Phalarope 3 2 5Glaucous-winged Gull 6 616 2 1 625Western Gull 17 488 628 1133California Gull I 504 500 373 I 1377Ring-billed Gull 18 I 125 143Franklin Gull 2 2Bonaparte Gull

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Forster Tern 1 1Common Tern 13 58Arctic Tern 2Least Tern 65 65Caspian Tern ! I I

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Band-tailed Pigeon 3 3Western Mourning Dove I 426 228 2 33 689Chinese Spotted Dove # I 228I 228Western White-winged Dove I 34

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Mexican Ground Dove 14 14Inca Dove ! 119 119Yellow-billed Cuckoo 3 3Road-runner ,

5 5Barn Owl 71 71Screech Owl (sp.) 3 5 1 9Horned Owl (sp.) 2 3 7 3 42 57Western Burrowing Owl 3 73 76Northern Spotted OWl 2 2

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Long-eared Owl 6 4 10Saw-whet Owl 6 1 7Nighthawk 2 2RUby-throated Hummingbird 1 1Rufous Hummingbird 1 1Western Belted Kingfisher 7 7Northern Flicker 27 27Red-shafted Flicker (ap.) 2 10 25 1 12 14 8 72Mearns Gilded Flicker 4 4Gila Woodpecker 15 15California Woodpecker (sp. ) 10 1 11Lewis Woodpecker 26 I 26Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (sp.) 2 I 5 7Williamson Sapsucker (sp.) 2 2 I I 4Hairy Woodpecker (ap.) 3 9 12Texas Woodpecker 1 I 1Eastern Kingbird 3 2 5Arkansas Kingbird 5 5Arizona Crested Flycatcher 2 2Ash-throated Flycatcher 2 2Eastern Phoebe 35 35Black Phoebe 16 16Say Phoebe I 1.15 1 5 1 4 11 38Wright Flycatcher 1 5 I 6Western Flycatcher I 51 5Western Wood Pewee

3 I 3Vermilion Flycatcher I 11 11Horned Lark (sp.) 7 0.11 118Violet-green SWallow 4 43 47Tree SWallow 20 3 23Barn Swa~low 2 6 3 11Northern Cliff Swallow 46 46Western Purple Martin 5 5Canada Jay (sp.) 1 .4 3 8Steller Jay (sp.) 8 14 6 6 4 38California Jay (ap.) 5 157 9 1 172American Magpie 16 15 20 12 3 66American Raven

1195 5 25 35

Western Crow (ap.) 5 61 8 17 110Black-capped Chickadee 15 25 14 2 56Mountain Cbickadee 27 9 23 2 61Chestnut-backed Chickadee (sp.) 3 18 2 23Plain Titmouse (ap.) 12 39 51Arizona Verdin 3 3Bush-ti t (sp.) 44 8 52White-breasted Nuthatch (sp. ) 2 1 1 4-Red-breasted Nuthatch 3 3 8 14Pygmy Nuthatch (sp.) 36 36~alifornia Creeper 1 1

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Wren~tit (sp.) 34 34Western House Wren 16 7 8 31Winter Wren (sp.) 6 1 7Bewick Wren (sp.)

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Northern Cactus Wren 54 4 1 59Long-billed Marsh Wren ? 3oj

Canon Wren 2 1 3CormnonRock Wren 10 1 1 12Western Mockingbird 5 298 303Catbird I 1 1Brown Thrasher 1 1Bendire Thrasher 8 8Curve-billed Thrasher ( sp .) 26 2 28California Thrasher 70 70Crissal Thrasher 6 4 10Sage Thrasher 1 7 8Western Robin 7 142 27 715 1 1 4 42 12 16 967Varied Thrush 9 6 15Hermit Thrush (sp.) I 2 2 102 2 108I

Russet-backed Thrush 40 5 45Willow Thrush 2 2Western Bluebird (sp.) 147 14 6 2 169Mountain Bluebird I 11 15 7 31 64Townsend Solatairc I I 1 8 9Western Golden-crowned Kinglet I I 7 3 10Western Ruby-crowned Kinglet (sp.) 1 13 14American Pipit 2 66 68Bohemian Waxwing 4 2 6Cedar Waxwing 8 4 2834 2846Phainopepla 3

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Northern Shrike 1 1 2Loggerhead Shrike (sp. ) 7 5 23 4 3 12 54Hutton Vireo 3 3Least Vireo 2 2Cassin Vireo I I 2 3 5Western Warbling Vireo I

5 5Orange-crowned Warbler (ap.) I 2 1 37 13 2 55Calaveras Warbler 8 8Virginia Warbler 2 2Yellow Warbler (sp.) I 1 10 3 14Myrtle Warbler 9 9Audubon Warbler 46 1 158 7 1 213Black-throated Gray Warbler 4 6 10Townsend Warbler 1 1Hermit Warbler 1 1Macgillivray's Warbler 3 9 18 30Yellow-throat 1 1Long-tailed Chat 5 9 1 15P11eo1ated Warbler (sp •) 1 12 1 14

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Tricolored Redwing 3600 3600Arizona Hooded Oriole

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Baltimore Oriole 2Bullock Oriole 1 30 1 32Brewer Blackbird 13 249 8 1 49 145 465Bronzed Grackle 1 5 53 59Dwarf Cowbird (sp.) 8 12 17 37Red-eyed Cowbird I 1 1Western Tanager 6 1 33 4 1 45Summer Tanager (sp.) 11 1 12Arizona Cardinal 19 19Arizona Pyrrhuloxia 1 1Black-headed Grosbeak 2 75 6 83California Blue Grosbeak 3 3

azuli Bunting 18 4 22Evening Grosbeak (sp.) 1 64 65California Purple Finch 3g 29 68Common House Finch 260 2584 1 22 2867Pine Grosbeak (sp.) 3 3Gray-crowned Rosy Finch 222 222Redpoll (sp.) 132 . -132Northern Pine Siskin 1 14 9 1 25

il10w Go1df! roh 45 5 2 52Green-backed Goldfinch 10 101 1 112

awronce Goldfinch 11 11Red Crossbill (sp.) 52 2 3 57Green-tailed Towhee I 29 3 3 1 36Spurred Towhee (sp.) 12 10 213 1 99 29 364

~own Towhee (sp.) 5 462 10 477beM Towhee 96 96ark Bunting 5 1 6

Savannah Sparrow (sp.) 2 22 1 25eaper Sparrow (sp.) 4 9 1 1 27 42estern Lark Sparrow 1 7 17 25ufous-winged Sparrow 2 2ufous-crowned Sparrow (ap.) 2 4 5 11esert Sparrow 34 10 44orthern Sage Sparrow 1 1

Slate-colored Junco 35 2 4 41regan Junco (sp.) 155 229 609 6 475 172 1646ink-sided Junco 5 7 3 15ray-headed Junco 2 126 128rizona Junco (ap.) 31 31estern Tree Sparrow 4 3 1 6 14estern Chipping Sparrow 41 3 4 27 5 80

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1133 ., 57 10 3 210

Lincoln Sparrow I 2'10 1~1 48 69

Song Sparrow (sp.) 3 471

228 1 3 69 30 4 387Eastern Snow Bunting 10 10Chukar # S I 9

II

§ U 1.1).; A H Y

No. Banders Active in StateTotal Birds (Note: 9 Banders active in_Ba.nded lio• Species each of 2 states)

Alaska 212 11 1Alberta 706 46 5Arizona 3,098 92 15British Columbia 4,035 59 12California 25,067 15<3 58Colorado 60 14 2Idaho 841 5 2Mexico 509 4 3Montana 2,819 43 5Nevada 83 14 3New Mexico 307 24 3Oregon 9,334 78 11utah 6,081 18 5Washington 648 29 7Wyoming _+_,353 37 ---l

Total 55,153 265 123

PERSISTANOE OF "IMEATtJRE" PLUMAGE H! ADULTGOLDEN-ORO~~ED SPARROWS

Hoffmann's "Birds of the Pacific States." states that the immatureGolden-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia coronata) has the "head brown with only atrace of yellow on the forehead."

Mr. Joseph Mailliard in The Oondor, Vol. XXXIV, March 1932, in anarticle entitled "Observations on the Head Markings of the Golden-crowned Spar-row," showed that these "imnature" head markings may persist for at least threeyoars. I have since then found that they may persist until the bird is at leastfour and one-half years old, and for all I know they may persist for many yearsmore.

I began banding in the Santa Oruz Mountains, San Mateo Oounty,Oalifornia, elevation about 2000 feet. in January 1935. Since then I have bandedthere 640 Golden-crowned Sparrows; of these 99 were in full adult plumage, and541 in so-called "immature" plumage. These figures are not exact, as in somecases the intergradations or the head markings made it difficult to decidewhether the bird was "adult" or "immature." I might say that I have entered allbirds with head markings similar to birds E and Fof the illustration inMr. Mailliard's article as adult -- all the others as immature.

Of the 541 sparrows mentioned above as being banded while in "imma-tUl"ell plumage, 42 of those recaptured in the follo'llingyears, always had the so-called "immature" head markings. Two outstanding examples were Fl19974 andFl19994, both banded in October 1935. The fonner was recaptured twice inOctober 1935, three times in November 1936, once in March 1937, once in October1939, three times in February 1940.

Fl19994 was recaptured twice in December 1936; once in October. onc~in November, and twice in December. 1938; twice in October, and once in November.1939; and once in January and once in March, 1940.

