318 BULLETIN 50, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



of body usually (always?) without yellow; similar also to 0. a. actia 

 but decidedly darker. Adult female most like that of 0. a. strigata 

 but darker above, with dusky streaks more uniformly distributed 

 (those of hindneck and pileum much broader), the streaks not so 

 black, the hindneck almost without rufous tinge, the lesser wing- 

 coverts much less deeply rufescent, and under parts of body white 

 instead of yellowish; similar also to that of 0. a. actia but upper parts 

 much more broadly streaked Avith dusky. Young similar to that of 

 0. a. actia but darker and less ochraceous, and imder parts tinged 

 with yellow. 



(The characters of their form are most pronounced in specimens 

 from the more northern islands of San Miguel, Santa Rosa, and Santa 

 Cruz, those from the more southern islands of San Clemente, Santa 

 Barbara, San Nicolas, and Santa Catalina inclining toward the main- 

 land form, 0. a. actia, thus indicating the origin of this insular form.)" 

 (Intermediate between 0. a. strigata and 0. a. actia.) 



Adult maZe.— Length (skins), 145-164 (155); wing, 95-101 (97.1); 

 tail, 60-68 (64.4); exposed culmen, 10-13 (11.3); tarsus, 21-23 (22); 

 middle toe, 11-13 (11.9).^ 



Adult female. — Length (one skin), 135; wing, 88-97 (91.4); tail, 

 55-63 (58.8); exposed culmen, 10-12.5 (11.4); tarsus, 20-22.5 (21.3); 

 middle toe, 11-12.5 (11.7).^ 



Santa Barbara Islands (San Clemente, Santa Cruz, San Miguel, 

 Santa Rosa, Santa Barbara, San Nicolas, and Santa Catalina), Cali- 

 fornia; resident. 



EremopMla alpestris . . . var. chrysolsema (not Alauda chrysolaema Wagler) Hen- 

 SHAW, Reji. Wheeler's Survey, 1876, App. J.I, 248 (Santa Cruz I., California). 



Otocoris alpestris rubea (not of Henshaw, 1884) Henshaw, Auk, iii, 1886, 453, in 

 text (Santa Cruz I., California). 



Otocoris alpestris Blake, Auk, iv, 1887, 329 (Santa Cruz I.). 



Otocoris alpestris strigata (not of Henshaw) Dwight, Auk, vii, April, 1890, 151, 

 j)art (Santa Cruz Islands). 



Otocoris alpestris insularis Townsend, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., xiii, no. 799, Sept. 9, 

 1890, 140 (San Clemente I., California; coll. U. S. Nat. Mus.), 141 (Santa 

 Rosa I., Santa Cruz I.).— Ridgway, Man. N. Am. Birds, 2d ed., 1896, 599.— 

 Grinnell, Pub. 1, Pasadena Acad. Sci., 1897, 5 (Santa Barbara I.), 10 (San 

 Nicolas I.), 16 (San Clemente I.; descr. nest and eggs). — Oberiiolser, Proc. 

 U. S. Nat. Mus., xxiv, 1902, 839 (monogr.). — American Ornithologists' 

 Union Committee, Auk, xx, 1903, 345 (checklist no. 4747?i). 



Otocoris insularis Grinnell, Check List California Birds, 1902, 45. 



oAs Mr. Oberholser remarks, " that insMZans should have been differentiated toward 

 strigata is ... an interesting case of parallel development." Mr. Oberholser also 

 says that "by reason of the evident approach to actia from island to island, which 

 would in a continental distribution culminate in complete inosculation, and the notice- 

 able resemblance to strigata, it seems advisable to consider insulaiis as a subspecies in 

 spite of its island habitat" — a view with which my own entirely agrees. 



b Fifteen specimens. 



