66 PACIFIC COAST AVIFAUNA No. 7 



December 8. 1895, and February 8. 1896 (Auk xm. 1896, 258). Immature male 

 taken by Mr. Gaylord in the same locality, October 17, 1896 (Grinnell, Pub. 2, 

 Pasadena Acad. Sci., 1898, 31). Male taken by II. Wright, also near El Monte, 

 February 8, 1908 (Condor x, 1908, 91). Male taken by F. O. Johnson at Long 

 Beach, December 26, 1894 (Swarth, Condor xn. FUO, 107). Specimen seen by 

 F. E. Blaisdell, that was killed near Santa Ana, Orange County, December 9, 

 1884 (Belding, Land Bds. Pac. Dist., 1890, 105). Male taken by T. L. Hurd at 

 Riverside, May 24, 1889 (Orn. & Ool. xiv, 1889, 94). Pair seen at Banning, 

 Riverside County, by N. H. Hargrave in May, 1906. Adult male taken by N. K. 

 Carpenter at Escondido, San Diego County, April 6, 1902 (Condor iv, 1902, 94). 

 One bird seen by J. G. Cooper near San Diego (Auk iv, 1887, 92). There are 

 several other unrecorded instances of the occurrence of this bird in southern Cali- 

 fornia west of the mountains, and we may safely conclude that it is more common 

 in this locality than has generally been supposed. 



221. (474e) Otocoris alpestris actia Oberholser. California Horned 

 Lark. 



Abundant resident from the coast to the base of the mountains. Occurs in 

 summer up to about 7000 feet and, after the nesting season, may be found at even 

 higher altitudes. Nesting begins early and continues well into the summer, at 

 least two broods being raised in a season. I found the species fairly common at 

 Bear Valley, 6750 feet in the San Bernardino Mountains, during June, 1907. The 

 actions of the birds showed that they were breeding. About twenty birds were 

 seen by J. Grinnell at the very summit of San Gorgonio Peak, 11,485 feet alti- 

 tude, July 16, 1906 (Univ. Calif. Publ. Zool. v, 1908. 82). Mr. Grinnell found 

 fully fledged young near Pasadena the first week in March ( Pub. 2, Pasadena 

 Acad. Sci., 1898, 31 ), and Antonin Jay took two fresh eggs near Nigger Slough, 

 Los Angeles County, June 14, 1903. 



222. (474m) Otocoris alpestris insularis C. II. Townsend. Island 

 Horned Lark. 



Abundant resident on the Santa Barbara Islands; occasional to the mainland 

 in winter. Type specimen taken by Mr. Townsend on San Clemente Island, Janu- 

 ary 25, 1890 (Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. xm, 1890, 140). Robert Ridgway says of 

 this subspecies: "The characters of this 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 Nico- 

 las and Santa Catalina inclining toward the mainland form, (). a. actia, thus indi- 

 cating the origin of this insular form" ( Bds. X. & Mid. Am. iv, 1 ( )07, 318). The 

 breeding season of the Island Horned Lark, like that of the mainland bird, is 

 quite extensive and at least two broods are reared in a season. I have found full 

 grown young early in June. 



J. Grinnell found a nest containing four young on Santa Barbara Island, May 

 15, 1897 (Pub. 1. Pasadena Acad. Sci.. 1897, 5), and Antonin Jay took three eggs, 

 advanced in incubation, on the same island, July 3, 1909. C. I'>. Linton took three 

 half-incubated eggs on San Nicolas Island. May 12. 1910, and took a set of 

 four, slightly incubated, the following day. J. Grinnell took three slightly incu- 