These two birds and four others, all of whom were more than eighteenmonths old, were taken to Dr. Alden H. Miller, of the Museum of VertebrateZoology, Berkeley, for dissection. Dr. Miller found that all six birds werefemales. This can hardly be a coincidence, but what it signifies I do not know.There are many skins of female Golden-crowns in the Museum, in full adultplumage.

Mr. Mailliard says in his article 'Ithemajority of these return birds,banded the previous tall, none of which could be less than a year old and all ofwhich had aCquired the nuptial head dress at least once (the italics are mine)had again assumed what I had been calling immature markings." This would leadto the conclusion that all of the 42 birds mentioned above had acquired theDuptial head markings every spring, after I had trapped them, and had againacquired the "inwature" markings before I trapped them again in the fall. I donot deny that this may be true, but it is a curious fact that not once have Ifound one of these sparrows. first banded in adult plumage. to have reverted to"immature" markings.

I hope that other bird-banders in the Pacific States will record thehead markings of Golden-crowned Sparrows when they first trap them, and whenthey return and repeat.

~. L. Sumner Sr., Menlo Park, Oalif.March 17, 1940

BirdsCo1or- Per

Colony Bander banded Survey Sight Total Cent1938 and

1939

N. Coronado I. , G. Sargent, D. 527 20 24 44 7Mexico Michener, F.Ga11up,

H.Hill, W.Webb,T.Mi1ler

Oregon Haystack Reed Ferris 1,228 57 26 83 7Rock

---Oregon Three Reed Ferris 179 4 5 9 5

Arch I.

Mono Lake, Calif. Walter Nichols 1,010 11 20 31 3

Great Salt Lake, A. H. Woodbury 321 23 4 27 8utah

B.C. Yellow I. Dennis Ashby 399 10 10 20 5

B.C. Howe Sound Kenneth Alexander 124 1 5 6 4

B.C. Mitt1enatch I. Theed Pearse 185 4 2 6 3

Totals 3,973 130 96 226 5.6

(Note: In addition to the color banded gulls, about 500 gulls weresurvey banded only at the colonies in 1938 and 1939. Whenthese 500 are figured in on the percentage of Survey records,the total percentage of records becomes 5.3~.)

According to Early Records of the Pacific Gull Color-Banding Project(Condensed from a talk given before the Cooper Ornithological Club,at the Annual Meeting at the Los Angeles Museum, March 22, 1940)

The summers of 1938 and 1939, 3,973 young gUlls were color banded inthis project. Up to March 22, 19.40, 226 survey and sight records had been re-ceived on the whereabouts of these gulls.

These 226 records have been checked as carefully as possible. For thesight records, only observations reporting the full quota of two colored bandsper bird, have been counted. A good share of the records have come from groupstoward which publicity has been directed: 1. bird groups - banders, localAudubon societies, and Cooper Club members; and 2. groups in a position to makeobservations such as, Biological Survey field men, lighthouse keepers, and fishand game boats. However, some of the best sight and survey records have comefrom the general public. The celluloid bands have proved to be durable, and todate the colors have not faded.

The A.O.U. checklist gives the following range for Larus glaucescens:"Breeds from Norton Sound south to Washington; also on the Aleutian Islands andislands in the Bering Sea, and in northeastern Siberia from Kamchatka andCommander Islands northward. Winters from the Aleutian and Pribilof islandssouth to Lower California, Hawaii (casually), and northern Japan; rangingoccasionally to Point Barrow."

In the Condor for Nov.-Dec. 1937, p. 238, Mr. G. D. Sprot of CobbleHill, B.C. published an article on the "Migratory Behavior of Some Glaucous-winged Gulls in the Strait of Georgia, British Columbia." (Note: the Straitof Georgia lies between Vancouver Island and the mainland coast of B.C.) Thecolonies of glaucous-wings reported in this paper were the same as have beenused in the color banding project - Mr. Pearse at Mittlenatch I., Mr. Alexanderat Gull I., Howe Sound, and Mr. Sprot on Yellow and Bare Island, Haro Straits.(Bare I. is near Yellow I.) This survey banding covered a period of years from1922 to 1934. Of a total of 1,480 nestling gulls banded, 68 were finallyrecovered - a return of 4~. Mr. Sprot summarized in regard to his records "•••the majority of birds up to 4 years of age remain in winter within a radius ofabout 60 miles of their individual birthplaces." p.240 His northernmost recordwas at Point Hardy, at the northern tip of Vancouver Island. His southernmost,on a river emptying into Gray's Ha~bour, Washington. General range of thecolonies was "roughly from Chatham Point, V.I. to the southern end of PugetSound."

When the Pacific Project was first started, L~. Sprot volunteered tohead the B.C. banding. However, the summer of 1938, he moved to England. Afriend, Mr. Dennis Ashby, of Duncan, B.C., took over banding on the YellowIsland colony in 1938 and 1939.

The 32 records from the 708 birds color banded on these three coloniesshow a range framQuadra Island, 10 miles north of Mittlenatch (a Mittlenatchbird), south to Seattle, Washington. These agree very closely with Mr. Sprot'srecords of the general range, altho not equalling his northernmost and southern-most.

Thus apparontly the young Glaucous-wings which come down the coast toSouthern California are from other colonies - perhaps from tho outer coast ofVancouver Island or Alaska.

The A.O.U. checklist gives the range of Larus californicus as:"Breeds on inland lakes of Canada and the United states from Great Slave Lakesouth to Great Salt Lake, utah; Stump Lake, North Dakota; and Mono Lake.California; casual in summer from Washington to southeastern Alaska. Wintersfrom southern British Colunbia and utah to Lower California, Oaxaca, and thecoast of Texas. Accidental in Kansas, Hawaii, and Japan."

So far as we know, no previous banding study has been made of eitherthe Mono Lake or the Great Salt Lake colonies.

Twenty-nine of the 31 Mono Lake records, are from the state ofCalifornia. Our earliest record is on a bird banded June 30, 1939 as a nestlingand found dead at Gilroy, California about August first. Six other Augustrecords in 1938 and 1939 on birds of the year are from Caspar, Klamath, Antioch,Fort Bragg, San Pedro and San Francisco. The records in later months are mostlyfrom coast towns, from San Die~o northward. However, the record from Antioch,and records from Martinez and Napa, show a slight tendency to follow riversystems.

Now, while these records show that many of the young gulls were widelydispersed as early as August, a resident at Mono Lake informed Mr. Nichols thatthe winter of 1938, the last yearling gulls stayed at the lake until at leastDecember 1.

The two records on Mono Lake birds Which are not from California arethe northernmost and the southernmost. One is a sight record of a Mono gull atVancouver, B.C. The other is from Dr. L10ye Miller. At Carmen Island, in theGulf of California, during February 1939. he found Mexican children playing withtwo blue gull bands which could only have come from a dead or captured Mono Lakegull.

Dr. Woodbury, of the University of utah, started banding at Great SaltLake for the first time June 3, 1939. On August 3, one of his young gulls turnedup dead at Seaside, Oregon. On October 25, Laidlaw Williams of Carmel, observeda Salt Lake bird at Treasure Island, San Francisco. October 28. again at TreasureIsland, he saw ~ Salt Lake birds and a Mono Lake bird, in the same large flock.Then, returning to the Monterey Peninsula, Mr. Williams repeated his coup byobserving November 15 among the thousands of gulls at Uonterey harbor, one SaltLake and one Mono Lake bird, Meanwhile, in September and November, two groupshad scoured Egg Island, Great Salt Lake, where the banding was done, and found22 dead young blrdsi which apparently had never left the island~ Dr. WOOdburywrites that this strangely high mortality of young birds was observable when hefirst landed on the island in June, before banding, as many dead young birdswere already to be found. November 11, Clifton Greenhalgh, who aided Dr~Woodbury,observed one of the color banded birds flying over the University of utah stadium,Salt Lake City.

The A.O.U. checklist gives the range of Larus o. occidentalis as"Breeds from Washington to northern California and the Farallon islands. Win .•ters south to Los Angeles County, California where some remain all summer.Casual in southern B.C., accidental in Colorado."

All the color banding of Western gulls in Oregon has been done byMr. Reed Ferris of Beaver, Oregon. Mr. Ferris has been banding Western gullson Haystac.k Rock since 1930. Up until 1938 he used only survey bands. The re-sults of this survey banding have recently been sent to Dr. Alden Miller forpublication in the Condor. Mr. Ferris has been kind enough to loan a copy ofthe manuscript of this forthcoming article, for comparison of the two years ofcolor banding with the 8 years of survey banding.

From 1930 thru 1937, Mr. Ferris survey banded 2,074 young gulls atHaystack Rock. On these, up until February, 1940, he had received 225 records -a return on 8.4~. Of these 225 records, 43 were young birds recovered in thefirst three months after banding, within 120 miles of the colony. Most of theothers were further north or south along the coast in Oregon, Washington andNorthern California. Nineteen of the records were on gulls in adult plumage.Northernmost record was from Quatsino, Vancouver Island; southernmost from SanPedro, California .•both on bird~ in their first winter. Mr. Ferris summarizes,in regardto the records on the young birds; that they seem to show

"That dispersal is general and noarly equal in numbers north andsouth from a breeding colony located somewhat north of the center ofthe breeding range •••• That the heaviest mortality, and also the widest dispersal, occursduring the first winter aftor hatching."

