A New Race of the Brown Towhee
A New Race of the Brown Towhee.
BY RICHARD C. MCGREGOR.
Pipilo fuscus carolaeI subsp. nov. NORTHERN BROWN TOWHEE.
Closely related to P.f.crissalis but distinguished by grayer and more uniform color of upper parts, much paler throat patch and slightly longer tail.
Type, ad. male (No. 2200, Coll. R. C. McG; Battle Creek, California, Nov. 7, 1898). Wing, 4.01; tail, 4.49; tarsus, 1.08; exposed culmen, .62.
The characters assigned to this form are seen at a glance, while a comparison of a series from Battle Creek with birds from the central part of California, show the under parts to be slightly paler and clearer in the northern bird. The only specimen in my collection which approaches carolae is a skin from San Geronimo. Four young birds from Redding, taken in August, and one from Battle Creek in October, are very much like young examples from Santa Cruz.
| Wing | Tail | Tarsus | Exposed Culmen. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| P.f. crissalis | 3.76 | 4.32 | 1.08 | .56 |
| P.f. carolae | 3.76 | 4.41 | 1.03 | .59 |
Fifty-five skins have been examined from the following localities: San Geronimo, 3, St. Helena, 4, Palo Alto, 20, San Jose, I, Livermore, I, Gilroy, I, Banta, I, Ione, I, Morgan Hill, I, Santa Cruz, 2, Placerville, I, Drytown, 3, Ukiah, 2, Cahto, 3, Redding, 4, Battle Creek, 7.
Battle Creek, the type locality, forms the boundary line between Tehama and Shasta Counties. My towhees were collected on either side of the creek, less than two miles from the Sacramento River. Ball’s Ferry is the nearest post-office.
INamed for Charlotte C. McGregor
