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THE..CO.B.OR olurne ?I .?anuar?'-Februar?, 1c?12 Number I THE SHORE BIRDS OF SANTA BARBARA By J. HOOPEK BOWLES and ALFRED B. HOWELL WITH THREE PHOTOS BY J. H. BOWLES ANTA BARBARA, although apparently presenting conditions no more favorable for a heavy migration of shore birds than most other parts of the southern California coast, seems to be a preferred stopping place for the members of this 6rder. Mr. Bowles has made numerous observations among the iimicola of this region since November, 1909, and work was carried on by both authors with the waders exclusively from August 8 until September 18 of the present year. No observations are recorded after December 1, 1911. Field work was done at a shallow brackish slough near the beach at Goleta, a point ten miles west of Santa Barbara, at a large, but very shallow fresh-water marsh within the city limits, herein designated as "the flats", and at an extensive tide marsh with miles of tide creeks near Carpenteria, some eight miles east of town. The intermediate beaches were thoroughly explored. There were no rocky stretches along the shore, but occasionally outcropping boulders, or reefs, that were for the most part covered with tar. This substance floats up from a few miles down the coast and is a source of annoyance to all the water birds, all too frequently adhering to their feathers and causing a lingering death. It is an interesting and probably a well-known fact that the birds of this group are much more suspicious of danger threatening from above than of anything approaching on their own level. The Black-bellied Plover, for example, will take instant flight if there is the slightest movement of the tall grass or bushes at the top of a cliff overlooking their feeding grounds. It may also be of value to state that they pay far less attention to a movement in the water than to one on shore, as we found it an easy matter to approach within a short distance of the most wary by wading towards them in the tide creeks, submerged to our shoulders. Mr. Bowles has made a careful examination of the contents of the stomachs of all specimens taken, and the nur?ber of injurious insects, beetles in particular, destroyed by this order of birds is surprising. Beetles, squash-bugs, etc., were