1917 BIRDS OF THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ISLANDS 95 



and, but the birds have evidently increased amazingly since that time, for now 

 they are commoner than I have ever seen them elsewhere. Several nests held 

 small young before the first of April, 1915, and a number wdth eggs were found 

 by us. J. Grinnell {2) states that birds from this island at least are lighter dor- 

 sally than those from the mainland, and this also holds good in the case of my 

 single specimen. I have found mockingbirds common on Catalina in the early 

 spring, and Grinnell (6) says that in December, 1908, they were feeding on the 

 fruit of the cholla cactus, which had stained their faces bright red. C. H. Rich- 

 ardson (11) here heard one imitating the call of a Western Gull. 



H. C. Burt (15) heard one singing on Anacapa, March 16, 1911. Near 

 Prisoner's Harbor, Santa Cruz Island, A. van Rossem and I found them to be 

 rather rare, only two being encountered during our stay in the spring of 1911, 

 but C. B. Linton [13) reported them fairly common in November and Decem- 

 ber of 1907. 



177. Salpinctes obsoletus obsoletus (Say) 



Rock Wren 



Salpinctes obsoletus (1) Cooper, Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci., iv, 1870, p. 78. (.3) Henshaw, 

 Rep. Wheeler Surv., 1876, p. 231. (J) Streator, Orn. & Ool., xiii, 1888, p. 54. (.'/) 

 Belding, Land Birds Pac. Dist, 1890, p. 229. (.J) Townsend, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 

 XIII, 1890, p. 141. (6) Keeler, Zoe, i, 1891, p. 339. (7) Grinnell, Pasadena Acad. Sci., 

 I, 1897, pp. 8, 20. (8) Grinnell, Auk, xv, 1898, p. 236. (9) Mailliard, Bull. Cooper 

 Orn. Club, i, 1899, pp. 41, 45. (10) Oberholser, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., xxii, 1900, p. 

 233. ill) Grinnell, Pac. Coast Avif., 3, 1902, p. 68. (12) Grinnell and Daggett, Auk, 

 XX, 1903, pp. 33, 37. (13) Breninger, Auk, xxi, 1904, p. 223. (U,) Mearns, Bull. 

 U. S. Nat. Mus., Lvi, 1907, p. 141. (15) Linton, Condor, x, 1908, p. 128. (IG) Grin- 

 nell, Condor, x, 1908, p. 130. (J7) Wright, Condor, xi, 1909, p. 100. (IS) Osburn, 

 Condor, xi, 1909, p. 138. (19) Willett, Condor, xii, 1910, p. 171. 



Salpinctes pulverius (20) Grinnell, Pac. Coast Avif., 3, 1902, p. 68. 



Salpinctes obsoletus obsoletus (21) Ridgway, Birds North & Mid. Am., in, 1904, p. 646. 

 (22) A. O. U. Check-list, 3d ed., 1910, p. 336. (23) Willett, Pac. Coast Avif., 7, 1912, 

 p. 101. (24) Wright and Snyder, Condor, xv, 1913, p. 92. (23) Swarth, Condor, 

 XVI, 1914, p. 211. (20) Grinnell, Pac. Coast Avif., 11, 1915, p. 156. 



Salpinctes obsoletus pulverius (27) Linton, Condor, x, 1908, p. 86. 



Common resident on all the islands except San Nicolas. On the Coronados 

 I have frequently met with this species on all four islands. Most numerous well 

 back from the shore and towards the tops of the islands. On San Clemente it is 

 fairly common, and D. R. Dickey shot a juvenile as early as April 9, 1915. Dur- 

 ing my several visits to Catalina in the spring, these birds were almost rare, but 

 J. Grinnell (MS) found them to be very common everywhere on the flats, as well 

 as among the rocks, near Johnson Harbor the latter part of August, 1903. G. 

 Willett (19) says they are common on Anacapa, and 0. W. Howard (23) took 

 a set of seven slightly incubated eggs there April 30, 1906. On May 1, 1908, I 

 noted them in some numbers on Santa Barbara Island, and a couple of pairs 

 were engaged in nest building, probably for the second time that year. Near 

 Prisoner's Plarbor, Santa Cruz, A. van Rossem and I found the species rare in 

 the spring of 1911, but C. B. Linton (15) recorded it as fairly numerous there 

 during November and December, 1907. There are single records of this bird 



