138 THE CONDOR VoL. XI Pipilo maculatus subsp.? A Towbee was seen several times on South Island. Helminthophila celata. Lutescent Warbler. Rare; two seen on North Island April 8. Salpinctes obsolettts. Rock Wren. Common; noted on all the islands. By watching a pair of these birds I located their nest near camp on South Island April 5. It was ten feet from the tent and about sixteen feet above the water. The nest- ing cavity was lined with sticks and pebbles, but contained no eggs. Polioptila caerttlea obscura. Western Gnatcafcher. A few were seen on South Islandflitting about in low bushes near the top of the ridge. About ten individuals were seen. ]>asadena, Cahfornia. FB, OM FIELD AND STUDY The Northern Spotted Owl in Galifornia.--There is in the Univ. Calif. Mus. Vert. Zool. col- lection a specimen (no. 5941) of the Spotted Owl, adult, taken by IL W. Bancroft on Mr. Tamal- pals, liarin Co., California, May 23, 1896. This appears to make the first record of the species in California north or west of Big Trees, Calaveras County, where found by Belding (Land Bds. Pac. Dist., 1899, 49). Furthermore, a comparison of the Tamalpais owl with examples from the San Gabriel Mountains of Los Angeles county, shows the former to belong to a separate race, very probably roeriling the name Strizr occidentalis caurina. The name Syrinium occidentale caurinum was applied by Dr. C. Hart Merriam to a race discovered in the Puget Sonnd Region. The characters pointed out by hitit (,4uk XV, January, 1898, p. 39) seetit to hold in every respect for the Tamalpais bird, tho evidently in a less degree. I have neyer seen an example of the Northern Spotted Owl from the Puget Sonnd region; but Merriam's description leaves me in little doubt bnt that I am safe in using his name for the race in the extreme southern end of the same continuous humid coast region. Briefly, the Tamalpais Owl, as compared with southern specimens, has the white-spotting everywhere, especially on top of the head, reduced; the dark areas, therefore, extended, and darker; the tippings of the wing and tail feathers not pure white, but dusky marbled'; and the plumage of the feet more heavily dark markt.--J. G?Enn, University of California, Berkeley, California. Sumichrast Blackbird in Tamaulipas, Mexico.--Mr. E. W. Nelson has identical as he- longing to this species (Dives dives) a skin in my collection (no. 11219; ? ad.; near Tampleo, Tamanlipas; Dec. 18, 1908; A. P.S.) taken by one of my assistants on the open plain about half- way between Tampleo and Altamira, Tamaulipas. It was the only individual of the species secured at the time. This somewhat extends the range of Dives dives as given by Ridgway in his Birds of North and Middle America, Part II, page 254.--AtJs?N P?tJr, SM?H, Brozonsville, Te.ras. Note on the Nesting of the Cliff Swallow.--On April 29, 1909, I fonnd a set of seven eggs of the Cliff Swallow (Petrochelidon lunifrons). The nest was of the usual type, one of a colony under the caves of a barn. Is not a set of this nmnber unusual ?--D. I. SHEPIRD$ON, LOS ?tngeles, California. Some Unusual Records from Portland, Oregon.--Black-crowned Night Heron (2Vycti- e?ra:r n. naevius): A young male secured on July 29, 1908, on Government Island in the Colum- bia, twelve miles east of the city. Mountain Chickadee (iVenthesles garnbeli): An adult female taken December 10, 1?8, along the Columbia; it was in cotnpany with a flock of ?o. alricipillus accidentalis. I believe this is the first record from this vicinity. Pileolated Warbler ( ?Vilsonia pusilla pileolala): A juvenile male taken December 11, 1908, east of the city, was in company with a large flock of Oregon Chickadees, Winter Wrens and Gairdner Woodpeckers, feeding among the willows along the river. A very unusual time of year for this summer warbler considering the cold stormy weather we had had for the past two months. Arctic Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus subarclicus): A male taken during the blizzard in January, 1909.
