July, 1916 BIRDS IN THE VALLEY OP' THE I?LATHEAD RIVER, MONTANA 163 at Riverside. They were very tame, and twice alighted on our hat?. Montana is some- what south of their usual breeding range, but the date on which these birds were noted, August 18, seems rather early for migration. Spinus pinus. Pine Siskin. Noted in two places, Cabin Parks and on Mr. Baptiste at 6500-7000 feet. Passerculus sandwichcrisis alaudinus. Western Savannah Sparrow. A few seen in the grassy meadows at Cabin Parks, and at Spotted Bear. Junco hyemaiis, subsp. Junco. Small flocks of juncos were common as far as Cabin Parks. They closely resembled mcarnsi, but may have been montanus, with which form I am not familiar. Petrochelidon iunifrons iunifrons. Cliff Swallow. A flock was noted August 21'a few hundred feet below the top of Mr. Baptiste (8400 ]?eet), at about timberline. Proba- bly migrants. Dendroica auduboni auduboni. Audubon Warbler. Small bands of this warbler were common, and formed the only indication of warbler migration. Geothiypis trichas occidentalis. Western Yellow-throat. One seen at Cabin Parks. Wiisonia pusilia pileolata. Pileolated Warbler. One seen near Spotted Bear. Cincius mexicanus unicoior. Dipper. Common all along the river, and heard sing- ing several times. Nannus hiemalls pacificus. Western Winter Wren. Common along the trail. Certhia familiaris montana. Rocky Mountain Creeper. Noted here and there; not uncommon. Sitta canadensis. Red-breasted Nuthatch. Common. Its note was one of the char- acteristic bird sounds of the valley. Penthestes atricapillus septentrionalis. Long-tailed Chickadee. Common along the trail at least as far as Coalbank. Penthestes gainbell gainbell. Mountain Chickadee. Noted at Silver Basin and Spotted Bear Mountain at about 6500 feet. Penthestes hudsonicus hudsonicus. Hudsonian Chickadee. Two were seen on Spotted Bear Mountain in the Douglas fir forest at about 6500 feet. Penthestes rufescens rufescens. Chestnut-backed Chickadee. A few noted at Coal- bank in the same region frequented by the Long-tailed Chickadees. Regulus satrapa, subsp. Golden-crowned Kinglet. Common and well distributed. Pianesticus migratorious propinquus. Western Robin. Seen only at Riverside and Spotted Bear. Ixoreus naevius (meruloides?). Varied Thrush. One bird seen twice nea? Coal- bank under excellent conditions for observation. It was carrying a grub on o?e occa- sion as though feeding young. Madison, Wisconsin, April 16, 1916. THE SAHUARO SCREECH OWL AS A RECOGNIZABLE RACE By H. S. SWARTH (Contribution from the University of California MUseUm of Vertebrate Zoology) HE SAHUARO Screech Owl (Otus as?o #?lmani) described by the present writer some years ago (Univ. Calif. Publ. Zool., 7, 1910, p. 1), although admitted to the list of North American birds by the A. O. U. Committee, has been denied recognition by the latest monographer of the genus, Robert Ridgway, in his Birds of North and Middle America (part 6, 1914, p. 702, foot- note). Here the conception of two subspecies of Otus asio existing in southern Arizona is objected to in no uncertain terms. The expression of such positive statements of fact and opinion, from so competent an authority, is certainly worthy of the most respectful consideration, and I must confess, upon first reading this criticism, to feeling decidedly unsettled in my convictions, and to wondering if perhaps my own eonclusi0ns had not been erroneous.
