1 8 Grinnei.l, Large-billed Sparrow. \ P \m 



billed Sparrow, with an interrogation mark, as "quite common" 

 in November and December, 1898, on the marsh lands about the 

 mouth of the Colorado River at the head of the Gulf of California. 

 " It was not seen away from the coarse sea grass, Uniola palmeri." 



In 1902 appeared Brewster's paper * reviewing the ornithology of 

 southern Lower California. In this he states that "all the speci- 

 mens [of the Large-billed Sparrow] thus far collected in the Cape 

 Region have been taken in autumn, winter, or early spring. 

 Indeed, there is no present evidence that the bird breeds any- 

 where in Lower California." Mr. Brewster's collector obtained 

 no less than fifty-nine skins, secured from August 31 until "early 

 March." 



Joseph Mailliard has only this year recorded - a specimen taken 

 at Santa Cruz, California, August 27, 1895. This is by far the 

 northernmost station. And Breninger has even more recently 

 recorded 3 the species as secured in February on San Clemente 

 Island. 



This completes the definite distributional data at hand. Now 

 let us turn to what evidence has been offered in regard to the 

 breeding grounds of Passerculus rosiratus. I have made personal 

 inquiry of several observers who ought to know something along 

 this line, if anything is known at all, but without eliciting any 

 new facts. Mr. Frank Stephens, who is probably best posted of 

 anyone on the general ornithology of the Southwest, writes me 

 that he knows of "no breeding record that may be considered of 

 value." 



Cooper's statements, 4 previously referred to, are as follows : "I 

 found them plenty at San Pedro and San Diego at all seasons, 

 and doubt whether they migrate at all." " At San Pedro I saw 

 them in July feeding their young, but never found a nest that 

 I was certain belonged to this species." Now here are some 

 present day facts : The Belding Marsh Sparrow {Passerculus 

 beldingi) is an abundant permanent resident on the salt marshes 



1 Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., XLI, Sept. 1902, 138. 



2 Condor, VI, Jan. 1904, 16. 



3 Auk, XXI, April 1904, 223. 



4 Orn. Cal., I, 1870, 184. 



