1920] Swarth: Revision of Avian Oenus Passerella 123 



taken in the spring, and consequently in less fresh plumage, are duller, 

 less ruddy, and more grayish than fall birds. From what can be seen 

 of the Juvenal plumage of the Moose Pass birds, in this stage the 

 markings are more ruddy than in juvenals of schistacea, which they 

 otherwise most nearly resemble. There are no young of iliaca available 

 for comparison. The large series that I have been able to bring 

 together, though yielding few summer birds additional to those of 

 Mr. Riley, abundantly demonstrates the distinctness of this subspecies, 

 and there is no difficulty in recognizing in the winter birds from 

 California the same race as that from British Columbia described by 

 Riley. 



The small series from McGillvary Creek, British Columbia, pre- 

 sents several points worthy of emphasis. It includes five specimens, 

 one in juvenal plumage, two well advanced in the post-juvenal molt, 

 and two in fully acquired winter plumage, whether immatures or 

 adults is not apparent. From the dates at which they were taken 

 (August 10 to 18), and from the fact that one is still in the juvenal 

 plumage, these birds may be assumed to have been taken upon their 

 breeding ground. McGillvary Creek is, in a direct line, less than 

 ninety miles east of the general line of the coast, much less than that 

 distance east of several deeply penetrating arms of the sea, and may 

 be assumed to represent a point on the western boundarj^ of the habitat 

 of altivagans. It indicates the occurrence of the subspecies as far west 

 as the eastern slope of the ranges most closely adjoining the coast. 

 The birds from this point, though properly referable to altivagans, 

 differ appreciably^ from the mode of that subspecies. The under parts 

 are of a richer brown, and more heavily streaked, and there is an 

 entire absence of streaking above, producing an evident appearance 

 of intergradation toward the character of the Unalaschcensis sub- 

 species. They can be very nearly matched with some winter birds 

 from California. 



There is a series of July birds from Mt. McLean, so short a distance 

 east of McGillvary Creek that the two lots must perforce be of the 

 same race. Yet the worn and faded plumage of the Mt. McLean birds 

 betrays hardly a trace of the brown coloration seen in the McGillvary 

 Creek fall specimens, and the former are superficially very much like 

 schistacea. However, the breast spottings still show a browner tinge 

 than is seen in that race. 



The California series as a whole exhibits some little variation in 

 color, though not so much but that the birds can, with all certainty. 



