Page:Condor7(4).djvu/14

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July, x9o51 Midwinter Birds on the Mojave Desert BY JOSEPH MAILLIARD AND JOSEPH GRINNn'LI, (Concluded from page 77) Vireo hutt0ni. Hutton Vireo. A single specimen was secured by Taylor on December 28. This was doubtless a winter visitant from the San Diegan district to the southwards. Helminth0phila celata. Orange-crowned Warbler. Two examples, ?> and 9, were taken by Mailliard on Dec. 22 and 29, respectively. (Nos. 6?o9 and 6234, Coil. J. & J. W.M.) Apparently similar birds were seen by the other members of the party. This would seem to show that the orange-crowned warbler is some- thing more than a mere straggler. This eastern race may prove to be a regular winter visitant in southeastern California. Dendr0ica audub0nL Audubon Warbler. Fairly common in the river bottom. Ge0thlypis trichas 0ccidentalis. Western .Yellow-throat. A male specimen (No. 6256 , Coil. J. & J. W. M.), collected Dec. 3? from a tule patch near the river, seems best referable to occidentalis on account of large size and less brownish shad- ing laterally and dorsally. But one other yellow-throat was seen. Antbus pensilvanicus. American Pipit. Numerous in flocks on the pasture lands along the river. 0r0sc0ptes m0ntanus. Sage Thrasher. Unexpectedly rare. But one was discovered. This was shot from a cottonwood near the station by Mailliard. Mimus p01yg10tt0s leuc0pterus. Western Mockingbird. A very few were found in the river bottom. T0x0st0ma lec0ntei. Leconte Thrasher. Scarce and only noted back from the river on the sandy reaches of the dessert. But one specimen was secured. Hele0dytes brunneicapillus c0uesL Cactus Wren. A tew cactus wrens were met with among the tree yuccas on the desert two miles west of Victorville. Salpinctes 0bs01etus. Rock Wren. Common almost everywhere except among the cottonwoods. Thry0manes. bewicki drymcecus. San Joaquin Wren. Common in the river bottom. All of nine specimens secured seem to be representative of the race breeding in the San Joaquin-Sacramento Valley, as described by Oberholser (Proc. N. S. N.M. XXI, t898, 437). As regards intensity of dorsal rufescence, they are about intermediate between charienlurus and spilurus. This form is doubtless here a winter visitant from the northwestward. A specimen of the same sub- species has been previously'recorded from Barstow in midwinter. (Grinnell, CoN- r>OR III, May t9o?, 70.) Tr0g10dytes aed0n aztecus. Western House Wren. A ? (No. 62?6, Coil. J. & J. W. M.) taken by Mailliard D'ec? 28, and the only one of the species detected by any of the party, is remarkably different from parkmaniin its drab-gray caste of coloration. In fact there is scarcely a tinge of refuscent, even on the rump. This individual was probably a visitant from the Great Basin region to the northward. Telmat0dytes palustris plesius. Western Marsh Wren. Fairly common about the alfalfa patch previously mentioned. All of the six skins secured by the party show the large size and pale coloration of the Great Basin race, filesins. erthia americana montana. Rocky Mountain Creeper. Fairly common in the cottonwoods along the river. The three skins taken all have the large meas- urements, broad dorsal white streaking, and pale browns characteristic of the