GROSBEAKS, FINCHES, SPARROWS: Family Fringilltdae [597] 



separated by divergent breeding forms. The concept of subspecies is one 

 of geographical variation that somehow cannot well be correlated with 

 discontinuous ranges. Our breeding birds are clearly intermediate be- 

 tween morfhna and fisherella and, all things considered, are probably on 

 the average somewhat more like fisherella. To give them a distinct name 

 would not help the situation, for the differences from either of the above 

 recognized races are so slight that the practical effect would be to create 

 two zones of intergradation between even less distinguishable forms. 

 From the standpoint of practical working ornithologists this would be a 

 useless multiplication of poorly distinguished forms, and even from a 

 strictly scientific standpoint the activities of some of the experts on sub- 

 specific determinations has been carried to such extremes that we wonder 

 at times if it has not become a game for scientific dabblers rather than 

 serious scientific work. We frankly prefer to recognize areas of inter- 

 gradation where intermediates may be found, and breeding birds from 

 the Rogue River Valley may be so classed, the majority tending some- 

 what more toward fisherella than morphna. Many wintering birds, how- 

 ever, are morphna in this area. 



Mendocino Song Sparrow: 



Melospi%a melodia cleonensis McGregor 



DESCRIPTION. General color of upper parts deep rusty olive, conspicuously and 

 broadly streaked on the upper surface with dark rusty brown, or chestnut, and 

 fuscous black; the pileum with a narrow median stripe of smoke gray, the super- 

 ciliary stripe, lores, and auricular region smoke gray; under parts white, streaked 

 on sides of throat, chest, and abdomen with dark rusty brown or chestnut, the 

 streaks fuscous black medially; sides, flanks, and crissum strongly fulvous. Similar 

 to Melospi^a melodia samuelis in size and proportions, but averaging slightly smaller 

 with large legs and feet. Si%e: Length (skins) 4.76-5.88, wing x. 15-2.. 51, tail 2..o8- 

 2.. 48, exposed culmen .41-. 50. Nest and eggs: Same as those of M. m. fallax. 

 DISTRIBUTION. General: Breeds from Oregon line through coastal belt of Del Norte 

 and Humboldt Counties to Mendocino County, California. In Oregon: Breeds only 

 on coast of Curry County, about mouth of Pistol River, and south to California line. 

 Winters in same territory. (See Figure 2.0.) 



THE MENDOCINO SONG SPARROW, the coastal race from California, is the 

 breeding bird of a narrow strip of country extending for approximately 

 2.5 miles along the southwestern Oregon coast. Numerous specimens 

 that we have collected in this district both winter and summer prove to 

 be this form, although in winter the much darker morphna is also found. 



Alaska Longspur: 



Calcarius lapponicus alascensis Ridgway 



DESCRIPTION. ' 'Inner web of outer tail feather chiefly dusky. Adult male in summer: 

 fore farts black, contrasting strikingly with white of belly and white or buffy line 



