[Auk 

 Oct. 



It is customary on the part of many to speak slightingly of the 

 custom of identifying specimens on geographical grounds, that is to 

 apply to a certain example of bird the name of the subspecies sup- 

 posed to occur at the point where this bird was collected, as suffi- 

 cient grounds for identification. Even were this practice generally 

 as objectionable as some appear to believe, it seems that in the Cali- 

 fornia bush-tits we have a case where it can be done with perfect 

 propriety. Examination of large series of specimens discloses the 

 existence of certain different geographical races, each apparently 

 resident within its own borders. The color variations of these 

 races, however, are such that specimens of one, taken at a certain 

 season, may closely resemble examples of another, taken at a dif- 

 ferent time of the year. Hence the collector of a few skins, taken at 

 scattered points and different seasons, could easily be misled as to 

 the significance of the variations or similarities he observes. It 

 seems to me that, providing he assures himself of the pertinence of 

 the limited comparisons possible to him, he is perfectly justified in 

 naming his specimens on 'geographical considerations.' 



Molt: There is but one molt during the year. This takes place 

 during the late summer, at the time of the conclusion of family 

 cares of the adults, and when the young are molting into first winter 

 plumage. The sequence of changes in P. minimus viinimus, as 

 illustrated in a series from southern California, is (omitting the 

 natal down) about as follows : 



Toward the end of May young birds begin to appear out of the 

 nests, generally with wing and tail feathers fully developed, in other 

 words in full juvenal plumage. This is worn without change for 

 about two months, when, toward the end of July, the post-juvenal 

 molt begins. There are several specimens at hand showing the 

 inception of this molt: No. 3269, juvenal female, Reche Canyon, 

 Riverside County, July 27, 1908; several new secondaries and some 

 new greater wing coverts. No. 5214 (Grinnell coll.) juvenal male, 

 Pasadena, July 29, 1902 ; at practically the same stage, with several 

 new secondaries and some new coverts, but otherwise still in juvenal 

 plumage. Other specimens at hand show this molt in progress 

 until the end of September. 



The annual molt of the adults is taking place at the same time, 

 having begun a little earlier. Birds taken during June have the 