Of the 92 records on color banded gulls for the two colonies (Whichare about 20 miles apart), 56 are from Oregon, 14 from Washington, and 21 fromNorthern California. There is one British Columbia record, from Port Renfrew,V.I. Southernmost are 2 survey and 4 sight records from Monterey. Dispersalseems to begin almost immediately the birds can fly. However, some of the younggulls remain all thru the winter in the vicinity of the home colony.

It can be seen from ~·jr.Ferris' survey banding, and from his latercolor banding, that, collectively, the individuals of his two colonies have therange of the entire subspecies.

The A.O.U. checklist gives as the range of Larus occidentalis wymani.Wyman's Western gull, "Coast of California and Lower California from MontereyCounty and the Santa Barbara Islands south at least to Asuncion Island, LowerCalifornia."

Forty-three of our 44 records on the color banded North CoronadoIsland. Mexico gulls, are along the coast of California from San Diego toMonterey. The one exception is a survey record on a 1939 bird, from CedrosIsland, Lower California in October 1939. The earliest record north of SanDiego is of a bird banded June 20, 1939 atCoronado and caught in a fish lineAugust 10, 1939 at Catalina Island, 100 miles away. November 19, 1938, at

San Pedro, L. A.Audubon Society members saw a Mono Lake and a Coronado bird inthe same flock. On January 9, 1939, at Monterey, Laidlaw Williams saw an OregonWestern.anda Coronado bird in the same flock. But, as with the Oregon Westerns,while some individuals of the colony were flying north and some south, stillother Coronado birds were seen all thru the winter in San Diego. In November1939, Mr. E. L.Sumner and I saw both 1938 and 1939 birds in the same flock atSan Diego.

Thus, while apparently no individual in the colony travels the wholedistance, collectively, the individuals of this one colony have covered theentire range of the subspecies.

In conclusion, let me say that the pleasant part of this project isthat as time goes on, our percentage of records, at least on the birds alreadybanded, cannot help but rise. We hope that one more year of banding nestlingswill help fill out our data on the dispersal of the young birds. With theCalifornia gulls especially, we need to know more of the limit of their range,and how they reach the coast. At present, it would seem that when the moodstrikes him, each young gull just ups and makes the trip in one hop.

But beside this study of young gulls, we have still to reach a valuablepart of the project - the movements and behavior of the adults. For in spite ofthe previous extensive survey banding of Oregon Westerns by Mr. Ferris and ofthe 3 colonies of Glaucous-wings as reported by Mr. Sprot, these points are stillnot known for any of the species or colonies:

1. the range of the adult gulls2. the exact age when the gulls become adult and breed3. whether the adult gulls do return to breed at the colony where

they were born.Regular observations for colored bands, both at the nesting colonies

and over the winter ranges, should help to clear up these points. We thank thoseof you who have already sent in records, and hope you will all continue to watchfor color banded gulls.

Grace Sargent (Mrs. M. C. Sargent)Chairman, Pacific Gull Project

(The talk ended with 12 Kodachrome slides of the nesting gulls, pelicans, andcormorants at N. Coronado I., Mexico made during the banding trip, June 20,1939. The slides were taken and shown by ~4r.Karl Kenyon, 454 Ravina, La Jolla.)

List of TrapsModesto Funnel Trapt 24"x24"xSt"WBBA Government Sparrow Trap~ 14"x28"xIO"WBBA One-cell Trap~ Small, 5"x7!"xS"

4WBBA One-cell Trap, 7"xllt"x8", LargeWBBA Warbler Trap~ 8·~"X15!"xCH"Rogers Two-V-cell Trap~ 8"x8"x8"

In U. S. West of East of MississippiMississippi River River and in canada

$4.50 Postpaid $5.00 Postpaid4.50 " 5.00 "1.00 " 1.15 "1.25 " 1.40 "3.00 " 3.25 "1.50 " 1.75 "

All traps strong, welded throughout, and painted with good green enamel.1. The Modesto Funnel Trap, made of hardware cloth, may be used either with

food or water as bait, either on the ground or on an elevated platform. In oneday Mr. Irl Rogers, who designed the trap, took 489 Cedar Waxwings using two ofthese traps.

2. This well-known trap, made of hardware cloth, is always set, and whenbirds come in flocks will catch them to the limit ot its capacity. In this par-ticular modification of the Government Sparrow Trap design, the comparativelysmall dimensions and especially the low height make it difficult for the birdsto hurt themselves by flying against the top and sides.

3. This small one-cell trap is made of vertical wires. It consists of onecompartment with a drop door, automatic treadle, and a wire bottom.

4. The same as the small one-cell trap except 2" wider and 4" longer.5. This trap is made of vertical wires. The whole top is open when set and

is closed by two doors hinged along tho sides of the top and closing at the sametime. This is an excellent trap for birds that go to ~ water bath.

6. Similar to WEBA 2-cell trap but with improved doors, treadle and shapeof cells. See drawing and description, Vol. XI, Dec. 1936, pp. 49-50.

For EMERGENCY SUPPLY OF BAl\.TDSandinformation in regard to banded birds found, address

Mr. C. V. Duff, 1922 Tamarind Avenue, Hollywood, California

For M~·~ERSHIP AND DUES addressMrs. N. Edward Ayer, Business Manager, 1300 Hillcrest Driv~, Pomona, California

MembershipAssociateActive • • • • • •Sustaining ••..Life (Total, not yearly) •

W.E.B.A .. $1.00

1.005.00

50.00

W.E.B.A. and CooperOrnithological Club

$ 3.503.507.50

125.00Members outside of the United States add twenty-five cents to the first

three items of the last column for additional postage on The Condor.If C.O.C. dues of $3.00 have been paid direct, remit difference to

Issued OJ.1.a.rterlyby the

Western Bird-Banding Association

President of W.B.B.A •• J. L. Partin2151 Balsam A~e., Los Angeles, Calif.

Address all contributions to the ~ toMrs. M. C. Sargent, Box 109, La Jolla, California

Although my residence remains at the Scripps Inst. of Oceanography,La Jolla. my official mailing address is now Eox 109, La Jolla.

When Fred Gallup of Escondido mentioned to his friend Ted Hodges, freelance reporter for the L. A. Times, about our gull banding trip to N. CoronadoIsland, Mexico, Hodges asked to go along and take with him a Times photographer,Edward P. Cotton. The results can be seen in a write-up emphasizing "hardy birdbanders" and "touchy job" in the Sports section of the Times for Sunday, July 14,1940; and a page of strikingly handsome photographs fronting the rotogravuresection of the Times for Sunday, July 28, 1940. Although the Western gulls onthis rotogra~ure page are labeled as tiThe California Gull, which roams from thetropics to the Arctic Circle," ne~ertheless the gist of the idea is gotten across -gulls were banded at Coronado Island~ Incidentally. Mr. Cotton suffered the onlycasualty of the trip, when an irate parent gull inflicted a gash on his scalp.

My husband and I had the pleasure, during a trip up the Pacific C0astin June, of meeting for the first time several banders long familiar throughcorrespondence. The first of these was Reed Ferris, whom we found busy at hisTillamook cheese factory in the tiny wooded town of Eea~er, Oregon. Also at thefactory was Alex Walker, who has often cooperated with Mr. Ferris in both gullbanding trips off the Oregon Coast and in passerine banding near Beaver.

A couple of weeks later, in the pleasant countryside near Duncan,Vancouver Island, British Columbia, we stopued for tea with Mr. and Mrs. DennisAshby. Mr. Ashby has the unusual job of game warden at a large private duck shootnear Cowichan Bay, V.!. Although Mr. Ashby has been doing much work on the gullproject, his primary interest is in ducks, especially the European Widgeon.

The next day, at Victoria, we had a brief visit with Mr. G. D. Sprot,one of the pioneer banders of €~lls in British Columbia. Mr. Sprot, a retired armyofficer, has recently returned from England. He is still interested in birds andhopes to resume his b~~ding in the future.

I RedSurve:r

On July 5, 1940 a party of 14 banders and friends made the third annualtrip to this barren Mexican island, 20 miles southwest of San Diego, California.Combination RS-R was placed on 331 young Wyman Western Gulls. Banders were Graceand Marston Sargent, Ralph and James Dixon, Fred Gallup and Fred Gallup Jr. Nobirds in the plumage of the color-banded years 1938 and 1939 were observed at theislal1.d.

I BlueSurvey I Blue

Walter Nichols of Pasadena, California, reports the successful third yearof banding at Mono Lake, on July 4 and 6 I 194:0. Combinat ion S-BB was used on 500young California Gulls. Howard Hill (who helped band at N. Coronado Island in 1939)cooperated in the banding. Mr. Nichols found the colony larger than in 1939, andestimates that less than 5~ of the available young birds were banded. No markedbirds of the previous years were observed.

I ~:~lOW I I Survey rOn June 8, 1940,Dr. A. M. Woodbury of the University of Utah, led a

banding party for the second year, to Egi':: Island, Great Salt Lake. CombinationRY-S was placed on 1013 young California Gulls. In addition, 76 youn~ gulls weremarked with survey bands only. Cooperators were Clifton Greenhalgh and RalphWilliams. Dr. Woodbury estimates that perhaps 1010 of the available young gullswere banded. No banded birds from the previous year were seen.

