228 THI? CONDOR Vol. XV double-barreled shot gun, an auxilliary, and a rifle if you can, but many of us cannot go on expeditions. To the one who travels "light", this brief discus- sion is addressed. I am indebted to Dr. J. Grinnell and to Mr. Joseph Dixon for advice on the use of Ballistite. Los Angeles, California. FURTHER 1tJgMARKS UPON THE KERN BED-WING By JOSEPH MAILLIARD S STATED in the description of the Kern Red-wing (Agelagus phoengceus aciculatus) in TEE COSDOs, VOL xw?, p. 13, the dates on which the speci- mens therein mentioned were taken (which were May 27 to June 7) were rather late in the season, and on account of.the fading and abrasion of the plum- age, which deteriorates rapidly as midsummer approaches, these specimens were not in the best condition for satisfactory comparison with other forms. of Agela- ius. This year (1915), for the purpose of procuring specimens in fresher plum- age, a short trip was made by the writer at a somewhat earlier date into that part of the Kern River valley where these birds were found the previous year by A. van Rosscm. As it was desirable to avoid the complication of migrations, the latter part of April was chosen as the safest period and a time when migra- tion would be over and local breeding begun. Dr. Barton W. Evermann, Director of the Museum of the California Aca- demy o Sciences, participated in this expedition, and .thanks are due to him not only for his genial companionship but as well for great assistance in procuring specimens, though his main object was botanizing. Specimens of A. p. acgcu- latus were secured on April 17, 18 and 19, and were in much better condition for study and comparison than was the material procured the year before, and from which this form was described. The study of this new material confirms the conclusions before reached, and also develops the fact that as late as the above dates in April, at least, the middle wing-coverts of the males are apt to have a heavy black tipping. Of twelve males secured eight had all the feathers of the middle wing-coverts tipped with black, some of them quite heavily, three had all but one or two so tipped, while on the remaining specimen the tipping had been worn off on all but two of the feathers. Judging from this, it is reasonable to suppose that still earlier in the spring all the feathers of the middle wing-coverts are tipped with black, and probably rather heavily. Only twelve males and four females of this form were obtained and among these were no special deviations from the measurements already given in the original description, with the exception of the culmen-from-base of one of the females extending the maximum of this measurement to 24.6 millimeters, in place of the former extreme of 23.9. No minimum extremes were altered by this additional material though the averages of one or two measurements varied slightly from those given in the tables, but not sufficienfiy to make any practical difference. For instance, the average length of culmen from base in the case of these twelve males is less than that of the twenty-one males
