HA

D B O O K

RDS OF
WESTERN
UNITED STATES

Florence Merriajn Bailey

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RING-BILLED GULL (Page 23)

HANDBOOK OF BIRDS

i

OF THE

Western United States

INCLUDING

THE GREAT PLAINS, GREAT BASIN, PACIFIC SLOPE,
AND LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY

BY

FLORENCE MERRIAM BAILEY

WITH THIRTY-THREE FULL -PAGE PLATES BY LOUIS

AGASSIZ FUERTES, AXD OVER SIX

HUNDRED CUTS IX THE TEXT

BOSTON AND NEW YORK
HOUGHTON, MIFFLIN1 AND COMPANY
fttoersifce press, Camt>riD0e
1902

CONTENTS

PAGE

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS . • ix

INTRODUCTION . . • xxv

Acknowledgments ... • xxv

Collecting- and preparing Birds, Nests, and Eggs. By Veruon

Bailey ... . . xxvi

Collecting Birds . . . xxvi

Measuring . . • xxvii

Making Bird Skins . xxviii

Skinning ... . xxix

Stuffing . . • xxx

Labeling . . • xxx

Sexing . . • xxx

Collecting and preserving Eggs and Nests . . xxxi

Note-Taking, Note-Books, and Journals . . xxxiii

Life Zones ... . xxxiii

Migration .... • xxxvi

Economic Ornithology . . • xxxvii

Bird Protection. By Theodore S. Palmer . xxxix

Local Bird Lists .... . xliii

Portland, Oregon. By A. W. Anthony . . . xliii

San Francisco Bay. By William H. Kobbe* .... xlviii

Santa Clara Valley and Santa Crnz Mountains. By Walter

K. Fisher • H

Pasadena, California. By Joseph Grinnell . . Ivi

Fort Sherman, Idaho. By J. C. Merrill . Ixiv

Cheyenne, Wyoming. By Frank Bond . . . Ixix

Pinal, Pima, and Gila Counties, Arizona. By W. E. D. Scott Ixxiv

Books of Reference . . • Ixxxiii

Use of Handbook Keys . - Ixxxviii

BIRDS OF THE UNITED STATES WEST OF THE ONE
HUNDREDTH MERIDIAN.

KEY TO ORDERS ... 1

KEY TO FAMILIES OF WATER BIHDS . . . 2

31216

vi CONTENTS

ORDER PYGOPODES : DIVING BIRDS ...... 5

Family Podicipidaa : Grebes ..... .5

Family Gaviidte : Loons ........ 9

Family Alcidse : Auks. Murres, and Puffins . 11

ORDER LONGIPENNES : LONG-WINGED SWIMMERS .... 17
Family Stercorariidae : Jaeg'ers, etc. ... .17

Family Laridaj : Gulls and Terns ...... 19

ORDER TUBINARES : TUBE-NOSED SWIMMERS ..... 32
Family Diornedeidae : Albatrosses ... 32

Family Procellariidse : Fulmars and Shearwaters

ORDER STEGANOPODES :. TOTIPALMATE SWIMMERS ... 39

Family Anhingidse : Darters ....... 39

Family Phalacrocoracidae : Cormorants ..... 39

Family Pelecanicla? : Pelicans ....... 42

Family Fregatidse : Mau-o'-War Birds . 43

ORDER ANSERES : LAMELLIROSTRAL SWIMMERS .... 44
Family Anatidaa : Ducks, Geese, and Swans . 44

