Mar., 1902. 
THE CONDOR 
45 
broadcast throughout California west of the Sierras. Last December I found 
them fairl}' numerous in the neighborhood of Pacific Grove and Monterey, where 
they were detected only among dense brush on shaded north hillsides or along 
clearings in the woods. The leaf-scratching habit gave the usual clue to their 
whereabouts. The five Passerellas collected, at once struck me as differing from 
those of the townsendi group in my collection from Southern California and from 
Central California east of the coast belt. Examination of all available material 
brings to light several more skins exactly like the Monterey specimens. These 
are all from the Santa Cruz District (Sierra Morena; Pescadero Creek.) None 
from elsewhere are comparable. So that here is apparently a race confined to a 
circumscribed whiter habitat, far removed from its summer habitat. 
Vigors, in the zoology of the voyage of H. M. S. Blossom, 1839, 19, de- 
scribes from Monterey a Friiigilla meridoides, the brief description of which ap- 
plies quite well to this form. He does not give any date of capture, but in ac- 
cordance with my foregoing remarks, there can be little doubt but that it w'as the 
present race he had in hand. Therefore it may be called Passer ella iliaca merii- 
loides (Vigors), with the following description: 
SuBSP. Char. — Most nearly like Passerella iliaca itisularis Ridgway, hut bill decidedly 
smaller and coloration throughout darker and browner. 
Topotype— $, No. 5056. Coll. J. G.; Pacific Grove, Monterey Co., California; Dec. 30, 1901 
CoLOR.ATiON — Top and sides of head, back, wings and tail, prout brown tending toward, 
seal brown; forehead and superciliary stripe, grayer; edgings of wings and tail, brightening 
toward walnut brown; maxillary region, sides and spotting on lower surface, prout brown tinged 
with burnt umber; flanks, bistre; lower tail coverts streaked with bistre and edged with isabella 
color; belly and remainder of lower surface, white; base of lower mandible, gallstone yellow. 
Me.asureaients — Wing, 81 mm; tail, 75; culnien, ii; depth of bill, 8.25; tarsus, 25; hind toe 
with claw, 20. 
I do not know what the extent of the summer habitat of this race is. I have 
no Alaskan specimens at hand like it. But judging from Ridgway’s brief descrip- 
tion, his Passerella iliaca amiectens from Yakutat Bay, Alaska, is synonymous. If 
this is the case, then the form breeding in the Yakutat Bay district is this one 
which winters in the Santa Cruz district. 
FROM FIELD AND STUDY. 
A Criticism of Two Recent Records. — In the Auk for January 1902 are two 
Californian bird records that I believe to be erroneous. On page 80 Mr. 
Loomis states that the California Academy of Sciences has an example of Micro- 
collected by J. A, Kusche April 20 1898 ten miles from San Bernardino. Mr. 
Kusche obtained an owl of this species that came from Arizona, from R. B. Herron of San Ber- 
nardino, and we believe that it is the same owl recorded in the Auk. 
On page 83 Mr. Loomis records a male Eugenes fulgens as having been taken by Kusche in 
San Gorgonio Pass, Riverside County July 15, 1899. I believe this hummingbird wascne ob- 
tained from Webster by Kusche. If Mr. Loomis had known Kusche as well as we southern 
Californians do, he would not have made these records.— Fr.ank Stephens, San Diego, Cal. 
Occtirretice of the Redpoll in California. — As new notes are always interesting, 
these are my observations on Acanthis linaria. recorded in the winter of 
1899 near Eagle Lake, Lassen County, Cal. The redpoll arrived in 
my neighborhood on Nov. 30. At first I found only two large flocks, but later numerous smaller 
ones greatly increased their numbers. I ran into the first of these flocks, well in forest, a mile 
or so from a valley. The birds were circling about over the tree-tops, twittering noisily, much 
after the manner of Spinus pinus, and now and then they would settle into the upper branches 
of some pine, to be off again almost before the stragglers had reached it. Later the flock settled 
in the birches and bushes along a small stream, alighting all around me. The crops of seven 
birds shot here were gorged with buds from the birch shoots. 
Late the same afternoon I found another flock out in the sage brush, three-quarters of a 
mile from the edge of the forest. These birds had been feeding on the tender buds of the sage. 
Their plumage was quite dirty. All through December flocks of redpolls could be found near 
