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The Stephens Fox Sparrow in Marin County Once More

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The recent cold spell and unusual snowfall in California during the first half of January, 1913, brought to mind the association of such an occurrence with the presence of Stephens Fox Sparrows on the higher ranges at San Geronimo, Marin County, California (See CONDOR, XIV, March, 1912, p. 63).

On the first opportunity that offered, which happened to be January 21st, a trip was made to the spot where these birds had been seen on other occasions and under similar circumstances. Frost and ice were in evidence that morning on all sides, but these disappeared as the bright sun warmed up the atmosphere. The top of the range was reached by eleven o’clock, and a careful search for the expected visitors was made. At first none was to be seen, but finally one was observed to pop up out of a ceanothus bush and at sight of a human being to dart back into his dense refuge, while all efforts to bring him to view again were fruitless.

The same thing happened with another, after which two hours of watching, alternated with tramping through the brush, were passed before another was seen. This one was almost stepped upon in a little thinner brush, and in his fright stayed on top of a bush long enough to be fatal. It was very close shooting, but a good many feathers and the bill remained enough to identify the bird positively as Passerella stephensi, as was expected. It proved to be a female, as were all the others in our collection from this locality. No more were found on this date, nor was a singie one identified on a second trip made to the spot four days later, though a few slight sounds were heard that seemed to indicate the presence of one or two.

As a rule some of the numerous subspecies of Passerella that winter along our California coast are very numerous at San Geronimo at this season; but this year they seem extremely scarce, and only one was seen in the two days tramping above spoken of.

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