Additions to the List of the Birds of Louisiana Part 2

The only Louisiana record for this far western race is that of a female taken by me at Jennings, on January 3, 1943. The specimen was sent to Alden H. Miller, who compared it with material in the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology and verified the identification. As a rule, I scrutinize closely with binoculars all flocks of pipits, and as a result, on several occasions have detected pale individuals that stood out from the remainder of the flock. However, the above-mentioned specimen is the only individual so detected that I succeeded in shooting.

#Vireo solitarius alticola# Brewster, Mountain Vireo

Four specimens out of a series of twenty-eight Blue-headed Vireos taken in Louisiana since 1938 are referable to this race. It has not been recorded previously from the state. The specimens consist of a male and a female collected at Bogalusa on February 9, 1939, a male taken at Tunica on March 30, 1939, and a female at Erwinville on March 11, 1941 (Lowery).

#Helmitheros vermivorus# (Gmelin), Worm-eating Warbler

Although there are no published nesting records of this species in Louisiana, it is now known to be a common summer resident in the beech-magnolia forests of the Bayou Sara-Tunica Hills section north of St. Francisville. Jas. Hy. Bruns has supplied me with copious data on the birds seen in the nesting season at Baines, and the two of us have spent a great deal of time searching for a nest, without success.

However, Bruns obtained a juvenile female, just out of a nest, on June 28, 1942.

#Seiurus aurocapillus furvior# Batchelder, Newfoundland Oven-bird

#Seiurus aurocapillus cinereus# A. H. Miller, Gray Oven-bird

Four specimens in our series of Oven-birds are identifiable without question as examples of _furvior_. Two were collected by me at University on September 15 and 25, 1940, and Tucker shot one there on September 27, 1942, and another at Cameron on April 29, 1945. There are also two specimens in the series referable to _cinereus_, as well as several that are intermediate between _cinereus_ and _S. a.

aurocapillus_. Burd.i.c.k shot one of the typical examples of _cinereus_ at University on September 24, 1942, and I shot the other at the same place on May 16, 1945.

#Seiurus noveboracensis noveboracensis# (Gmelin), Northern Water-thrush

#Seiurus noveboracensis limnaeus# McCabe and Miller, British Columbia Water-thrush

A. H. Miller has recently examined our large series of migrant Water-thrushes and identified three as good examples of _limnaeus_, and six as _noveboracensis_, neither one of which has been recorded previously from the state. The specimens of _limnaeus_ were taken at or near University on October 2, 1942 (Howell), October 12, 1943, and May 11, 1945 (Burleigh). The specimens of _noveboracensis_ were collected at University on September 14, 1941 (Lowery); at Baines on September 4, 1943, August 20, 1944, and May 6, 1945 (Bruns); at New Orleans on October 20, 1941 (Burleigh); and at Cameron on April 26, 1942 (Lowery).

#Geothlypis trichas occidentalis# Brewster, Western Yellow-throat

I have found it impracticable to determine subspecifically every specimen in our series of 104 Yellow-throats from Louisiana. However, two female specimens taken by me, one at Cameron on December 4, 1938, and the other on False River at Lakeland on February 11, 1941, are without doubt representatives of the race now known as _occidentalis_, a subspecies not previously recorded from this state. Several additional specimens in the series are probably also of that race, but I am deferring, for the time, recording them as such.

#Icteria virens virens# (Linnaeus), Yellow-breasted Chat

The only winter record for Louisiana is that of a female taken by me at Hackberry on January 24, 1941.

#Wilsonia pusilla pusilla# (Wilson), Wilson Warbler

The only winter record for the state is that of a female shot by T. D.

Burleigh on December 20, 1944, in a thicket along the Mississippi River at University. He first found the bird at this place in November, and he saw it several times in December before he succeeded in obtaining it.

Since Oberholser cited so few Louisiana records, it might be well to mention in this connection that the species is after all a fairly common fall migrant in southern Louisiana. At Baton Rouge it occurs regularly between September 11 and October 24, and at Cameron it has been noted between October 17 and November 21. There are still no spring records for southern Louisiana.

#Sturnella neglecta# Audubon, Western Meadowlark

In 1938 Oberholser cited only two Louisiana records, both from the northwestern part of the state. However, recently the species has been found in the south-central region. Two were collected at Churchill on February 11, 1941 (Lowery and Wallace), and another was shot at University on December 9, 1942 (Burd.i.c.k). There are in addition several sight records, all of birds in song.

#Ca.s.sidix mexica.n.u.s prosopidicola# Lowery, Mesquite Great-tailed Grackle

I am indebted to E. A. McIlhenny for material that now permits the definite recording of this subspecies from Louisiana. On occasions during the winters of 1938, 1939, and 1940, McIlhenny sent me specimens of grackles in the flesh which he had removed from his bird-banding traps at Avery Island. Selection was based primarily on eye-color; individuals with clear yellow irises proved invariably to be examples of _prosopidicola_, whereas those with brown or yellow-brown irises were always _major_. The final basis for sub-specific identification was, however, size and plumage color. The series provided by McIlhenny consists of six females taken on November 24 and December 20, 1938, December 18, 1939, January 22 and March 5, 1940. Since the range in Texas of typical _prosopidicola_ extends eastward to within thirty miles of the Louisiana line, it is not surprising that occasional individuals or flocks wander into Louisiana in winter.

