400 Palmer, The Sitkan Kinglet. \q-^ 



The Sitkan Kinglet is a smaller and darker bird than its near 

 relative R. calendula, approaching closer, except in the coloring 

 of its crown patch, to R. obscurus of Guadalupe Island. It lacks 

 the grayness and paleness above and on the sides of the head 

 and neck characteristic of calendula. The bill is larger and dif- 

 ferently shaped. The wing is much darker, nearly black in places, 

 and the anterior bar especially is narrower. The female bird I 

 have not seen. 



It is probable that grinuelli will prove to be a resident or a 

 slightly migratory coast bird about Sitka and eastward and south- 

 ward, as indicated by its shorter wings. More northern Alaskan 

 examples are calendula. Two winter specimens, out of a large 

 number examined from California, are differently intermediate ; 

 one being nearly similar in coloration to grvmelli., and both 

 having similar bills, but with longer wings and tails. The char- 

 acter of the climate about Sitka is shown by the following extract 

 from a 'circular' dated July 29, 1897, and compiled by the Chief 

 of the Weather Bureau of the U. S. Department of Agriculture. 

 " The fringe of islands that separates the mainland from the Pacific 

 Ocean from Dixon Sound northward, and also a strip of the 

 mainland for possibly 20 miles back from the sea, following the 

 sweep of the coast as it curves to the northwestward to the western 

 extremity of Alaska, form a distinct climatic division which may 

 be termed temperate Alaska. The temperature rarely falls to 

 zero; winter does not set in until about December i, and by the 

 last of May the snow has disappeared except on the mountains. 

 The mean winter temperature of Sitka is 32.50, but little less than 



that of Washington, D. C The rainfall of temperate Alaska 



is notorious the world over not only as regards the quantity that 

 falls, but also as to the manner of its falling, viz. : In long and 

 incessant rains and drizzles. Cloud and fog naturally abound, 

 there being on an average but 66 clear days in the year." Under 

 such conditions grinnelli has been differentiated from its relative 

 calendula. The type locality of this last is ' Pensylvania.' 



My thanks are due Mr. Ridgway for the opportunity of examin- 

 ing the specimens in his care, and to Mr. Grinnell, for whom the 

 form is named, for kindly presenting the type, together with many 

 other specimens of birds, to the National Collection. 



