August, 1897. 
Land-Birds Observed on Clemente Island. 
19 
22. Melospiza lincolnii— Lincoln’s Sparrow. 
A single specimen was taken March 30 and another seen. They 
were in the rank weeds growing about the watering-trough at 
the windmill. A winter visitant. 
23. Pipilo clementce — # San Clemente Towhee. 
Not uncommon along the larger ravines and canons, wherever 
there is a thick growth of wild cherry bushes; but on account 
of their silence and secretive habits they were not easy to locate. 
A Towhee might be heard scratching among the dead leaves in 
a thicket, but he would not be easy to drive out, and even if he 
did finally vacate, it would only be to dive into the next bush on 
the opposite side of the would-be collector. However, when 
the males sang, or rather repeated their “(tow)hee”, they gen¬ 
erally mounted to the highest twig of a bush, and were there 
quite conspicuous. They usually appeared thus in the early 
morning and evening. The “catbird” call, which is so charac¬ 
teristic of P. m. megalonyx , seems to be unknown to this bird. 
Six specimens, the type series, were taken during the first visit, 
and ten during the last. The latter are typical in every respect. 
Especially noticeable, when compared with P. m. megalonyx , is 
the long bill, which averages in the ten specimens: culmen, .58; 
gonys, .42. Although the birds taken were evidently breeding, 
no nests were found nor juveniles observed. 
24. Ampelis cedrorum— Cedar Waxwing. 
In the forenoon of May 31, I saw a single specimen of this bird 
in the canon near China Point. It flew past me down the canon 
and a minute later returned. Its note, manner of flight and 
plumage were characteristic and unmistakable. 
25. Lanins ludovicianusgambeli —California Shrike. 
This bird was without question the shyest and hardest to be se¬ 
cured of any on the island. Indeed it was as shy as any hawk 
I ever saw. It was tolerably common; that is, two or three 
could be generally seen during an hour’s walk. There was a 
pair in the neighborhood of the windmill where we were camp¬ 
ing, and nearly every morning a little after daybreak the male 
would perch either on the windmill or on the topmost twig of a 
brush pile on the opposite side of the ravine, and utter its defiant 
*New species, described by me in Auk , July, 1897. 