ORDER HERODIONES : HERONS, STORKS, IBISES, ETC. . . 70

Family Ibididse : Ibises .... 70

Family Ciconiidaa : Storks and Wood Ibises . 72

Family Ardeidae : Herons, Egrets, Bitterns . 72

ORDER PALUDICOL^; : CRANES, RAILS, ETC. . . . 78

Family Gruidae : Cranes ..... .78

Family Rallidaa : Rails, Gallinules, and Coots .... 79

ORDER LIMICOLJS : SHORE BIRDS .... 84

Family Phalaropodidse : Phalaropes . . 84

Family Recurvirostridae : Avocets and Stilts . 86

Family Scolopacidse : Snipe, Sandpipers, etc. 87

Family Charadriidae : Plovers .... . 102

Family Aphrizidse : Surf Birds and Turnstones . . 106

Family Hasmatopodidae : Oyster-catchers . • 107

Family Jacanidse : Jacanas ..... . 108

KEY TO FAMILIES OF LAND BIRDS .... . 108

ORDER GALLING: GALLINACEOUS BIRDS. . .113

Family Tetraonidae : Grouse, Partridges, Quail, etc. . .113

Family Phasianidae : Pheasants and Turkeys . 134

Family Cracidae : Currassows and Guans . • 137

ORDER COLUMB.E : PIGEONS .... . 138

Family Colutnbidse : Pig'eons .... .138

ORDER RAPTORES : BIRDS OF PREY . . 144

Family Cathartidse : Vultures . . . -144

Family Falconidse : Falcons, Hawks, Eagles, etc. . 146

Family Strigidse : Barn Owls ... . 173

Family Bubonidae : Horned Owls, etc. . .175

ORDER PSITTACI : PARROTS, MACAWS, PAROQUETS, ETC. 192

Family Psittacidse : Parrots and Paroquets . . .192

CONTENTS vii

ORDER COCCYGES : CUCKOOS, ETC . 193

Family Cuculidce : Anis, Road-runners, and Cuckoos . . . 193
Family Trog-onidas : Trogons . . . . . . .197

Family Alcedinidae : King-fishers . . . . . . .198

ORDER PICI : WOODPECKERS, ETC 200

Family Picida3 : Woodpeckers ....... 200

ORDER MACROCHIRES : GOATSUCKERS, SWIFTS. AND HUMMINGBIRDS 222

Family Caprimulg'idae : Goatsuckers ...... 222

Family Micropodidae : Swifts 229

Family Trochilidae : Humming-birds ...... 232

ORDER PASSERES : PERCHING BIRDS 245

Family Cotingidaa : Coting'as ....... 245

Family Tyrannidae : Tyrant Flycatchers . . . 245

Family Alaudidae : Larks . 205

Family Corvidae : Crows. Jays, Mag-pies, etc 269

Family Sturnidae : Starlings .... . 285

Family Icteridae : Blackbirds, Orioles, etc 285

Family Fringillidae : Finches, Sparrows, etc. . . . 303

Family Tanagridae : Tanag-ers ... . 379

Family Hirundinidae : Swallows ... . . 382

Family Ampelidae : Waxwing-s and Phainopeplas . . 387
Family Laniidce : Shrikes ... .391

Family Vireonidse : Vireos .... . 394

Family Mniotiltidae : Wood Warblers ... . . 401

Family Motacillidse : Wag-tails .... • . 431

Family Cinclidse : Dippers ... . 432

Family Troglodytidaa : Wrens, Thrashers, etc. . . . 433

Family Certhiidae : Creepers ... . 451

Family Paridae : Nuthatches and Tits ... . 452

Family Sylviidae : King-lets, Gnatcatchers, etc. .... 463

Family Turdidse: Thrushes, Solitaires, Bluebirds, etc. . 467

APPENDIX.

Color Key to Genera of some of the Common Passerine Birds . 479

INDEX . 487

<

-rJ

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

FULL-PAGE PLATES.

FACING PAGE

I. RING-BILLED GULL Frontispiece.

II. ZONE MAP . xxxiv

III. TOPOGRAPHY OF BIRD 1

IV. EARED GREBE 7

V. FORSTER TERN 29

VI. PELAGIC CORMORANT 42

VII. SHOVELLER 54

VIII. BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON 77

IX. WILSON PHALAROPE 85

X. BLACK-NECKED STILT 86

XI. LONG-BILLED CURLEW 101

XII. SNOWY PLOVER 105

XIII. SCALED PARTRIDGE 118

XIV. MEARNS QUAIL 122

XV. WHITE-TAILED PTARMIGAN 129

XVI. MARSH HAWK . : 150

XVII. AUDUBON CARACARA 171

XVIII. POOR-WILL 224

XIX. SCISSOR-TAILED FLYCATCHER 246

XX. ARKANSAS AND CASSIN KINGBIRDS 249

XXI. ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER 253

XXII. MAGPIE 270

XXIII. LONG-CRESTED JAY 273

XXIV. WOODHOUSE JAY . 274

XXV. NORTHERN RAVEN 280

XXVI. YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD ...... 288

XXVII. WESTERN LARK SPARROW 336

XXVIII. TEXAS PYRRHULOXIA 371

XXIX. LARK BUNTING ... .... 377

XXX. PlLEOLATED WARBLER 428

XXXI. ROCK WREN 443

XXXII. CANYON WREN . . 445

XXXIII. LONG-BILLED MARSH WREN . .... 450

x LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

XXXIV. PYGMY NUTHATCH 454

XXXV. MOUNTAIN CHICKADEE 458

XXXVI. VARIED THKUSH . . . .474

DIAGBAMS.

