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'?34 THE CONDOR VOL. V distinguished forms occur in southern California west of the Sierras. One is a small dark-colored bird which is the breeding race and remaius throughout the year. This answers to the character of the rule wren (Cistothorus palustris..paludicola Baird). The other is a large, pale bird which occurs only iu winter. This accords well with the descrip- tion of the western marsh wren (Cistothorus painsiris plesius Oberholser). We have specimens of the latter as follows: Coll. F. S. D., No. 4x?, Feb. 2x, ?896 , taken at Long Beach; Nos. 4o9 and 4?o, Dec. 26, ?895 , and No. 4?4, Jan. 22, x896 , all three taken at Bixby, Los Angeles County. Coll. J. G., No. 596, Dec. 27, ?895, also taken at Bixby; Nos. ?695 and ?696, Nov. 7, ?896 , taken at E1 Monte, Los Angeles County. These specimens are unmistakable and indicate that at least in the winter of z895-96 there was a general movement of the Great Basin form west- ward into the San Diegan district. It seems quite improbable that this was an exceptional state of affairs; for nearly all our marsh wrens, paludicola as well as plesius, were taken during only those two years. And then, too, one recalls the well-known paralled winter movements of the Say phoebe, mountain blue-bird, sage sparrow, and, as recently dis- covered, the sage thrasher (see Swarth, Condor II, July z9oo, p. 89). The western marsh wren has previously been recorded along the eastern boundary of the state, well within the Great Basin, whence Oberholser (,4uk XIV, April x897, p. ?93) reported specimens from Fort Crook, Death Valley and Eagle Lake, the latter a breeding station. The same writer also men- tions Marysville in his locality list, and as this is not starred, it may be taken as another instance of winter emigration westward. Observers west of the Sierras should be on the lookout for this race, as interesting facts in regard to its migration and winter distribution may be forthcoming. As an aid in the determination of specimens, I append the following diagnosis: Cis?othorus palustrisplesius ?, No. ?696, Coll. J. G.; E1 Monte, Cal.; Nov. 7, x896-)--Wing 55.5 min. inches); tail 55.5 (?.?8); culmen x3 (.5o); bill from nostril 9.8 (.39); tarsus 2o.5 (.80). Ground color of upper parts cinnamon; chest, sides and flanks washed with cinnamon; black nlarkings on wings and tail distinct; black pileurn divided by broad cinnamon interval. Cdstothorus paludicola ( ?, No. 4960, Coll. J. G.; Palo Alto, Cal.; Nov. 23, ?9oL)--Wing 48 min. (?.9o inches); tail46 (L8x); culmen ?2 (.46); bill from nostril 9 (.36); tarsus ?8 (.72). Ground color of upper parts Vandyke brown; chest sides and flanks strongly isabella color; black markings on wings and tail fused together; black pileurn only washed with brown toward the forehead. The specimens above described represent rather extreme manifestations of the two speci- mens. A number of individuals fall variously between. It may be remarked that some San Diegan district birds are paler than others from the San Francisco 'Bay region, and both sets are somewhat smaller than the stated measurements of Washington skins. Doubtless these differ- ences are significant of geographical variation locally along the Pacific coast. But our material is as yet too scanty to afford conclusive demonstration.--Jos?:PR Gg?ss?LL. More About the Band-tailed Pigeon (Columba faseiata).--The interesting article in the January CONDOg by C. S. Sharp on the Band-tailed Pigeon set me to looking up my records and I find a few notes bearing on the subject. Each winter a few of the pigeons are seen in the canyons on either side of the San Gorgonio Pass between San Gorgonio and San Jacinto peaks, and a few pairs remain to nest higher in the mountains. I have seen on both mountains at an altitude of six to eight thousand feet old nests which I took to be those of the pigeon. May ?4, x897, I found on San Jaclnto mountain, at about 65o0 feet elevation, two nests containing young birds, one in each nest.. The first was just hatched and the other half grown. Both nests were in oak trees fifteen to twenty feet from the ground and were discovered only as the old bird fluttered from the nest. The location of each nest was on a horizontal branch in thick part of the tree and rather difficult to find. They were mere platforms of twigs similar to nests of the mourning dove and it is a marvel how the eggs can be kept warm enough to hatch, resting on such an airy structure and at that altitude in springtime. During the spring of ?9o? I saw several pairs on Rabbit Mountain, 7xoo feet elevation, east of Hot Springs, Warner Ranch, San Diego County. Several pairs and a flock of seven remained on the mountain till at least June and though I found three old nests, all in oak trees, no new ones were seen. In Lost Valley about 5000 feet elevation, between Rabbit Mountain and Coyote Creek saw several pairs and a flock of a dozen or more. They were still there June x?, when I left, but no nests were discovered. In March, z9ox, great flocks of the pigeons poured into San Gorgonio Pass and fed in the barley fields. For about two weeks there were hundreds of them but they all left as suddenly as they had appeared. Their method of feeding was peculiar. Instead ?)f spreading out they kept together, alternately walking and flying. Those behind would fly a few feet ahead of the advance line, alight, and walk along picking up grain until other rear ones would fly ahead and it came their turn again.