362 BULLETIN 17 9, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



southern California, though it is more abundant on some of the 

 islands than on others. It was formerly supposed to be identical 

 with the streaked horned lark and was so listed by some of the 

 earlier writers. Dr. Oberholser (1902) describes it as follows: 



Like Otocoris a. strigata, but darker, somewhat less ochraceous above, less 

 yellowish on breast and abdomen. * * * Nothwithstanding Dr. Dwight's 

 statement that he could not distinguish the Santa Barbara Islands birds from 

 strigata, they constitute an easily recognizable race which, though curiously 

 enough most closely allied to strigata, yet differs in the darker color above, 

 particularly on cervix and bend of the wing; in the more grayish tone of the 

 back and scapulars; the absence of yellow on the breast; and the much more 

 conspicuous streaking on this part. * * * From merrilU the island bird 

 differs in smaller and much more reddish coloration; while from actia of the 

 adjacent mainland it may be separated by its conspicuously darker coloration 

 throughout. 



I made my acquaintance with the island horned lark on San 

 Nicolas and Santa Barbara Islands, far off shore in the southern 

 group of islands, which I visited as a guest ,of J. R. Pemberton in 

 his power boat. San Nicolas is the outermost island of the group, 

 over 60 miles from the mainland; it is a barren, windswept isle, 

 about 7 miles long and 3 miles wide. It is mainly formed of soft 

 sandstone, and the high cliffs that tower above the wide sandy 

 beaches are broken by deep rocky canyons and are sculptured into 

 all sorts of fantastic shapes by the erosion of sand and wind. The 

 upper part of the island, about 800 feet above sea level, is a nearly 

 level, or rolling, grassy plateau, which serves as grazing land at 

 times for sheep and horses. Here we found the larks very abundant 

 on February 24, 1929. They were mostly in pairs, or trios, flying 

 about as if mating or preparing to nest. As we found no nests 

 we were probably too early for eggs. We saw the larks also on the 

 benches below the sandstone hills, where scanty grass and other low 

 vegetation was growing. On the sloping sand dunes near the 

 beaches there were many large clumps of iceplant in which the larks 

 have been known to conceal their nests. 



We landed the next day on Santa Barbara Island, about 35 miles 

 from the mainland, much smaller and more precipitous than San 

 Nicolas. From the only available landing place, a flat rock near a 

 colony of barking sea lions, we climbed up a steep and narrow trail 

 to the top of the island, which at its highest point is over 500 feet 

 above the sea. The top of the island is a rolling grassy plateau on 

 which herds of sheep were grazing. It is broken by numerous deep 

 gullies, which were overgrown with a curious plant called the "tree 

 dahlia"; it looks like a small tree with a thick woody stem and 

 rough surface, often branching like candelabra, with a growth of 

 leaves and a cluster of bright yellow, daisylike flowers at the end 

 of each branch. The Santa Barbara song sparrows, which were very 