Measurement of Bill xxviii

Measurement of Tarsus ....... xxviii

v

FIGURES IN THE TEXT.

FIGURE PAGE

1. Western Grebe, foot .... . . . 2

2. Loon, foot ........... 2

3. Tufted Puffin, foot .... 2

4. Herring Gull, foot ......... 2

5. Parasitic Jaeger, bill ......... 2

6. Short-billed Gull, bill .... . 2

7. Black-footed Albatross, bill . . . . 3

8. Giant Fulmar, bill ... ... .3

9. Cormorant, foot .......... 3

10. Man-o'-War Bird, bill .... . 3

11. White-crested Cormorant, bill ....... 3

12. White Pelican, bill 3

13. Merganser, foot . .3

14. White-faced Glossy Ibis, bill ....... 4

15. Green Heron, head ......... 4

16. Sandhill Crane, foot . . .'...... 4

17. Florida Gallinule, foot ... . .4

18. White -rumped Sandpiper, foot . 4

19. Killdeer, foot ... . .... 4

20. Western Grebe, head ...... 5

21. Horned Grebe, head . ...... 7

22. Least Grebe . . . .8

23. Pied-billed Grebe .8

24. Loon, bill ... . .9

25. Pacific Loon, head ......... 11

26. Tufted Puffin, bill . 11

27. California Murre, bill ... . 11

28. Rhinoceros Auklet, bill . . ..... 12

29. Pigeon Guillemot, bill . . ... .12

30. Paroquet Auklet, bill ..... .12

31. Least Auklet, bill .... . .12

32. Tufted Puffin, head . . 12

33. Rhinoceros Auklet, bill . 13

34. Paroquet Auklet, bill . 14

35. Least Auklet, bill . ... .14

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS xi

:{(>. Marbled Murrelet 15

37. Pigeon Guillemot, head .10

38. California Murre . IT

39. Long-tailed Jaeger, head . 19

40. Herring Gull, bill . . . 19

41. Forster Tern, bill ... .19

42. Heermann Gull .......... 24

43. Franklin Gull, head ......... 25

44. Franklin Gull, wing tip ... .... 26

45. 'Bonaparte Gull, wing tip . ... 26

46. Sabine Gull, biU 27

47. Sabine Gull ... 27

48. Caspian Tern, head ......... 28

49. Least Tern . 30

50. Black Tern . . .31

51. Sooty Albatross, bill ... 32

52. Black-footed Albatross, bill .... 32

53. Sooty Albatross, bill .33

54. Forked-tailed Petrel, bill . . . 33

55. Slender-billed Fulmar, bill ...... .33

56. Giant Fulmar, bill 84

57. Slender-biUed Fulmar, bill ... . . 34

58. Kaeding Petrel ....... ... 37

59. White Pelican, bill . . . .42

60. Man-o'-AVar Bird, bill .... .43

61. Merganser, bill . . ... 44

62. Mallard, bill . 44

63. Red-breasted Merganser, head ... . .46

64. Hooded Merganser, head ... .47

65. Mallard, head . . .48

66. Baldpate, head . . 50

67. Green-winged Teal, head .... . 51

68. Blue-winged Teal, head 52

69. Cinnamon Teal, head . . 53

70. Pintail, head ... .54

71. Wood Duck, head . . .... 55

72. Redhead, head . 56

73. Canvas-back, head ......... 57

74. Scaup Duck, head .... 58

75. Golden-eye, head ......... 59

76. Buffle-head, head . . 60

77. Old-squaw, head . . . . 61

78. Harlequin Duck, head ... .62

79. White-winged Scoter, head ..... 63

80. Ruddy Duck, head . . ... 64

xii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

81. White-fronted Goose, head . . 66

82. Canada Goose, head .... .... 67

83. White-faced Glossy Ibis, head . 71

84. Bittern, head .......... 73

85. Bittern, foot 73

86. Green Heron, head ......... 76

87. Sandhill Crane, foot . .... .79

88. California Clapper Rail . 80

89. Virginia Rail, head ...... 80

90. Virginia Rail, foot . . .80

91. Carolina Rail, head ....... 81

92. Yellow Rail . ... ... 82

93. Black Rail . . 82

