1558 U.S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 23 7 paet 3 



of the dryest localities, did not seem out of place, but the Song Sparrow seemed 

 altogether foreign to such surroundings. 



Nelson K. Carpenter (1918) described and photographed two nests 

 of coronatorum, one of grasses placed 3 feet up in a bush, the second on 

 the ground and "constructed entirely of feathers and the skin of a 

 lizard * * *. This nest was found in the midst of the large colony of 

 California Brown Pelicans and Western 011118." Pingree I. Osburn 

 (1909) found three young just able to fly on April 8. 



Joseph Grinnell (1928) describes micronyx as the race with grayest 

 coloration among song sparrows in general: "brown or brownish tones 

 almost wanting; dark markings black and sharply contrasted against 

 gray of dorsal surface or white of lower surface; bill, feet and especially 

 claws weak; wing showing extreme of bluntness (longest primary not 

 much longer than outermost)." M. m. micronyx is most nearly like 

 graminea of Santa Barbara Island, "but differs from it in broader and 

 blacker dark streaking everywhere, in grayer ground-color dorsally, 

 especially on the pileum, in paler flanks, in decidedly smaller claws, in 

 blunter wing, and in slightly greater size." From clementae the race 

 micronyx differs as it does from graminea, "only for the most part 

 (save as to general size) in greater degree. Especially on the top of 

 the head is the greater amount of grayness apparent; the broad brown 

 capital side-stripes in clementae are in micronyx reduced to very narrow 

 ones, which play out altogether on the nape instead of extending back 

 to blend (in clementae) with the brownish tone of the dorsum. The 

 broad gray occipital area is in micronyx lined sharply with black shaft 

 streaks which are thus thrown into conspicuous contrast." 



Ridgway (1901) describes clementae as being similar to cooperi 

 "but slightly larger and coloration still grayer, the back light olive- 

 grayish, with black streaks narrower, the black streaks of chest, etc., 

 also narrower; young similar to that of cooperi but paler above." 



Ridgway (1901) describes graminea as being similar in coloration to 

 clementae, but much smaller. 



J. Grinnell and F. S. Daggett (1903) describe coronatorum as "most 

 nearly resembling in coloration melospiza clementae, and general size 

 about the same, but tarsus decidely shorter and bill smaller; differs 

 from * * * cooperi of the adjacent mainland in much paler ground 

 color, narrower streaking and smaller bill." 



Distribution 



San Miguel Song Sparrow (M. m. micronyx) 



Range. — The San Miguel song sparrow is resident on San Miguel 

 Island, Santa Barbara County, California. 



