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Sept., 1916 FROM FIELD AND STUDY 203 Notes from the Vicinity of Los Angeles. Aphriza virgata. Surf-bird. May 1, 1915, I took a bird of this species close to the pier at Hyperion, where it was feeding with a flock of gulls. On my approach the gulls flew, while the Surf-bird practically ignored my presence. Calamospiza melanocorys. Lark Bunting. One taken October 29, 1914, on Rancho La Brea, not far from the fossil beds. This furnishes an early fall record of a species that is far from common in this part of the state. It was in company .with Gambel Sparrows and Linnets. Stercorarius longicaudus. Long-tailed Jaeger. On January 26, 1916, I took an immature female of this species from the pier at Hyperion. This is apparently the sec- ond record for the California coast south of Monterey Bay, and the seventh for the state. Oidemia americana. American Scoter. A female was taken November 24, 1915, on the sand under the pier at Hyperion. It was caught alive while napping, with head under wing, but was in good condition as to plumage and flesh. This is the most ex- plicit record we have of the species for this part of the coast, but I suspect that if sys- tematic work were done among the soa-ducks, this scoter would be found less rare than it is supposed to be. Rissa tridactyla pollicaris. Pacific Kittiwake. ' A dead bird was found o? the beach near Hyperion, on March 8, 1916. It had been torn to pieces by buzzards, but one wing and the skull were saved. On the same date I saw three birds that I am certain were Kittiwakes; they kept by themselves, usually over the surf close to the beach, but were too wild to be taken. Puffinus tenuirostris. Slender-billed Shearwater. Remains of one bird were found on the beach near Hyperion, on December 15, 1915, and the skull saved. Buzzards had destroyed the skin. On December 5, 1915, a picnic party found a dead bird of this spe- cies on the beach some miles north Of Santa Monica, and brought it, with apologies, to Dr. John Hornung. He has given me permission to record the occurrence here.--L. E. WYMAn, Museum of History, ?cience and Art, Los Angeles, California. Variation of the Broken-wing Stunt by a Roadrunner.--We have all observed and admired the simulation of a broken wing by birds desiring to decoy us away from their nests or young. This instinct, for such'it must be called, seems to crop out in a great many species, and it is always with interest that I observe the details of the perform- ance on the part of a bird not hitherto found displaying it. It was, therefore, highly interesting to me to be able to watch this performance as demonstrated by a Roadrunner (Cteococcyx californianus). I had found .a nest of this species with the bird on, situated ten feet from the ground in the crotch of a syca- more tree in the Santa Ana River bottom near Colton, California, on May 10, 1916. As I was climbing near the nest the bird hopped to the ground. Immediately it began to squirm, scramble, and drag itself away across an open space and in full view. The bird was simul?ating a broke n leg instead of the conventional broken wing! The bird held its wings closed throughout the demonstration though frequently falling over on its side in its enthusiasm. The whole performance was kept entirely in my view, the 'bird gradually working away from the tree until it was some 35 feet distant when it imme- diately ran back to the base of the tree and repeated the whole show. I had been so interested up to now that I had failed to examine the nest which when looked into con- rained five young probably a week old. When I got to the ground the bird continued its stunt rather more frantically than before and in order to encourage the bird I fol- lowed, and was pleased to see it remain highly consistent until I was decoyed to a point well outside the grove. Here the bird suddenly ran away at full speed and in a direction still away from the nest. Now while this variation of the broken-wing stunt as performed by a running bird as compared with a flying species is perfectly logical, it had never before come to my notice. I have noted many times the decoying instincts as displayed by the ParagonJan Rhea (Rhea darwini) in Patagonia, but this bird instead of simulating a broken leg simply pretends that it is in a weak and deplorable condition; wobbles and staggers with much art, and decoys dogs, foxes and eagles away with great success. Also the Rhea uses its wings ostensibly to keep its balance. So the details of the Roadrunner's subterfuge are entirely original.--J. R. PEMBERTON, Colton, California. August 1?, 1916.