94. Florida Gallinule .... .82

95. Florida Gallinule, foot . . 83

96. Coot .83

97. Coot, foot . 83

98. Red Phalarope, foot ....... .84

99. Red Phalarope . .84

100. Northern Phalarope ... .... 85

101. Avocet, head ... ....... 86

102. Wilson Snipe, head .88

103. Long-billed Dowitcher . . . . .89

104. Stilt Sandpiper .......... 90

105. Knot .... . . .91

106. Pectoral Sandpiper . . .... .91

107. White-rumped Sandpiper . ... .92

108. Baird Sandpiper ...... .92

109. Least Sandpiper .......... 92

110. Red-backed Sandpiper .... ... 93

111. Semipalmated Sandpiper .... 93

112. Western Sandpiper ... 94

113. Sanderling ...... . 94

114. Sanderling, foot ... 94

115. Marbled Godwit . . . . 95

116. Greater Yellow-legs ..... 96

117. Lesser Yellow-legs .... 97

118. Solitary Sandpiper .... 97

119. Black-bellied Plover, head ... 102

120. Killdeer, head .104

121. Semipalmated Plover, head ... . 104

122. Mountain Plover ..'.... .105

123. Surf Bird .... 106

124. Black Turnstone, summer plumage . 107

125. Black Turnstone, head, winter plumage ... . 107

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS xiii

126. Black Oyster-catcher . . 107

127. Black Oyster-catcher, foot . . . 107

128. Bob-white, bill . ... 108

129. Dove, bill ,108

130. Turkey Vulture, bill ... . .109

131. Turkey Vulture, foot . . 109
182. Sparrow Hawk, bill . . 109

133. Fish Hawk, foot ..... . 109

134. Owl, bill ... . .... 109

135. Saw-whet Owl. head ......... 109

130. Western Horned Owl. head . . .... 109

137. King-fisher, head . . .109

138. Kingfisher, foot . .109

139. Cuckoo, foot .... .... 109

140. Cuckoo, bill. ... .110

141. Woodpecker (Sphyrapicus). bill . .... 110

142. Woodpecker (Sphyrapicus), tail . . . 110

143. Woodpecker (Dryobates). foot . ... 110

144. Woodpecker (Picoides), foot . . . .110

145. Humming-bird, bill .... . . 110

146. Swift, bill .... . -110

147. Nig-hthawk, foot .... . . 110

148. Swift, foot ... . .110

149. Song1 Sparrow, foot . . . . . . . . .110

150. Skylark, bill . .110

151. Horned Lark, foot . . 110

152. Flycatcher, bill ... . . . Ill

153. Swallow, wing- ...... . . Ill

154. Sprag-ue Pipit, foot ...... .111

155. Pipit, foot . ... .111

156. Warbler (Dendroica), bill . .111

157. Black and White Warbler, foot . .111

158. Song- Sparrow, bill . ..... Ill

159. Goldfinch, bill . . . . .111

160. Crossbill, bill .... . .111

161. Long-spur, bill .. . . . . . , . .111

162. Evening- Grosbeak, bill . . ... .111

163. Scarlet Tanag-er, bill . ... Ill

164. Summer Tanag-er, bill. . . Ill

165. Oriole, bill . . . .112

166. Cowbird, bill . .112

167. Crow Blackbird, bill . .112

168. Shrike, wing- feathers . . . . . . . .112

169. Loggerhead Shrike, head ...... .112

170. Wren, bill 112

xiv LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

171. Jay, bill ....... ... 112

172. Wren-Tit, bill 112

173. Robin, wing1 feathers . . . . . . . . .112

174. King-let, foot .... 112

175. Warbling- Vireo, foot . . . . . . . . .113

176. Warbling- Vireo, bill . ... .113

177. Vireo, tail 113

178. Gnatcatcher. tail . . 113

179. Sage Thrasher, foot 113

180. Brown Creeper, bill . .113

181. Brown Creeper, tail 113

182. Chickadee, bill .... 113

183. Nuthatch, bill . . 113

184. Sage Grouse, tail . . . . . . . . .113

185. Sharp-tailed Grouse, tail . 114