#Pa.s.serculus sandwichensis mediogriseus# Aldrich, Southeastern Savannah Sparrow

#Pa.s.serculus sandwichensis labradorius# Howe, Labrador Savannah Sparrow

#Pa.s.serculus sandwichensis nevadensis# Grinnell, Nevada Savannah Sparrow

Our series of 107 Savannah Sparrows, collected in Louisiana almost entirely since the publication of Oberholser's book, includes representatives of five geographical races, as follows: 37 _savanna_, 24 _oblitus_, 12 _mediogriseus_, 8 _labradorius_, and 7 _nevadensis_. The remaining 19 specimens show various combinations of characters and appear to be intergrades, and so have not been a.s.signed definitely to any one race. I am indebted to James L. Peters for the identification of most of our specimens. Since _mediogriseus_ and _labradorius_ have not been reported previously from Louisiana, and since there is only one Louisiana record of _nevadensis_ (Miles, Auk, 60, 1943: 606-607), actual dates and localities of occurrence for these races are listed here. _P.

s. mediogriseus_ (specimens by Burd.i.c.k, Howell, Lowery, Ray, Tucker, and Wallace)--University, January 31, 1939; February 11 and 29, April 29, November 28, and December 16, 1940; December 6 and 7, 1941; October 10 and 25, 1942; April 14, 1943. Erwinville, March 11, 1941. _P. s.

labradorius_ (specimens by Burleigh, Lowery, McIlhenny, Ray and Wallace)--University, February 15 and November 8, 1940; January 1, 1941; December 11, 1943. 2 mi. NE Baton Rouge, January 1, 1941. Burtville, December 8, 1939. Avery Island, May 3, 1939. Lake Charles, November 20, 1940. _P. s. nevadensis_ (specimens by Burd.i.c.k, Lowery, and Wallace)--Iowa Station, January 23 and 24, 1940. University, February 10 and March 10, 1940. University, December 7, 1941, and November 15, 1942.

Cameron, December 6, 1942. There are at present no _bona fide_ records of _P. s. anthinus_ in Louisiana, since the one recorded example of that race (Oberholser, _op. cit._, 647) appears, on reexamination, to be referable to _savanna_ (_fide_ J. L. Peters).

#Ammodramus savannarum pratensis# Vieillot, Eastern Gra.s.shopper Sparrow

Eight specimens of the Gra.s.shopper Sparrow taken recently in Louisiana are without exception referable to _pratensis_. Our one remaining specimen, a male collected at Pride on December 19, 1937, is an example of _perpallidus_ as recorded by Oberholser (_op. cit._, 648). Although the present series is inadequate for determining the prevailing form in the state in the winter, it would appear that _pratensis_ is more common, rather than _perpallidus_ as indicated by Oberholser.

#Chondestes grammacus strigatus# Swainson, Western Lark Sparrow

Oberholser cited only one Louisiana record for this race. The following additional records are now available: a specimen was taken by Howell at Cameron on October 31, 1942, and one was obtained by me at University on April 13, 1945. The species is a transient in both localities. A supplementary winter record for the Lark Sparrow in Louisiana is that of an individual seen at Port Hudson on December 23, 1945, by Howell and Newman. The bird was shot, but unfortunately, it was not retrieved.

#Junco hyemalis cismonta.n.u.s# Dwight, Ca.s.siar Junco

The only specimen in our series of Slate-colored Juncos that is a clear-cut example of this race is a male taken by Ambrose Daigre at Catahoula Lake on November 29, 1939. A. H. Miller has confirmed the identification.

#Calcarius lapponicus alascensis# Ridgway, Alaska Longspur

Oberholser listed this species as a casual winter visitor in northern Louisiana, which was possibly no more than was indicated by records then available to him. Since 1938, however, the species has been observed in large flocks at various localities in the southern part of the state, notably in January, 1941, when the whole state was blanketed with snow.

Nevertheless, snow is apparently not prerequisite to the appearance of the species this far south, for on January 1 and 3, 1943, a flock of approximately a thousand individuals was seen a few miles north of Jennings. Again, on February 14, 1943, about half of what may have been the original flock was observed there. In neither instance was there snow anywhere in Louisiana. Of the thirty specimens in the Louisiana State University Collection, eleven have been identified by Alexander Wetmore as somewhat intermediate between _alascensis_ and _lapponicus_, but closer to the former. Only _lapponicus_ has been previously recorded from Louisiana. The specimens of _alascensis_ were taken at Baton Rouge on January 25 and 28, 1940; Cornor, January 27, 1940; Lottie, January 27, 1940; and 10 miles north of Jennings, January 1 and February 14, 1943 (Burd.i.c.k, Campbell, Hewes, Lowery, and Wallace).

_Transmitted February 1, 1947._

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