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 Mar., 9o4 [ THE CONDOR 47 That the elf owl is a resident of California is now settled beyond doubt, but I seriously question their being far west of the Colorado river. On the Arizona side, immediately opposite Duncan Flare, is an extensive growth of sagnaras, and in them scores of favorable nesting sites. These conditions in southern central Arizona would produce at least twenty to one on the Colorado. I am not very familiar with the desert flora west of the river, although I crossed the country twice, once by stage and once by horseback, but that was so long ago that I may be pardoned for forgetting. I do know, however, that the upper reaches of the desert have a heavier growth than the middle lower. Furthermore its character is such that if the elf owl goes far west of the Colorado river it must be by way of the Mojave desert and not by way of the Colorado. As Mr. Frank Stephens is better informed on that subject than I am, I pass the question up to him. The two elf owl skins I sent to the Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, but the eggs I still have, two beautiful sets of four each. Even the five hawk eggs turned out first class. The family of Mexican screech owls I brought home with me. I kept them for two months and then sent them to Central Park, New York. As they were the first lot of young, of their kind, ever taken in California I offered them to the Park Commissioners, San Francisco, but they declined the proffered gift with thanks. The mother, of course, went with them. They certainly were a beautiful lot if such expression can be used to describe a family of owls. Yuma, .4 rizona. Nevada Notes BY WILSON C. HANNA URING the late spring and early summer months of last year (i9o3) work on the Central Pacific Reconstruction brought me to that part of Humboldt county, Nevada, lying between Golconda and Battle Mountain. This division of the railroad lies in the valley of the Humboldt River, which here varies in width from a few hundred yards to many miles; while the river itself containing a good volume of water flows slowly through its very winding channel, in some places dividing into several branches. This condition of the fiver causes many shallow alkaline ponds and a considerable amount of marshy meadow land which in most places is covered with coarse wild grasses. The valley is bounded by rocky mountains, the height of which varies from several hundred to several thousand feet above the floor of the valley. Upon the highest of these snow lies during most of the year. Their sides are sparsely cov- ered with low chaparral. The soil is more or less alkaline which is probably the cause of the absence of trees, but willow and wild rose bushes thrive along the river banks and in some places form almost impenetrable thickets. The elevation of the railroad through the valley is about 43o0 to 4500 feet above sea level. During May and June I had a chance to see many of the birds of this section, and when possible I spent my time along the river collecting birds and eggs. There are very few birds here compared to the many found in California, and collecting has to be done while you are enduring torments from the mosquitos that breed in great numbers along the banks of the stream.