Page:Condor16(2).djvu/42

 86 THE CONDOR Vol. XVI Loxia eurvirostra minor. Crossbill. Common, though apparently very irregu- lar in their movements. During August, 1912, I secured several specimens of this 'bird and found it very common on Kruzof and St. Lazaria islands, and in the forest back of Sitka. At the same season in 1913, they were far from plentiful, the only ones seen being high up on the mountain sides. Specimens taken in 1912 seem to possess the characters ascribed by Grinnell (19o9, p. 223) to the race L. c. sitken,'is. This form has not been accepted by the A. O. U. Committee. Ioxia leueoptera. White-winged Crossbill. Four specimens taken by the 19o7 Alexander Expedition at Hooniah., Chichagof Island, June 25 (Grinnell, 19o9, p 225). leueostiete tephroeois liox'alis. Hepburn Rosy Finch. A specimen taken at Sitka by Bischoff and one taken at Fort Simpson, B.C., were used by Baird (1869, p. 3i8)in describing this form. The species was noted by the 19o 7 Alexander Expedition near Hooniah, Chichagof Island, at an altitude of about 2500 feet, June 21-27 (Grinnell, 19o9, p. 226). Although I traversed several of the mountain ranges of Baranof Island rather thoroughly and looked particularly for this bird, I never saw it, so it must be rather uncommon. /teaxtthis linaria linaria. Redpoll. Specimens from Sitka mentioned by Dall and Bannister (1869, p. 28). Spinus pinas. Pine Siskin. Common summer resident. Found most plenti- fully in shrubbery and evergreen growth near the town. Ileetrophena x nivalis nivalis. Snow Bunting. Occasional winter visitant. Merrill saw three birds at Sitka in early December, 191o. He also noted five birds in the same locality, November 17, 1911, and seven birds December 7, 1912. One of the latter was secured. In all these instances the birds only remained a few days and disappeared. The species was also taken at Sitka by Bischoff (Da!t & Bannister, 1869, p. 282). (llearius lpponieus alseertsis. Alaska Longspur. Taken at Sitka by Bis- choff (Dall & Bannister, I869, p. 283). I'ssereulus sandwiehensis sandwiehensis. Aleutian Savannah Sparrow. Two specimens taken at Sitka by Bischoff (Dall & Bannister, 1869, p. 284). In September, 1913, I found Savannah sparrows rather common in grassy marshes at mouths of streams in the vicinity of Sitka. A specimen of P.s. sandwichensis was taken at Silver Bay September 23. Swarth (1911a, p. 84) took a specimen of this bird at Three-mile Arm. Kuiu Island, May 3, 19o9, and three more at Egg Harbor, Coronation Island, May 5, following, but did not find it to the eastward of these points. The 19o8 Alexan- der Expedition did not note the species at all in the Prince William Sound district (Grinnell, 19o, p. 399). From the above facts it would seem (as pointed out by Swarth) that the regular migration route of this bird lies along the extreme western edge of the archipelago. I'sssereulus sandwiehensis alaudinus. Western Savannah Sparrow. The breeding Savannah sparrow of the Sitka district has been referred to both P.s. alaudinus and P.s. savanna. As I did not secure a series of specimens, I am not able to definitely .efer them to one form or the other. They seemingly possess some characteristics of each, and a large series of specimens will have to be brought together before their standing can be satisfactorily' determined. In view of these facts I have tentatively used the name alaudinus, under which the birds of this region are included in the latest A. O. U. Check-List, Savannah sparrows taken at Sitka by Bischoff and recorded as P. sarcoma (Dall & Bannister, 1869, p. 283), were later examined by Nelson (1887, p. 187)