Page:Condor19(2).djvu/43

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Mar., 1917 FROM FIELD AND STUDY Notes on the Arizona Spotted Owl.--Two specimens of Strix occidentalis lucida were taken by Mr. E. J. Hands, October 2, 1915, at about 6500 feet altitude in Pinery Canyon, west slope of the Chiricahua Mountains, Cochise County, Arizona. They were male and female, and sitting huddled close together on a fir limb. The male, ?r. Hands reports, was a little darker than the female, which is now no. 4441, collection of J. E. Law. These are the first birds of this species noted by Mr. Hands and his brother, John Hands, in the thirty years they have spent in these mountains as miners and rangers. Compared with six specimens of S. o. occidentalis from southern California, five from Los Angeles County (no. 494, coil. C. H. Richardson; nos. 1392, 1393, 1395, coil. G. Willerr; no. 1477, coil. J. E. Law), and one from Ventura County (no. 830, coil. G. Wil- lett), this female has very nearly the same tone of brown dorsally, though nos. 1392 and 1393 are slightly darker on hind neck, but the light transverse bars of remiges and rec- trices are conspicuously broader and whiter. The southern California birds have these bars decidedly bully. The chest of the Arizona'bird has conspicuous broad white bars, giving predominance to the white coloration, in striking contrast to the California birds which have the brown decidedly predominating on the chest. In the Arizona bird the legs are slightly paler than in all the California specimens but no. 1477, and the under side of tail (remiges) again has the white predominating as against the buffy of occi- dentalis.--J. E. LAW, Hollywood, California, January ?5, 1917. Two Albino English Sparrows.--In the museum collection of the Colorado State Agricultural College are two specimens of albino English Sparrows (Passer domesticus). One was taken at Fert Collins, June 15, 1915, the other at Las Animas, January 5, 1917. Both are males, the Fort Collins specimen being an immature bird. Both birds are pure white, ncne of the feathers showing any trace of the normal colors; eyes are pink, and bills, legs and feet, flesh-color.--W. L. BURNETT, Colorado Agricultural College, Fort Col- lins, Colorado, January 10, 1917. Is the California Woodpecker a Tippler?--I once read that .woodpeckers some- times become intoxicated from drinking the fermented sap of certain trees. I had thought that this might be only a dream of the "nature fakirs", but I have since *seen something which leads me to suspect that the tale may have a foundation in fact. In October, 1911, I found a California Woodpecker (Melanerpes formicivorus bairdi) on the banks of the Sacramento River a few miles below Red Bluff, which gave every evidence of being drunk. It could use its wings for flight to a certain extent but could not steer a straight course in the air, and soon fell to earth again when it tried to fly. On the ground it tried to escape with uncertain sprawling motions. I captured it and could find no injury though I examined it with some care.--W. A. SqUmES, San Francisco, Jan- uary 25, 1917. Concerning two forms of the Bryant Marsh Sparrow in California.--The remarks of Vq. A. Squires, in the November-December number of TIlE CONDOR, upon the possibility of there being two forms of Passerculus sandwichensis bEyanti in the vicinity of San Francisco Bay should bring out some observations or records from other parties, and it is to be sincerely hoped that this will be the case. The question is an interesting one, and there seems a great likelihood that there really are two forms nearly alike but of different habits. I have taken specimens of what I supposed was bEyanti at different times and places high up on hills and ranges, but, except for the one mentioned in the notes from Humboldt Bay, have never taken any at a high elevation in the height of the breeding season, although a few were taken at dates very close to it. These latter were supposed to be wanderers or non-breeders at the time, but recent events make me doubt this conclusion. In our collection is a set o} eggs, taken by C. A. Allen, at that time living at Nica- sio, Marin County, California, the data of which are as follows: "Western Savannah Sparrow. Black Mt., Marin Co., Calif., Apr. 29, 1877. Eggs fresh. Nest on ground. Male shot. Nest on top of Mountain". This is not the exact wording of the data but is the essence of it. We did not see the parent of this set, and have always been very skep- tical concerning its identification or connection with the nest, but have kept the set in abeyance all this time. It looks now as if Allen might have been close to the truth, and that the bird was this possible upland form. As Allen sold all his skins at that time,