1917 BIRDS OF THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ISLANDS 67 
118. Otocoris alpestris insularis ©. H. Townsend 
IsuAND Hornep LARK 
Phileremos cornutus (1) Cooper, Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci., Iv, 1870, p. 78. 
Eremophila alpestris var. chrysolaema (2) Henshaw, Rep. Wheeler Surv., 1876, p. 248. 
Otocoris alpestris rubea (3) Henshaw, Auk, 111, 1886, p. 453. 
Otocoris alpestris ————— (4) Blake, Auk, Iv, 1887, p. 329. 
O[tocoris]. alpestris rubea (5) Streator, Orn. & Ool., x11, 1888, p. 54. 
Otocoris alpestris strigata (6) Dwight, Auk, vu, 1890, pp. 151, 158. (7) Keeler, Zoe, 1, 
1891, p. 339. (8) Grinnell, Pasadena Acad. Sci., 1, 1897, pp. 5, 10, 16. (9) Davie, 
Nests & Eggs N. Am. Birds, 5th ed., 1898, p. 318. 
Otocoris alpestris insularis (10) Townsend, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., xm, 1890, p. 140. (71) 
Bendire, Life Hist. N. Am. Birds, 11, 1895, p. 347. (12) Mailliard, Bull. Cooper Orn. 
Club, 1, 1899, p. 41. (13) Oberholser, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., xxi, 1900, p. 280. (14) 
Oberholser, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., xxiv, 1902, p. 839. (15) A. O. U. Committee, Auk, 
xx, 1903, p. 345. (16) Breninger, Auk, xxi, 1904, p. 222. (17) Mearns, Bull. U. S. 
Nat. Mus., vi, 1907, p. 141. (78) Ridgway, Birds North & Mid. Am., tv, 1907, p. 317. 
(19) Linton, Condor, x, 1908, p. 84. (20) Linton, Condor, x, 1908, p. 181. (21) A. O. 
U. Check-list, 3d ed., 1910, p. 221. (22) Howell and van Rossem, Condor, x1, 1911, 
p. 209. (23) Willett, Pac. Coast Avif., 7, 1912, p. 66. (24) Grinnell, Pac. Coast Avif., 
8, 1912, p. 16. (25) Wright and Snyder, Condor, xv, 1913, p. 91. (26) Grinnell, Pac. 
Coast Avif., 11, 1915, p. 95. 
Horned Lark (27) Beck, Bull. Cooper Orn. Club, 1, 1899, p. 85. (28) Willett, Condor, 
xir, 19110, p. 171. 
Otocoris insularis (29) Grinnell, Pac. Coast Avif., 3, 1902, p. 45. (30) Linton, Condor, 
x, 1908, p. 127. 
O[tocorys]. a[lpestris]. insularis (31) Coues, Key N. Am. Birds, 5th ed., 1908, p. 508. 
O[tocoris]. allpestris]. insularis (32) Bailey, Handb. Birds West. U. S., 2d ed., 1904, p. 
269. (33) Reed, N. Am. Birds’ Eggs, 1904, p. 228. 
Otocoris a[lpestris]. insularis (34) Willett, Condor, x11, 1910, p. 172. (35) Burt, Condor, 
xii, 1911, pp. 164, 166. 
Resident of the islands. Abundant on some of them and rather rare on oth- 
ers. Not found on the Coronados. This subspecies was originally described by 
C. H. Townsend (70) from an adult male taken on San Clemente, January 25, 
1889. It differs from actia in its decidedly darker coloration, and from strigata 
in being slightly darker, with the buffy markings grayer, and underparts of 
body usually without vellow. Regarding this form Ridgway (18) says ‘‘The 
characters . . . . are most pronounced in specimens from the more north- 
ern islands of San Miguel, Santa Rosa and Santa Cruz, those from the more south- 
ern islands of San Clemente, Santa Barbara, San Nicolas and Santa Catalina in- 
clining towards the mainland form, O. a. actia, thus indicating the origin of this 
insular form.’’ This would probably indicate that the island form originated 
from the latter, but the more northern islands, having a damper climate, would 
tend to create characters more closely approaching those of strigata of the humid 
northwest. (See also Oberholser | 74].) 
C. B. Linton (20) secured one of these birds, a male, from a large flock at 
Alamitos Bay, Los Angeles County, on January 18, 1908 (the date given in the 
published record is erroneous). It may be a regular winter visitant to the main- 
land coast, but I think it more likely that this bird was either an individual that 
