180 University of California Publications in Zoology [Vol, 21 



dates of arrival in its summer home. All the breeding birds at hand 

 were taken long after they had settled down to the duties of nesting. 

 As regards the time of departure at the summer's end, this can be 

 fairly definitely fixed. In the San Jacinto Mountains I revisited in 

 September, 1914, certain sections where the Stephens sparrow had 

 been found in abundance in the summer of 1908. On September 9 

 one was secured near Strawberrj^ Valley, somewhat below the breeding 

 level in this range. On September 11, after most careful search, four 

 were seen in Tahquitz Valley, in the heart of the nesting ground, and 

 on September 15, one other was noted, the last observed, though I 

 remained in the region some days longer. 



In the San Bernardino Mountains Stephens sparrows "were seen 

 in small numbers at Bluff Lake as late as September 3" (Grinnell, 

 1908, p. 99). At Hume, Fresno County (altitude 5300 feet), Stephens 

 sparrows were abundant during the middle of August, 1916, evidently 

 on their nesting grounds from the number in juvenal plumage, and 

 numerous specimens were collected from August 17 to 23. On Sep- 

 tember 25 and 26, this point was revisited, and while fox sparrows 

 were again numerous they proved to be practically all examples of 

 more northern subspecies on their southward migration. One stepJiensi 

 was collected, on September 26. 



The main winter home of the Stephens fox sparrow is unknown, 

 and it seems evident that when the birds leave their summer habitat 

 it is an abrupt departure, and possibly to a relatively great distance. 

 They do not descend the mountains to the foothills and adjacent 

 valleys, which are occupied in winter by other subspecies, or they 

 would surely have been detected in such places. Stephensi has been 

 reported in winter from Santa Catalina Island (Oberholser, 1900, 

 p. 233), but the specimens upon which the statement was based prove 

 to be of another subspecies, hrevioauda (see p. 167). 



In partial contradiction to my general statement regarding the 

 winter habitat, I must admit to having before me four fox spaiTows, 

 taken in midwinter and to all appearances unequivocal examples of 

 stephensi. The data for these skins are as follows : No. 8106, coll. 

 F. S. Daggett, male, Franklin Caiion, Santa Monica Mountains, Los 

 Angeles County, California, November 24, 1915; no. 1424, coll. J. E. 

 Law, female, Hollywood, Los Angeles County, California, February 

 22, 1912; no. 1762, coll. W. M. Pierce, male. Palmer's Canon, Los 

 Angeles County, California, January 11, 1919; coll. A. Brooks, male, 

 Santa Barbara, California, January 11, 1913. As far as they go these 



