May, 1908
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': ;. :.i NOTES FROM SANTA CRUZ ISLAND ' t29 Psaltriparus minimus minimus. California Bush-tit. Several seen. One taken. Regulus calendula. Ruby-crowned Kinglet. Common. P01i0ptila c?erulea 0bscura. Western Gnatcatcher. A gnatcatcher heard on several occasions in the brush. Probably of this species. Hy10cichla ustulata ustulata. Russet-backed Thrush. One secured. Hy10cichla guttara nana. Dwarf Hermit Thrush. Common. Long Beach, Cal?orma. FI?OM FIELD AND STUDY The Green-winged Teal (Nettion carolinensis) t?reeding in California.--While en- gaged in field work for the U.S. Bi01ogieal Survey along the west shore of Tulare Lake, Cali- fornia, I secured a female Green-winged Teal and set of seven eggs, July 7, 1907. The brooding bird was shot as she flew from the nest. Several other ducks of the same species were seen within a few miles, and appeared to be part of a quite local colony. This is apparently the first record of the nesting of ?Vettion carolinensis in the State.--E. A. GO?D?AN, I?ioloffical Survey, I47ashinffton, D.C. Cooper 1tawks Attacking t2rows.--During the fall of 1907 a flock of crows, numbering perhaps a thousand, frequently came out from the San Francisco Bay shore to spend the day with us at San Geronimo, feeding about the fields anti on the hillsides. It happened that about noon on October 27th the flock lit in some trees near our barns. As I came out of the house just after lunch there was quite a commotion in the flock, anti it proved that two Cooper Hawks (?tccipiter cooperi) were attacking the crows, doing some remarkably good team work in their endeavors to lay low one of their dusky enemies. The crows were, however, too alert for the hawks and no loss was inflicted beyond a few feathers. The excitement was so great that I was enabled to walk up on the flock and bag both hawks. One is accustomed to see crows attacking hawks, and it seems rather surprising that the opposite would take place. But in this instance there was no doubt in the world of the true state of the case. The crows were quietly perched on the dead tops of some alders that had been killed by the changing of the course of a small stream, anti the hawks deliberately pitched into them, one attacking from above anti the other from below. One hawk would perch on top of a tree above the crows while the other would go off a little way and then swoop down on the flock, repeating the operation--With variations. Whether this was all done in a spirit of bravado, or for the purpose of securing a meal, it is of course impossible to determine. My foreman and I watched the game for stone time before kill- ing the hawks; then seeing that no damage was being done anti fearing to lose the opportunity of destroying such enemies to bird life as the Cooper Hawk .has proved itself to be, I walked up to the flock anti shot both the members of the attacking party.--Jos?:va XlAILLIARD, San Fran- cisco, California. Salptnctes obsoletus pulvefius restricted to San Nicholas Island.--After carefully examining specimens from San Clemente Island, Mr. Grinnell confirms my opinion that they are Xalpincles obsoletes and that the name X. o. p?lverius should be restricted to the San Nicholas Island Rock Wren.--C. B. LINTO?, onff ?each, California. Odds and lgnds From Washington State.--What I call my "Old Curiosity Shop," a succession of weed grown fields bordered by alders, is situated in the heart of the Puyallup Val- ley in an abundantly watered region. It has done unusually well for me during the past fall and winter, having produced the following records which must be considered very unusual for this State. The first surprise came on November 7, in the shape of a white-winged Dove (?Ie/opelia le?- coptera), which proved to be an adult female. Even at this date the feathers were in a surpris- ingly good state of preservation, removing the very unhkely possibilities of its being a cage- bird. This is the only record of this dove from Washington, and we can hardly surmise what could have driven it so far from its natural'habitat. December 16: I flushed two Golden-crowned Sparrows (Zonotrichia coronata) that were 'in
