1913] Grinnell-Swarth: Birds and Mammals of San Jacinto 369 



ably in the dense brush at the base of the surrounding hills. 

 About Dos Palmos, in -June and again in August, they were 

 occasionally jumped from their hiding places in the hushes, on 

 the more brushy portions of the mesa. Here they were in typic- 

 ally desert surroundings, in our experience a most unusual 

 environment for the species, and due. apparently, to their down- 

 ward dispersion from the nearby Upper Sonoran hills. 



The one secured on Thomas Mountain, the only one seen at 

 this point, is from an altitude (6800 feet) perhaps as high as any 

 previously published record station. Nelson (1909, p. 2 52 - states 

 that in northern Lower California the species ranges up to 6000 

 feet, into Transition. The limited area of Transition zone along 

 the ridge of Thomas Mountain, open forests of yellow pine 

 inhabited by many Transition zone birds, was invaded at numer- 

 ous points by tongues of dense Upper Sonoran chaparral, and 

 it was doubtless this feature that carried (Ik 1 brush rabbit as 

 high as the ridge of this mountain. 



Nelson's remarks (1909, p. 253) on examples of S. h <in<r- 

 ascens from Dulzura, San Diego, and other points along the 

 Mexican boundary, also apply in pari to our San Jacinto Moun- 

 tain specimens. Willi the color of typical cinerascens, the ears 

 of some are distinctly longer than those of specimens from 

 Pasadena and San Fernando. Measurements (ear from notch. 

 in dried skin) in the eight specimens at hand are. average 58.8 

 mm., extremes 54 to 62. The bullae, however, are not appre- 

 ciably different in the two series. 



Felis oregonensis oregonensis Rafmesque 



Pacific Cougar 



Well known to the inhabitants of the region. Reported as 

 having recently occurred near Schain's Ranch, on the Strawberry 

 ('reek grade and near Hemet Peak, all being localities within 

 the chaparral belt. No specimens were obtained, though indiv- 

 iduals were twice encountered by one member of our party, and 

 one was shot at but without result. 



This incident occurred on May 27 on the desert slope of the 

 Santa Rosa Mountains at the edge of Deep Canon close to Black 

 Hill, 3000 feet altitude. The hunter was skirting the rim of 



