Page:Condor7(1).djvu/20

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Jan., 19o 5 I THE CONDOR ?9 specimens collected along the east slope of the Sierra Nevada [near Olancha, Inyo county] in Owens Valley are almost intermediate, both in size and color, between .dmphispiza belli and .4mphispiza belli nevadensis." Dr. Fisher cites the same in- stance later (,4uk, XV, April I898, p. ?9o) as an argument against my contention that nevadensis is a distinct species from belli. Through the courtesy of Dr. Fisher I have just been enabled to examine these specimens, and I find they are unques- tionably referable to canescerts, thus indicating the range of this form further northward. Their measurements are very slightly greater than those of my series of canescerts previously presented, which points toward a possibility of inter- osculation between canescens and nevadensis still further north along the Sierras. But as I have already emphasized there is not yet the least evidence that ca?tesce?ts grades into belligeographically. This is the identical point of my contention in i898, as above referred to; then I trod specimens of canescerts in hand, calling them nevadensis as labeled byan eastern authority. It is therefore only under protest that I use the combination Amphispiza belli canescerts, instead of .dmphispiza nevadenss canescerts. Notes From Flathead, x9o4 BY P. ?r. SII, LOWA T had been reported to me by reliable observers that the varied thrush was nesting in the Flathead region of Montana, but I did not succeed in establish- ing the fact for record until this season. In the summer of ?9o 3 I took adult specimens of the varied thrush (xoreus novyins) at Swan Lake, about eight miles from Flathead Lake, and in the same summer collected a young thrush at Flathead which evidently had been out of the nest about two weeks. In ?9o4, however, [ succeeded in finding a nest of this thrush. It came about in this way. Just across the Swan River from the University of Montana Biological Station there is a patch of undisturbed woodland used as a club ground for sportsmen. A road through this woodland is used daily by people who have settled in the neighborhood of the club grounds. Near the gate opening into the grounds is a by-path, along which [ generally entered the grounds, as it is more shady and offered better facilities for collecting. Now on June 2, while passing along the woods road, I chanted upon a fledgling varied thrush which had left the nest but was yet unable to fly. I caught it with my hands as it hopped among the weeds at the edge of the woods. This event seemed quite singular to me, for the natives had told me that this thrush nests very early in the season; here was indisputable evidence, however, that the varied thrush was nesting in this particular piece of woods, and at a comparatively late time of the season. On July 5, Itook another young varied thrush along the same road, near the place where [ had taken the first speci?nen. This bird was flying about independently, though it was likely one of the brood to which the first be- longed. Thinking that the varied thrush season for nesting had closed, [ gave no time to looking for nests; and of course the nest was found by accident. It was on July ?, On that day, instead of following the somber by-path, I entered the club grounds through the' gate by the roadway. When scarcely