Mar., 1904 j 
THE CONDOR 
43 
brush out on the desert. Every night quite a number came into the orange trees 
about the hotel to roost. 
Spizella s. arizon^. Western Chipping Sparrow. The only individual de- 
tected was taken by Mr. Mailliard near the Springs. 
Amphispiza b. deserticola. Desert Black-throated Sparrow. Common on the 
desert and up the lower slopes of the mountain, occuring in scattering flocks of 
from six to twenty or more. These companies were usually in motion and hard 
to follow, as the birds had a way of flying olf one at a time in rapid succession, 
retreating over a hill or behind thickets; so that the whole flock seemed to vanish. 
It was only by singling out one particular bird and firing the instant an opportu- 
nity offered that we were able to secure many specimens. 
Amphispiza nevadensis. Sage Sparrow. Fairly common in the desert; met 
with either singly, or but a few together feeding on the ground beneath bushes, and 
when pursued flying from one bush-top to another. 
Melospiza c. cooperi. San Diego Song Sparrow. Two specimens, doubt- 
fully referred to this subspecies, were obtained along the willowy stream in 
Palm Canyon. 
Pipilo c. senicula. Anthony Towhee. Two were secured along the main 
ditch near the Springs. 
Pipilo aberti. Abert Towhee. Seen only in the immediate vicinity of the 
Springs, where the birds in pairs hopped familiarly among shrubbery. Mr. Mail- 
liard found several on the hillside just back of town. As already recorded (Con- 
dor V, p. 12), Mr. Gilman has found the species breeding here and on the Colo- 
rado Desert to the eastward. Palm Springs is doubtless its westernmost station. 
Phainopepla nitens. Phainopepla. Quite common in mesquite patches feed- 
ing on mistletoe berries. 
Lanius 1 . excubitorides. White-rumped Shrike. Evenly distributed wher- 
ever we went, but not numerous. One was discovered in the orange orchard near 
the hotel industriously battering a linnet. The squalls of its victim quickly at- 
tracted a sympathetic crowd of onlookers which commented vociferously. After 
what seemed considerable time the linnet broke loose and escaped into a bu.sh, 
panting but apparently little the worse for wear. A sample of the butcher-bird’s 
work was found in the .shape of a kangaroo rat {Dipodomys inerriami simiolus) 
which was skilfully wedged between forking twigs of a smoke-bush. The sub- 
species to which our Palm Springs shrikes should be referred is doubtful. They 
present characters distinct from those of both typical and excubitorides as 
occurring in Arizona. It is high time that some one thoroughly equipped worked 
up the western forms of Eanius of which there are several well-marked races as 
yet undescribed. 
Dendroica auduboni. Audubon Warbler. This species, so widely distributed 
in winter, was present in usual numbers in the cottonwoods about the Springs. 
Anthus pensilvanicus. American Pipit. One was seen in company with blue- 
birds on an irrigated field close to the Springs. 
Oroscoptes montanus. Sage Thrasher. One specimen was secured and a few 
others seen in creosote brush southeast of the Springs. At a moderate distance 
this bird bears a remarkable resemblance to the cactus wren in behavior and gener- 
al appearance. At least I am sure I confused the two repeatedly unless very 
close to hand. 
Mimus p. leucopterus. Western Mockingbird. One individual was often seen 
about the hotel, and one or two others were found in Palm Canyon. 