I Yellow IRed I Survey IA new colony of California Gulls in Utah was added to the Pacific Project

this year by banding at Rock Islar.d in Utah Lake. Dr. Vasco M. Tanner, Professorof Zoology and Entomolo~~ at Brigham Y~ung University, Provo, led a banding partyto the island on June 15, 1940. Combination YR··S was used on 1000 young CaliforniaGulls. Dr. Tanner writes,

"We are especially anxious to learn if the young birdsreturn to this island to nest, and if they select theterritory (In the island. in which they were reared."

BlackSurveyBlue

A second new colony of California Gulls was added to the Project thisyear by the banding of Mr. Carl Richardson, Route 1. Box 443, Klamath Falls.Oregon. Mr. Richardson has long been an active bander, and interested in the move-ments of a colony of California Gulls which nests on a~ island near his home. OnJuly l~ 1940, he marked 125 young Californias en this island near Klamath Falls.Oregon, with combination ~'

BluSurveYellow

On August 2, 1940, Mr. Dennis Ashby of Duncan, V. I., B.e., led a partyto Yellow Island for the third successive year of color-banding. Combination ~was used on 300 young Glaucous-winged t}ulls. Also in the banding party wereMr. Ashby's son, Mr. Hayes. and Mr. Mortimer. Mr. A. A. Sherman of the B. C.Fisheries Commission cooperated by furnishing transportation to the island. Mr.Ashby reports that no banded birds of 19~8 or 1939 were present at Yellow Island,and that none have been seen at the 0ther nesting colonies in Haro Straits.

LOS ANGELES MUSEUM SHOWS "BIRDS OF PASSAGE" - Cooper Club members at their AnnualMeeting on March 22, 1940, were treated to a preview 0f a 6-week exhibit at theMuseum. Large maps showed the principle flyways of North American birds. withmounted birds illustrating the species following each route. Of special interestto banders was a case devoted to brolding equipment, and photographs of bandingmethods. Also included was a colored chart of the Pacific Gull Project and a color-banded. mounted California Gull. This bird was banded at Mono Lake June 30. 1939with bands SB-B 39-651661, and was found dead August 26. 1939, six miles off SanPedro, California, by Mr. George Willett of the Museum.

3742 Coldwater Canyon,North Hollywood, California

Yosemite Nat'l. Park, CaliforniaWalnut Canyon Nat'l. Mon.,

Flagstaff, ArizonaBeer, James Route 2, Box 125, Battle Ground,Wash.Benjamin, Gilbert~.Jr.2297 West 23rd St., Los Angeles,Calif.Benson, Seth B. Museum of Vert.Zoology, Berkeley,Calif.Berrey, C. R. Box 1707, Casper, WyomingBlanchard, Barbara D. Placer Jr. College, Auburn, Calif.

(B~lded in Oregon)c/o Soil Conservation Service.

Berkeley, Calif.(27 banded in Nevada)Oarlsbad Caverns Nat' 1.Park , New MexicoRosyth, AlbertaMc~illivray Creek Game Reserve,

CbUli wack, B. C•

Ahern, H. G.Alexander, KennethAllen, Walt er I.Anderson, Anders H.Ashby, DennisAyer, Mrs. N. Edward

Beatty, M. E.Beaubien, P. L.

Brodrick, Harold J.Burpee, Harmon Wm.Butler, A. J.

Clabaugh, Ernest D.Conway, Raymond F.Cook, Geo. L.Crawford, Fr~~klin G.Curtis, Elizabeth L.

Dixon, Ralph E.Dodge, Natt W.Duff, C. V.

BANDERS IN THE 1939 ANNUAL REPORT(Compiled by Franklin G. Crawford)

Campbell River, B.C.East Bay, Gambier Island, B. C.2057 Pepper Drive, Altadena, Calif.Route 5, Box 488, Tucson, ArizonaDuncan, Vancouver Island, B.C.1300 Hillcrest Drive, Pomona, Calif.

44 Lenox Road, Berkeley, Calif.Box 1026, Grass Valley, Calif.Bashaw, Alberta1270 E. 37th St., Long Beach, Calif.5648 Beach Drive, Seattle, Wash.

Star Route, Escondido, CaliforniaCasa GraJ.JdeNat'l.Mon.,Coolidge, Ariz.1922 Tamarind Ave., Hollywood, Calif.

Edwards,Mr.& Mrs.HarJan1100 Oxford, Claremont, Calif.Ehmann, E. W. 37 Bellevue Ave., Piedmont, Calif.Emlen, John T. Jr. 70 College Park, Davis, Calif.Erickson, Mr. &

Mrs. Frank M. 220 Salem Heights Ave., Salem, Oregon

Fast, John E.Feltes. Charles H.Ferris, ReedFlinn, Paul M.Fosberg, Maynard

Tule Lake Wildlife Refuge, Box 50,Merrill, Or.e~on (Banded in Calif.)

Box 837, Nogales, Arizona216 Ruberto St., Modesto, Calif.Beaver, OregonState Game Farm. Lapwai, IdahoRoute 2, Box 313, TQrlock, Calif.

Birds SpeciesCredited Credited

847

30415

2501,171

295234184

1,353

57215

232256103

6626

3424

1,830

166870251

2,104522

2,6971,902

830129

Gardiner, James RogerGerow, JamesGorsuch, Wm. K.Graham, HatchGrant, James Jr.Greenhalgh, Clifton M.

Hargrave, Lyndon L.and Gor such ,David M.

Hazeltine, B. M.Heaton, LeonardHill, .Harold M.Horen, Thomas C.Horning, Dr. and

Mrs. J. E.Hull, A. V.Hurd, Paul David Jr.

Jacobson, Mr. andMrs. Carl

Jelliscn, William L.

Kiessling, Victor R.Kilpatrick, (Mrs.)

Helen K.King, Dale S.

Liddell, S. A.Linsdale, Jean M.Livingston,Robt.Jr.Lofberg, Mrs. LilaLoof, Henry B.Lyon, Allan

Mayhew, WaldoMcCabe, Mrs. T. T.

Meyers, 1:1.. V.Michener, Harold and

Josephine R.Miller, ThomasMoos, Louis M.Mowbray, Vincent

142 W. 6th Ave., Escondido, Calif.(4 banded at Coronado I., Mex.)

1928 61st Ave., East Vancouver, B.C.821 Bedell Bldg., Portland, Ore.Feather Falls, California10300 Viretta Lane, Los Angeles,Calif.Trinity Valley, Lumby P.O., B.C.1230 E. 1st South, Salt Lake City,Utah

113 Olive Rd., Tucson, ArizonaBox 296, Williams, ArizonaMalta, MontanaMoccasin, Arizona329 SUmmit Ave., Redlands, Calif.Medicine Lake, Montana

Rocky Mountain House, AlbertaMonicla, MontanaP.O. Box 533, Costa Mesa, Calif.

Box 101, Denver, Colorado504 S. 3rd, Hamilton, M0ntana

Birds SpeciesQredited Credited

11222

510I

31243

29

27

8985

1581,712

389

270

1889 Orchard, Eugene, OregonSouthwestern Nat'l. Monuments,

Coolidge, ArizonaBox 76, Manor, Calif.(30 banded

57in Ariz.) 371

Pacific Lutheran College,Parkland, Washington

Garnet Valley, Summerland, B.C.Jamesburg Rt., Monterey, Calif.Route 1, Oswego, OregonRoad's End, CaliforniaOak Harbor, Wash. (212 banded in Alaska)Port Hardy, B.C.

c/o Dept. of Zoology, Univ. of Nebr.,Lincoln, Nebraska

Route 2, Box 762. Turlock, Calif.2620 Parker St., Berkeley, Calif.

(Banded in B.C. )Grand Canyon Nat'l.Park,

Grand Canyon, Arizona616 Oregon Bldg., Portland, Oregon

418 N. Hudson Ave., Pasadena, Calif.1809 Bushnell Ave., So.Pasadena,Calif.Box 2135, Billings, Montana5052 Fairfax Ave., Oakland, Calif.

47171637106142720

33

74100

2865

1,237403264

Nichols, Walter F.Partin, J .L.Payne, Mrs. L. B.Pearse, TheedPease, Charles A.Pegg, Harry C.Phillips, Allan R.Price, John B.

Radelet, Richard H.Ransom, Webster H.

Rice, Mrs. HenryRich, C. SelwynRichardson,Walter L.Rogers, Irl

Salt, W. RaySantee, RichardSargent, Mrs. Marston

Schmidt, WalterSeibert, Milton L.Sholly, George H.

Simpson, Herbert M.Smith, Anna Margaret

(Mrs.Otis H.)Smith, Laurence H.

Springer, E. CharlesStannard, CarlosStoner, Emerson A.Sugden, DeJohn W.Sumner, E. L.

Tai t, Eric M.Taylor, Robert E.Thomas, Chester A.

Trelease, Th<.'masTrue, Gordon H. Jr.

Van Huizen, Peter J.V igno s, Blanche

U.S.Biological Survey, P.O. Box 1317,Sacramento,Calif.(lO banded in Ariz.)

120 S. San Rafael Ave.,Pasadena,Calif.2151 Balsam Ave., Los Angeles,Calif.130 Hanover St., Srolta Cruz, Calif.Courtenay, V.I., B.C.308 Vassar Ave., Berkeley, Calif.Glenevis, Alberta113 Olive Rd., Tucson, ArizonaU. of Ore. Med. School, Portland, Ore.

