July, 1905 | 
101 
Midwinter Birds on the Mojave Desert 
BY JOSEPH MAILLIARD AND JOSEPH GRIN NEED 
( Concluded from page 77) 
Vireo huttoni. Hutton Vireo. A single specimen was secured by Taylor on 
December 28. This was doubtless a winter visitant from the San Diegan district 
to the southwards. 
Helminthophila celata. Orange-crowned Warbler. Two examples, $ and ? , 
were taken by Mailliard on Dec. 22 and 29, respectively. (Nos. 6109 and 6234, 
Coll. J. & J. W. M.) Apparently similar birds were seen by the other members of 
the party. This would seem to show that the orange-crowned warbler is some- 
thing more than a mere straggler. This eastern race may prove to be a regular 
winter visitant in southeastern California. 
Dendroica auduboni. Audubon Warbler. Fairly common in the river bottom. 
Geothlypis trichas occidentalis. Western .Yellow-throat. A male specimen 
(No. 6256, Coll. J. & J. W. M.), collected Dec. 31 from a tule patch near the river, 
seems best referable to occidentalis on account of large size and less brownish shad- 
ing laterally and dorsally. But one other yellow-throat was seen. 
Anthus pensilvanicus. American Pipit. Numerous in flocks on the pasture 
lands along the river. 
Oroscoptes montanus. Sage Thrasher. Unexpectedly rare. But one was 
discovered. This was shot from a cottonwood near the station by Mailliard. 
Mimus polyglottos leucopterus. Western Mockingbird. A very few were 
found in the river bottom. 
Toxostoma lecontei. Leconte Thrasher. Scarce and only noted back from 
the river on the sandy reaches of the desert. But one specimen was secured. 
Heleodytes brunneicapillus couesL Cactus Wren. A tew cactus wrens were 
met with among the tree yuccas on the desert two miles west of Victorville. 
Salpinctes obsoletus. Rock Wren. Common almost everywhere except 
among the cottonwoods. 
Thryomanes bewicki drymoecus. San Joaquin Wren. Common in the river 
bottom. All of nine specimens secured seem to be representative of the race 
breeding in the San Joaquin-Sacramento Valley, as described by Oberliolser (Proc. 
N. S. N. M. XXI, 1898, 437). As regards intensity of dorsal rufeseence, they are 
about intermediate between charienturus and spilurus. This form is doubtless 
here a winter visitant from the northwestward. A specimen of the same sub- 
species has been previously recorded from Barstow in midwinter. (Grinnell, Con- 
dor III, May 1901, 70.) 
Troglodytes aedon aztecus. Western House Wren. A (No. 6216, Coll. J. 
& J. W. M.) taken by Mailliard Dec. 28, and the only one of the species detected 
by any of the party, is remarkably different from parkmani in its drab-gray caste of 
coloration. In fact there is scarcely a tinge ot refuscent, even on the rump. This 
individual was probably a visitant from the Great Basin region to the northward. 
Telmatodytes palustris plesius. Western Marsh Wren. Fairly common 
about the alfalfa patch previously mentioned. All of the six skins secured by the 
party show the large size and pale coloration of the Great Basin race, plesius. 
Certhia americana montana. Rocky Mountain Creeper. Fairly common in 
the cottonwoods along the river. The three skins taken all have the large meas- 
urements, broad dorsal white streaking, and pale browns characteristic of the 
