1912 BIRDS OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA 83 



Island in June, 1910, and C. B. Linton has taken many specimens on San Cle- 

 mente. J. G. Cooper found it on San Nicolas and San Clemente (Proc. Cal. Acad. 

 Sci. iy, 1869, 78), and O. W. Howard took several sets of eggs on the latter 

 island during the first week in March, 19-03. 



275. (574.1) Amphispiza nevadensis nevadensis (Ridgway). Sage 

 Sparrow. 



Occasional winter visitant. H. S. Swarth says of a series of twenty-eight 

 Sage Sparrows taken by F. O. Johnson near Riverside during the months of 

 November, December and January : "The specimens in this series show every 

 degree of variation from a few individuals typical of canescens to others indis- 

 tinguishable from true nevadensis. Though the majority of the specimens are 

 probably to be referred to nevadensis, they have mostly smaller bills than ex- 

 amples of that form from northern Nevada. In the matter of wing lengths there 

 are some that might be referred with equal propriety to either race, being vari- 

 ously intermediate between the dimensions of the two forms as given by Grinnell 

 (Condor vn, 1905, 181)" (Condor xn, 1910, 108). 



276. (574.1b) Amphispiza. nevadensis canescens Grinnell. California 

 Sack Sparrow. 



Summer resident of the elevated Upper Sonoran and Transition sage valleys 

 of the southern Sierras, south to the Sierra San Gabriel. Los Angeles County. 

 Slightly migratory to lower levels in winter, south at least to Riverside County. 

 In describing this subspecies. Mr. Grinnell examined specimens from Cuddy 

 Canon, southern Kern County ; near Tejon Pass ; valleys in immediate vicinity of 

 Mt. Pihos, Ventura County; near Pine Flats, head of Tujunga Canon, Sierra San 

 Gabriel, Los Angeles County; San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles County (win- 

 ter) ; Whitewater, Riverside County (winter) (Condor yii, 1905, 181). Speci- 

 mens were also taken at Riverside in winter by F. O. Johnson ( Swarth. Condor 

 xn, 1910, 108). O. W. Howard found this bird breeding rather plentifully in 

 Piru Basin, 5500 feet altitude, northeastern Ventura County, in May and June, 

 1903. He took four slightly incubated eggs May 16, and five, slightly incubated, 

 June 6. 



277. (580) Aimophila ruficeps ruficeps (Cassin). Rufous-crowned 

 Sparrow. 



Fairly common resident of the foothill regions, also on some of the Santa 

 Barbara Islands. Partial to grass covered hillsides where it breeds mostly in 

 April and May. Owing to its retiring habits, its nest is seldom found and the 

 eggs are among the rarest in oological collections of this region. A nest contain- 

 ing three eggs was found and photographed by Harriet Williams Myers near Los 

 Angeles, April 10, 1909 (Condor xi, 1909, 131). W. L. Chambers took four 

 slightly incubated eggs near Santa Monica, Los Angeles County, May 17, 1903, 

 and Antonin Jay took four eggs, advanced in incubation, near Whittier, April 17, 

 1910. L. P. Williams took four fresh eggs near Redlands, San Bernardino 

 County, April 20, 1893, and took several other sets during the four years follow- 

 ing (Osprey n, 1897, 27). C. S. Sharp found a nest containing two young and 



