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 July, 1909 EDITORIAL NOTES AND NEWS 141 E. R. Warren is occupied with an all-summer collecting trip thru central Colorado. He reports that his "bird list is growing rapicily." At the April Northern Division meeting the eggs of the White-throated Swift described in the May number of this magazine were ex- hibited, and proved a novelty to most of those present. This is probably one of the rarest of Californian bird's eggs. Altho the birds themselves are in many places abundant, the difficulty of access to their nests has usually prevented even a giimpse at the eggs. The set in question, obtained by W. C. Hanna, has been generously added by him to the collection of the Stale Museum of Vertebrate Zoology. Owing to ill health, Mr. Frank Stephens has been compelled to withdraw from field-work, and is again at his home in San Diego. His .work up to the eml of June was on the edge of the Colorado Desert amt in the Salton Sea dis- trict. We wish to call special attention to Mrs. Meyers' article in this issue on Ihe nesting habits of the Rnfous-crowned Sparrow. This is an admirable example of a type of work which it is possible to undertake without recourse to a collection or library. Biographi- cal accounts of this kiml are still lacking in the literature of many of eveu our commoner birds, such as the Lazuli Bunting, Black Phoebe, Western Kingbird, etc. The Uuiversityof California Summer Session is more largely attended this year than for several years previously. In the course in the Birds, Mammals, aml Reptiles of California, as outlined in the news columns of our last issne, there are twenty-two students. The study of 1)irds in the field is exciting particularinterest; altho it is not a part of the prescribed work outside time is freely appropriated for frequent class trips. There is an increasing need for a convenient manual of colors, something after the plan of Ridgvay's "Nomenclature of Colors," but more extemled. The latter work is long out of print; our own copy, for example, has been put to such good use that it is becoming sadly dilapidated; and there is a fear that some of the colors have faded. Of course the demand for such a work is limited, and its publication could be expected only from some public institution able to stand the heavy cost. Here is an opportunity for some one properly situ- ated to do systematic naturalists an invaluable service. Mr. R. H. Beck who for the past year has been engaged in securing series of water birds in the San Joaquin Valley for the California Academy of Sciences, is now contemplating a a visit to the Hawaiian IslamIs for the purpose of collecting pelagic birds for the same institu- tion. CORRESPONDENCE Edi{or THE CONDOR; There are two matters about which I wish to call the attention of those interested in bird protection. The first is, that the opening of the quail season is far too early in the high Sierras. Previous to September 1st, in the vicinity of I,ake Tahoe,-I took many tramps thru the mountains studying the birds and their habits. Jnst a day or so before September 1st I. noted dozens of pairs of Mountain Quail with small young which had just emerKedt3'om the eKg. No doubt a few also were still sitting on eggs. Yet two days later the season opened, amt sportsmen from Tallac aml other resorts, aml also many hunters from the ranches about, were hunting in this very region, viz, Star Lake Canyon, the elevation of which is but little more than that of Lake Valley, which is 6220 feet. Grouse, while they breed earlier than the quail in this region, are not always hlly grown by September 1st either, as I observed juve- niles at Mountain Meadows, elevation about 7500 feet, on Augrest 24th. I feel that what is true concerning this region applies to the entire length of the Sierras, aml as these birds are principally fouml only in the higher ranges I think for their protection, aml for the ultimate benefit of the sportsman as well, the season for Mountain Quail should begin October 1st, and for Grouse, September 15th. have always been puzzled to know why the season for these birds opens so much earlier than that of the Valley Quail which breeds con- siderably earlier than they do. My experience has led me to believe that dogs on the Farallone Islands do more injury to the bird colonies there than any other agency. As other visitors to the islands have reached the same conclusion. it seems that something should be done to have a law framed prohibiting any one with clogs landing on the island and prohibiting the keeping of any dogs or cats by those residing on the islamt. As they are all government employes it seems to me it would not be a very delicate nmtter. It may even be that at the present time no dogs are kept there, but most people going to the islands have found one or more. During my visit the dog kept by Keeper Kineen did untold -damage to the colonies of ahnost every