NO. 1196. BIRDS FROM SANTA BARBARA ISLANDS— OBEBEOLSEB. 231 

 CORVUS CORAX SINUATUS (Wagler), 



One individual from Santa Gataliua Island appears to be indistin- 

 guishable from typical specimens. 



STURNELLA NEGLECTA Audubon. 



Two specimens from San Miguel Island, one of tbem a female in the 

 spotted and mottled plumage of tlie young. The other, an adult male in 

 rather worn condition, seems not to differ from neglecta of the mainland. 



It seems remarkable that anyone who has ever heard the striking 

 vocal performances of the western meadowlark should consider it a 

 subspecies of the eastern bird. And when there is taken into account 

 the fact that over a large area the breeding ranges of the two overlap, 

 the birds there remaining as distinct as elsewhere, and that the suxd- 

 posed intermediate specimens ultimately resolve themselves into sea- 

 sonal or some other equally nonpertinent variation, the rational course 

 would appear to be the recognition of Sturnella neglecta as a full species. 



CARPODACUS MEXICANUS CLEMENTIS (Mearns). 



Fourteen specimens, from Santa Catalina, San Miguel, and Santa 

 Cruz islands, are referable to this new race. The males differ much 

 among themselves in the shade of the red on throat and breast, as well 

 as in the extent and intensity of the red suffusion on the anterior upper 

 surface, in some individuals this color being confined almost entirely to 

 the crown. There is also a considerable range of variation in dimen- 

 sions, inclusive of the bill, size being but an average subspecific dis- 

 tinction. The specimens examined are darker above than ohscurus 

 { = frontalis),^ a character not mentioned by Dr. Mearns in his original 

 diagnosis.^ 



Birds in the juvenal plumage are much more ocliraceous, particularly 

 above, than adult females, and seem to be rather darker than the young 

 of obsciirus. This plumage of dementis appears not to have been 

 described, and the following is therefore added, from a male shot on 

 Santa Cruz Island, July 18: 



Above dull brown, rather darker on the back, all the feathers with 

 ochraceous margins, these imparting a somewhat streaked appearance; 

 rump and upper tail-coverts almost plain deep ochraceous; wings and 

 tail fuscous, edged with buffy, the wing- coverts and innermost second- 

 aries margined with ochraceous; lores and subocular region buffy 

 whitish ; sides of head and neck ochraceous, streaked with dull brown ; 

 under surface dull white, washed with ochraceous and everywhere 

 streaked with dull brown; crissum buffy ochraceous, with narrow shaft 

 markings of brown. 



iSee Oberholser, Auk, XVI, 1899, p. 186. 

 2 Auk, XV, 1898, p. 259. 