(Banded in California)Route 4, Box 45, Chekalis, Wash.2024 Smith Tower, Seattle, Wash.

(21 banded in Oregon)Logandale, Nevada114 Champion Place, Alhambra, Calif.Star Rt. 2, Box 32l,Porterville,Calif.402 Alturas Ave., Modesto, Calif.

Rosebud, Alberta432 Midway Ave., San Mateo, Calif.Scripps lnst. of Oceanography,

La Jolla, Calif.(500 banded at Coronado I.,Mex.)

Malheur Migratory Water Fowl Refuge,Burns, Oregon

Box 361, Los Banos, Calif.4649 Redding St., Oakland, Calif.Wilite Sands Nat'loMon.,

Alamogordo, New MexicoR.R. #1, Summerland, B.C.

89 Elm Ave., San Anselmo, Calif.Box 474, McMinnville, Ore.

(11 banded in Idaho)Holladay, UtahRt.l, Box 1178, Phoenix, ArizonaBenicia, Calif.Salt Lake City, UtahBox 188, Menlo Park, Calif.

Summerland, B.C.4033 C00lidge Ave., O&{land, Calif.Broldelier Net'l. Mon., Box 669,

Santa Fe, New MexicoSteiner Apts. No.5, Sparks, Nevada262 Juanita Way, San Francisco,Calif.

Sacramento Refuge, Willows, Calif.915 S. Carondelet St., L0s Angeles,

Cali fe-rnia

Birds SpeciesCredited Credited

3,349500

116149410

71270

3

3030

155196

2,400

32320

5,89673

224

27157

7212

9773873

329

21726

900

Ward, Alice C. andWilliam V.

Webb, William G.Webster, Harold Jr.Wetherill, Milton A.Wilder, Carleton S.Williams, Laidlaw O.Williams, Mrs. WillWilson, Vanez T.

Witham, HaroldWolfs0n, AlbertWo('d, George C.Wood, Sherwin F.

P.O. Box 531, Rt.l, Palo Alto,Calif.2563 Hill Drive, Eagle Rock, Calif.1937 Grape St., Denver, ColoradoFlagstaff, ArizonaSaguaro Nattl. Mon., Tucson, Ariz.Box 453, Carmel, Calif.Bakersfield, Calif., Posey Star Rt.Supt., Bear River Migratory Bird

Refuge, Brigham, UtahState Game Farm, Kennewich, Wash.Mus. of Vert.Zoo1., Berkeley, Calif.Star Route, Danville, Calif.10 s Angeles City College,

10s Angeles, Calif.Univ.of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah

Birds SpeciesCredited Credited

88238

282825

122438

5,5334

751

21434

The White-throated Sparr0w, Zonotrichia albicollis, breeds from CentralAlberta east, and ranges throughout the northern and eastern states. However,individuals of this species have casually, but persistently, turned up in thewinter in California and Oregon. Usually, one White-throat will be found incompany of a large flock of Golden-crowned or White-crowned Sparrows.

In 1938, eight White-throated Sparrows were banded in various parts ofCalifornia. Mrs. L. B. Payne, 130 Hanover St., Santa Cruz, was able to report whatis apparently the first return of this species in California - No. 37-129580,banded February 21, 1938 at Santa Cruz and a return to her traps on October 30.1938. Mrs. Will Williams, Posey Star Route, Bakersfield, had as far as we know thelatest spring record in California - March 1, 1938. Other 1938 records were: -one bird each, Mrs. Kenneth Saunders, 605 Woodmont, Berkeley; and Charles H. Feltes,216 Ruberto St., Modesto. Two birds each - E. L. Sumner, Box 188, Menlo Park; andEric C. Kinsey, 155 Bothin Road, Manor.

In 1939, 4 band.ers in California and 1 in Oregon reported banding oneWhite-throated Sparrow each. The California banders were Seth B. Benson, Museumof Vertebrate Zoology, Berkeley; Mr. Kinsey of Manor; Milton Seibert, 4649 ReddingStreet, Oakland; and Mrs. Otis H. Smith, 89 Elm Avenue, San Anselmo. The Oregonbander was Mrs. Frank M. Erickson, 220 Salem Heights Avenue, Salem, Oregon, and thesurprisingly late date of her record was April 22nd.

Dr. Carlton M. Herman, who until March, 1940, was active in'the EasternBird Banding Association,. and one-time president of that organization, is nowresiding at San Diego, California. Dr. Herman was formerly connected with the NewYork Zoo, and is now Research Associate in Parisitology, at the Zoological Societyof San Diego.

Dr. Herman's specialty is bird diseases; while in the east he did con-siderable work on malaria in Red-winged Blackbirds. He plans to start banding onthe Pacific Coast as soon as possible.

Banding activities at Casa Grande Monument during 1939 were carried onby means of 11 traps of the automatic type placed on numbered locations. Once eachmonth (except May-September inclusive) ramadas at residences and picnic area weresearched for House Finches at night. Although all birds caught in the traps werebanded and recorded, especial attention -vas naid to House Finches and GambelSparrows. Experiments were continued in liberating House Finches at variousdistances from the point of capture. During the year, 422 new birds of 18 specieswere captured in addition to a great number of repeats and returns. Due to theextreme heat of the summer weather in this locality, no banding was carried on fromApril 30 until October 1.

The major observation of interest during the year was the failure of thenormal fall migration of Gambel Sparrows to materialize. Banding data bore outsight records. Although the first fall migrant was seen on October 7 as comparedwith October 12, 1938; October 8, 1937; and October 18, 1936, very few individualswere captured in the traps during the fall months and only occasional birds of thisspecies were seen. Following are comparative banding records for the three seasons:

1937 - Oct. 23 to Nov. 16 incl.: 10 new and 7 returns - 17 birds total(2 of the new were immatures)

1938 - Oct. 21 to Nov. 30 incl.: 15 new and 15 returns - 30 birds total(7 of the new birds were immatures)

1939 - Oct. 10 to Nov. 30 incl.: 2 new and 7 returns - 9 birds total(No immatures trapped and only 3 seen)

In the Christmas Bird Census (cooperating with Bird Lore Magazine) takenon December 22, only 43 Gambel Sparrows were seen. These were in several flockstraveling from bush to bush in a southwesterly direction. Immatures and adultsseemed to be about equal in number in these flocks.

Natt N. Dodge, NaturalistSouthwestern National Monuments

ALBINO FOX SPARROWS IN ALASKA - Mr. Henry B. Looff of Oak Harbor, Washington,writes, "While on a trip to an unexplored lake on Kodiak Island, Alaska, the summerof 1939, I saw a Fox Sparrow that had snow white wings, white breast with the browntriangular spots. The head and throat were brown and the back and tail rufous.The bird was very tame and was observed at a distance of about ten feet for sometime. One of my banded Fox Sparrows returning for the second time in 1939, had awhite spot on its rump about the size of a quarter. Have you ever heard of similarmarkings in Fox Sparrows?"

The unusually mild weather of the autumn of 1939 and the first twomonths of the winter in this Edmonton area rold in the region to the north apparentlyinduced more than the usual numbers of ~er resident birds to remain with us.However, as is usually the case, the last week of December and the first two weeksof January were too cold for our lovers of fine climates. On December 30, 1939,an American Robin was seen. He had just enough life left in his numb body toenable him to escape from sympathizing hands.

The Bohemian Waxwings, however, sh0wed a great liking for Edmonton in1939. During November and December, they were seen in flocks of at least twohundred. They feasted on the berries of mountain ash grown in the yards of many ofthe citizens. The New Year found the berries very scarce. Then these wanderingfellows were ferced to fly to the ground and pick up what they had carelesslydropped when food was plentiful. A fresh fall ~f snow seems to have finallydriven them further afield in search of food. Only a few stragglers were seenduring the last week of January, 1940.

Harmon W. BurpeeRrsyth, Alberta

Mr. K. W. MacArthur, President of the Milwaukee Entomological Society,1561 E. Lake Bluff Blvd., Milwaukee, Wisconsin, writes as follows:

"During the course of your bird banding operations, if you chance uponflattened, winged, parasitic flies among the feathers on the bodies of birds,I would be very grateful to you if you would send them in for identificationand study (With date, bird-host. and locality).

When circumstances permit, the presence of the flies may be determinedby ruffling the suspected bird's feathers within a screened enclosure orindoors near a screened door or window. Tne aroused flies will leave theirhost and fly towards the light where they may be easily captured on the netting.A few drops of gasoline or alcohol will kill them. A small pill box or vial

lined with cotton is a satisfactory mailing container.Observe particularly birds of prey, wading birds, Pelican, Osprey,

Nighthawk, Crow, and all perching birds."

On January 22, 1939, I banded an Arizona Hooded Oriole (band No.B22l27S) which was trapped in my back yard in West Los Angeles. In August, 1939,this bird was observed and finally found dead by Mr. Martin Heiman at Garden City,Kansas. According to Mr. Lincoln of the Biological Survey, this is the firstrecord of the Arizona Hooded Oriole in Kansas.

J. L. Partin2151 Bal sam AvenueLos Angeles, California

I banded a Western Lark Sparrow on May 17, 1939, and had him in thetrap 13 times after that, the last time being June 11th. On October 13, 1939, hewas captured at Jalisco, Mexico, by Fermin Acosta.

