Jah., 1924 SPECIMENS IN CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 31 
from this state. The measurements of these are given herewith. 
a oO. 
‘3a SF 
@ A. s.- ( on a vbr Z : 6 Ze 
No. Locality Date SI 2.8 ae iy vos Ze 
hee As om oS son cmt ost 
13207 A Merced Co. Feb. 27, 1909 564 138 29.4 254 104 84 
13208 a Merced Co. Feb. 27, 1909 550 158 29.2 243 100 89 
13209 3} . Merced Co. Feb. 27, 1909 555 150 32.0 23 ae 87 
13210 } Merced Co. Feb. 27, 1909 502 135 28.7 244 95 : 
22438 2 Merced Co. Jan. 20, 1898 524 153 35.1 TAQ ere easton 3 
22439 a Merced Co. Jan. 20, 1898 543 140 40.1 23 105 88 
22440 6 Merced Co. Jan. 20, 1898 545 170 33.6 245 102 90 
22441 3} Merced Co. Jan. 20, 1898 543 145 = 33.3" 243 110 $0 
The first four of these were taken by R. H. Beck, while he was stationed at Les 
Bafios, Merced County, and the last four were bought -in the flesh in a San Francisco 
market, the seller stating that they came from near Los Bafios. The measurement of 
the bare portion of the tibia is omitted in two specimens of mexicana for the.reason 
that the bone seems to have been pushed up into the skin in each case in such manner 
as to make the measurement misleading. 
In The Auk, vol. xxxv, 1918, p. 204, among the proposed changes in the American 
Ornithologists’ Union Check-List is that set forth by Dr. L. Brasil (Brasil, Genera Avium, 
x1x, 1913, p. 4) to make Grus mexicana a subspecies of G. canadensis, but no reasons are 
_ given in either place cited for this change in status. While we have no large series of 
these two species in the Academy we are at least fortunate in having in the collection 
some fifteen specimens of G. canadensis and eight of G. mexicana, a large enough nuin- 
ber from which to make fairly reasonable averages of measurements. Brasil states that 
in G. canadensis the tarsus is always less than 220 mm. and in G. mexicana always more 
than 250 mm., and gives these measurements as the distinction between the two forms; 
yet, as they do not overlap, no intergradation is shown. 
While none of the examples of canadensis in the Academy, nor a number in the 
Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, reach the 220 mm. maximum of 
Brasil, several of the mexicana come under his minimum of 250 mm. for that species, 
even going as low as 231 mm. As the matter now stands it seems as if further evidence 
would be necessary to make a convincing case of such intergradation and few of us wiil 
accept the conclusion reached by Brasil until more and clearer evidence is placed be- 
fore us. 
Steganopus tricolor Vieillot. Wilson Phalarope. This phalarope is known to 
breed in favorable localities in northern and northeastern California from the Lake 
Tahoe region north, and occurs during the spring and fall migrations in other places, 
mostly inland. It has been casually reported as breeding at Los Baftos, Merced County, 
but has never been actually recorded as doing so. There is, however, a nest in the 
Academy collection that was taken in the vicinity of Los Baflos, Merced County, by R. 
H. Beck, on June 22, 1908, and contains four eggs with incubation noted as “advanced”. 
The identity given is “¢@ shot’. While there is nothing on the label denoting that this 
is the parent of this set, no. 13471, C. A. S., is a male bird taken on that date in that 
locality, and the only one taken on that day. So it is fair to assume that it is the 
parent. On the data blank of this set, after a description of the nesting site, are the 
following words: “3 or 4 pairs probably nesting, tho found no young later on.” In 
1907 and 1910 Mr. Beck took specimens in June and July at or near Los Bafos, so it 
would seem as if this species bred there regularly. 
Macrorhamphus griseus scolopaceus (Say). Long-billed Dowitcher. While this 
species is a common spring and fall migrant through California along the coast and in 
the valleys west of the Sierras, there are in the collection several specimens from Ala- 
meda County, taken between April 4 and May 30, and between July 9 and 20. The former 
are unusually late spring records and the latter interesting as being taken actually in 
the summer season. 
