400 PALMER, The Sitkan Kinglet. aan 
The Sitkan Kinglet is a smaller and darker bird than its near 
relative 2. calendula, approaching closer, except in the coloring 
of its crown patch, to 2. obscurus of Guadalupe Island. It lacks 
the grayness and paleness above and on the sides of the head 
and neck characteristic of calendula. The billis larger and dif- 
ferently shaped. The wing is much darker, nearly black in places, 
and the anterior bar especially is narrower. The female bird I 
have not seen. 
It is probable that grimnelZi will prove to be a resident or a 
slightly migratory coast bird about Sitka and eastward and south- 
ward, as indicated by its shorter wings. More northern Alaskan 
examples are calendula. Two winter specimens, out of a large 
number examined from California, are differently intermediate ; 
one being nearly similar in coloration to grimne/i, and both 
having similar bills, but with longer wings and tails. The char- 
acter of the climate about Sitka is shown by the following extract 
from a ‘circular’ dated July 29, 1897, and_compiled by the Chief 
of the Weather Bureau of the U. S. Department of Agriculture. 
‘“‘ The fringe of islands that separates the mainland from the Pacific 
Ocean from Dixon Sound northward, and also a strip of the 
mainland for possibly 20 miles back from the sea, following the 
sweep of the coast as it curves to the northwestward to the western 
extremity of Alaska, form a distinct climatic division which may 
be termed temperate Alaska. The temperature rarely falls to 
zero; winter does not set in until about December 1, and by the 
last of May the snow has disappeared except on the mountains. 
The mean winter temperature of Sitka is 32.50, but little less than 
that of Washington, D.C. .... The rainfall of temperate Alaska 
is notorious the world over not only as regards the quantity that 
falls, but also as to the manner of its falling, viz.: In long and 
incessant rains and drizzles. Cloud and fog naturally abound, 
there being on an average but 66 clear days in the year.” Under 
such conditions griznelli has been differentiated from its relative 
calendula. he type locality of this last is ‘Pensylvania.’ 
My thanks are due Mr. Ridgway for the opportunity of examin- 
ing the specimens in his care, and to Mr. Grinnell, for whom the 
form is named,for kindly presenting the type, together with many 
other specimens of birds, to the National Collection. 
