34'S Anthony, A'ctr Pacific Coast Birds. \^o^ 



• Mr. F. Stephens recently called my attention to a series of 

 Thick-billed Sparrows in his collection from the mountains of 

 southern California that differed very considerably from specimens 

 from the Sierra Nevada. The birds in question are principally 

 from the San Jacinto Mts., where, later in the season, I found 

 them in abundance inhabiting all suitable localities between the 

 altitudes of 7000 and 9000 feet. 



A series was secured but unfortunately they were all in very 

 ragged, postbreeding plumage. So badly is the plumage worn 

 that it is rather unsafe to venture an opinion as to its probable 

 shades, and the measurements of the wings and tail can only be 

 approximately obtained. However, with the specimens that Mr. 

 Stephens has very kindly placed at my disposal I have ventured 

 to separate the southern race, to be known in honor of its dis- 

 coverer, to whom I am indebted for the privilege of describing it. 



Passerella iliaca Stephens!, subsp. nov. Stephens's Spar- 

 row. 



Suhsp. char. — Differinn' from P. i. iiicffar/iyiic/in in larger size, the bill 

 especially being much larger than in that race. 



Type No. 6651, $, Coll. A. W. A., San Jacinto Mts., Calif., July 14, 1S95. 



The type of megarhyiicha was taken by Xantus at Fort Tejon 

 and was doubtless a winter bird from the Sierra Nevada, as the 

 genus is not found about Fort Tejon, except as a winter visitant 

 from the northern mountains. 



One of Xantus's skins (No. 13,757, Coll. Nat. Mus.) is before 

 me. This specimen is perhaps immature, but is practically the 

 same as specimens from Alpine and Butte Counties, and very 

 different from breeding birds from the San Jacinto and San 

 Bernardino ranges. 



The most striking characteristic of the new race is the large 

 bill, which is always larger than that of the largest megarhynr/ur. 



Only one of the southern specimens — ■ an unusually small 

 female from San Bernardino Mts. — is as small as the largest 

 specimen of jucgarliyncha I have examined, and in this specimen 

 the bill is as large or larger than the largest bill found in the 

 megar/iync/ia series. The comparative measurements of the two 

 races can be seen in the following tables. Unworn specimens 

 would somewhat exceed in wing and tail the measurements given 

 for the specimens from the San Jacinto Mts. 



