92 THE CONDOR VoL. X Juueo hyemalis hyemalis.--While collecting in the hills back of Palo Alto, California, on November 24, 1907, two specimens. of funeo h. byemalts were procured from an uuusually large flock of Juncos. By following the birds from tree to tree across an orchard I was able. to iden- tify three more of these Eastern Junc s from the majority of the flock which were funco h. 1Mno- sus. I have often looked for these rare winter visitors, but these two are the first I have ever been able to collect. The specimens are indistinguishable from specimens offuneo h. byemalts from Wisconsin.--J. R. PEMBEaTON, Palo Alfo, California. Brain Parasite in White-necked Raven.--During a tramp about the foothills of the Whetstone Mountains, Arizona, May 25; 1907, my attention was directed to a White-necked Raven (Corvus erypto/eueus) some forty feet overhead, by its strauge circular flight and gyrating movemeuts. No birds of its kind were in sight at the time, and its indifference to my presence also surprised me; so after some moments of observation, I brought it to the ground with a charge of buck-shot. In skinning the bird, close examination was paid to the brain-case and orbital region, and I was 'rewarded by finding, directly back of the eyes, and extending partly into the brain, a par- asite more than an inch in length, abont the thickness of wrapping twiue, pale yellow in color. The parasite showed considerable activity for an hour or more, when immersed in water. The bird's sight may or may not have been impaired, tho cursory notice of the eyes, after being wonnded, and before it expired, showed nothing unusual Notwithstanding its size, the parasite must have been of recent date, with rapid growth, as the bird was an adult ?, and it would seem unlikely that any animal in the fierce struggle for survival in nature, could exist for
a year or more in a defective mental state, as this bird's actions would clearly iudicate.--AusTiN
PAUL SMITH, .?enson, ? .f]rizona. Goonies of the 'Desert.---Those of us who have undertaken voyages across the ocean will readily recall the almost constant presence of goonies, or albatrosses, which fly along in the wake of the boat closely scrutinizing the sea surface for any sort of refuse that may serve them as food. In crossing thg deserts of New Mexico, Arizona, and southern California recently, I noticed a similar habit on the part of the ravens. As I sat on the observation platform at the rear of the train, I repeatedly saw these goonies of the desert fall in behind the train, following along above the track evidently on the lookout for scraps thrown from the diner. The birds were nearly always in pairs. In case the grade was heavy, as is the climb up to San Gorgonio Pass out of the Salton Sink, the ravens could easily keep-up with the train, even when they now and then alighted to investigate something of suspected interest. Elsewhere the birds were easily distanced by the train. We can infer that these scavengers regularly follow the trains back and forth across the desert, securing a substautial addition to their primitive food supply.--J. GRIN- NELL, Pasadena, California. The Blackburntan Warbler Noted at Ft. Brown, Texas, December ix, x9o7.-- A single bird observed for several minutes in the pecan trees that line the drill ground. As it came within a dozen feet of where I was sitting, on several occasions, all doubt as to identity was precluded. Probably a ? adult. Heavy fogs, with some rain and considerable wind, characterized the two preceding days, as well as the morning of the day in question. And as a careful search disclosed no other of the species or genus, it can probably be counted only as a tempest-tossed individual adding a very late date to the autumnal migration, within the U.S., of L)endroica blackburnice. AUSTIN PAUL SMITH, ?enson, ?trizona. How Large a Bird Can the California Shrike liill?--On February 6, 1906, I wit- essed a California Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus ?ambeli) overtake and kill a female Golden- crowned Sparrow (Zonolrichia coronata). The sparrow was pursued in the open, but the shrike gradually gained on it, forcing it to seek the protection of a thick bush. Here again, the sparrow employed all its faculties to elude its pursuer, but was finally overtaken and killed. On examination of the victim, the skin of the neck was found to be cut and the vertebra broken. The shrike was shot and proved to be a female. I have known shrikes to kill birds the size of a Western Chipping Sparrow, but never auy as large as Zonolrichia coronata. It would be of interest to know how large a bird the California Shrike can kill.---CHARLES H. RICHARDSON, JR., Pasadena, California.