C. R. BerreyBox 1767Casper, Wyoming

Dorothy Donn Wagner, author of the two banding articles in the April,1940, issue of Sunset Magazine, writes "Readers of Sunset liked them and wantedmore, but the scientific critics almost succeeded in killing all further efforts onthe part of the editors II It's an old argument and an old battle - scientific~ popular writing, ana hard is the lot of the author who attempts to satisfy bothaudiences.

In regard to Sunset's unfortunate suggestion that laYmen use colored bandswithout survey bands, Mr. E. L. Sumner writes that the California Fish and GameCommission referred several requests for colored bands to him, and he wrote eachapplicant that a Federal permit must be the preliminary to all banding. Similarly,Mr. Milton Seibert of Oakland, making his own test case, wrote Sunset asking forcolored ba~ds, and received a courteous reply from the California Fish and Gamestating that they believed it wiser always to first obtain a Federal permit.Evidently, in California at least, there will be no indiscriminate issuance ofcelluloid bands.

In U. S. West of East of MississippiMississippi River River and in canada

$4.50 Postpaid $5.00 Postpaid

4.50 " 5.00 "1.00 " 1.15 "1.25 " 1.40 "3.00 " 3.25 "1.50 " 1.75 "

List of TrapsModesto Funnel Trap} 24"x24"xSt"

WBBA Government Sparrow Trap~ 14"x28"xlO"

Trap~4Trap,

WBBA Warbler Trap~ 81"x15t"x9t"

Rogers Two-V-cell Trap~ 8Ix8"x8",

All traps strong, welded throughout, and painted with good green enamel.1. The Modesto Funnel Trap, made of hardware cloth, may be used either with

food or water as bait, either on the ground or on an elevated platform. In oneday Mr. Irl Rogers, who designed the trap, took 4S9 Cedar Waxwings using two ofthese traps.

2. This well-known trap, made of hardware cloth, is always set, and whenbirds come in flocks will catch them to the limit of its capacity. In this par-ticular modification of the Government Sparrow Trap design, the comparativelysmall dimensions and especially the low height make it difficult for the birdsto hurt themselves by flying against the top and sides.

3. This small one-cell trap is made of vertical wires. It consists of onecompartment with a drop door, automatic treadle, and a wire bottom.

4. The same as the small one-cell trap except 2" wider and 4" longer.5. This trap is made of vertical wires. The whole top is open when set and

is closed by two doors hinged along the sides of the top and closing at the sametime. This is an excellent trap for birds that go to a wator bath.

6. Similar to WBBA 2-cell trap but with improved doors, treadle and shapeof cells. See drawing and description, Vol. XI, Dec. 1936, pp. 49-50.

For EMERGENCY SUPPLY OF BANDS andinformation in regard to banded birds found, address

Mr. C. V. Duff, 1922 Tamarind Avenue, Hollywood, California

For MIDJffiERSHIPAND DUES addressMrs. N. Edward Ayer, Business Manager, 1300 Hillcrest Drive, Pomona, California

MembershipAssociateActive • • •SustainingLife (Total,

. . . . .not yearly) •

W.B.B.A.$1.00

1.005.00

50.00

W.B.B.A. and CooperOrnithological Club

$ 3.503.507.50

125.00

Members outside of the United States add twenty-five cents to the firstthree items of the last column for additional postage on The Condor.

If C.O.C. dues of $3.00 have been paid direct, remit difference to

!ssued Quarterlyby·th&

Western Bird-Banding Association

President of W.B.B.A •• J. L. Partin2151 BalSffinAve., Los Angeles, Calif.

Address all contributions to the News toMrs. M. C. Sargent, Box 109, La Jolla, California

With this issue, the editor closes a five year association with theW.B.B.A. News. Increased home responsibilities, in the lively form of a smalladopted daughter, Jean Anne Sargent, make the resignation necessary.

It has been fun working on the News. It has especially been bothpleasant and enlightening to be in correspondence with the many banders in theWestern United States and Canada - to hear from them of their special problems andstudies - of the varied type of bird life in each envirol~nent.

Thanks to all members of tho Association for your interest in the News,and may it flourish for many years.

Only one regret ends these five editorial years. During this peri~d theW.B.B.A. has continued in its isolated position on the West Coast, instead ofjoining with its fellow banding groups in the rest of the United States - theEastern, Northeastern, and Inland Associations - in sponsoring the magazine thatshould belong to all banders; nmnely, Bird-Banding. It has always seemed to methat sum a sponsorship was a logical step in the development of our Westernorganization.

One apparent stumbling block to such cooperation in Bird-Banding has beenthe long association of the W.B.B.A. with the Cooper Club and the Condor. I see noreason, however, why W.B.B.A. melubers cannot continue their interest in the CooperClub and its excellent publications, which cover the general ornithological field,and at the same time support Bird-Banding, which is devoted to our exclusive andspecific field. I hope that Western banders, both as individuals and as a group,will increasingly read, subscribe to, and contribute articles to, both the Condorand Bird-Banding.

Chairmanship of Gull Project ContinuesWith the permission of President Partin, I shall continue as chairman of

the Pacific Gull Project, with the hope of carrying it through to some definiteconclusions on movements and behavior of the colonies of Western, California andGlaucous-winged Gulls studied. Some good records are now coming in on the inlandmovements of the California Gulls - indicating widespread dispersal of the youngbirds both north and south of the nesting colonies. One thousand of the 1940 gullcharts have been distributed to date, and more will go out shortly.

Grace Sargent

In order to StllC"l;y';1111 mi~;ration and life histol"'J, the WesternBird-Bo.no.ing·Association, with the coo:peration of the U. S.

Biological Surve;l, has color-banded 8700 YOUllc2; gulls ofthree species at the following 11 nesting colonies:

Colony 1938 1939 1940Rt.1el!' Left Rt .Lo~ Left Rt.Lee Left

.

N •CORONADO I., MEXICO Red(off San Diego, Calif. ) Survey Red RedWestern Gulls Red - Red SurvEl'J Survey Red

THREE ARCHISLAh~S, BlueOREGON Reel S1J.rvey Blue

Western Gulls Survey Blue Red - Survey RedHAYSTACK ROCK, ORE. Red

Western Gulls Red Survey Blue

--I :Blue Survey Blue - Red Survey_.MONO LAKE , CALH' • + nlue

I Survey BlueCalifornia Gulls _ Survey Blue Blue Bluo Survey Blue

GREAT SALT LAKE, UTAH Red RedCalifornia Gull s I Survey Yellow Yelloyr Survey!

!.

UTAH LAKE, UTAH I YellowCalifornia Gulls _._--i t- Red Survey

KLAlilATHFALLS, OREGON nlackCalifornia Gulls I Survey

I3lue -

~ -PUGET SOUND, WASHINGTON Yellow

Glaucous-winged Gulls White Survey

YELLOW I., HAl-1OSTRAITS,~I--

BlueBRITISH COLU~mIA Yellow 13lue Survey

Glaucous-winged Gulls Blue Survey Yellow Survey Yellow -GULL ISLAND, HOWE Yellow

SOUND, 3.0. Yellow Survey TIlueGlaucous-winged Gulls Survey J31ue 31ue - Sunrey Yellow

--~.MITTLENATCH ISWID, Yellow

STRAIT OF GEORGIA, 3.0. Yellow YeJ.low SurveyGlaucous-wi~~ed Gulls Survey Yellow Yellow SlJ.rvey

IYellow -

Note carefully the exact color combination, date and place and report toMRS. M. C. SARGE1TT, BOX 109, LA JOLLA, CALIFORNIA

is found deat, also send the numbered alumin~m Survey band tothe Biological Survoy, Washi~~ton, D.C.

PACIFIC GULL PROJECT - 1940 BANDING (PART II)

7. Haystack Rock, OregonMr. Reed Ferris of Beaver, Oregon accomplished his 10th consecutive year

of survey banding and his third year of color banding on Haystack Rock on July 6and 7, 1940. On these dates, 730 young Western gulls were color banded R-BS. Fouradditional young birds were survey banded only, and 23 Farallon Connorants werebanded. One adult gull was color banded with an added black band, on the beachnear Haystack Rock on July 8, 1940.

Mr. Ferris reports that on July 8, 1940, at the landing place on thebeach near Haystack Rock he saw "in a flock of 75 or 100 birds, one year to adult,two 1939 HRystack birds (RSB-), two 1938 (B-RS), one adult (survey banded) and oneimmature, no color, that was clearly older than the 1938 birds, having the headand body plumage of the adult, but brownish black wing tips, and a few darkfeathers in the tail."

On Haystack Rock itself, only adults were seen, and only two or threewere survey banded.

l§urvey I I Blue 1RedMr. Ferris decided to continue color banding at this refuge for the

third successive year, in spite of the comparatively small number of gulls atthe colony.

On July 12, 1940, 104 young Western gulls were color banded. Mr. Ferrisestimates that at least two thirds of the young birds available at the rock werebanded. In addition 585 Murres and 61 Brandt's Connorants were survey banded.

(Note - Through an error in correspondence, the first thousand gullcharts issued stated that the 1940 combination used at Three Arch was S-RB, thesame as the 1938 combination for this colony. Instead, the 1940 combination isS-BR, with the survey band on the right leg, and blue over rod on the left log.)

