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 94 BULLETIN OF THE COOPER' ORNITHOLOGICAL CLUB. Hsting Hotes from bos Angeles, 6al. SNOWY PLOVER (Ae. ffialtis nivosa), Redondo, Los Angeles Co., Cal., Apr. 25, x899. Set of three taken. Incubation so far ad- vanced that the set could not be saved. The earliest nesting date noted in Mr. GrinnelI's "List of the Birds of I,os Angeles Co.," is May x, x897. A.tERICAN BXTTERN (]5'otaurus [enfzffinosus). Alamitos, Los Angeles Co., Cal., May t 4, 899. While tramping through the marsh at the north-east end of Alam- itos Bay an American Bittern vas flushed and upon search a nest containing three eggs was found. The nest was composed of dry marsh grass and lined with finer grass of the same variety; it was nearly fiat on top with only a slight de- pression in the center to hold the eggs in place. The eggs were fresh. This is the first instance on record of this bird breeding in Los Angeles Co. MARSH HAWI (Circus hudsonius). Alamitos, May t4, z899. A nest containing five young was found by Mr. H. J. Leland in a bunch of weeds and nettles, sur- rounded by marsh grass which had recently beefi cut with a mowing machine, the operator being kind enough to leave the nest and young birds alone. A few of the weeds had been broken down to a height of about eight inches, on which a nest of coarse sticks and straw was placed. The nest was fiat on top and meas- ured fourteen inches across. The young ranged in size from a Iittle downy fellow to one nearly quarter-grown. COMMON TURNSTONE (,4renaria interpres). I have an immature bird of this species taken at Long Beach on Aug. 24, x897. Mr. Grinnell in his list does not note the occurrence of this bird in Los Angeles Co. HOWARD ROBERTSON, Sta. A. Los Angeles, Cal. l'1ots on the Black Swift in aontcecy 6o, 6al. While spending a few days in Mon- terey Co. on a fishing trip last June I secured several skins of the Black Swift and noted one or two things in their actions that might prove of interest. The birds were seen principally on the tops of the high ridges in company with West- ern Martins. The rapidity with which they flew caused many exclamations of astonishment from our party and made our necks tired from continual twisting to keep two birds in sight at once. My companion, Mr. F. 'H. Holmes, remarked that a "rubber neck" would be a great convenience to any one watching the swifts. One moment a bird would be directly over us and in a few seconds per- haps be a half mile away. Judging from the company they kept I am inclined to think they nest in trees with the martins rather than in the cliffs with the White- throated Swifts. The latter species seemed to keep more in the canons, flying and circling about near the cliffs. I climbed up and had the pleasure of looking into the crack of a cliff where one or two of their nests were hidden, but could not possibly see or obtain the eggs which were probably in several feet. Three or four Audubon's ? Hermit Thrushes were heard singing, usually about dark, high up in the thick redwoods. A lonely Cal. Vulture was seen two or three times sailing about near the summit of the range. While coming home along the sea coast a flock of 40 or 50 Heermann's Gulls was noted flying north close to shore. R. H. BEck:, Berryessa, Cal., Aug. 4, '99. l'1ots eom [,os Angeles, 6al. Spzel[a breweri. On May 2, 899, a great many Brew- er's Sparrows were observed in the San Fernando Valley. The majority of those seen were in pairs, and the males were generally sitting on the tops of the bushes, singing. On May z4 we revisited the place and while they were not as nunher- ous as before, quite a number were seen. One nest was found containing three young. It was built in a candle cactus near the main stem and about one foot from the ground, and was composed mainly of small rootlets and was not appar- ently lined with any finer material. The young were only a day or two old. Zonotrichia leucophr_vs. Although this bird has not been recorded from Los An- geles County before, I believe that it is of regular occurrenc here, though proE- ably not in any great numbers. On April z2, h898, I shot an adult fenhale from a