240 University of California Publications in Zoology ["^'ol. 24 



can be distinguished. It is a puzzle just what should be the proper 

 nomenclatural treatment of these forms. In all probability the rela- 

 tionships of the two are not particularly close. It seems likely that 

 there is continuous distribution of Savannah sparrows along the 

 Pacific coast of North America, with probable intergradation between 

 the Alaska forms and the darker colored California subspecies, and 

 this, I believe, is the line of closest affinities. 



I am willing to admit geographical distribution as one of the char- 

 acters of a form, but to make distribution the sole character is farther 

 than I care to go. So, on the ground of external resemblance, the 

 Savannah sparrow of the coast of southeastern Alaska is here recorded 

 as P s. savanna, but with no belief that it is genetically the same as 

 the eastern subspecies bearing that name. The case is closely paral- 

 leled by the red crossbills {Loxia curvirostra sitkensis and L. c. mdnor) . 



Passerculus sandwichensis alaudinus Bonaparte. Western Savannah 



Sparrow 



Found at but one or two points in the upper Stikine Valley. On 

 May 31, at the Junction, the mangled remains of one were found in a 

 mousetrap, our first intimation of the arrival of the species. Several 

 were seen at the Summit, June 4; a male bird collected at that time 

 appeared to be breeding. At Glenora there were a few scattered 

 through the weed-grown fields, and they were evidently nesting there. 

 The males were uttering their wheezy trills from the tops of low bushes 

 or from fences or stakes, and could be found at about the same spots 

 day after day. Females collec1*d were evidently incubating. 



No Savannah sparrows were seen farther down the river than 

 Glenora until we reached the coast, the habitat of another subspecies. 

 There are not many places in the Telegraph Creek region that afford 

 the needed surroundings for this bird, for extensive clearings supply- 

 ing the open ground they favor are found in but few places. Where 

 we saw them at the Summit is at about the upper limit of timber, and 

 it may be that the species occurs commonly in such a habitat. We 

 saw no Savannah sparrows, however, on the mountain top above Doch- 

 da-on Creek. 



Four specimens collected (nos. 39917-39920), two adult males and 

 two adult females. These are obviously different from P. s. savanna 

 of the coastal region. Compared with the latter the Telegraph Creek 

 birds are of grayer coloration, have a longer wing, and a more slender 



