Mar., 1917 FROM FIELD AND STUDY 69 



Notes on the Arizona Spotted Owl. — Two specimens of Strix occidentalis lucida 

 were taken by Mr. E. J. Hands, October 2, 1915, at about 6500 feet altitude in Pinery 

 Canyon, west slope of the Chiricahua Mountains, Cochise County, Arizona. They were 

 male and female, and sitting huddled close together on a fir limb. The male, Mr. Hands 

 reports, was a little darker than the female, which is now no. 4441, collection of J. E. 

 Law. These are the first birds of this species noted by Mr. Hands and his brother, John 

 Hands, in the thirty years they have spent in these mountains as miners and rangers. 



Compared with six specimens of S. o. occidentalis from southern California, five 

 from Los Angeles County (no. 494, coll. C. H. Richardson; nos. 1392, 1393, 1395, coll. G. 

 Willett; no. 1477, coll. J. E. Law), and one from Ventura County (no. 830, coll. G. Wil- 

 lett), this female has very nearly the same tone of brown dorsally, though nos. 1392 and 

 1393 are slightly darker on hind neck, but the light transverse bars of remiges and rec- 

 trices are conspicuously broader and whiter. The southern California birds have these 

 bars decidedly buffy. The chest of the Arizona bird has conspicuous broad white bars, 

 giving predominance to the white coloration, in striking contrast to the California birds 

 which have the brown decidedly predominating on the chest. In the Arizona bird the 

 legs are slightly paler than in all the California specimens but no. 1477, and the under 

 side of tail (remiges) again has the white predominating as against the buffy of occi- 

 dentalis. — J. E. Law, Hollywood, California, January 25, 1917. 



Two Albino English Sparrows. — In the museum collection of the Colorado State 

 Agricultural College are two specimens of albino English Sparrows (Passer domesticus) . 

 One was taken at Fort Collins, June 15, 1915, the other at Las Animas, January 5, 1917. 

 Both are males, the Fort Collins specimen being an immature bird. Both birds are pure 

 white, ncne of the feathers showing any trace of the normal colors; eyes are pink, and 

 bills, legs and feet, flesh-color. — W. L. Burnett, Colorado Agricultural College, Fort Col- 

 lins, Colorado, January 10, 1911. 



Is the California Woodpecker a Tippler? — I once read that woodpeckers some- 

 times become intoxicated from drinking the fermented sap of certain trees. I had 

 thought that this might be only a dream of the "nature fakirs", but I have since seen 

 something which leads me to suspect that the tale may have a foundation in fact. In 

 October, 1911, I found a California Woodpecker (Melanerpes formicivorus oairdi) on the 

 banks of the Sacramento River a few miles below Red Bluff, which gave every evidence 

 of being drunk. It could use its wings for flight to a certain extent but could not steer 

 a straight course in the air, and soon fell to earth again when it tried to fly. On the 

 ground it tried to escape with uncertain sprawling motions. I captured it and could 

 find no injury though I examined it with some care. — W. A. Squires, San Francisco, Jan- 

 uary 25, 1911. 



Concerning two forms of the Bryant Marsh Sparrow in California. — The remarks 

 of W. A. Squires, in the November-December number of The Condor, upon the possibility 

 of there being two forms of Passerculus sandwichensis oryanti in the vicinity of San 

 Francisco Bay should bring out some observations or records from other parties, and it 

 is to be sincerely hoped that this will be the case. The question is an interesting one, 

 and there seems' a great likelihood that there really are two forms nearly alike but of 

 different habits. I have taken specimens of what I supposed was oryanti at different 

 times and places high up on hills and ranges, but, except for the one mentioned in the 

 notes from Humboldt Bay, have never taken any at a high elevation in the height of the 

 breeding season, although a few were taken at dates very close to it. These latter were 

 supposed to be wanderers or non-breeders at the time, but recent events make me doubt 

 this conclusion. 



In our collection is a set of eggs, taken by C. A. Allen, at that time living at >uca- 

 sio Marin Countv, California, the data of which are as follows: "Western Savannah 

 Sparrow Black Mt., Marin Co., Calif., Apr. 29, 1877. Eggs fresh. Nest on ground. 

 Male shot Nest on top of Mountain". This is not the exact wording of the data but is 

 the essence of it We did not see the parent of this set, and have always been very skep- 

 tical concerning its identification or connection with the nest, but have kept the set in 

 abeyance all this time. It looks now as if Allen might have been close to the truth, and 

 that the bird was this possible upland form. As Allen sold all his skins at that time, 



