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$0 THE CONDOR Vol. XIII Herodias egretta. Egret. In view of the fact that this species was at one time nearly extinct in this state it is encouraging to the advocates of bird protection 'to note that these egrets are increasing in numbers. There'are quite a number to be seen nowadays in the fall and winter in the lowlands and along the sloughs of the ' San Joaquin River. I have, in fact, seen as many as seven or eight at a time near the junction of the San Joaquin and Tuolumne rivers, and a group of two or three together is no uncommon sight in that locality. The sight of even one of these birds was a rare event for a number of years in most parts of the state, and is so yet in many places where they used to be quite common. In Marin county, for instance, one or two could be found in every small marsh thirty years ago, whereas I have not seen one there for many a long year. As this species has not been defi- nitely recorded from Marin county it might be of interest to state that there is one in our collection shot by myself in January, 1880, as it was fiy?g over our buggy in the outskirts of San Rafael. I was then returning with C. A. Allen from a trip to Pt. San Pedro (Marin County) after a vain search for the Barrow Golden-eye ( Clan- g?ula islandica), some of which he had taken there shortly before. The spot where ? this egret was shot is now near the heart of the town, and on one of the prin- cipal streets. Egretta Candidissima. Snowy Egret. While the Egret (?rerodias egrella), as noted above, seems to be increasing in numbers, it has not been my fortune to come across any Snowy Egrets for a very long time. In fact the only one in our col- lection is a male from the vicinity of Sacramento, California, taken in June, 1880. However, the chances are that this species has gained also by the efforts to restrict the slaughter, and probably is to be found in places most suited to it. Grus canadensis. Little Brown Crane. There are two specimens of the Little Brown Crane in our collection which came to us from Mr. H. B. Kaeding, when we took over his collection on his departure for the Orient some years since. These specimens were purchased in the flesh by him in the San Francisco market, being among several (;rus rnexicana which he had bought at various times in the wiuter season, and were supposedly shot in the vicinity of Los Banos, California. At any rate they came from somewhere along the San Joaquin River in that part of the state. As records of this species from California seem to be rather meager and un- reliable it may be worth while not only to mention these two specimens, but to give their measurements: 3, Co11. J. & J. W. Mailliard, no. x3226: wing 522.1 (mm.), taft 174.6, cul- men from base 101.6, depth of bill at base 24.8, tarsus 199.4, middle toe 72.6, bare. portion of tibia 72.6. 9, Co11. J. & J. W. M., no. x3227: wing 519.2, tail 162.3, culmen from base 93.9, depth of bill at base 22.6, tarsus 211.0, middle toe 79.7, bare portion of tibia 73.1. As the distinctive difference between these two species is principally a matter of length of the culmen, tarsus and bare portion of the tibia, a comparison of these particular measurements as above given, with the minimum of each as laid down for G. mexicana will show that these two individuals are well below the prescribed limitations of ?. mexicana, and that there can be no doubt as to their identity.' Minimum measurements of ?. mexicana, according to Ridgway, are: Culmen from base 130.8 mm., tarsus 251.4, bare portion of tibia 116.8. Piranga ludoviciana. Western Tanager. We have two records of the Western Tanager breeding at low elevations in Sonoma county, California, which may be of sufficient interest to mention here. We have, that is to say, two records, and one nest, but no eggs. A fall of twenty-five to thirty feet proved so damaging to the