186. Ptarmig-an, foot . . . . . . . . . .114

187. Dusky Grouse, foot 114

188. Ruffed Grouse, foot . ... 114

189. Mearns Quail, foot . . . . . . . . .114

190. Bob-white, foot .... .114

191. Bob-white . 115

192. Texan Bob-white .... . .116

193. Masked Bob-white .116

194. Plumed Partridge 117

195. Valley Partridge, female 120

196. Valley Partridge, male . . . .121

197. Gambel Partridge, male ..... . 121

198. Gambel Partridge, female .... .121

199. Dusky Grouse ... . . .124

200. Richardson Grouse ..... . .126

201. Franklin Grouse .... . .126

202. Gray Ruffed Grouse . . .128

203. Southern White-tailed Ptarmigan . .129

204. Prairie Hen .130

205. Prairie Sharp-tailed Grouse ... . 132

206. Sage Grouse ....... . 133

207. Band-tailed Pigeon . . . . .138

208. Mourning Dove ... . . . 140

209. White-winged Dove .142

210. Mexican Ground Dove ........ 143

211. Inca Dove ... .... . 143

212. Turkey Vulture, head . . . .145
iM 3. Fish Hawk, foot . . . ., . 146

214. Prairie Falcon, feather . . 147

215. Sparrow Hawk, bill . . 147

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS xv

216. Swallow-tailed Kite, tail . 147

217. White-tailed Kite, foot . 147

218. Auduboii Caracara, bill ... .... 147

219. Mexican Goshawk, feather .... ... 147

220. Swallow -tailed Kite . . .148

221. Mississippi Kite ... . . . 149

222. Sharp-shinned Hawk . . . . . . . .151

223. Cooper Hawk ... .152

224. Goshawk . . ... 153

225. Sennett White-tailed Hawk, primaries . . 155

226. Red-bellied Hawk, primary . .... 155

227. Zone-tailed Hawk, tail ...... . 155

228. Red-tailed Hawk . . 155

229. Zone-tailed Hawk, tail . . 158

230. Swainson Hawk . . . . . . . . . .150

231. Rough-legged Hawk . . 162

232. Ferruginous Rough-leg ........ 163

233. Golden Eagle . . 164

234. Bald Eagle .... .165

235. Duck Hawk ... .167

236. Pigeon Hawk . . .168

237. Sparrow Hawk . . ... 170

238. Fish Hawk ... . .173

239. Barn Owl, foot . . . 173

240. Barn Owl ... . . .174

241. Saw-whet Owl . ... 175

242. Western Horned Owl, head . ... 175

243. Long-eared Owl . . ... 176

244. Short-eared Owl ... . .177

245. Barred Owl . . 178

246. Saw-whet Owl, head . . 180

247. Screech Owl . . .182

248. Dwarf Screech Owl . . 185

249. Western Horned Owl, head . . 186

250. Snowy Owl .187

251. Hawk Owl ... .188

252. Burrowing Owl .... 189

253. Pygmy Owl . .190

254. Elf Owl ....... . . .191

255. Groove-billed Ani ... 193

256. Road-runner . . . . . . . . . .194

257. Yellow-billed Cuckoo . .... . 195

258. Black-billed Cuckoo, tail . . 196

259. Coppery-tailed Trogon . .197

260. Belted Kingfisher . . . .198

xvi LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

201. Texas King-fisher . . 199

262. Woodpecker (Dryobates), foot . . .... 200

263. Woodpecker (Sphyrapicus) , bill ....... 200

264. Woodpecker (Dryobates), bill . 200

265. Woodpecker (Picoides), foot . . . t . 200

266. Northern Pileated Woodpecker 200

267. Flicker . ... 200

268. Northern Hairy Woodpecker 201

269. Harris Woodpecker . . 202

270. Gairdner Woodpecker 203

271. Texan Woodpecker . ..... 204

272. Nuttall Woodpecker . . 205

273. White-headed Woodpecker . 207

274. Arctic Three-toed Woodpecker ....... 208

275. Alpine Three-toed Woodpecker ....... 209

276. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker . . . .210
277- Red-naped Sapsucker . . . 211

