BIRDS OF COLORADO. 
165 
bility of its being an example of melanism was entertained. 
I think this specimen is still in Mr. Holden’s collection. On 
securing my four specimens at Canon City in April, 1874, I 
knew they were identical with the Holden bird and was confi- 
dent that they represented an nndescribed race.” Mr. Holden 
has recorded this specimen as follows: “In one specimen, a 
young male, I think, the plumage is almost black, in fact it is 
black, except the wings and after half of the body. It is an 
interesting specimen.” (Holden and Aiken, Proc. Post. Soc. 
Nat. Hist., XV. 1872, p. 200.) 
This specimen was not taken in Colorado and the first 
specimen for this State is the one already accredited to Mr. 
Aiken in 1874. 
Page 98. Add. 528b. Acanthis linaria rostrata. Greater 
Redpoll. 
Winter visitant rare or accidental. There is only one Colo- 
rado record for this northern species. Mr. W. A. Sprague shot 
one December 9, 1895, near Magnolia, at arr altitude of 7,500 
feet. Of this specimen, Mr. Ridgway says that it is not typical 
but near enough to be called this variety. 
Page 99. Passer domestic us. European House Sparrow. 
A wonderful increase has taken place with these birds dur- 
ing the last twelve months. They reached Fort Collins in the 
fall of 1896. So that now they occur along the eastern base of 
the foothills for nearly two hundred miles. Mr. E. L. Berthoud 
notes a short visit from them a few years ago at Golden, well 
up in the ‘foothills, but they did not remain and none have since 
been seen. 
Page 100. 534. Plectrophenax nivalis. Snowflake. 
A pair were shot by Mr. Aiken at Colorado Springs the 
winter of 1877-8. This is the most southern record for Colo- 
rado. 
Page loi. 542b. Ammodramus sandwichensis alaudinus. 
Western Savanna Sparrow. 
The question having been raised as to whether all of the 
Savanna Sparrows of Colorado belong to the western race, a 
large series was submitted by Mr. Aiken to the Smithsonian. 
They were all pronounced alaudinus. Another series sent by 
the present writer to Prof. Allen received the same identifica- 
tion. Nevertheless Mr. Aiken is quite sure that in the field he 
can see a difference between the breeding birds and the mi- 
grants. The latter is the larger and moves earlier, arriving at 
Colorado Springs the last of July to the first of August and 
leaves the first of October. 
