May, 1893.] BIRDS OF THE DEATH VALLEY EXPEDITION. 87 



Record of specimen collected of Ammo dram us sandwlchensis oryanti, 



Col- 

 lectors 

 No. 



Sex. 



d 



9 



Locality. 



Carpenteria, Calif 



do 



do , 



Date. 



Dec. 18, 1S91 



....do 



...do 



Collector. 



E. W. Nelson 



....do.. 



...do 



Remarks. 



Cliondestes grammacua strigatus. Western Lark Sparrow. 



The western lark sparrow is a characteristic inhabitant of the Upper 

 Sonoran and Transition Zones and was not found in the Lower Sonoran 

 . Zone, except west of the Sierra Nevada, and during migration. It was 

 a common species in Owen's Valley from the lower end northward, and 

 was breeding wherever found. The writer found it abundant along the 

 South Fork of Kern River, at Kernville, and in Walker Basin during 

 the first half of July. In the San Joaquin Valley it was abundant at 

 Bakersfield, and all along the route to Visalia, July 17-23, and at Three 

 Rivers, July 25-30 and September 14-17. 



Dr. Merriam furnished the following notes on the species: u In Ne- 

 vada it was common throughout the sage brush on the rolling plateau 

 that forms the northward continuation of the Juniper Mountains, May 

 18, and in Desert and Pahranagat valleys, May 20-2G. In Pahranagat 

 Valley it was particularly abundant, breeding and in full song. It was 

 common in the north part of Oasis Valley, June 1, but was not observed 

 at the southern end of this valley. On Mount Magruder a few were 

 seen in the sage brush June 5. Others were found at Mountain Spring 

 in the Charleston Mountains and at Upper Cottonwood Springs at the 

 east base of these mountains, April 30; and in the Valley of the Muddy, 

 May 6. Several were seen in the lower edge of the junipers on both 

 sides of the Beaverdam Mountains in southwestern Utah, May 10 and 

 11. It was found also in the Santa Clara Valley, Utah, May 11-15, 

 and was common in Mountain Meadows, Utah, May 17. In Owens 

 Valley, California, it was common in the sage brush of the Upper So- 

 noran Zone, June 10-19, and in Antelope Valley at the west end of the 

 Mohave Desert, June 27-28. On the west slope of the Sierra Nevada 

 it was abundant in the valley of Kern Eiver, where full-grown young- 

 were conspicuous, June 22-23. It was seen in the Tehachapi Valley, 

 June 25, and in the Canada cle las Uvas, June 28-29, where full-grown 

 young were common." 



Mr. Nelson found it rather common in the Canada de las Uvas and 

 San Emigdio Canon, at various places in San Joaquin Valley and 

 about the borders of the foothills, in October, and in the more open 

 country along the route from San Simeon to Carpenteria, in November 

 and part of December. 