278. Red-breasted Sapsucker . .211

279. Williamson Sapsucker ... . . 213

280. Northern Pileated Woodpecker . .... 214

281. Red-headed Woodpecker . ... 215

282. Ant-eating- Woodpecker, head . . . . . . 216

283. Lewis Woodpecker . . .217

284. Red-bellied Woodpecker, head . . .218

285. Golden-fronted Woodpecker, head . . 219

286. Gila Woodpecker . . .219

287. Northern Flicker . . .220

288. Whip-poor-will, head . . . 223

289. California Poor-will . . . 224

290. Nig-hthawk, foot . . . 226

291. Nig-hthawk, head . . . 226

292. Nig-hthawk, wing- . . 226

293. Texas Nig-hthawk. wing . . . 228
21)4. Swift, tail feather . . .229

295. Black Swift . . . 229

296. Chimney Swift . . .... 230

21 »7. Vaux Swift .... . .231

-US. White-throated Swift . .... . 232

299. Lucifer Humming-bird, bill .... . 232

300. Calliope Hummingbird, tail . . . 233

301. Anna Hummingbird, female, tail

302. Black-chinned Hummingbird, tail . 233

303. Rivoli Hummingbird . . 233

304. Blue-throated Hummingbird . . . 234
30."). Ruby-throated Humming-bird, wing- . • 234

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS xvii

306. Ruby-throated Hummingbird . . 235

307. Black-cliiiinecl Hummingbird, tail . ... 235

308. Anna Hummingbird, female, tail . . 236

309. Anna Hummingbird, male, tail . . . . . ..23(5

310. Costa Humming-bird . . . 237

311. Anna Hummingbird ... . 237

312. Broad-tailed Hummingbird, outer primaries . . . 238

313. Broad-tailed Hummingbird, male, tail . . . 238

314. Broad-tailed Hummingbird, female, tail . ... 230

315. Rufous Hummingbird, male, tail . 240

316. Rufous Hummingbird ... . . 240

317. Allen Hummingbird, male, tail . . . 241

318. Allen Hummingbird, female, tail . 241

319. Calliope Hummingbird, tail . . 241

320. Calliope Hummingbird . 242

321. Lucifer Hummingbird . . . 242

322. Broad-billed Humming-bird 244

323. Xantus Becard ... . . . 245

324. Kingbird . . .248

325. Arkansas Kingbird, wing tip . . 248

326. Cassin Kingbird, wing tip . . 249

I Crested Flycatcher
Wood Pewee

327. Flvcatchers 4 Phoebe

251

Kingbird

Least Flycatcher

328. Flycatcher (Myiarchus), foot . 251

329. Phoebe .... . 254

330. Western Black Phoebe, head . 256

331. Flycatcher (Contopus). foot . 256

332. Olive-sided Flycatcher . 257

333. Coues Flycatcher . . 257

334. Western Wood Pewee . . 258

335. Flycatcher (Empidonax), foot . . 259

336. Western Flycatcher, bill . 259

337. Hammond Flycatcher, bill . . 259

338. Wright Flycatcher, bill . 259

339. Western Flycatcher, bill . 260

340. Hammond Flycatcher . . 262

341. Hammond Flycatcher, bill . . 262

342. Wright Flycatcher, bill . 262

343. Horned Lark, head . .... 266

344. Pallid Horned Lark . . 267

345. Blue Jay . . 272

346. Rocky Mountain Jay, head . ... . . 277

xviii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

347. Oregon Jay, head . ... . . 278

348. Crow, bill .279

349. Clarke Nutcracker 282

350. Bobolink? tail . 285

351. Bobolink, head 285

352. Cowbird, bill . 285

353. Meadowlark, head 285

354. Bronzed Grackle, bill ... 285

355. Oriole, bill ' . 285

356. Yellow-headed Blackbird, foot 285

357. Red-wing-, head . . 286

358. Bobolink .... . ... 286

359. Cowbird .... . .... 287

360. Red-wing-ed Blackbird . ... 290

361. Meadowlark 292

362. Scott Oriole ... ' . . ... 294

363. Arizona Hooded Oriole . . ... 296

364. Baltimore Oriole .. 297

365. Bullock Oriole, head 298

366. Brewer Blackbird .... ... 300

367. Bronzed Grackle .301

368. Redpoll, wing ... . .... 303

369. Crossbill, bill ... .303

370. Western Evening- Grosbeak, bill . 303

371. Redpoll, head . ... ... 304

372. Snowflake, head . . ... ... 304

373. McCown Longspur, tail ........ 304

374. Pine Finch, head ..... . .304

375. Black-headed Grosbeak, head . . .... 304

