Jan., 1918 NOTES ON SOME BIRDS FROM CENTRAL ARIZONA 23 



its dimensions, is referable to J unco p. dorsalis, but in the extension of the red- 

 dish dorsal coloration upon some of the greater wing coverts and tertials i1 ap- 

 proaches J. p. palliatus. In fact there are examples of the latter race at hand, 

 from the Huachuca Mountains. Arizona, in which the dorsal markings are 

 practically the same. The bird in question, however, had the unmistakable 

 brown iris of dorsalis, as 1 hastened to ascertain as soon as I had the specimen 

 in hand, instead of the white iris so conspicuous in [Kill in! us. 



The color of the eyes in these closely related forms of J unco provides sub- 

 ject matter for speculation as regards the nature of specific and subspecific dif- 

 ferences between animal forms. As a rule we regard as subspecies those races 

 which are distinguished by the varying development of some common character 

 or characters, as of shades of color, extent of markings, greater or lesser size, 

 etc. ; whereas the presence or absence of some one definite feature is supposed to 

 indicate a much wider degree of difference between the forms thus characterized. 



In the case of the two Juncos, dorsalis and palliatus, the eyes are conspicu- 

 ously different, being dark brown in one, pale yellow, almost white, in the other, 

 and there is apparently no intergradation between the two in this respect. At 

 any rate, in a large series of palliatus from the Huachuca Mountains. Arizona 

 (about sixty specimens), there is none that showed any approach tow r ard dorsalis 

 in color of eye. In other characters the series shows considerable variation, there 

 being many specimens which in dorsal coloration closely approach typical 

 dorsalis. 



Despite the absolute difference in color of iris between the two forms, they 

 are generally regarded as being but subspecifically distinct. Ridgway (Birds N. 

 and Mid. Am., 1, 1901, pp. 297, 299) considers them as two species, but whether 

 this treatment is mainly based upon the color of the eyes is not apparent. In the 

 juvenal plumage of palliatus the iris is dark brown and the bill is dark colored. 

 When the first winter plumage is accruired the iris becomes yellow, the upper 

 mandible black and the lower yellow. 



In eastern North America there is a similar case in the two towhees, Pipilo 

 trythrophthalmus erythrophthalmus and P. e. alleni. Judging from these two 

 instances alone, of the towhees and the juncos, it would seem that according to 

 our usually accepted standards the forms in question should be regarded as spe- 

 cifically distinct; but there are other cases among birds which seem to indicate 

 that the coloration of the eye can not, perhaps, be judged by the same standards 

 we apply to other characters. Among the bush-tits (Psaltriparus) , for instance, 

 at least in the species Psaltriparus minimus and P. plumbeus, white eyes and 

 brown eyes occur indiscriminately, regardless of sex or locality. 



Amphispiza bilineata de^erticola. Desert Sparrow. There are certain pe- 

 culiarities in the local distribution of this species that seem worthy of comment. 

 Xo Desert Sparrows were seen about Phoenix or Tempe, though the character of 

 the country was apparently as well suited to the bird as were the sections about 

 Roosevelt Lake and Globe, where it was present in numbers. 



Passerina cyanea. Indigo Bunting. On June 30 there was brought to me. 

 for identification, a bird killed by a boy working in the garden. It proved to be 

 an adult male Indigo Bunting, somewhat mutilated through being shot with a 

 .22 caliber rifle, though not so much so but that it made a fairly neat specimen. 

 The point Avhere this bird was taken (Carr's Ranch. Sierra Ancha) is at about 

 5100 feet altitude, in the Transition Zone; and at the same place several pairs of 

 Lazuli Buntings (Passerina amocua) frequented shrubbery bordering one of the 



