94 BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON. 



7. Lophortyx californicus brunnescens, new subspecies. 

 BROWN-BACKED VALLEY QUAIL. 



SuBSPECiFic Characters. — Differing from true L. californicus 

 in much darker coloration, the upper parts being deep olive-brown 

 (almost clove-brown) instead of grayish olive, the stripes along inner 

 edge of tertial deep ochraceous instead of pale buff, and the elon- 

 gated feathers of the sides deep olive-brown instead of grayish olive. 

 Hab. Pacific coast, from San Francisco Bay north to Washington 

 Territory. 



South of San Francisco, this strongly-marked race appears to be 

 replaced by the typical L californicus ; at least, specimens in the 

 National Museum collection from San Jose and Sta. Barbara are of 

 the paler form. It is true that Audubon describes and figures the 

 dark race, and says that the male, from which his description and 

 figure of that sex are taken, was " procured on the 6th of March, 

 1837, near Santa Barbara," but it is well known that the localities 

 ascribed to Townsend's specimens were, in many cases, erroneous ; 

 and, since he made collections near the mouth of the Columbia 

 River, it is very likely that the specimen in question came from the 

 latter locality. 



It is possible that this race may have already been named, since 

 there are some points in the Ortyx douglassiN\gox'i, (Zool. Jour., 

 iv, 1829, 354; Zool. Voy. Blossom, 1839, 27, pi. 11,) which 

 strongly suggest the female or full-grown young. There are, how- 

 ever, so many features, both in the description and figure, which 

 cannot be reconciled with the present bird that their actual identity 

 is, to say the least, very doubtful. 



Types, Nos. 2,829, $ , "Santa Barbara, California," and 2,830, 

 9 , locality unknown ; both types of Audubon's description and 

 plate of" Ortix calif ornica.'' 



8. Phalacrocorax dilophus albociliatus, new subspecies. 



LESSER WHITE-CRESTED CORMORANT. 



Phalacrocorax dilophus albociliatus RiDGW., Cat. Aquat. and Fish-eating 

 Birds, 1883, p. 27 ; no description. 



