Mar., ?9o? I THE CONDOR 37 Rare and Unusual Occurrences at Stockton, Cal. HIS year seems an unusual one in the way of bird migration in San Joaquin County, having added to the list thus far several new visitants and also causing an influx of a single species heretofore unknown in this locality, though common in the eastern foothills. I refer to the Blue-fronted Jay(Cyanocitla slelleri frontalis.) This species has become so numerous in San Joaquin County, and especially within the limits of the city of Stockton, that it has for the time being, taken the place of the noisy California Jay(/lphel- ocoma californica.) My record of its first appearance is dated November ?9oo, at which time I saw two of this species in the vicinity of Stockton. Two days later I saw several of the birds within the limits of the city and from that time on they became quite numerous, showing very little fear in their new haunts and being seemingly at home in the 'white oaks with which the city abounds. Mr. Belding informs me that h? has found them in the heart of the Sacramento Valley, but has no record of their occurrence in this locali- ty previous to this year. The abundance of the birds is shown by the result of a "blue-jay" shoot which five sportsmen from StocktOt took part in on Becember 2, ?900. They confined themselves to a small area northeast of the city and as a result of their shoot brought home 220 birds, ?00 of which were California Jays while the remaining ?20 were of the Blue-fronted species. The birds are still here in large numbers and show no signs of de- creasing. Another rare visitant which is quite common here at present is the California Purple Finch( Carpodacus purpureus cal- ifornicus.) These birds have been found at times in the timber about four miles south of Stockton, but this year they have become very abundant within the city, feeding on the new buds of the fruit trees and also on the seeds of a species of wire grass. My first record of their appearance is January 20, t90t at which time I saw a flock of six in the fruit trees at the rear of my dwell- ing. They were noted in the yard each day and seemed to increase in numbers until at the present, flocks of to or ?2 may be seen at any time. Another straggler to this locality is the Western Evening Grosbeak(Cocco- thrausles vesperlinus monlanus.) On Jan- uary 3?, ?9o? a flock of three males and six females flew from under a magnolia tree in one of the yards of the city, where they were feeding on the seeds that had fallen to the ground. On Feb- ruary ?3, ?9o? a flock of about a dozen birds were also seen in the city. This is my first record of the birds in this locality though I found them in the foot-hills east of Stockton in February ?899. W. B. SAMvso?. Stockton, Cal., Feb. ?4, ?9 L W. Lee Chambers of Santa Monica, Cal., writes of taking two sets of eggs of Anna's Hummingbird on January 30 and February ? respectively. John J. Williams of Applegate, Cal. reports that a Californian Jay (?tphelocoma californica) was shot near that place last fall which was flourishing without the usual lower mandible. This had apparently been shot away at some previous time, but the break had healed and the jay had evidently found little difficulty in securing its usual food. H. B. Torrey formerly of Berkeley, a mem- ber of the Cooper Club, will receive his doctor's degree at Columbia University, New York, this spring. Mr. Torrey engaged in post graduate work in zoology and has upon request, delivered several lectures on the work before various scientific societies of New York. A.W. Johnsvn of Upper Lake, Cal., who possesses one of the most extensive and choicest oological collections in California recently compiled the measurements of his large series of Golden Eagles' eggs, and it is interesting to note his largest set is one from Spain, the two eggs measuring 3.?6x?.34 and 3.23x?.34 inches.
