Page:Condor12(4).djvu/29

 July, 1910 PUBLICATIONS thestes atricapillus septenlrionalis), Pullman Whitman County, and Prescott,. Walla Walla County. University of California Publications in Zoolbgy, vol. 5, pp. 307-309; publisht Feb. 21, 1910: Two Heretofore Unnamed Wrens of the Genus Thryomanes. By Joseph Grinnell. Thryomanes bewicki marinensis. Nicasio Wren. Similar to T. b. spilurus (Vigors) of the Santa Cruz faunal area south and east of San Francisco Bay, in size, but dorsal color- ation brighter brown, of a vandyke tone, and flanks and light intervals in crissum strongly washt with vandyke brown. Similar to T. b. calophonus Oberholser of Western Washington and Oregon, but dorsal coloration brighter brown, of a less sooty tone, and size decidedly less. Wing 51.4; tail 50.8; culmen 14.1. Range.--The humid coast belt north of 'the (olden Gate and San Francisco Bay, in Marin and Sonoma Counties. Thryomanes bewicki catalinae. Catalina Island Wren. Closely similar in color and general size to T. b. charienturus Oberholser of the adjacent mainland, but averaging darker dorsally (more sepia and not so ranbet brown) with heavier bill and conspicuously and con- stantly larger feet (longer toes and heavier tarsus); (lifters from T. b. leucophrys (Anthouy) of San Clemente Island, in decidedly darker, less ashy coloration, anti in much more heavily barred under tail coverts; differs from T. b. nesophilus Oberholser, of Santa Cruz Island, in driller, less rulescent coloration, grayer flanks, longer bill and generally larger size. Wing 54; tail 53.7; culmen 15.7; himl toe with claw 14; middle toe with claw 16.2. Santa Catalina Island, permanent resident. Ibid., pp. 311-316; publisht Feb. 21, 1910. The Savannah Sparrow of the (.'real Basin. By Joseph Grinnell. He restricts the name alaudinus to "the form summering throughout the vast interior of northwestern North America, from Bering Sea and Kotzebue Sound to the Mackenzie region", amt separates the race that breeds in the arid Great Basin region of the United States urnlet the name Passercu- lus sandwichcrisis nevadensis. Nevada Savan- nah Sparrow. Resembles Passerculus sand- wichensis alaudinus Bonaparte, but is much paler thruout in all plumages; white replacing buff, black streaks thus more conspicuously contrasted there being a minimum amount of hazel markings; size slightly less. From P.s. savanna (Wilson) the new form differs in col- oration in the same ways as above but in greater degree; the bill is proportionally much smaller, tho the wing length is nearly the same. Passerculus sandwichcrisis nevadensis differs from its presumably nearest relatives in its extremely pale coloration. This paleness is not due to a less amount of black-streaking, but to a replacement of buff and clay color by white or whitish and to a restriction, and dilu- tion to clay color, of the hazel areas on each feather. The appearance of white edges on the rectrices is a remarkable feature, showing an incipiency of the condition among certain .ter- restrial birds where the outer rectrix on either side is chiefly white, as in Pooecetes. ibid., 361-428, plates 32-34, 9 text figqre; publisht March 5, 1910. Birds of the 1908 Aleneander Alaska Eacpedilion With a 2Vole on the Avifaunal Relationships of the Prince William Sound District. By Joseph Grinnell. Under the heading, "General Accounts; Distri- bution; Biological Notes; Variation", 89 species and subspecies are noted, equally divided be- tween water birds and land birds. More or less extensive notes are given urnlet each species, distribution being particularly noted. The six new subspecies described are all land birds. The most im oftant parts of the descriptions follow: Canachites canadensis atratus. Valdez Spruce Grouse. Resembles Canachites cana- densis osgoodi of the interior of Alaska (Yukon and Kowak valleys), but general tone of color- ation darker; white umrkings of less extent; black areas more extended; and grays less ashy, more olivaceous. (A detailed description of each type follows).. The indications are that this form is'generally dist?ibuted in the humid coast belt from the eastern side of the Kenai Peninsula southwestwardly at least as far as Hawkins Island, and probably beyond. Lagopus rupestris kelloggae. Montague Rock Ptarmigan. Similar to Lagopus rupes- tris rupestris of the interior of Alaska (moun- tains near Eagle), in comparable stage of plumage, but coloration darker; black markings more extended; brownish shades deeper toned; white tippings reduced and suffused with ochraceous; top of head nearly solid black. Ceryle alcyon caurina. Northwestern Belied Kingfisher. Similar to the Ceryle alcyon of eastern and southern North America, but size thruout greater, especially measurements of flight feathers. Dryobatespubescensglacialis. Valdez Downy Woodpecker. Resembles Dryobates pubescens nelsoni of northern and interior Alaska in a gen- eral way, but differs from it in slightly smaller size, in having a decided smoky wash over the lower surface, in having the exposed lower surface of "closed" tail completely black barred, in having the flanks and lower tail coverts distinctly mottled with black, and in having the white-spotting of wings less in extent; resembles D. p. gcirdneri in size, but smokines of lower surface much less in intensi- ty and not invading the white areas of head, and white-spotting of wings much greater in extent; resembles D. p. medianus closely,