Sept., 1921 "ROM FIELD AND STUDY 165 
appreciably paler in coloration than those of almost any bryanti that I have examined 
and, although the individual measurements of the wings and tarsi are easily within the 
limits of the latter subspecies, the bills average smaller. 
In addition to the above species I would like to record the taking of the Monterey 
Hermit Thrush (Hylocichla guttata slevini) at Myers’ Ranch, Humboldt County, Cali- 
fornia, on June 5, 1921. On this occasion several individuals were seen, one of these, at 
least, gathering food for its young, and others were heard, in the woods just back of the 
ranch house. Two specimens were secured for more positive identification, although the 
song alone, to one familiar with it, is sufficlent proof of the presence of this species,— 
JOSEPH MAILLIARD, San Francisco, California, June 18,1921. 
The “Pasadena” Thrasher Not a Recognizable Race.—I now believe Dr. Harry C. 
Oberholser was absolutely right in his contention that Toxostoma redivivum pasade- 
nense is Synonymous with T. r. redivivum (see Auk, xxxv, 1918, p. 52 et seq.). The 
type locality of redivivum was Monterey or near vicinity. When I named pasadenense 
(Auk, xv, 1898, p. 236) I assumed that birds from Monterey would be identical with the 
northern race, whereas, as first established by Dr. Oberholser on the basis of material 
in the United States National Museum, they prove to be like those from southern Cali- 
fornia. The Museum of Vertebrate Zoology has recently acquired a considerable number 
of thrashers representing a series of localities in Monterey County from Seaside south- 
ward; and all of these fall with the southern race, thus corroborating Oberholser’s find- 
ings. Specimens from Santa Cruz, just north of Monterey Bay, are, according to Ober- 
hoiser, referable to the nortliern foim, 7. r. sonomae, as are representatives, from many 
localities in the counties bordering on San Francisco Bay. Here is a case where the 
type locality of a species happens to lie very nearly on the boundary line between the 
ranges of two constituent subspecies, and the correct allocation of the name first pro- 
posed depends upon the exact determination of topotypical specimens. Shifting of the 
supposed location of the belt of intergradation a few miles to the northward has neces- 
sitated transposition of names, and pasadenense is no longer to be recognized—save as a 
Synonym of redivivum.—J. GRINNELL, Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, Berkeley. Califor- 
nia, June 25, 1921. 
Cassin Purple Finches Eating Salt.—While at Chinquapin, Yosemite National 
Park, on June 8, 1921, I observed four Cassin Purple Finches (Carpodacus cassini) eat- 
ing rock salt that had been spread upon the ground for the deer. When I commented on 
this feeding to the ranger stationed there, he said that for some time birds had been 
comming to the salt patches regularly.—Junrea W. KELLY, Alameda, California, June 16, 
£977, 
The Buffle-head Breeding in California.—The writer has been unable to lccate any 
published record of the Buffle-head (Charitonetta albeola) breeding within the State of 
California. For this reason the following observations are here reported. On June 22, 
1921, while engaged in fur-bearing mammal investigations at Eagle Lake, Lassen Coun- 
ty, the writer, when looking for muskrats in a tule patch, came suddenly upon a female 
Buffle-head that was accompanied by two young about one-third grown. The small size, 
chunky build, plain grayish brown back, long white patch on each side of the head be- 
hind and below the level of the eye, together with a small white patch, crossed by a nar- 
row black bar, on the wing, all identified with certainty the old bird as a female Buffle- 
head. The young were darker than their mother but had a conspicuous white patch on 
each cheek. Two days later, at the same locality, another female, accompanied by eight 
half-grown young, was seen. Two other females flew by our boat making a total of four 
adult females and ten young noted in three days. Every duck seen was closely scrutin- 
‘zed with the binoculars, but not one adult male Buffle-head could we detect. From the 
above it seems likely that the Buffle-head Duck bred in some numbers this season at 
gt JOSEPH Dixon, Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, Berkeley, California, June 
wl, 1921, 
