304 University of California Publications in Zoology [Vol. 10 



Toxostoma lecontei lecontei Lawrence 

 Leconte Thrasher 



This desert thrasher ranges westward in San Gorgonio Pass 

 to the vicinity of Banning; but as most of our collecting in this 

 region was carried on at the base of the hills, above the part of 

 the desert floor usually frequented by the species, comparatively 

 few of the birds were seen. 



Single individuals were observed at Cabezon on various occa- 

 sions from May 1 to 19, and at Whitewater, May 30, usually far 

 too wary to admit of near approach. None was seen in the Dos 

 Palmos region, which probably lies somewhat above the normal 

 range of the species, both altitudinally and zonally. Neither 

 were any encountered on the desert below the mouth of Palm 

 Canon during our brief stay at this point, though they are 

 known to occur in fair abundance in this general region, quite 

 up to the base of the hills. 



The one specimen collected, an adult male (no. 1656), taken 

 May 6 at the base of the mountains near Cabezon, is not a nor- 

 mal example of the species, being much darker in coloration than 

 any other specimen in the fairly large series contained in the 

 Museum. This darker coloration is apparent in all parts of the 

 plumage, on the concealed portions of the rectrices and remiges, 

 as well as on the exposed feathers, and it also shows in the slightly 

 darker brownish yellow of the crissum. 



There are none but color differences apparent, the bird being 

 of the same size and proportions as typical examples of lecontei, 

 but its darker hue is conspicuous in a species in which there 

 is ordinarily so little variation. 



The fact that this bird was taken at the western extremity of 

 the range to T. lecontei, and at a point where the closely related 

 T. r. pasadenensc also occurs, together with the fact that its 

 coloration distinctly approaches that of the latter species, suggest 

 the possibility of its being an intergrade or a hybrid between the 

 two forms. Lecontii was formerly regarded as a subspecies of 

 T. redivivum, a belief that has been rejected of late years; but 

 in color at least, this specimen comes near to bridging the gap 



between the t\V0. 



