APPENDIX 



It is modified by climatic influences into a number of varieties, three of 

 which occur in Cahfornia. The song-sparrow is about six inches long. 

 It is streaked above and below. The upper parts are brown, gray and 

 olive, varying in tone in the different races. There is a lighter grayish 

 line down the center of the head, and another over the eye. The breast 

 is white, profusely streaked with dark brown, the streaks forming a line 

 down the sides of the white throat. On the eastern slopes of the Sierra 

 Nevada Mountains a pale race, the Mountain Song-Sparrow (Melospiza 

 melodia montana), occurs, while in the interior valleys of the State, west 

 of the Sierras, Heermann's Song-Sparrow (Melospiza melodia heer- 

 manni) is found. Its chief characteristics are its dark color and its 

 robust bill. 



Samuel's Song-Sparrow is the coast form, with more slender bill, 

 but such distinctions cannot be made in the live bird. It is only by com- 

 parison of a large series in a museum that the differences are apparent, 

 and every shade of intergradation between them can be shown. The 

 Rusty Song-Sparrow is found along the coast north of California, but 

 migrates south in winter to the northern parts of the State. It is dark 

 rusty in tone. 



A variety has been described from Santa Barbara Island, which 

 migrates to the adjacent mainland during the winter months. Upon San 

 Clemente, San Miguel and Santa Rosa Islands, a slightly larger form 

 has been distinguished. 



135. Lincoln's Sparrow; Melospiza lincolnii (Aud.). 



This is another member of the song-sparrow group, but a distinct 

 species. Size a trifle smaller than a song-sporrow. General style of 

 coloration similar, but a buff band on the breast streaked with fine lines 

 of black, in contrast to the white of the remaining under parts, will serve 

 to distinguish it. Less common, and generally found as a migrant or 

 winter visitant except in the Sierra Nevada meadows. Must not be con- 

 founded with the Savanna-sparrow (No. 120), which see. A darker 

 form, Forbush's Sparrow, has been distinguished on the Northwest Coast, 

 migrating in winter to California. 



136. Townsend's Sparrow; Passerelld. iliaca unalaschcensis 

 (Gmel.). 



The western variety of the Fox-Sparrow. There is one record of 

 the eastern variety from San Diego. Length about seven inches. Above 

 plain dark brown or grayish brown, unstreaked; wings and tail rufous 

 in tone; below white, heavily marked with triangular spots of brown on 

 the breast, and streaks of the same on the sides. Common winter resident 

 of the valleys of central California, becoming rare to the southward 

 where it occurs as far as San Diego. Another variety of the fox- 



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