July, 1916 BIRDS IN THE VALLEY OF THE FLATHEAD RIVER, MONTANA 
163 
at Riverside. They were very tame, and twice alighted on our hats. Montana is some- 
what south of their usual breeding range, but the date on which these birds were noted, 
August 18, seems rather early for migration. 
Spinus pinus. Pine Siskin. Noted in two places, Cabin Parks and on Mt. Baptiste 
at 6500-7000 feet. 
Passerculus sandwichensis alaudinus. Western Savannah Sparrow. A few seen in 
the grassy meadows at Cabin Parks, and at Spotted Bear. 
Junco hyemalis, subsp. Junco. Small flocks of juncos were common as far as 
Cabin Parks. They closely resembled mearnsi , but may have been montanus, with 
which form I am not familiar. 
Petrochelidon lunifrons lunifrons. Cliff Swallow. A flock was noted August 21 a 
few hundred feet below the top of Mt. Baptiste (8400 feet), at about timberline. Proba- 
bly migrants. 
Dendroica auduboni auduboni. Audubon Warbler. Small bands of this warbler 
were common, and formed the only indication of warbler migration. 
Geothlypis trichas occidentalis. Western Yellow-throat. One seen at Cabin Parks. 
Wilsonia pusilla pileolata. Pileolated Warbler- One seen near Spotted Bear. 
Cinclus mexicanus unicolor. Dipper. Common all along the river, and heard sing- 
ing several times. 
Nannus hiemalis pacificus. Western Winter Wren. Common along the trail. 
Certhia familiaris montana. Rocky Mountain Creeper. Noted here and there; not 
uncommon. 
Sitta canadensis. Red-breasted Nuthatch. Common. Its note was one of the char- 
acteristic bird sounds of the valley. 
Penthestes atricapillus septentrionalis. Long-tailed Chickadee. Common along the 
trail at least as far as Coalbank. 
Penthestes gambeli gambeli. Mountain Chickadee. Noted at Silver Basin and 
Spotted Bear Mountain at about 6500 feet. 
Penthestes hudsonicus hudsonicus. Hudsonian Chickadee. Two were seen on 
Spotted Bear Mountain in the Douglas fir forest at about 6500 feet. 
Penthestes rufescens rufescens. Chestnut-backed Chickadee. A few noted at Coal- 
bank in the same region frequented by the Long-tailed Chickadees. 
Regulus satrapa, subsp. Golden-crowned Kinglet. Common and well distributed. 
Planesticus migratorious propinquus. Western Robin. Seen only at Riverside and 
Spotted Bear. 
Ixoreus naevius ( meruloides? ) . Varied Thrush. One bird seen twice near Coal- 
bank under excellent conditions for observation- It was carrying a grub on one occa- 
sion as though feeding young. 
Madison, Wisconsin, April 16, 1916. 
THE SAHUARO SCREECH OWL AS A RECOGNIZABLE RACE 
By H. S. SWARTH 
(Contribution from the University of California Museum of Vertebrate Zoology) 
T HE SAHUARO Screech Owl (Otus asio gilmani ) described by the present 
writer some years ago (Univ. Calif. Publ. Zool., 7, 1910, p. 1), although 
admitted to the list of North American birds by the A. O. U. Committee, 
has been denied recognition by the latest monographer of the genus, Robert 
Ridgway, in his Birds of North and Middle America (part 6, 1914, p. 702, foot- 
note). Here the conception of two subspecies of Otus asio existing in southern 
Arizona is objected to in no uncertain terms. The expression of such 
positive statements of fact and opinion, from so competent an authority, is 
certainly worthy of the most respectful consideration, and I must confess, upon 
first reading this criticism, to feeling decidedly unsettled in my convictions, 
and to wondering if perhaps my own conclusions had not been erroneous. 
