96 
thp: condor 
voi. in 
A New Species of Oeospiza Collected by the liopkins-Stanford Expedition to the 
Galapagos Islands. 
liV ROBERT E. SXOnORASS AND EDMUND HEELER. 
Geospiza heliobates, new species. 
Type. — Adult male, No. 4186, Leland Stanford Junior University Museum; Mangrove swamp 
at Tagus Cove, Albemarle Island, Galapagos Archipelago, June 24, 1899. 
Range. — Mangrove swamps of Albemarle and Narborough Islands, Galapagos Archipelago. 
Specific characters. — Very similar to Geospiza pallida, resembling it in coloration, but having 
a smaller bill — the culmen being ib mm. or less in length while in G. pallida it is 17 mm. or more 
in length. 
Description oj the type. — Above dark brown with an olive tinge on the rump, all of the 
feathers of the dorsum with narrow pale olive-grayish edgings. Wing and tail feathers lighter, 
more smoky-brown. Lores, sides of head and underparts dirty buffy-gray, brownish-buff on 
the sides and flanks. Lores spotted with brown. I'eathers of the breast and sides with dark 
brown central areas forming spots of the same color Tips of the greater and the middle wing- 
coverts rather indistinctly brownish-rufous, forming two inconspicuous cross bands. Under 
wing-coverts grayish; under tail coverts brownish-bufi’ w'ith pale grayish edgings. Under sur- 
face of wing and tail feathers grayish brown. Bill black. Feet dark brown. Length 123 tnm., 
wing 72, tail 48.5, culmen 16, gonys S, width of bill at base 6.5, depth of bill at base 9, tarsus 
2I.,S. 
Adult female. — I'emale s])ecimens having the plumage very much worn are almost identical 
in coloration with the males, but generally have fewer and smaller S|)ots below. .Al)Ove the 
plumage is blackish on the head, almost pure olive-brown on the back, with the central areas of 
the feathers darker. Wing and tail feathers dark brown with olive-buff\’ edgings. 
This species inhabits exclusively the mangrove swamps of Albemarle and 
Narborough Islands of the Galapagos Archipelago, being found in the swamps 
all along the east shore of Narborough, and in the swamjis on Albemarle at Tagus 
Cove, Iflizabeth Bay and \''illa Mil. 
We have fourteen adult males, twelve adult females, two immature males and 
six immature females taken in January, February, March, April and June, 1899. 
.Me.csurements of Geospiza heliobales. 
4186 
Albemarle Id. 
3 
1^0 
72. 
48-5 
If). 
8. 
6.3 
9 - 
10.3 
21-5 
4161 
“ ‘ ‘ 
3 
126 
70. 
4^-5 
16. 
8. 
/ • 
8. 
TI. 
21.5 
4226 
3 
1 33 
7'.5 
4 ,S- 
L 3-5 
8-5 
6.,S 
8. 
10.5 
23-5 
4266 
“ “ 
3 
127 
69. 
39 - 
16. 
8. 
6 ., 5 
8. 
10.5 
21.5 
4 U 7 
? 
1 12 
70. 
42. 
14-5 
8- 
6.7 
7-7 
10. 
21 . 
4213 
“ ‘‘ 
? 
142 
70. 
42.5 
16.5 
8.7 
6.7 
8. 
II. 
21.7 
4213 
“ * ‘ 
? 
136 
68. 
41-5 
15 - 
8.5 
6. 
7-5 
10. 
21. 
4242 
“ “ 
? 
120 
70. 
45 - 
16. 
8.5 
7 • 
8.7 
10. 
22. 
W 
W 
W 
An Outing for Owls’ Eggs. 
BV BROF. P. M. SIELOWAV, LEWISTON, MONT. 
W ITH the genuine egg-crank, the 
first o( logical excursion of the 
season is a red-letter day, pro- 
vided that it results in tangible additions 
to one’s cabinet. As I glance at the 
seven eggs of the Western Horned Owl 
( Bubo virginianus subartlicus) reposing 
in their downy trays as the first fruits 
of another oological season, I note the 
i6th of March, 1901, as one that will be 
readily recalled among an egg-crank’s 
reminiscences. True, sets of the West- 
ern Horned Owl are neither especially 
rare nor difficult to secure, but when 
