1915 BIRDS OF CALIFORNIA 127 
Shasta County (Ridgway, Bds. N. & Mid. Amer., 1, 1901, p. 361). The standing 
of this form is, perhaps, least satisfactorily defined of that of any of our song 
sparrows. 
381 (581b, part) Melospiza melodia fisherella Oberholser 
Mopoc Sone SPARROW 
Synonyms—WMelospiza fallax, part; Melospiza rufina, part; Melospiza fasci- 
ata; Melospiza fasciata montana; Melospiza cinerea montana; Melospiza fasciata 
var. fallax; Melospiza fasciata heermanni, part; Melospiza melodia montana; 
Mountain Song Sparrow, part. 
Status—Commonly breeding in the Modoe district of northeastern Califor- 
nia, west to Shasta Valley and Sisson (C. H. Merriam, N. Amer. Fauna no. 16, 
1899, p. 125), and south along the east slope of the Sierras at least to Lake Val- 
ley, Eldorado County (Ray, Auk, xx, 1903, p. 189; specimens examined by me) ; 
also through Owens Valley to Lone Pine and Ash Creek (A. K. Fisher, N. Amer. 
Fauna, no. 7, 1893, p. 99: specimens, originally recorded as heermanni, re-exam- 
ined). Common as a winter visitant locally to southeastern California: Colorado 
Valley, Mohave River, and Salton Sink (Mus. Vert. Zool.). 
382 (581b, part) Melospiza melodia fallax (Baird) 
Rocky Mountain SonG SPARROW 
Synonyms—WMelospiza melodia montana, part; Desert Song Sparrow, part. 
? ? t=) Dp ? if 
Status—Occurs sparingly as a winter visitant to southeastern parts of the 
state: Clipper Gap, Placer County, and Victorville, San Bernardino County (J. 
Grinnell, Uniy. Calif. Publ. Zool., v, 1909, p. 269) ; and south to El Monte, Los 
Angeles County (Howell, Condor, xvi, 1914, p. 93). The ‘‘Mountain Song 
Sparrow’’ of much of the literature concerning California appears to me likely 
to have referred to one or the other of the two races, fisherella and fallax. The 
old name montana falls as a synonym of fallax (Oberholser, Proc. Biol. Soe. 
Wash., xxiv, 1911, p. 252). In absence of the original specimens in most cases, 
it is impossible to make distributional use of the various records. 
383 (581a) Melospiza melodia saltonis Grinnell 
SALTON SINK SonG SPARROW 
Synonyms—WMelospiza fallax, part; Melospiza cinerea fallax; Melospiza 
melodia fallax, part; Desert Song Sparrow, part. 
Status—Common resident of the Colorado River bottom from the Nevada 
line above Needles to the Mexican line below Yuma; also in the Imperial Valley 
west and north to the southeastern end of Salton Sea, and in the vicinity of 
Mecea, at the northwestern end of Salton Sea. (See Grinnell, Univ. Calif. Publ. 
Zool., v, 1909, p. 269.) Closely associated with such riparian plants as arrow- 
weed (Pluchea), guatemote (Baccharis) and willows. 
