140 BULLETIN: MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY. 
what it is like when in nuptial plumage. It is at present represented by only 
three or four specimens, all of which were taken in autumn or winter, while 
all the examples of halophilus that have been thus far examined are adults in 
breeding condition. On comparing nine specimens of the latter from Abreojos 
Point (in the National Museum Collection) with the type of guttatus, and with 
two closely similar birds taken at the same locality (San José del Cabo) by Mr. 
Frazar, I fail to verify the differences in respect to size which are claimed to 
exist between the two forms. Indeed, two of the examples of halophilus have 
the wing of almost exactly the same length as that of the type of guttatus, while 
several of the former agree perfectly with the latter in respect to the size and 
shape of the bill. The color differences are obvious enough, but they are not 
greater than, nor dissimilar to, those which distinguish autumnal young of 
many of our Sparrows from adults of the same species killed at the height of 
the breeding season. In short, while it is not wholly impossible that halophilus 
may eventually prove to be a distinct race, the present indications are that this 
name has been based merely on fully mature, breeding specimens of guttatus, 
and that the type of the latter, with the few known birds which resemble it 
closely, are merely exceptionally small, slender-billed young in their first 
winter plumage. 
The type specimen was taken by Mr. Xantus in December, 1859, at San 
José del Cabo, where Mr. Frazar obtained two similar examples in 1887, — 
one on October 3, the other on November 9. So far as we know, the bird is 
a winter visitor only to the Cape Region, and it evidently does not occur there 
in anything like so large numbers as A. rostratus or even A. r. sanctorwm. 
Mr. Bryant ‘ secured a single male on Santa Margarita Island, January 21, 
1888, which Mr. Ridgway says is most like the type specimen of any he has 
seen.” 
In April and June, 1897, Mr. R. C. McGregor found what, as I have already 
stated, I consider to be the St. Lucas Sparrow breeding at Abreojos Point, 
Lower California, “ina salt marsh about five miles long by half a mile wide... 
surrounded by ocean on one side and hot desert on the others,” and intersected 
by tidal creeks “ which empty into a salt lake or pond lagoon.” During his 
first visit, on April 19, the birds were abundant, and most of them were still 
“in perfect spring plumage.” One of the females was flushed from her nest, 
which was placed “ sixteen inches from the ground, in a tall bunch of glass- 
wort, the top of which was bent over and in to forma covering,” beneath which 
the bird could enter “ from one side only.’’? This nest was ‘“ larger than that of 
[the] San Benito Island species, made of salt grass and lined with fine shreds 
of grass and a few feathers of Larus.” The three eggs, which it contained, were 
bluish white, with blotches of raw umber and spots of lilac. They measured 
respectively : .79 X .58, .80 X .58, and .78 X 58. 
On June 17, the occasion of Mr. McGregor’s second visit to Abreojos Point, 
the St. Lucas Sparrows were apparently laying their second clutches, for al- 
though no nests were found, ‘‘eggs on which the shell was formed” were 
taken from the oviducts of several of the females. 