Mr. Kenneth Alexander, of East Bay, Gambier Island (via Vancouver, B.C.),color banded Glaucous-winged Gulls for the third successive year at Howe Sound.On August 7, 1940, 89 young birds were marked with combination BS-Y. Five PigeonGui11emots were also banded at Howe Sound. Mr. Alexandor reported that no bandedgulls of other years wore seen at the colony.

Mr. Theed Pearse, of Courtenay, Vancouver Island, B.C., color bandedGlaucous-winged Gulls for the third successive year at !~ittlenatch Island. OnAugust 4, 1940, 294 young birds were banded with combination YSY-. Fifty-fiveyoung birds were also marked with survey bands only. No color banded birds ofprevious years were seen at the island.

At the suggestion of Regional Biologist Stanley G. Jewett, Mr. RobertS. Bach, Unit ed States Game llanagement Agent at Seattle, agreed to color bandGlaucous-winged Gulls for the Pacific Project at a new locality - on islands inPuget ·Sound.

Mr. Bach started banding on July 6, 7 and 8, and had banded a total of88 gulls when, on the evening of July 8, his appendix ruptured and all scientificwork Was abandoned for a ten day sojurn in the hospital.

On August 9 and 10 ~r. Bach was able to continue his banding and suc-ceeded in marking a total of 500 young Glaucous-wings with combination YW-S. Thesmall Puget Sound islands at which birds were banded are as follows: ColvilleIsland, iriti Rocks, S. Peapod Rock, PatoS Island, Bare Island, Puffin Island,and ~illiamson Rock.

Commander Hingsburg of the Seattle District, United states Coast Guardgenerously supplied the banding party with transportation to and from the rocksand islands where the ba.nding was done.

On September 9, 1939 we trapped in a water trap seven bushtits at onetime. How they all got in without setting off the trigger is hard to understand!

On July 14, 19, another thrill was to capture our first Rufous Humming-bird in nine years of banding, though they are always seen about in the springand summer. I observed it in the water trap though it had not snapped the door.Could I get to the trap and close the door before it could escape? ~ell, I won -much to my surprise. Another thrill - to hold the tiny bit of life in my hand,band it and let it go free again.

Harriet S. Erickson220 Salem Heights Ave.Sa.lem, Oregon

Mr. Henry B. Looff of Oak Harbor, Washington, writes "While on a tripto an unexplored lake on Kodiak Island, Alaska, the SUWlier of 1939, I saw a FoxSparrow that had snow white wings, white breast with the brown triangular spots.The head and throat were brown and the back and tail rufous. The bird was verytame and was observed at a distance of about ten feet for smne time. One of mybanded Fox Sparrows returning for the second time in 1939, had a white spot onits rump about the size of a quarter. Have you ever heard of similar markingsin Fox Sparrows?"

Vfuite Sands is practically a new station as far as bird banding is con-cerned. James Felton carried on a little work in 1938 but was transferred inJune of that year, and I am just taking it up again now.

Located on the Honument, two miles from our headquarters is an Artesianwell that flows hot water. In previous years there has been a small artificialpond fed by this well which has abounded in bird life. At the present (January1940) a C.W.A. project under Park Service supervision is enlarging this pond tothree acres of open water and the runoff will form a 15 to 20 acre swamp of tulesand salt grass. This project should be completed the latter part of February, intime to catch some of the northern migration of waterfowl. This will of coursegive us a chance to study the different species that have their flyways this farinland away from the natural river flyways and continuous water.

A problem that we are working on at present is, Why did the quail thatonce abounded here, move from the Monument to grounds immediately adjoining?Probably, because predators are protected as well as other animal life. Tofind out for certain, we are restocking several aroas within the Monumentboundaries with several coveys this spring.

George H. Sholly'Rbito Sands Nat'l MonumentAlamogordo, New Mexico

This year I added a house trap and a six cell Brenckle water trap tothe station and found them very helpful, for I banded twenty-three new speciesin 1939. Warblers seemed to be attracted to the station first through the housetr~p, but later I captured a great many in the W.B.B.A. warbler trap fitted withd~ipping water. Altogether I banded 44 indiViduals of 8 species of warblers.

The house trap has three funnel entrances, fastened to the ground bywires, and I was surprised to find, on July 2, 1939, a Cooper's hawk inside. Hemust have pushed into the funnel and lifted it off the ground in order to enter,as the entrances at the ends of the funnels were much too small to admit so largea bird. There were feathers scattered inside the trap, but we had no way ofknowing how much toll he had actually taken before he was discovered. He wasbanded and taken twelve miles away, and has rever been seen since.

I do not believe that the homing instinct in blue jays is very highlydeveloped. In the last two years I have banded and color banded 78 Californiajays, and have taken them varying distances away, the majority not more than ten

miles, however. From these 78 birds there were but four who returned, one ofthem twice from a distance of ten miles. It is a little early yet to determinewhether this removing so many birds will make any appreciable difference in thejay population, but I rather think not. It is my idea that other birds immediate-ly move in and replace those which have been taken elsewhere.

Ethel C. Ayer1300 Hillcrest DrivePomona, California

I have always gotten a lot of interest out of the News and would liketo forward items from B.C. but am no hand at putting incidents of interest tobird lovers in black and white.

My station here issmall and most of my banding is done in the winterand early spring. During the summer months I keep tab on the birds nesting onmy property, which consists of 40 odd acres made up of small orchard, hay fieldsand pasture, and a little swamp land. In 1939 I had 187 nests which my two sonsand myself found, and there were undoubtedly many others. The nests comprisedthe following varieties: Robin, Bluebird, Tree, Violet-green, Cliff and BarnSWallows, House Wren, Cassin Finch, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Brewer Blackbird,Red-wing, Audubon Warbler, Gold Finch, Western Yellow-throat, Chipping Sparrow,Cedar Waxwing, Mourning Dove, Summer Warbler, Wood Pewee, Traill Flycatcher,Say Phoebe, Song Sparrow, Red-eyed Vireo, Oriole. All within a radius of 75yards from the house. Also on the grounds were nests of Redstart, Meadowlark,Savannah Sparrow, Wilson Snipe, Killdeer, Marsh Hawk, Chickadee, Hairy Woodpecker,Flicker, Macgillivray Warbler, Virginia and Sora Rails, and one pair each ofMallard, Crow, Kestrel and Wilson Warbler.

I have banded several nestlings of most of the above varieties, but donot like to band fledglings as the mortality is high. The most interesting re-turn I have had was of a 'J"JoodPewee banded as a fledgling in May 1934, which re-turned May 1935 and nested not only in the same appletree but on top of its oldnest.

My winter banding consists mostly of Juncos, Song Sparrows, Chickadees,and about a mile from here, Mallards. Nearly every winter I get a fair per-centage of ~eturns in the Song Sparrows and Juncos. One of my Song Sparrowswas trapped regularly all winter from December to March for a period of 4 years.The original banding date December 7, 1933 last date for that winter February26, 1934. Returned December 5, 1934 to Ma.rch 1, 1935; December 5, 1935 toFebruary 25, 1936; December 8, 1936 to March 3, 1937. vV,hichwas the finalappearance. It became so tame that it was almost a nuisance, as it invariablychose a single cell trap and never a ground trap.

My sons and I (~J eldest son is twenty) have been trying to interestthe rising generation around here in bird life, and nearly all my neighborsnow have feed trays out. Our greatest fight at present is against the relent-less war on all our Hawks and Owls. However, I believe we are gaining a littleground. Crows and Magpies are practically extinct in this district. I had onepair on this place and though they took some pheasant eggs I saw very littlereal damage done in what I like to call my sanctuary. One of the Rail nestswhich hatched off 9 chicks was less than 10 feet from the Marsh Hawk nest. TheHawk surely must have been aware of it. Whether any of the chicks were takenlater I do not know, but the parent bird was never harmed.

J. T. FowleR.R. #2Vernon, British Columbia

The status of Higratory Game Birds: 1939-40 Wildlife Leaflet BS-165 Bureau ofBiological Survey, U.S. Dept. of the Interior, Washington, D.C. June 194022 pages.

This pamphlet gives brief reports on game bird populations by observerson the breeding and wintering grounds, at refuges, and on the flyways. Summaryof the status of the birds is as follows:

"Because of improved habitat conditions and a strict enforcement of shootingregulations, satisfactory increases are recorded for almost all species ofducks and geese. The January inventory indicates that the continental popUla-tion of these birds is about 65,000,000, nearly two and one-half times the sizeof the stock in 1935. The increases are chiefly in the Atlantic andMississippi Flyways, with the Central region showing a loss and but littlechange in the Pacific Flyway. The mallard and pintail show the largest gains,that for the canvasback is considered satisfactory, but little change isdetected in the status of the redhead. A slight decrease is recorded for theblack duck. Canada geese also made a gratifying gain, although much of thiswas lost through excessive shooting.

During January 1940 adverse weather conditions in the Southeast, coupled withlegal hunting, made serious inroads into the numbers of woodcocks and mourningdoves, with the result tha.t the numerical strength of both species is much be-low that of 1939. Measures to restrict the kill during the forthcoming seasonare definitely indicated.

The continued status of the White-winged dove as a game species is open toserious question, not only because of improper management in harvesting thecrop but also of natural factors that endanger the stock.

So far as can be determined, the status of the band-tailed pigeon and theWilson's snipe is satisfactory for the present year, but both species must bewatched to guard against undue depletion."

