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 July, 1917 V[NTER MIGRATION OF 1916-17 IN THE NORTHWEST 129 tiere, is the Redpoll (Acathis linaria linaria), my first specimen for the sea- son being taken on February 3, 1917. After that date Redpolls were seen sew eral times, one flock containing at least a thonsand individuals. I examined them carefully with a glass at short range, but could see none that might have belonged to any other varieties of Redpoll. Tacoma, Washi.qto, April :, 1.917. OBSERVATIONS ON SOM E FRESNO COUNTY BIRDS By H. S. SWARTtt (Contribution from the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology of the University of California) D URtNG the fall of 1916 the writer, together with Mr. Joseph Dixon and IMr. Halsted G. White, in carrying on field work for the Museum of Ver- tebrate Zoology in the Kings River section of the Sierra Nevada, had oc- casion to do some bird collecting at a point lying just within the boundary of the territory covered by John G. Tyler in his papers on "Birds of the Fresno Region, California'" (Pacific Coast Avifauna no. 9, 1913, and Co)(m, xvm, 1916, p. 167 and p. 194). In the course of our observations several species were encountered not included in those lists, as well as others whose presence is based upon such scanty data that it seems desirable to place on record state- tents as to the manner in which we found them. We stayed at. the little hamlet of Minklet, in the southern part of Fresno County, some ten miles east of the town of Sanger. At this point the valle for miles around is largely devoted to vineyards, practically all arable land being under cultivation, and in what would seem to be an unfavorable condi- tion for birds; but the bottomlands of the Kings River, in this section split up into innumerable narrow and tortuous channels. is a wilderness of tangled willows and underbrush that forths a haven of refuge for many species. Many birds, too, did seem to find attraction in the vineyards. About a mile to the eastward the first of the Sierran foothills rises ahrnptly, barren of trees or anderbrush, t)ut well covered with grasses and other forage plants, and evi- dently used at times for cattle grazing. Scattered over the hills are numerous rock piles of varying extent. Birds were numerous, and the variely of surroundings and cover found within a relatively small area was productive of many rather striking contrasts among species observed in close proximity. We remained at Minklet ten days, October 4 to 13, and during this time seventy-seven species of birds were listed by our party. Of these, the following sixteen seem worthy of special mention regarding their occurrence at this point.. Buteo lineatus elegans. Red-bellied Hawk. Included in Tyler's supplementary list as occurring sparingly in the Kings River bottoms near Sanger. This is the section we were in, and one or more of these hawks were seen daily, while they could be heard constantly giving their characteristic chattering call as they circled overhead. halaenoptilus nuttalli alifonicus. Dusky Poor-will. One specimen recorded by Tyler. I saw one in a vineyard at Minklet, October 5, and others were seen or heard at points farther back in the hills. It is undoubtedly of fairly common occurrence in this section.