Page:CooperBull1(4).djvu/11

 68 BULLETIN OF THE COOPER ORNITHOLOGICAL CLUB. Corvus americanus.-A few seen at west side and i8 five miles east of the summit, feeding on the myriads of grasshoppers that were present. 8 Slumella mana nelecta.-Common in the mountain meadows. 9 Icierus cucullatus nelsoni.-Common at western base and on the top of the mountains. 3o Scolecophaus cyanocephalus..-A few young of the year seen. CartSodacus purpureus californicus.- Scarce. Very shy and difficult to approach. 3 Cart5odacs mexicanus frontalis.-A snall flock and a few pairs seen near an orchard. Four fresh eggs taken on the x9th. 3 Chondestes,rammacus striatus.-Fair- ly common. 4 Spizella socialis arizone.-A few pairs seen. 35 funco hyemalis lhurberi.-Abundant. Nestlings and new nests observed on the 9th. 36 PzSilo maculalus me, ffalon?x.-Com- mon. Fresh eggs collected. Zamelodia melanocephala.- Fairly common. Young were seen, just able to fly. 38 Cyanospiza amcena.-Common. Prob- ably breeds. 9 Prana ludoviciana.-Few seen. A mhle was taken in breeding plumage and with greatly enlarged testes. Petrochelidon lunifrons.-A few pair. Tachyct3eta thalassina.- Common. Breeding in natural cavity of trees. 33 Phainopepla nitens.-Common at west- ern base of mountains where they were eating alder berries. One nest in course of construction was found. 33 I/ireogilvus.-Common at summit. 34 Dendrdca rrstiva.-Fairly common. 35 Trolovtes aedon aztecus.-Very a- bundant, more than twenty nests containing young being observed. 6 Uerthia fa.miliaris occidentalis.-Rare. 37 Sitla carolinensis aculeala.-Common. 38 Parus inornetus.-A large flock noted on the mountain side. 39 Parus ambeli.-Common. 40 Sialia me.ricana occidentalis.-Common. Set of four eggs taken on the 7th. Observations on the American Iaven in Southern California. BY C. B. LINTON, VrHITTIER, CAL. URING my collecting experience II have found the American Raven (Corwts corax snualus) nesting in almost every range of foot-hills in Los Angeles and neighboring counties. Al- though it is being continually driven deeper into the wildest and most inac- cessible portions of its former haunts by the encroachnent of civilization,it is still abundant in 'certain localities. In the Puente hills of I,os Angeles County I have taken numerous sets of eggs of the American Raven in the past four years. A tramp of a day or two through this range will reveal to the collector dozens of large, compact nests now unused ex- cepting by an occasional Great Horned Owl or Western Redtail, whereas they were formerly occupied by ravens. In February, 895, I found my first pair of ravens putting the finishing touches to a huge nest built on a ledge of rock about fifty feet from the bottom of a ninety foot cliff. I was greatly discouraged at first as this nest seemed inaccessible, but on March 4 I persua- ded a friend to climb to it, and he being experienced in the art, reached the nest without difficulty and secured a handsome set of five fresh eggs, which measured 3.o9x.37; 2.o6x.37; 2.o4x.35; .88x.3 and .79xt.28. In color they were bluish-green, heavily covered with blotches of dark brown and quite similar to eggs of the American Crow. A set of four slightly incubated eggs was taken from this nest on March 28 and I procured another set of six eggs from a neighboring cliff on April 20, ev- idently from the same pair of birds. The eggs of this set vary greatly in size and coloration, one being very small and slightly marked. I have noticed quite an oddity in three sets of eggs taken from a pair of birds in 897. Each egg has a "knob" on the larger end, making the series quite a curiosity, and I have noticed the same deformity in a set taken this season (899) from a new nest near the