The Song Sparrows 



it tends to obscure the operation of the saturating tendency, which 

 increases steadily from Puget Sound to Sitka. Personally, I have no 

 question that morphna is a valid form, and that California-taken speci- 

 mens hailing, let us say, from the coast of British Columbia are referable 

 to morphna rather than to rufina. 



No. 62c Oregon Song Sparrow 



A. O. U. No. 58ip, part. Melospiza melodia phaea Fisher. 



Description. — Similar to M. m. rufina, but color-pattern of upperparts less 

 blended, more highly developed, by reason of strengthened gray edgings and of blackish 

 centers on back and inner quills. Breeding birds from the Oregon coast show closer 

 affinities with rufina (or morphna) than with cleonensis. 



Range of M. m. phcea. — Breeding and partially resident along the west coast 

 of Oregon and southern Washington; irregularly southward in winter. 



Occurrence in California. — A winter visitor at least in extreme northern 

 portion of humid coast belt (W. K. Fisher), irregularly (?) southward through unde- 

 fined area (San Mateo County, Nov. 25, 1900, Grinnell). 



Authorities. — Fisher, Condor, vol. iv., 1902, p. 36 (orig. desc; type locality, 

 Gardiner, Ore.; spec, from Crescent City); Grinnell, Pac. Coast Avifauna, no. 11, 1915, 

 p. 123 (Pescadero Cr., San Mateo Co.) ; Brown, Auk, vol. xxxv., 1918, p. 350 (Placerita 

 Canon, Los Angeles Co.). 



No. 62d Mendocino Song Sparrow 



A. O. U. No. 58ip, part. Melospiza melodia cleonensis McGregor. 



Description. — Quite different from preceding form by reason of emerging 

 color-pattern; nearest like M. m. gouldi. General tone of upperparts and sides of head 

 and neck, as determined by edgings, tawny olive or Saccardo's umber; pileum (parted 

 by cream-buffy middle line), wing-coverts, and edgings of tail and wings Prout's 

 brown; feathers of back, scapulars, and inner tertials black with tawny olive edgings; 

 a supraloral spot white, continued as grayish superciliary line; underparts basally 

 white, clear only on middle of breast; chin and throat only slightly flecked with dusky; 

 sides of throat, breast, and sides of breast heavily marked with rusty or tawny olive 

 streaks having black centers; flanks and crissum heavily tinged with clay-color and 

 streaked with dusky. Here begins to emerge the familiar Song Sparrow type. Length 

 of adult (skins) 137 (5.40); wing 60 (2.36); tail 59 (2.32); bill 11.9 (.47); tarsus 22 

 (.866). 



Range of M. m. cleonensis (Wholly within California). — Common resident 

 chiefly of fresh-water marshes in humid coast belt from Crescent City south (at least) 

 to Mendocino City; "casual in autumn at Olema, Marin County" (Grinnell). 



Authorities. — McGregor, Bull. Cooper Orn. Club, vol. i., 1899, p. 87 (orig. desc. ; 

 Westport, Mendocino Co.); Fisher, Condor, vol. iv., 1902, p. 134 (distr. ; crit.) ; 

 J. Mailliard, Condor, vol. xviii., 1916, p. 199 (habits). 



IN THIS race we begin to see the approach of "saturation," or dark- 

 ening of plumage, occasioned by increasing humidity, or rather by the 



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