1917 BIRDS OF THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ISLANDS 71 
pair on the island. A. van Rossem and I (22) discovered two nests, not twenty 
feet apart, on the sea chffs of Santa Cruz Island, April 28, 1911. Both held 
small young. While there we occupied a large pothole at the base of a cliff, and 
when absent from camp, these birds would enter to investigate. This was much 
to the detriment of a couple of fine sets of eggs which we once left uncovered. G. 
Willett (27) says that these birds are common on San Miguel, and H. Wright 
(24) found an old nest on Santa Rosa that evidently belonged to a raven. 
iPALE Molothrus ater obscurus (Gmelin) 
Dwarr CowBirp 
Molothrus ater obscurus (1) Colburn, Condor, xvir, 1915, p. 165. 
On September 5, 1914, L. M. Huey (JS) shot an immature male cowbird on 
the Coronados, that was catching flies in the air from a large boulder near the 
water’s edge. J. Grinnell identified this specimen as M. a. artemisiae, although 
he stated that the bill is not quite the right shape for that form. As I am follow- 
ing the A. O. U. Check-list, the specimen would fall under the above heading. A. 
E. Colburn (7) records the capture of an additional specimen, an adult male, 
in the same locality, May 31, 1915. 
122. Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus (Bonaparte) 
YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD 
Xanthocephalus xranthocephalus (1) Dawson, Condor, xvi1, 1915, p. 204. 
While at Santa Cruz Island in the spring of 1915, W. L. Dawson (7) saw a 
mounted specimen of this species which had been taken by Mr. Luechell, of the 
island, during the previous year. 
123. Sturnella neglecta Audubon 
WESTERN MEADOWLARK 
Sturnella neglecta (1) Cooper, Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci., 1v, 1870, p. 78. (2) Oberholser, 
Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., xx11, 1900, p. 231. (3) Mearns, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., ivr, 1907, 
p. 142. (4) Linton, Condor, x, 1908, p. 84. (5) Linton, Condor, x, 1908, p. 128. (6) 
Burt, Condor, x11, 1911, pp. 164, 166. (7) Willett, Pac. Coast Avif., 7, 1912, p. 71. 
(S) Wright and Snyder, Condor, xv, 1913, p. 91. (9) Grinnell, Pac. Coast Avif., 11, 
1915, p. 104. 
Sturnella magna var. neglecta (10) Henshaw, Rep. Wheeler Surv., 1876, p. 250. 
Sturnella magna neglecta (11) Henshaw, Auk, 10, 1886, p. 453. _ ) Streator, Orn. & 
Ool., x11, 1888, p. 54. (13) Keeler, Zoe, 1, 1891, p. 339. (1h Grinnell, Pasadena 
Acad. Sci., 1, 1897, pp. 6, 16. (15) Mailliard, Bull. Cooper Orn. Club, 1, 1899, p. 45. 
(16) Breninger, Auk, xx1, 1904, p. 222. 
Common resident on most of the islands. We found these birds numerous 
back from the shore of San Clemente Island in the spring of 1915. D. R. Dickey 
saw young on the wing as early as April 9. J. Grinnell (74) says that specimens 
from there taken by him the last of March and first of April, 1897, in comparison 
with birds in corresponding plumage from Pasadena, are darker and have larger 
feet. I saw a single Western Meadowlark on Catalina, April 11, 1911, and a few 
on Santa Barbara Island, May 1, 1908. H. C. Burt (6) records Meadowlarks 