The pamphlet also points out the falsity of arguments that naturalenemies of game birds are necessarily "vermin," to be destroyed on sight. It re-futes rumors of Widespread "starvation" of ducks, with figures showing thatcrippling and lead poisoning from hunting account for most "starvationll deaths.Final conClusion:

"Experiences of the past few years abundantly demonstrate that the sport ofhunting migratory-game birds can be perpetuated under sow1d management, and ifthere is no return to methods of shooting that have proved unduly destructive."

Conservation - How It Works Publication No. 80 of the IDnergency ConservationCOIDnlittee March, 1940 Chairman, Mrs. C. N. Edge, 734 Lexington Ave., New York22 pages.

This pamphlet is the Annual Report of the Co~~ittee for 1939. Featuredis the vigorous and successful campaign of the Committee for the establishment ofKings Canyon National Park. Also stressed is the fact that Dr. Gustavus AugustusEisen, now 93 years old, started a movement to make this territory a national parkfifty years ago in 1890.

The peppery "Notes, News and Comr.aentltby the editor, Urs. Edge, con-tain among others, sections on "Poison Activities of the U.S. Biological Survey"and "Shortage ot 'lVaterfowl." In the former, Mrs. Edge states:

"The U.S. Bureau of Biological Survey has been transferred from the Departmentof Agriculture to the Department of the Interior. This brings hope that theSecretary of the In~erior will institute a full investigation of the poisonactivities of the Survey. The Biological Survey is known in this country and,to our shame, in many places abroad for its destructive activities •••Dr. Harold E. Anthony, Curator ot Mammals, American Museum of Natural History,declaros the Survey to be 'the most destructive organized agency that has evermenaced so many species of our native fauna.'

The problem is one that involves the whole profound study of ecology, the rela-tion of living creatures to each othe~ and to their environment •••But whereecologists fear to tread, the poison squad of the Survey has rushed in tospread hatred a.nd death ••.

Meanwhile the Wild Life Division of the NRtional Park Service has been trans-ferred to the Biological Survey ••• No better government service exists for theprotection of wild creatures than this Division under the direction ofMr. Victor Cahalane ••• We believe that only a cleaning-up of the Survey cansave the Wild Life Division of the Park Service. Then the purposes of theWild Life Bureau might become the standard around which can be built aBiological Surve.y in which ecologists may be proud to serve ••."

"Under the more stringent shooting regulations of the past five years, thewaterfowl have increased a little bit. With each slight gain, the sportsmenhave clamored for a relaxation in the regulations ••• In 1938, the length ofthe season was increased by 5010; the rarer species of ducks, the canvasback,redhead, ruddy and bufflehead ducks, protected in 1936 and 1937, were putback on the game list; and possession li~it was increasod to two-days bag.Encouraged, the sportsmen now demand bigger bag-limits •••"

Mrs. Edge uses a chart taken from one published by the CanadianGovernment, showing the estimated decline of the waterfowl of North Americafrom 1840 to 1934, to illustrate that even if waterfowl had increased 10010 be-tween 1934 and 1939, as claimed by the Survey, the number of birds would stillbe at a dangerously low level.

(Reviewer's note - About August, 1940, t:be Department of Interior changed itsrecently transferred Bureau of Biological Survey into the Fish and WildlifeService. )

Good progress was made during 1939 on a life history study of the CactusWren. Palmer Thrashers, which are in this locality strong competitors of thewrens, were also studied.

Anders H. AndersenRoute 5, Box 488Tuscon, Arizona

•••It's nice to find out that you are interested in what we are doinghere in Nevada, and I'll certainly do my best to help. When I first got my band-ing permit, I had visions of having hundreds of banded birds to my credit, butalmost at the same time I also received a job and go to work at 8 o'clock in themorning until 6 o'clock at night, and work every other Sunday. I'm figuring ongQing to college in August so I hope to be able to band during my spare timethen.

Do you ever have occasion to use pictures, "paintings, pen and ink,Charcoal," or photographs of birds or animals? I have several good photographsthat I've taken on my jaunts, and I do paintings, etc. of birds and ahimals.Thanks.

Thomas TreleaseSteiner Apts. #5Sparks, Nevada

Again, may I suggest that our report of bird banding be changed tocoincide to that of the federal report, viz: on fiscal year ending as of June 30.Why the extra and added hardship on those of us pressed for time to sit down andfigure out a different report. It's silly and nothing gained.

Charles H. Feltes216 Rubert 0 st.Modesto, California

This banding station has not been in operation until recently due tolack of time and equipment. You will note that I banded 5 Rock Sparrows(Aimophila ruficeps eremoeca) in 1939. This is out of the range given them inthe latest A.O.U. check list and I understand they have only recently been re-ported between the Pecos and Rio Grande Rivers. This bird was listed as beingseen here in the spring of 1928 by Vernon Bailey but is not listed inMrs. Bailey's "Birds of New Mexico." The identification was made by the Museumof Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, on a specimen I sent to them.

Harold J. BroderickCarlsbad Caverns National ParkNew Mexico

The time was spring, 1932. The place - Strawberry Canyon, above theUniversity of California campus, at Berkeley. It was the first Saturday morningfield trip on birds, in the Vertebrate Zoology course of Dr. Joseph Grinnell.Thirty seniors and graduate students were gathered at the appointed spot, cockyin their knowledge of birds, noisy in the pleasure of being outdoors on a bright,green morning.

Dr. Grinnell walked a few steps and etopped, signalling for silence.He motioned toward a nearby oak. On the ground, in the deep shade under the oak,stood a small bird. It was sufficiently distant so that its color and markingscould not be detennined.

The students guessed readily - towhee? sparrow? finch? He shook hishead silently. The group ran out of ideas and stood crestfallen.

The bird moved suddenly - a delicate fluttering twitch of its wingtips, and was quiet again. Dr. Grinnell's face lit up. He said "That's theway to tell a Hennit Thrush as far as you can see it."

After careful note-taking on the thrush, the class moved on, presentlyapproaching a small side canyon. Birds flew and called all about - Californiajays, flickers, thrashers, wren-tits. For the moment Dr. Grinnell paid noattention to them. He directed the eyes of the group to a small stolid birdsitting on a twig in the sun. From where they stood, it appeared to be plaingray in color. It made no sound. It had no topnot or striking characteristicof any kind. It did not twitch. It sat.

Again the students exhausted their ideas. Dr. Grinnell almostgrinned. "It's a female House Finch." he said. "How do I know? Just becauseit has nothing to distinguish it!"

~/ CANYON WREJIl1S IN THE HOMEI thought I had reported a fairly unusual experience in 1937 when I

mentioned that I not only had caught and banded a Canyon wren on August 29 buthad caught the same bird as a repeat on November 13, - the capture both times be-ing in ~ home, Bl hand, the bird having entered through a basement window.

Now I can add the additional experience (Sept. 2, 1939) of having bandeda different Canyon wren (my second) again making the capture in ~ home, by hand.Is it too far fetched to say that our home is infested with -- Canyon wrens!?

Hatch Graham10300 Viretta LaneLos Angeles, California

Trap~4Trap,

In U. S. West of East of MississippiMississippi River River and in canada

$4.50 Postpaid $5.00 Postpaid

4.50 II 5.00 "1.00 II 1.15 II

;1.25 " 1.40 "3.00 /I 3.25 /I

1.50 II 1. 75 II

List of TrapsModesto Funnel Trap} 24"x2411xSt"

WBB! Government Sparrow Trap; 14"x2S"xlO"

WBBA Warbler Trap~ S-~"x15t/lx9t"

Rogers Two-V-cell Trap~ 8/1x8"x8".

All traps strong, welded·throughout, and painted with good green enamel.1. The Modesto Funnel Trap~ made of hardware cloth, may be used either with

food or water as bait, either on the ground or on an elevated platform. In oneday Mr. Irl Rogers, who designed the trap, took 489 Cedar Waxwings using two ofthese traps.

2. This well-known trap, made of hardware cloth, is always set, and whenbirds come in flocks will catch them to the limit of its capacity. In this par-ticular modification of the Government Sparrow Trap design, the comparativelysmall dimensions and especially the low height make it difficult for the birdsto hurt themselves by flying against the top and sides.

3. This small one-cell trap is made of vertical wires. It consists of. onecompartment with a drop door ,.8iu't ama'n c''fi'eadle,and a wire bot t'om.

4. The same as the small one-cell trap except 2" wider and 4/1 longer.5. This trap is made of vertical wires. The whole top is open when set and

is closed by two doors hinged along the sides of tho top and closing at the sametime. This is an excellent trap for birds that go to a water bath.

6. Similar to WBBA 2-cell trap but with improved doors, treadle and shapeof cells. Se·e drawing and description, Vol. XI, Dec. 1936, pp. 49-50.

For EMERGENCY SUPPLY OF BANDS andinformation in regard to banded birds found, address

Mr. C. V. Duff, 1922 Tamarind Avenue, Hollywood, California

For MEMBERSHIP A.T'-IDDUES addressMrs. N. Edward Ayer, Business Manager, 1300 Hillcrest Drive, Pomona, California

MembershipAssociateActive • • •SustainingLife (Total,

. . . . .not yearly) •

W.B.B.A.$1.00

1.005.00

50.00

W.B.B.A. and CooperOrnithological Club

$ 3.503.507.50

125.00

Members outside of the United States add twenty-five cents to the firstthree items of the last column for additional postage on The Condor.

If C.O.C. dues of $3.00 have been paid direct, remit difference to