could have been secured. When met with they were feeding in precisely the manner of a Sparrow Hawk; they would pause fluttering in one spot, suddenly swooping down on some insect and immediately resume another position as before, always facing a strong wind which was blowing at the time.T. E. Slevin, San Francisco, Cal.
Oregon Vesper Sparrow in Alameda Co. On the afternoon of October 8, 1898 while coming over the foot-hills north-east of Oakland, I shot an Oregon Vesper Sparrow, Poocaetes gramineus affinis. It was an adult male; one from a flock of five that were feeding among some tall grass, growing between two stubble-fields. The flock was so hidden in the tall grass, that I saw none except my bird until I fired, when the rest flew up, and were soon lost over the crest of a hill. So far as I have been able to learn, this is the first Oregon Vesper Sparrow taken in Alameda County, although two weeks later, on October 22, '98 Mr. C. W. Randall took an adult female from the same field, and presumably from the same flock. November 5, again found me in this field after another Vesper Sparrow, but I was doomed to disappointment, for I could not find a single bird.John C. Willard, 2221 Elm St., Oakland, Cal.
American Crossbills in Alameda Co., Cal. For many years I have been on the watch for the Crossbill in this part of the San Francisco Bay region, having seen them on several trips in Santa Cruz and Monterey counties. The former county lies along the ocean shore and in an air line from this locality, so I have naturally expected to some day see a few stragglers appear. In the first part of January of this year, at daylight on two or three occasions I noticed a flock of thick-set, quick-flying, piping birds leave the tops of some tall gum trees on the place and fly away. One morning I saw them fly to the top of some tall poplars, where I went to make out the species if possible. I saw at once that they were Crossbills and were feeding on the buds. Later in the day they flew to a large gum tree beside the house, where, after some delay, I made them out with the glass and soon secured one. Another was shot from the top of a Monterey cypress where they had gone to feed on the seeds of the cones, as I found later, on skinning them. Of the two birds shot on Jan. 26, 1899 one was in a greenish-red plumage showing a juvenile and was very fat with the crop full of soft seeds of the cypress and eucalyptus. The other male was of a rich golden-green plumage, flecked with cherry-red, showing an immature bird. On Jan. 30, 1899 a male was found dead under the big gum tree, and which must have been wounded by a long shot taken at the flock in the top of the tall trees and died on the cold night of the 30th. This was a male in adult plumage of a purplish-red with a few yellowish and gray feathers showing in the throat. The body of this bird was very thin. The weather becoming milder in a day or so the Crossbills disappeared, no doubt for their breeding grounds in the pine forests. I saw them in pairs in January at Pacific Grove where they could be heard in the pine-tops feeding on the seeds of the cones. This was on the edge of a small pond back in the forest. I have seen them come to the water's edge to drink. So far as I can find data this is their first appearance in Alameda Co. and I should be pleased to hear from anyone in the state who has observed them.W. Otto Emerson, Haywards, Cal.
Albino Dwarf Hermit Thrush and Western Robin. Jan. 12, 1899 being a cold windy day drew many birds about the garden to feed, and while watching them from a window, one attracted my attention by its odd plumage, looking as though it had just arrived from the snowy regions. On shooting it I found it to be a partial albino Dwarf Hermit Thrush. Three outer tail feathers on one side are pure white while those of the other side are only tipped. The secondaries of the wing on one side were white-tipped, also several scattered white feathers on the rump and back. It proved to be a female and quite fat.
On Feb. 15, 1899 what was my great surprise upon shooting a Western Robin