376. Western Lark Sparrow ...... . 304

377. Longspur, foot .......... 304

378. Vesper Sparrow, tail ......... 304

379. Dickcissel, head ....... . . 305

380. English Sparrow, male ... ... 305

381. Pine Grosbeak, head ......... 305

382. Pyrrhuloxia. . . . . . 305

383. Cardinal, head . . . .... 305

384. Arctic Towhee 305

385. Slate-colored Junco, head ..... . . 305

386. Sparrow (Aimophila), wing- . 306

387. White-crowned Sparrow .... . . 306

388. Green-tailed Towhee, head . . . . 306

389. Fox Sparrow, head . . 306

390. California Towhee . . 306

391. Bunting (Cyanospiza), bill . . 306

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS xix

392. Song Sparrow, head 306

393. Western Evening- Grosbeak 307

394. Pine Grosbeak .......... 308

395. California Purple Finch, tail ....... 310

396. Purple Finch 311

397. Cassin Purple Finch, head ........ 312

398. House Finch, male 312

399. House Finch, female ......... 312

400. Crossbill, bill ... . .... 313

401. White-winged Crossbill 315

402. Gray-crowned Leucosticte, head ....... 315

403. Hoary Redpoll 318

404. Redpoll, head 319

405. Goldfinch ... 321

406. Arkansas Goldfinch . . .... 322

407. Mexican Goldfinch ... ..... 323

408. Lawrence Goldfinch . ....... 323

409. Pine Finch ... 323

410. English Sparrow, male . . 324

411. English Sparrow, female . ..... 324

412. Suowflake . .325

413. Lapland Longspur, summer male 326

414. Lapland Longspur, winter male ....... 326

415. Smith Longspur, summer male ....... 327

416. Chestnut-collared Longspur, summer male . . 328

417. Chestnut-collared Longspur, winter male ... . 328

418. McCown Longspur ..... ... 328

419. Western Vesper Sparrow, tail . . 329

420. Sandwich Sparrow . . .... 331

421. Large-billed Sparrow ... . 333

422. Baird Sparrow ... . ... 333

423. Western Grasshopper Sparrow . . ... 334

424. Sharp-tailed Sparrow, tail . . . 335

425. Harris Sparrow ... ...... 337

426. White-crowned Sparrow ... .... 338

427. Gambel Sparrow, head . . . . 339

428. Golden-crowned Sparrow . ... 340

429. White-throated Sparrow, head . . 340

430. Western Tree Sparrow ... . 341

431. Western Chipping Sparrow, head . . . 342

432. Brewer Sparrow, head

433. Worthen Sparrow, head ... . 344

434. Black-chiuned Sparrow . . 345

435. Slate-colored Junco ..... . 346

436. Thurber Junco ........ . 348

xx LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

437. Red-backed Junco ... . 349

438. Black-throated Sparrow, head . . . . 350

439. Sag-e Sparrow, head ...... . 352

440. Cassin Sparrow .......... 353

441. Rufous-winged Sparrow, head ....... 354

442. Rufous-crowned Sparrow, head ....... 354

443. Song1 Sparrow, head ......... 356

444. Desert Song Sparrow ......... 357

445. Mountain Song- Sparrow ..... . 357

446- Samuels Song Sparrow ...... 358

447. Rusty Song Sparrow . ....... 358

448. Lincoln Sparrow . . ... . 359

449. Fox Sparrow . . .... 361

450. Townsend Sparrow . . . . . . . . .361

451. Thick-billed Sparrow, bill . ... 362

452. Slate-colored Sparrow, bill ........ 363

453. Stephens Sparrow, bill 363

454. California Towhee . . .... 363

455. Towhee, head . ...... 363

456. Towhee, head . . . 364

457. Arctic Towhee . . . . . . . 364

458. Spurred Towhee . . 365

459. Oregon Towhee .... . . 365

460. California Towhee, head . 367

461. Green-tailed Towhee, head . . 368

462. Cardinal, head . . 369

463. Rose-breasted Grosbeak . . 372

464. Black-headed Grosbeak, head . ... 372

465. Bunting" (Cyanospiza), bill . . ... 374

466. Dickcissel, head . . ... 377

467. Scarlet Tanager, head . ... 379

468. Summer Tanager, bill . . . 379

469. Scarlet Tanager, bill . . 380

470. Summer Tanager, bill . . 382

471. Barn Swallow, tail ... .... 382

472. Rough-winged Swallow, feather . . 382
