im BIRDS OF THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ISLANDS 71 



pair on the island. A. van liosseni and I (22) discovered two nests, not twenty 

 feet apart, on the sea cliffs of Santa Cniz Island, April 28, 1911. Both held 

 small younjT. While there we occupied a largfc })othole at the base of a cliff, and 

 Avhen al)sent from camp, these birds would enter to investigate. This was much 

 to the detriment of a couple of fine sets of eggs which we once left uncovered. G. 

 AVillett (27) says that these birds are common on San Miguel, and IT. Wriglit 

 (21) found an old nest on Santa Rosa that evidently belonged to a raven. 



121. Molothrus ater obscums (Gmelin) 



Dwarf Cowbird 

 Molothrus ater obscurus (1) Colburn, Condor, xvii, 1915, p. 165. 



On September 5, 1914, L. M. Huey (MS) shot an innnature male cowbird on 

 the Coronados, that was catching flies in the air from a large boulder near the 

 water's edge. J. Grinnell identified this specimen as M. a. artemisiae, although 

 he stated that the bill is not quite the right shape for that form. As I am follow- 

 ing the A. O. U. Check-list, the specimen would fall under the above heading. A. 

 E. Colburn {1) records the capture of an additional specimen, an adult male, 

 in the same locality, May 31, 1915. 



122. Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus (Bonaparte) 



Yellow-headed Blackbird 

 Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus il) Dawson, Condor, xvii, 1915, p. 204. 



While at Santa Cruz Island in the spring of 1915, W. L. Dawson {!) saw a 

 mounted specimen of this species which had been taken by ]\Ir. Lucchelli, of the 

 island, during the previous year. 



123. Sturnella neglecta Audubon 



Western ]\Ieadow^lark 



sturnella neglecta (/) Cooper, Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci., iv, 1870, p. 78. (?) Oberholser, 

 Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., xxii, 1900, p. 231. (3) Mearns, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., lvi, 1907, 

 p. 142. t'l) Linton, Condor, x, 1908, p. 84. (3) Linton, Condor, x, 1908, p. 128. {<!) 

 Burt, Condor, xiii, 1911, pp. 164, 166. (7) Willett, Pac. Coast Avif., 7, 1912, p. 71. 

 (S) Wright and Snyder, Condor, xv, 1913, p. 91. (9) Grinnell, Pac. Coast Avif., 11, 

 1915, p. 104. 



Sturnella magna var. yieglecta (10) Henshaw, Rep. Wheeler Surv., 1876, p. 250. 



Sturnella magna neglecta (11) Henshaw, Auk, iii, 1886, p. 453. (12) Streator, Orn. & 

 Ool., XIII, 1888, p. 54. (13) Keeler, Zoe, i, 1891, p. 339. (/)) Grinnell, Pasadena 

 Acad. Sci., i, 1897, pp. 6, 16. (i.5) Mailliard, Bull. Cooper Orn. Club, i, 1899, p. 45. 

 (16) Breninger, Auk, xxi, 1904, p. 222. 



Common resident on most of the islands. We found these birds numerous 

 back from the shore of San Clemente Island in the spring of 1915. D. R. Dickey 

 saw young on the wdng as early as April 9. J. Grinnell (14) says that specimens 

 from there taken by him the last of INIarch and first of April, 1897, in comparison 

 witli birds in corresponding plumage from Pasadena, are darker and have larger 

 feet. I saw a single Western ]\Ieadowlark on Catalina, April 11, 1911, and a few 

 on Santa Barbara Island, May 1, 1908. H. C. Burt (6) records Meadowlarks 



