Page:Condor21(2).djvu/11

 Mar., 1919 ALBERT MILLS INGERSOLL--AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY 57 fornia; but the birds of New York, Illinois, Florida, Arizona and Idaho have also received visits from me. Favorable opportunities enabled me to add to my collection of nests and eggs a larger. proportion of personally taken species and subspecies than is commonly the privilege of an oologist. A set of Spotted Owl, taken in San Diego County, March 24, 1884, is the most highly prized of any set in my collection. Most ooiogists, however, might consider as of greater value my Condor egg or either one of the following nests accompanied by beau- tifully marked sets of eggs: Everglade Kite, Golden Eagle, Farallon Rail. My collection of bird skins, nests and eggs is willed to the California Museum of Vertebrate Zoology. The most important capture of my life, is Mrs. Ingersoll, formerly Miss Laura . Stevens, of Sacrame. nto, California. ALBERT MILLS INGERSOLL, San Diego, California, January 18, 1919. NOTES ON THE BREEDING HABITS OF THE RED CIOSSBILL IN THE OKANAGAN VALLEY, BRITISH COLUMBIA By J. A. MUNRO HE FOLLOWING notes apply chiefly to a small section of timbered coun- try close to Okanagan Landing, its topography being the familiar Oka- nagan type of low mountain covered with Douglas fir and yellow pine, including both original forest and second growth. Red. Crossbills (Loxia curvirostra minor) were present in unusually large numbers during the year 1918, and in order to compare their relative abund- ance with, other years, a synopsis of my field notes, taken since 1911, is in- cluded. These birds were fairly common on December 14, 1911, in yellow pine country near Okanagan Landing. A series of'males collected on this date had the sex organs enlarged, but no mated birds were seen. It is probable that these birds remained until the following spring, but as no special interest was aken in them at the time, no attempt was made to keep a record of their movement as was done in subsequent years. The only record for 1912 was made on March 13, when a flock of fifteen birds was seen at Nahun, fifteen miles south of Okanagan Landing on the west side of the lake. A small flock was seen several times in the same district at an altitude of 4000 feet during the first week of December, 19i3. No other records were made until July 21, 1915, when a small flock was seen at Okanagan Landing, probably their first appearance for that year. As this locality was being carefully worked at the time it is unlikely that they would have escaped observation, had they arrived before. this. A female taken on August 5, and another taken on August 18, had the worn abdominal patch of breeding birds and a third female in breeding condition, was taken on Feb- ruary 24, 1916. This small flock was seen at intervals until April 20, 1916, which was the last date on which Crossbills were observed until the .big yea: 191, when they were first noted on January 9. They were seen daily there-