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204 THE CONDOR Vol. XVII1 The Coming of the Cowbird.--The bird-lovers of California will regret, I am sure, that that shirker among the feathered tribe, the Dwarf Cowbird (Molothrus ater ob- scurus), is fast getting a foot-hold in the southern part of the State. Lo? Angeles County, where until a year ago these birds were rare, is now harboring many of them. The first time I saw one of '1 these birds was on June 22, 1916, when I was giving a bird talk at a picnic in South Park, Los Angeles. As 1 told about t? ? our common birds, many of them hopped about, picking up crumbs near the table much to ? [ the delight of my listeners. Presently some one exclaimed: "Look at that small bird feed- ing that large one"; and, peek- ing beneath a bench, I was ? ? amazed to see a Song Sparrow I feeding a young Cowbird twice her size. The two were about all the afternoon, the Cowbird going to the garbage can by himself and trying to feed. On July 5, of the same year, I was called to a neighbor's to see a small bird that was feed- ing a young Oriole, for such my ? -. informant called it. Mistrust- x ing that it was a Cowbird in my friend's garden, I hastened over ' ? ?' to find my surmises were right and that, again, a Song Sparrow - had been the victim. The little mother was bringing the big nestling to the baskets where bread was always out for the Fig. 52. You.?c DW.?R? C0WP?RO AT rEEOI.?O ST^NO; birds, and was stuffing it down PHOTOGRAPHED JULY 6, 1916, NEAR ARROYO SECO IN him. I regret that by the Los A?GELES time I was able to get a picture the Sparrow had weaned her charge and I was only able to get a picture of the Cowbird on the feeding table, where it frequently came and seemed quite at ease, as indeed it should have been when the only mother it knew had brought it there (see fig. 52).--I-LXRRIET WXLL?X?XS MYERS, LOS A?geles. California, Jul?l, 1916. Humboldt County Bird Notes.--A female Long-billed Curlew (Nume?ius america?us) was shot near the mouth of Eel River, Humboldt County, California, July 18, 1916, and sent to me for preservation. It was evidently a young bird of the previous year, a straggler in the northwest coast region, where no previous record of it seems to exist. For several days during the last week in July of this year a flock of Western Even- ing Grosbeaks (Hesperiphona vespertiaa montana) were welcome visitors at our home in Carlotta. They were a surprise so near the coast, and were evidently attracted by the bountiful supply of berries on the easc?ra trees (Rham?us purshia?a). Eight young and old could be counted at one time, and the clear whistle of others could be heard among the fir trees. In four years residence we had not seen them here before. The Anna Hummingbird (Cal?pte a?a), which has been noted as a rather sur- prising winter visitor in Humboldt County, appeared in our garden August 6 this year. A handsome adult male at a distance of but a few feet appeared almost gross in size compared with the numerous and smaller ?elasphorus alleni.