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 Mar., 1908 LIllE HISTORY O1 THE CALIlORNIA CONDOR. PART III 65 seemed to change tactics and to become quite meek. While we were getting pic- tures of him, the parents sat about only a few feet away. They were almost devoid of fear, for several times they stood within five or six feet of us in perfect uncon- cern. Of course, we had been extremely careful from the first not to scare them and not to make any quick movements while they were so near. In all our study of the home life of these birds, there was never the slightest indication of ferocity on the part of the parents. Their attitude was one of anxiety and solicitation. The last afternoon when we took the young condor out of his cave and he ap- peared blindfolded, themother jumped back as if scared, for she could hardly recog- nize him without a head. We placed him on a narrow ledge of rock, removed the blind and the mother edged down to her young. Then she began caressing him, pushing her head under his wing and biting him gently on the leg. I never saw a greater show of affection in any bird than the two condors seemed to have for each other and for their young. The longer we studied and the more we watched this family, the stronger our own attachment became for the birds. While we were taking our final pictures of the condor family, two more condors appeared high above. With a field-glass, we recognized one as the former visitor, the ragged bird with missing feathers in the wing and tail. The two new arrivals sailed about in circles for a while and then we saw the ragged bird descending. The father of the young condor seemed to get more anxious and flapped across the canyon and back. On came the visitor till he was only a short distance above the top of the mountain. Then the father sailed rapidly down the canyon and around the bend out of sight. The third bird dropped lower and lower in circles while his mate stayed higher up in the sky. The father of the young bird was gone about five minutes, when he suddenly appeared right over the top of the mountain and higher than the visitor. He had made a feint and got the advantage of position. Drawing his win gs partly in, he dove at the intruder who saw him coming and in- creased his speed down the canyon. Dodging the enraged condor, he circled back up a small side ravi. ne and both disappeared behind the mountain. In a few min- utes, they came into view again higher in the air and going toward the west, the old condor flapping wildly to strike a blow and the pursued one dodging back and forth to escape. They were undoubtedly two males, for the mother sat calmly looking at the chase, while the mate of the ragged. bird sailed about' watching the outcome. After another wait of several minutes, the two birds appeared again, but far up in the sky; the ragged bird was flying straight to the east, still dodging the mad condor at his tail. And on they went as far as I could see, with the mate of the ragged bird following some distance in the rear. In about half an hour, the father again appeared, sailing slowly back alone, victorious in the chase. ]ortland, Oregon. SPRING NOTES FROM SANTA CATALINA ISLAND By CHARLES H. RICHARDSON, JR. ANTA Catalina Island lies about twenty-five miles off the coast of Los Angeles County, California. It is an exposed portion of a mountain range, of which the other islahds of the Santa Barbara Group are a part, and is twenty-three miles long with a maximum width of eight miles. The surface of the Island is broken by many canyons, some short with steep, almost precipitous