An Early Record of American Scoter for California
Journal
Condor
Volume
18
Issue
2 (March-April)
Year
1916
Pages
83
Section
From Field and Study
Online Text
An Early Record of American Scoter for California
In sorting over an old box of bones here, I found the head, wing bones and feet of a bird, bearing the following data: 44931, Oidemia americana, 0, San Luis Obispo, Cal., Spring, 1866, W. F. Schwartz. On the back of the label, in Baird’s handwriting, is the statement: “First spec. fr. Pacific Coast. Keep.” I do not know whether this information has any particular significance, since it appears Baird had recorded the species from Fort Steilacoom in his report of 1858, but it occurred to me this might be the first record for California and therefore of possible general interest.
Chas. W. Richmond, Assistant Curator
Division of Birds, U. S. National Museum, Washington, D. C.
