148 bulletin: museum of comparative zoology. 



This species -was discovered by Mr. Belding in 18S3, in the mountains south 

 of La Paz where it " was very common . . . above 3,000 feet altitude." Mr. 

 Frazar found if in considerable numbers on the Sierra de la Laguna in May 

 and early June, but so few were observed here in December^as to lead him to 

 conclude that many individuals must descend to lower levels to pass the 

 winter. They cannot, however, go very far down, for none were met with at 

 San Jose del Rancho, and but one (on April 13) at Triunfo. On the Sierras 

 they inhabit the pine and oak woods, and, like most Juncos, are tame and 

 familiar. They often came into a shed where Mr. Frazar prepared his speci- 

 mens, and hopped about his feet, under the table, or pecked at the dried venison 

 suspended from the roof. No nests were found, but late in May a bird was 

 seen collecting building material. 



Baird's Jixnco appears to be confined to the extreme southern end of the 

 Peninsula, never having been observed so far north, even, as La Paz. It is, 

 therefore, one of the most characteristic birds of the Cape fauna. 



Amphispiza bilineata deserticola Ridgw. 



Desert Sparrow. 



Amphispiza hilineata (not Emberiza bilineata Cassin) Belding, Proc. U. S. Nat. 

 Mus., V. 1883, 540 (Cape Region). Salvin and Godman, Biol. Centr.-Amer., 

 Aves, I. 1886, 367, 368, part (descr. female from La Paz). Bkyant, Proc. 

 CaUf. Acad. Sci., 2d ser., IL 1889, 302 (Cape Region). 



Mr. Frazar found the Desert Sparrow at Triunfo, San Jose del Cabo, La Paz, 

 and Carmen Island. It was commonest at La Paz, and least numerous at San 

 Jose del Cabo. Neither his notes nor the dates at which his specimens were 

 collected afford any evidence that it breeds in the Cape Region, but Mr. Bryant 

 has found nests on Santa Margarita and Magdalena Islands where it was " the 

 most common and generally distributed species." It appears to range over 

 the entire Peninsula, but in California is practically confined to the region east 

 of the Sierras. I have winter specimens taken at Guaymas, Cumpas, and Ba- 

 cuachi in western Mexico and a large series collected near the city of Chihua- 

 hua in autumn. These Mexican specimens do not differ, so far as I can discover, 

 from those which Mr. Frazar obtained in Lower California, although the Guaymas 

 bird should represent Mr. Nelson's A. b. pacifica} the type locaUty of which 

 is Alamos, Sonora. 



Aimophila ruficeps sororia Ridgw. 



Laguna Sparrow. 



Peucaea ruficeps Cooper, Orn. Cab, 1870, 218. part. Cofes. Check List. 1878, 35, 

 no. 171, part; 2d ed., 1882, 55, no. 255. part. Ridgwat, Nom. N. Amer. 



1 Auk, XVn. 1900, 267. 



