x72 THE CONDOR I Vot,. VII principal characteristic ascribed to atratus, excessively dark coloration, witb, in the male, glossy black rump, concolor xvith the back, is fairly constant, but the black rump is characteristic only of fully adult birds, those in, at least their second 3'ear. Mr. Grinnell informs me that when be sent the specimens from xvhich atrattts was described, he selected, very naturally, the darkest colored, as the finest specimens, thus probably (though most innocently) misleading Mr. Ridgway as to the value of the characteristics he ascribed to the race. hi a series collected in the vicinity of Pasadena by Mr. Grinnell he has very carefully marked each one of the fall and winter birds, all in fact in which the age can be determined by the condition of the skull, whether adult or immature, and in every case the "young of the year" has the rump grayish, very nmch lighter than the old males, which are glossy black over the whole back and rump. The gray-rumped birds are frequently taken in the spring when it is impossible to ascertain the age, so easily determined in the fall and winter, but the inference is that they are birds of the previous year, and that two years at least are required to obtain the full plumage. I have not seen the type of ?ipilo me. ffalonyx but should think it very probable that it was a bird in this stage of plumage. Of the thirteen Mr. Pinos specimens, two juvenile males collected'by Mr. Grinnell are marked "Fort Tejon,"while two pair of adults are labeled,"Mt. Pinos." The seven specimens (five males and two females) takeu by myself were shot in the mountains southwest of Mr. Pinos, probably ten or twelve miles from Fort Tejon. This material fronl the type locality of me?aloynx is quite sufficient to admit of intelligent comparison with the series from Los Angeles and Pasadena, and it may be confidently stated that there is absolutely no difference between them. Of the seven males, six have the rump as black as any of the more south- ern birds, and there is no difference in.size and proportions. The single male bird from the Piute Mountains, Kern Co., California (.north- east of Fort Tejon) is in fresh fall plumage (Sept. 9), is apparently an old bird, and has the back and rump as glossy black as any Pasadena specimen in the series. In the collection of the Field Columbian Museum of Chicago there is an interest- ing series of five birds (three males and five females) shot at Monterey, Califor?fia, during February, ?9o3. Two of the three males have the back and rump (except the usual white markings on the scapulars) unifornl glossy black, and any of the five can be matched exactly by Pasadena specimens. hi the series from Palo Alto (]?i]Silo ?nac?datus?alcifer McGregor)there are, unfortunately, but two females, and those in such poorshape as to be nearly worth- less for comparison. q'he males are very slightly distinguished from me?alonyx. In size they average a trifle smaller, and in color rather darker, evidently ap- proaching ore, onus, but it is questionable whether the differences are sufficiently marked to be worthy of recognition by name. Turning now to the specimens from east of the Colorado Desert, an alto- gether different style of coloration is encountered. The birds are generally paler colored, with the white areas more extensive, and, in all the males examined, the rump is grayish, decidedly lighter than the back. In the light of the material ex- amined it seems evident that while atratus is indistinguishable from me?alo?svm, the bird found east of the Colorado Desert, occupying the southern Rocky Moun- tain region, is a different, and hitherto unnamed, variety. For this race I propose the name of Pipi10 maculatus m0ntanus new subspecies. StJnSPEctFic C?.,?c'r?:?s--Similar to t'ipilo ?naculatus mr'alo?v but generally lighter
