1911] Swarth: Alaska Expedition of 1909. 91 



conclusions regarding these birds differing from those expressed 

 by Grinnell in his report upon the collection of that year (1909, 

 pp. 229-231). On the supposition that song sparrows were resi- 

 dent wherever found in this region, all the specimens collected 

 were included by Grinnell under the subspecies rufina, with 

 comment upon the variability of the form. The supposedly 

 aberrant specimens, however, are all very much alike, were all 

 secured upon dates on which they might well be migrating, and 

 are all, I believe, to be referred to Melospisa m. caurina. The 

 individuals referred to are as follows : one specimen from "Wind- 

 fall Harbor, Admiralty Island, April 21 (no. 528) ; two from 

 Peril Strait, Baranof Island, August 24 (no. 507), and August 

 25 (no. 508) ; three from Helm Bay, September 14 (no. 517), 

 and September 15 (nos. 518, 519) ; and one from Thomas Bay, 

 September 3 (no. 515). Of two breeding birds from Glacier 

 Bay, one (no. 512) is a good example of rufina, while the other 

 (no. 514), both in coloration and in slenderness of bill, is 

 decidedly like caurina, as already stated by Grinnell {I. c). 

 Glacier Bay being about at the dividing line between the breeding 

 ranges of the two forms, specimens from this point might be 

 expected to manifest a mingling of the characters of the two, in 

 other words to show intergradation between them, but such can- 

 not be said to be the case with these two individuals. One is 

 an extreme example of rufina, the other an average specimen of 

 caurina. 



Included in the series loaned me by the National Museum is 

 one taken at Howkan, Alaska (on Long Island, near the southern 

 extremity of Prince of Wales), on January 6, 1897 (no. 154414). 

 This would indicate that caurina spends the winter as far north 

 as the southern part of the Alexander Archipelago, though, 

 judging from my experience, it does not do so on the more 

 northern islands of the group. 



Melospiza lincolni gracilis (Kittlitz). Forbush Sparrow. 



First met with at San Alberto Bay, Prince of Wale's Island, 



on May 25, when a single bird was secured ; while a day or two 



later several were observed in the meadows about Klawak Salt 



Lake. The species was not encountered again until we reached 



