American Crossbill (Loxia curvirostra minor). At times these birds pass through Marin Co. in numbers, stopping for a short while to feed, often on the Tojon berries. As they are very shy and generally frequent the tops of the tall Douglas firs on the higher ranges they are difficult to obtain, but specimens have been taken on two occasions by C. A. Allen. Some years elapse without any being observed, but this does not prove that they have not been here, as their usual feeding grounds are seldom visited by any observer.
Western Evening Grosbeak (Coccothraustes v. montanus). On October 14, 1898 a ♂ of this species was shot near Point Reyes Station, Marin Co., and sent to me. Their occurrence in this county has been reported to me before but as no specimens had been taken the reports were not verified.
Myrtle Warbler (Dendroica coronata). This bird is much more common in California than most people have been led to suppose. There are a number in our collection from Marin and San Benito counties, though we have only collected them casually. I have seen a good many that have not been taken and find that at close range they can be sufficiently recognized by the superloral and postocular streaks to enable one to be moderately accurate in identification. That is to say, if a person were to shoot all that he saw with this characteristic he would find the majority of his birds to be coronata.
Sex of Winter Residents. It would be interesting to hear from different localities in regard to which sex predominates in some of the winter residents. For instance, here at San Geronimo, nearly every Red-breasted Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus ruber) taken is a ♀ especially so in midwinter. All of the Ruby-crowned Kinglets (Regulus calendula) taken here have been males. Almost all of the Dwarf Hermit Thrushes (Hylocichla aonalaschkæ) also have been males, only three that I know of having proved to be females, one of these being a partial albino. We have several Thick-billed Sparrows taken here at different times and all ♀. These last are present some winters, but not all. How are the birds above mentioned in other localities?Joseph Mailliard, San Geronimo, Cal.
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An Account of the Taking of Four Sets of Eggs of the Ivory Gull.
Four eggs of the Ivory Gull (Larus eburneus) were brought home by Gustaf Kolthoff, naturalist to the Nathorst Swedish Expedition in the summer and early autumn of 1898, having been received from Captain Kjældsen of the ship Frithiof in exchange. Mr. Kolthoff writes "When we were going from King Carls-Land to Franz Josef-Land we met on the way the steamer Frithiof, owner the old ice traveller Captain Kjældsen, who had been there with the Wellman Expedition. Captain Kjældsen told me that when returning and sailing close to the coast they had, near Cape Oppolzer on the S. W. of Franz Josef-Land in 80.04 N. latitude to about 57° E. longitude, visited a little, low-lying, unnamed island, situated very nearly south of Cape Oppolzer, upon which were breeding a large number of 'Ice Gulls' (Ivory Gulls). The nests were on the flat ground, built of green moss, and only in four cases was there still a single egg,—in all the rest were young, very small, half-grown and none so grown that they could use their wings. The four eggs were all strongly incubated. This was on August 4 and upon the 12th we met the steamer and I obtained all that Captain Kjældsen had—four eggs and one young bird. As I understood Captain Kjældsen the Wellman Expedition had left his ship before it visited Cape Oppolzer." Mr. Kolthoff adds "On the Spitzbergen and King Carls-Land coasts the Ivory Gulls had their nests on high cliffs where it is nearly impossible to reach them." Two of the above eggs are in the Upsalu Museum and the two others in my collection. The latter measure 2.29×1.69 and 2.25×1.68 inches.A. W. Johnson, Waterside. Eng.
(The Bulletin, though devoted to Pacific Coast ornithology, gladly gives space to the above notes on this rare and beautiful Gull. Mr. Johnson is a member of the Cooper Club, and is now enjoying a sojourn in his old home.—Ed.)
