74 PACIFIC COAST AVIFAUNA No. 12 
The breeding season is a long one, and at least three broods must be raised 
each year. G. F. Breninger (35) found several sets of four and five eggs on San 
Clemente in February, 1903, and I repeatedly saw young on the wing there dur- 
ing the last of March, 1915. J. Grinnell and F. S. Daggett (17) noted a nest on 
the Coronados, August 6, 1902, which held small young. The eggs are indistin- 
euishable from those of the mainland bird. The average measurements for a se- 
ries of nine eggs taken by J. Grinnell (8) on San Clemente is .82x.59 inches. 
Nesting sites originally were in cactus plants or in niches of cliffs, but the birds 
are now taking advantage of the chance to occupy more sheltered situations in 
buildings and sheds, where such occur. I have even known one to take posses- 
sion of a nest of the Western Flycatcher (28) with one egg of the rightful owner 
still in place, but as to whether the latter had first deserted of her own accord, 
I am unable to say. Linnets are fond of congregating about the opuntia patches, 
on the ripe fruit of which they feed extensively. 
Being in doubt as to the identity of birds from Santa Cruz Island, I sent 
a small series to J. Grinnell for his opinion. He agrees with me in considering 
the bills of these birds indistinguishable from those of mainland specimens. 
Among examples from the mainland which he had in the Museum collection, he 
also found birds more heavily marked than my Santa Cruz specimens. 
I believe in subspecies, and think that any form that has a constant charac- 
ter of differentiation should be recognized. I cannot see, however, why any 
race, only two thirds or so of which show the subspecifie characters, should have 
formal place in the catalog of our avifauna. I have gathered together a good 
sized series of the island Carpodacus and have examined many more. I have not 
taken many measurements of bills and feet, as these often vary in a manner that 
cannot be shown by calipers, but I have compared them very carefully in the 
hand, where relative bulk is more apparent. In a large series these members 
do average a very little larger in the island than in mainland birds, but speci- 
mens of the latter may be found which surpass those of the former in the size of 
both culmen and feet. I have a female taken in Covina, California, the streak- 
ing of whose under parts is much heavier than any island female examined, and I 
have seen males from the mainland just as heavily streaked as any of the insu- 
lar birds. The latter probably do average heavier in this respect, but there is a 
large number in which this criterion does not hold good. In the matter of com- 
parative lengths of wing and tail, the following table speaks for itself. Speci- 
mens in very worn plumage have not been compared. 
Wing Tail 
33 males from mainland (Los Angeles Co.)..............--eeeeeees 77.6 58.6 
DormMalesstrom) San) Clemente) [sland .....-+ccesens cc + acca eee 78.6 58.4 
Simalessirom santa Cruz dsland) a.rejcc sce seco ie pm Renee Ute 58.4 
In making the above comparisons I am indebted for the loan of specimens to 
the Museum of Mistory, Science and Art, of Los Angeles, through F. S. Daggett, 
and to the U. S. Biological Survey, through E. W. Nelson. As but few females 
were available, | have given measurements of males only. My large series from 
the type locality certainly goes to show that birds from there at least have not 
a shorter wing, and to all intents, no shorter tail than mainland birds. The 
