April 1004] BIRDS OF THE HUACHUCA MOUNTAINS, ARIZONA. 43 



variation, from those in which the outer web is gray with hardly a trace 

 of red, through every stage to those in which they, together with the 

 scapulars and greater coverts, are uniform with the back. All the speci- 

 mens secured have the bright yelow iris of palliatns, and I took none 

 but what are referable to that race rather than dorsalis, though the latter 

 might be expected to occur in this region in the winter. Intergradation 

 between the two races might be indicated by the varying extent of the 

 red areas of the upper parts in the specimens of palliatus secured. 



In just one specimen, a female, is there any indication of red on the 

 crown, but whereas in caniceps, where it is fairly common, such a mark 

 usually takes the form of a more or less connected patch, in this case it 

 is a well defined line over each eye. 



Amphispiza bilineata deserticola Ridgway. Desert Sparrow. 



Breeds in the greatest abundance in the valley of the San Pedro 

 River, where it is probably resident the year through. It appears in 

 limited numbers in the foothills of the Huachucas for a short time in 

 the spring, from the end of March, to about the end of April ; and though 

 I have seen none during the breeding season, toward the end of July 

 small flocks were frequently met with, usually composed of a single 

 family; the two parent birds and three or four juveniles. 



Aimophila cassini (Woodhouse). Cassin Sparrow. 



When I reached the Huachuca Mountains at the. end of March, 1902, 

 I found this species scattered in small numbers along the base of the 

 mountains, and took several specimens during the first week in April. 

 At the middle of April it was fairly abundant along the San Pedro River, 

 being generally found in the tall grass: and in June, O. W. Howard 

 found several nests in the valley, some ten miles from the mountains, 

 that probably belong- to this species, though none were positively identi- 

 fied. About the middle of March of the same year I took several speci- 

 mens in the foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains, near Tucson. 



It seems rather irregular in its occurrence, for in 1903, there were 

 none to be found in places where it was fairly abundant the previous 

 year; and the only one seen was a single bird at the base of the Hua- 

 chucas, on May I4th. 



Aimophila ruficeps scotti (Sennett).. Scott Sparrow. 



This species proved to be an abundant resident in the Huachucas, 

 particularly favoring those parts of the foothills which, having but little 

 brush, are covered with toll erass and a scattering growth of live-oaks. 

 Though most abundant in the foothills below five thousand feet, they 

 seemed affected more by environment than altitude, and were found 

 throughout the mountains, in all suitable places, quite up to the divide 

 of the range. They were almost invariably seen in pairs, occasionally 

 but rarely, two pair being together . Specimens collected vary consid- 

 erably in color. This variation is seasonal to a great extent, for birds 

 taken in February and March have the colors of the upper parts ob- 

 scured by the grayish edgings to the feathers ; but aside from this, and 

 irrespective of sex, some are much paler than others. It is only those 

 taken late in the summer, in July and August, in very abraded plumage, 

 that have the rufons of the crown clearly defined and unmixed with other 

 colors. 



