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July, 19o8 181 FROM FIELD AND STUDY Microscopic Subspecies.--While collecting along the Kern River, Greenhorn Range, Southern Sierras, about 4.5 miles from Bakersfield, Kern County, California, I secured several vireos which upon comparison were determined to be /?ireo hutto? Upon sending them to Mr. H. C. Oberholser, however, he identifies them as ?. h. ober?dlseri Bishop. In discussing F. ?. oberholseri in November CONDOR, described by Dr. L. B. Bishop (CONDOR September, 1905, pp. 142-145), Mr. Grinnell states that his series of 47 skins from Los Angeles County (inclusive) to Siskiyou County, are distinctly ?. huttoni; but the specimen from Escon- dido, San Diego County, is different, and referable to //. h. o?er?o/seri, as described by Dr. Bishop. Doesn't it seem a bit curious that I/ireo ?uttoni o?er?o/seri be found fairly common in Feb- mary and March in Kern County, with /?. ?uttoni on all sides ? Of course, being an amateur in ornithology, I can only open the question and leave it to more advanced ornithologists to elucidate. I wish to add, however, that Mr. Oberholser identi- fied my Santa Cruz Island Vireos ( l/ireo mailliardorum Grinnell) as //. hutlon?. Mr. Grinnell identified my Kern County specimens as F. huttoni/ My specimens from Los Angeles County they both identified as //. hutton I do not mean this to be discourteous to the gentlemen who are responsible for these sub- species. It is merely an example of existing conditions regarding the microscopic differences upon which many subspecies are based; and to show the position in which young, ornithologists are placed thereby. I have a large number of subspecies that have been variously identified by leading ornithologists.--C. B. Lx?ToN, Long 11?each, California. The Virginia Bail (Railus virginianus) Breeding in Mexieo.--While carrying on field investigations for the Biological Survey near Lerma, in the Valley of Toluca, State of Mexico, I obtained a Virginia Rail and three sets of eggs (5, 4 and 6 respectively), July 8-10, 1904. The nests were placed among tules (Scirpus) and cat-tail flags, in the large marshes forming the headwaters of the Rio de Lerma, at about 8600 feet altitude. This is the first record of the nesting of 1?allus virginianus in Mexico.--E. A. GOLDMAN, 117iological Survey, Washington, i). C. A Correction.--The "Mexican Black Hawk" recorded by re%in the July, 1907, CONbOa, page 110, from San Diego County, California, is now determined to be a typical ]3uteo abbrevia- tus. This specimen is, I believe, the second record for California. The 'first was taken by' Dr. J. G. Cooper in 1862, also in San Diego County. I secured this specimen within the city limits of National City, San Diego County, California, November 26, 1906. I may add in self defence, that the identification as Urubitinga anthracina was made by sev- eral ornithologists. Later Mr. Grinnell pronounced it t?uleo abbrevialus. I then sent it to the National Museum; it was returned labeled 11?uteo borealis calurus, melanistic phase. Mr. Ober- holser now determines it to be t?uleo abbrevialus, confirming Mr. Grinnell's decision.--C. B. LxNTos, Long 11?each, California. The Western Tanager in San Francisco.--On May 6, 1908, while passing thru Lafay- ette Square ( a park two blocks square in this city), I noticed a pair of unfamiliar birds flying from tree to tree in a eucalyptus hedge. I walked cautiously in their direction and was rewarded by being able to get within ten Teet of the male bird, a Western Tanager (Piranga hdoviciana); that the other was a female I am not quite so certain. This species was not included in Ray's "Summer Birds of San Francisco County", a paper which appeared in THE CONDOR for March, 1906.--CLA?E C. VAN FLEET, San ?ancisco, California. Otoeoris alpestris insularis on the Mainland Coast.--On December 4, 1907, I observed a large flock of O. a. insularis at Alamitos Bay, Los Angeles County, California, and secured one adult male. I was positive of the identity of the specimen myself, but to be doubly certain I forwarded it to Mr. H. C. Oberholser, who confirms my identification. There is no doubt, in my mind, that O. a. insularis is a regular winter visitant to the main- land coast district of Los Angeles County, at least.--C. B. L?NTON, Long t?each, California. The So?xthern Limit of the Chestnut-backed Chickadee (Parus rulescerts) on the California Coast.--From my knowledge of the character of the humid coast belt of southern Sonoma County, and its similarity to the most southerly recorded habitat of ?arus rulescert, I have long suspected that this form of chickadee extended much further south than was ordinarily supposed. Yet it was not until last May (1908) that I went into this doubtful regiou to prove