3 88 



Grinnell, Slimmer Birds of Mount Pinos, Cal. 



TAuk 

 LOct. 



of California. Upon gathering together series of Amphispizce, I became 

 convinced of the advisability of proposing the recognition of a new race 

 represented by the Mount Pinos skins. This was done in 'The Condor ' 

 for January, 1905, page 18. 



47. Passerella stephensi (Anthony). Stephens Fox Sparrow. — 

 The Stephens Fox Sparrow proved to be fairly numerous on Mount 

 Pinos and its westward spur, Sawmill Mountain, but strictly above 8000 

 feet. In the relatively rank growth of gooseberry bushes and other 

 vegetation about springs and swales, particularly on the shaded north 

 side among the firs, fox sparrows kept their presence known by frequent 

 repetition of their loud ringing song, to me the most pleasing of moun- 

 tain bird voices. Thirteen specimens of Passerella were secured on 

 Mount Pinos. Two of these were full-grown juveniles taken July 11, and 

 another, a half-grown fledgling, was taken on June 29. The remaining 

 ten adults measure in millimeters as follows : — 



The above measurements show the fox sparrows from Mount Pinos to 

 be in no respects smaller than those from the San Gabriel and San Bernar- 

 dino Mountains to the southward. In fact one extreme (No. 5819) has a 

 slightly larger bill than the largest examined from the other localities. 

 The tremendously enlarged bill of stephensi is characteristic, and sepa- 

 rates it readily from its nearest relative megarhyncha of the central 

 Sierra Nevada. Among numerous specimens of both forms, I see no in- 

 tergradation by way of individual variation ; and it is quite certain that 

 there is a broad geographical hiatus between Mount Pinos and the near- 

 est favorable region of the Sierras. Of course it is possible that inter- 

 mediate examples will be forthcoming from the southern Sierra Nevada 

 when these mountains are explored. But with the present available ma- 

 terial, by every criterion (except personal "feeling"!) stephensi should 



