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 102 TII,, CONDOR Vol. XIX and continuously, evidently finding an abundance of food, without, however, prying off Crustacea from the rocks as observed by Mr. Dawson at Santa Barbara. Whatever their diet, it was gleaned with but small exertion amid the moist seaweed, and consumed in great quantities and with avidity. Each individual was quick to resent intrusion, and the encroachment of a neigh- bor upon another's "sphere of influence" usually resulted in a sharp "passage-at-bills", three of which were noted within the short space of tinhe the birds were under observa- tion. The protective coloration feature of their autumnal plumage was very pronounced, particularly in an instance where a bird crouched down for a moment, remaining im- movable and almost invisible, the dusky gray of it's back blending most harmoniously with the surf-worn rock. The contrast was the more noticeable because of the distinct- ive appearance of the same bird while in motion, the upraised wings with their broad, exposed portion of white, rendering it very conspicuous. Unlike many of our shore birds the initiative of all, in this particular case at least, did not depend upon the alarm of some, and though it may be presumed that in any ex- tended flight the wanderers clung together, yet the excited departure of three birds, startled by a paper fluttering down the cliff, was but disinterestedly watched by the re- mainder. The flock continued feeding for some moments longer, and then rising rapidly one after another, swung about the point and disappeared.--GEoRc W. Scluss[.m, San Francisco, December 18, .1916. Vermilion Flycatcher at San Diego, Califcrnia.--While visiting at Nestor, at the south end of San Diego Bay on December 25, 1916, I saw a Vermilion Flycatcher (Pyro- cephalus rubinus mexicanus) busily engaged in catching flies in front of the house where I stayed. At the same place on March 17, 1906, I saw another individual of this species, hawking for flies all day long from the fence. These are the only two I have ever seen. here, and it is curious that I should have seen them at exactly the same place. It is not surprising that these birds should occur here occasionally, however, as there are no high mountain ranges to bar them from leaving the desert region to the eastward.--HENRY GREY, San Diego, California, February 23, 1917. Early Nesting of California Brown Pelican on Anacapa Island, California.--I was on Anacapa Island on March 12, 1911, when there were abou[ two hundred pairs of Peli- cans (Pelecanus californicus) on the island. None of them had eggs at that time, al- though a few had started nest building. I visited the island again on May 12, 1912, find- ing that the colony hkd not increased in size during the year. Most of the nests were ready for eggs at that time, but there were only two fresh eggs to be found. On June 11, 1915, the colony had increased noticeably and had divided into two sections, one on the top of the island and the other on the slope under the cliffs on the south side. The one on top had a few newly hatched young, but in most cases there were eggs, fresh or nearly so. In the colony on the south side all of the eggs had hatched, and most of the young were nearly grown. On March 7, 1916, we estimated that there were at least fifteen hundred pairs of birds upon the island, in two colonies, as before. The nests on the south side contained three eggs each; most of those on the top of the island were just completed, though one set of three fresh eggs was seen there, and a few with two eggs. This year (1917) we were on the island on March 2. There were at least two thousand pairs of Pelicans in the colony, and they were already breeding. In fact, most of the eggs were heavily in- cubated, and in one nest there was a newly hatched young, together with two eggs on the point of hatching. .Many sets of four eggs were seen, and one set of three was collected containing a runt egg about the size of a hen's egg. From the above data it appears that the colony is increasing rapidly in numbers, and that the birds are nesting earlier every year.--S[uNE B. PE,o,x, Sespe, California, March 2It, 1917. Early Nesting of the San Diego Song Sparrow.--Mr. P. J. Hartman tells me that on 1 ebruar 7 g0, 1917, he found a nest of the San Diego Song Sparrow (Melosia melodia cooeri) near La Itabra, Orange County, California. The nest was placed in a dock plant ten inches above the ground, and contained four eggs with incubation going on.--W. LEE C}[EaS, LOS Angeles, California, February 23, 1917.