1922] Stvarth: Birds and Mammals of the Stikine Region 263 



Columbia coast. Townsendi occurs southward on various islands off 

 the coast of southeastern Alaska, and on the Queen Charlotte Islands, 

 British Columbia ; its occurrence in summer on the mainland of south- 

 eastern Alaska is questionable. I know of no breeding records from 

 that region. On the map above cited there is a cross indicating an 

 occurrence at Helm Bay (south of the Stikine River), but the bird 

 upon which that record is based was an August specimen and may- 

 have traveled some distance. I, myself, in 1909, collected many speci- 

 mens of townsendi at Port Snettisham and the Taku River, Alaska 

 (north of the Stikine River), and under circumstances that make it 

 seem likely that those were breeding stations, but no nests were act- 

 ually found. In field work of that same year at Boca de Quadra, the 

 Chiekamin River, and Bradfleld Canal (on the mainland south of the 

 Stikine River), and at Thomas Bay (a short distance north of the 

 Stikine), no fox sparrows were seen (see Swarth, 1911, p. 93). There 

 is a record of the occurrence of townsendi in June on Wrangell Island, 

 near the mouth of the Stikine River (Swarth, 1920, p. 146). 



The facts now indicate that the summer distribution of fuUginosa 

 is from extreme northwestern "Washington and Vancouver Island 

 northward on the mainland only, at least to the Stikine River. On 

 the latter stream it extends inland about a hundred miles, following 

 the course of the river. Its extension inland elsewhere is unknown to 

 me. In fact, I know of no records of fuUginosa from any mainland 

 station between the two extremes of its range, Puget Sound and the 

 Stikine River. 



There is another point to be considered, namely, the possibility of 

 subspecific difference between fuUginosa of the Puget Sound region 

 and the bird I have called fuUginosa from the Stikine River, sufficient 

 difference, that is, to be worthy of recognition in nomenclature. This 

 is a contingency that may have to be met in the future. In another 

 connection I have pointed out in some detail differences that appear 

 to exist between the two lots (Swarth, 1920, pp. 149-150). Briefly, 

 the series comprised of the Stikine River specimens and the winter 

 birds from Berkeley differ from certain Vancouver Island specimens 

 and from the type specimen of fvliginosa in being of a duller tone of 

 brown, in having the lower tail coverts less tawny, and in the more 

 stubby bill. The differences are real, as far as the series go, and ap- 

 pear to be fairly constant ;the difficulty lies in the few specimens avail- 

 able of typical fuUginosa. Under the circumstances further subspecific 

 division does not at present seem desirable. 



