Page:Condor11(2).djvu/34

 68 THE CONDOR VoL. XI the general government is carried on by the United States Geological Snrvey, its publications consisting of quite a number of distinct series, numbered separately, such as Annual Reports, Bnlletins, Monographs, Professional Papers, Atlas Folios, etc. Since the organization of this survey, the work of the general government in recent botany and zoology has been carried on by the varions bureaus of the Department of Agricnlture, the National Mnseum and Smithsonian Institution, tho incidental references to recent species become somewhat prominent in .such Geo- logical Survey papers as Dr. Arnold's "The Tertiary and Quaternary Pettens of California." A complete set of the publications of these various surveys constitntes a good sized library, and unless reference to them really points one to the volume intended it woxxld perhaps better be omitted altogether and thus avoid confusing future naturalists and bibliographers and sending them on "wild goose chases" similar to those from which some have recently returned. Anyone who expects to find Coues' "Birds of the Northwest," or Lesquereux' monographs, or Coues and Allen's "North American Rodentia," or Whitfield's report on Black Hills paleontology, in the publications of the United States Geological Survey, is doomed 'to disappointment. Let's all be carefnl with citations or omit them. Bulletin No. 222 of the United States Geological Survey is a very useful table of contents and generalized index of the King, Hayden, Powell and Wheeler publications. I have said nothing of the Pacific Railway Survey and earlier explorations, because there seems to be no confusion concerning them.--JJNIJS HENDERSON, Roulder, Colorado. Winter Observations in Oregon.---The recent winter has been, for Oregon, one of great severity. The Willamette valley birds were given a sample of real winter; it came in th shape of a snow storm. Au excellent opportunity was presented to the city man for bird study, for birds came to the towns in great numbers in search of food. Our usual winter friends of the wood were much in evidence and we were surprised to see, also, many of the birds which do not usually arrive until the spring. I had the pleasure of seeing birds whose habitats are far re- moved from each other eating crumbs together in perfect harmony. The Flicker came from the depths of his woody retreat to partake of a meal in company with a Meadowlark from the fields. Chattering Juneos in sudden flutries swept continually by, and the dusky little Song Spar- rows, aroused to greater activity than ever, seemed everywhere. Towhess and Robins were seen every now and then and a Jay or two flew over. From the nearby wood came Chickade6s, Kinglets and great numbers of Alaska Robins. The last named bird--known also as Varied Thrush, Flicker and Mountain Robin--is a.most voracious fellow. Of course I opened lunch counters for the birds with the coming of the storm, and the Alaska Robins came near breaking me up in business! They prefer apples but there are few bird stuffs which they reject. The Flicker is a queer looker: that is, one cannot tell where he is looking because of a patch of black which surrounds the eyes making those organs invisible to us. The bird resembles the Robin in having a red breast. The male has, like the Wood- pecker, a black crescent upon the breast, the neck is brownish yellow and the wings mottled, yellow and black. It seemed surprising to see our usual summer birdlife here in the depth of winter. . Larks drifted in by two's and three's and Horned Larks in bands. But the merry Lark was merry no longer nor did he soar as poets would fain have him to do: he was but a very cold and hungry bird. The Horned Larks trotted, quail-like, about the streets giving their short, unmusical call. The cold madethese naturally shy birds almost fearless. Many persons did not recognize this bird as our summer friend. It scarcely looked familiar, we nmst admit, for the feathers were ruffed up and wings partly extended because of the cold. In summer the bird presents[ a most spick and span appearance. Some of the Larks sat apart with heads wellnigh hidden in their' bodies, looking most de- jected. Not a few birds perished. Great numbers of quail have died. Alighting in the soft snow the birds could find no footing whence to spring out and so floundered abont until frozen. Before the snow went off, however, sleet fell, and this, crusting the snow, undoubtedly saved many bird lives.--ERL STNNRD, Rrownsville, Oregon. Sterns caspia in Los Angeles Count.--December 27, 1908, while rowing in Alamitos Bay, California, I counted eight individuals of Slerna caspia (Caspian Tern) resting on the exposed mud flats in company with Royal Terns, Western Gulls and numerous sandpipers. Altho Slerna caspia could hardly be compared with Slerta maxima by anyone at all familiar with either bird, to avoid possible mistakes I crossed the bay and flushed the entire flock, but did not attempt to secure specimens owing to the proximity of residenees--C. B. LIZqTON, Long Reach, California. A Correction.--I note that Mr. Robert Rockwell has, in his "Annotated List of the Birds of Mesa County, Colorado" (CONDOR, July, 19.08, pp. 152-180), used, without permission, a record