August, 1897. 
Land-Birds Observed on Clemente Island. 
17 
incessantly. Their food appeared to be mainly composed of the 
fleshy cactus fruits, of which there was certainly an abundant 
supply. The nests are built either in cactus, or in niches in the 
roofs and walls of the caverns. In the latter places the nests 
vary much in bulk, being fitted to the cavities in which they are 
built. A large cavity is nearly filled with a mass of fine grasses, 
weed stems and wool, with only a narrow aperture left at the 
top. Nests in cactus are built in the center of a clump of spiny 
stems, from one to three feet above the ground. These can sel* 
dom be reached except by breaking down the cactus. They are 
more compact than those in the rocks, but made of the same 
materials. Two to five eggs form a full set. They are similar 
to those of the mainland bird except in size, being decidedly 
larger. A fresh set taken March 30, measure, .84X.60, .80X.63, 
.82X.62, .80X.63. A partially incubated set of five, taken March 
31, measure, .80X.56, .80X.59, .82X.57, .85X.56, .86X.58. The 
nesting season begins early, as nearly‘fledged young were noted 
on March 28. On June 5, incubated eggs were taken. The 
House Finches on San Clemente Island average larger and 
brighter colored than those of the mainland. This case well 
illustrates the tendency of the insuler birds to acquire larger pro- 
portions of the bill or feet. In this genus, the extremes are 
reached further south in (A mcgregori and C. amp his. The fob 
lowing are the average measurements of the bills of a series each 
of the San Clemente and mainland House Finches: 
- 
GONYS. 
CUEMEN. 
DEPTH OF BIEE 
AT BASE. 
WIDTH OF UPPER 
MANDIBEE. 
San Clemente Is..... 
•32 
•43 
'35 
•30 
^cLSctd. 0 r 1 .ci it 
.29 
.40 
•33 
.28 
Forty-seven specimens of the House Finch were obtained on 
this island. 
16. Ammodramus sandwickensis aiaudinus —-Western Sa¬ 
vanna Sparrow. 
. One specimen was secured and several others seen along the 
grassy margins of a slough at the mouth of a canon, on March 
30. Evidently only a winter visitant. 
17. Zonotrichia leucophrys intermedia— Intermediate Sparrow. 
At the time of my first visit, these sparrows were very common 
among the weeds and cherry brush in the ravines. One speci¬ 
men taken. 
