July, 1909 CORRESPONDENCE 143 are nine fine specimens. It may not be out of place to mention the fact that Messrs. Belding, Bryant, Frazar and Nelson did not meet with it on their expeditions in Lower California. There is also a very fine specimen of the Pigmy Owl from a new locality--Mirafiores. As you know this is a very rare bird in collec- tions. But what pleased me most of all on this expedition is a series of eight specimens of the tiny Micropallas or Elf Owl from several local- ?ties. It seems the only skins in existence from Lower California are two specimens in the U.S. National Museum at Washington! Messrs. Xantus, Bryant, Frazar and Nelson failed to meet with it, so it must be pretty good. Of the Dwarf Horned Owl there are two fine specimens. Also three Barn Owls, two Short-cared Owls and three Burrowing Owls. From Miraflores and E1 Sauz there is a general collection of birds. On December 26, at E1 Sauz, I found a nest of Cobtmbafasciata vioscae, with an egg. The nest was a platform of twigs, etc. In the mountain stream nearby the ice was nearly an inch thick! Several other nests were found but contained young ones. (Letter no. 2): La Paz, Lower California, J?re?cwo; J?rarch 10, 1909: I arrived here a few days ago from the islands of San Jose, San Francisco and E1 Callo. On San Francisco I took a series of Neotoma which may be ne?v. The object of the expedition to the Islands was to make a search for the eggs of Brachyram- phus craveri, the Craven Murrelet. I am pleased to write you that I took over 40 eggs of this species on a rock that lies about two miles from San Jose Island. I also took a series of 35 skins. We found the Murrelets nesting in the crevices among the rocks of the bluff. The nest in all instances was a slight depression in the earth at the end of the crevice and genera.1- ly contained two eggs, but some nests only contained one. The young take to the sea two days after being hatched! Twenty-two days is the period of incubation. The males help in the act of incubation, ninny males being taken on the eggs in the day time. In the early morning hours, particularly about an hour before dawn, there was much activity among the Murrelets, they at this time being seen in pairs chasing each other, and making much noise among the rocks. Onr tent was at the foot of the bluff and it was impossible to sleep, the Murrelets made so much noise; for when they fly there is a loud whirring sound. Towards the end of our stay they learned that the walls of our tent were soft and seemed to take delight in butting into it in their amor- ous frolics. One pair in the excitement must have hit it head onward, for they dropped to the ground with a thud and fluttered together under the side of the tent into my bed, where I was trying to sleep. I caught them by throw? ing my blanket over them. This is the first collecting I have ever done in bed! They proved to be male and female. In the day time I did not observe any in the waters around the island. They seem to feed far out to sea, for with the exception of the setting birds in the crevices, I did not see any in the vicinity of the Islands in the daytime. But in the early hours of the morning the rocks of the bluff seemed alive with them; they all disap- peared on the approach of dawn. This species has three distinct notes, the one of displeasure being very harsh. According to Mr. Brewster's book, it seenis only one set of eggs of this species has been taken and that was on the Island of Ram in 1875, and was taken by Dr. Streets. The Island of Raza is over 300 miles north of San Jose Island. On the Island of San Francisco, on a high headland overlooking the sea I found a Bald- headed Eagle's nest. The nest was a bulky structure and contained two eggs. This set seems to be the first recorded from Lower Cali- fornia. Also took a set of eggs of the Fish Hawk. On a Mangrove Island in a lagoon on the Island of San Jose I found a colony of Great Blue Herons breeding. I took about 25 eggs, and three sets of four eggs and three sets of three eggs. If I am not ntistaken this is the first colony of Great Blue Herons discovered in Lower California. Also took some more Snowy Herons, Oyster- catchers, Mangrove Warblers, and Brewster Boobies. The above collection was made under difficulties. We camped on E1 Callo Rock at the foot of a bluff. With the exception of a few days the wind blew a gale during our stay there and threatened our tent with destruction. I had two sailors with me. On the second day on the Island one of them deserted hie and returned to La Paz, for it was cold and very windy. I saved the tent by throwing up a wind break of rocks. During the gales we were literally prisoners on the rock, for we could not venture out in our boat, the sea being too rough. Very truly yours, W. W. BaowN, PUBLICATIONS REVIEWED BIRDS OF THE BOSTON PUBLIC GARDEN, By HORACE W, WRIGHT, with an Introduction by Bradford Torrey and illustrations. Boston, Houghton Mifflin Company, 1909; pp. i-xx, 1-238; cloth, $1.00 net. This book contains the record of nine seasons' observations made in a city park and is a very interesting example of what may be done by one pursuing the study by way of pastime in