47:;. Cliff Swallow, head . . .384

474. Barn Swallow, foot .... 385

475. Barn Swallow ... ..... 385

476. White-bellied Swallow . . . 3Sli

477. Bank Swallow . .... 386

478. Rough-winged Swallow, feather . ... 387

479. Bough-winged Swallow, head . .... 387

480. Cedar Waxwing . . 389

481. Phaiuopepla .... . . 390

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS xxi

482. Shrike, bill . . . 391

483. Northern Shrike . . . . 392

484. White-rumpect Shrike . . . 392
4S5. Black-capped Vireo, head . . 394
4S(5. Cassin Vireo, head . . . .394

487. Red-eyed Vireo, head . . . . 394

488. Warbling- Vireo. head . . . 394

489. Red-eyed Vireo, head . . 395

490. Warbling- Vireo, head . . 395

491. Cassin Vireo, head . 396

492. Black-capped Vireo, head . . 397

493. Redstart, bill - 401

494. Red-faced Warbler, bill . 401

495. Black and White Warbler, head . . 401

496. Black and White Warbler, foot . . 401

497. Warbler (Helminthophila). foot . 401

498. Chat, head . .401

499. Northern Parula Warbler, head . . 401

500. Warbler (Dendroica), bill . . 401

501. Black and White Warbler, head . 402

502. Calaveras Warbler, head . . 402

503. Calaveras Warbler, head . . 404

504. Northern Parula Warbler, head . . . 406

505. Warbler (Dendroica), foot . . 407

506. Blackburnian Warbler, head . 407

507. Yellow Warbler, head . 407

508. Magnolia Warbler, head . 408

509. Olive Warbler ... .408

510. Black-throated Blue Warbler, head . 408

511. Black-throated Gray Warbler, head . 408

512. Hermit Warbler, head 408

513. Black-throated Green Warbler, head . . 408

514. Golden-cheeked Warbler, head . . 408

515. Townsend Warbler, head . • 408

516. Black-poll Warbler, head . 409

517. Yellow-rumped Warbler, head . 409

518. Chestnut-sided Warbler, head . 409

519. Olive Warbler . .410

520. Yellow Warbler, head . .411

521. Black-throated Blue Warbler, head . . 412

522. Yellow-rumped Warbler, head . .412

523. Audubon Warbler . . • 413

524. Magnolia Warbler, head . . . 415

525. Chestnut-sided Warbler, head 416

526. Black-poll Warbler, head . . .417

xxii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

527. Blackburnian Warbler, head 417

528. Black-throated Gray Warbler, head 419

529. Golden-cheeked Warbler, head 419

530. Black-throated Green Warbler, head 420

531. Townsend Warbler, head . . 421

532. Hermit Warbler, head 421

532. Oven-bird, head .... 423

534. Grinnell Water-Thrush 423

535. Maegillivray Warbler, head 425

536. Western Yellow-throat, head 425

537. Long-tailed Chat ... 426

538. Wilson Warbler, head . . . . 428

539. Canadian Warbler, head . 429

540. Redstart, head ... 429

541. Pipit 431

542. Pipit, foot . ... 431

543. Sprague Pipit, foot . 432

544» Water Ouzel 432

545. Sage Thrasher 433

546. Brown Thrasher, head 434

547. California Thrasher, bill . . ... 434

548. Mockingbird, head 434

549. Catbird, head . 434

550. Cactus Wren 434

551. Canyon Wren, .......... 434

552. Rock Wren 434

553. Western Winter Wren . 434

554. House Wren, head 434

555. Long-billed Marsh Wren, head . ... . 434

556. Carolina Wren, head ......... 435

557. Sage Thrasher . . 435

558. Eastern Mocker . ... . 436

559. Catbird . .... 437

560. Brown Thrasher . . 438

561. Seunett Thrasher . 438

562. Curve-billed Thrasher . . 439

563. Palmer Thrasher . ... . . 439

564. Bendire Thrasher ... ..... 440

565. California!! Thrasher . . .440

566. Leconte Thrasher . 441

567. Crissal Thrasher . . .442

568. Cactus Wren . . 442

569. Rock Wren . .... 443

570. Canyon Wren . . . 445

571. Carolina Wren, head ..... . 446

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS xxiii

572. Vigors Wren . 447

573. Parkman Wren .... 448

574. Western Winter Wren . 449

575. Brown Creeper, bill .... . . 451

570. Brown Creeper, tail ... . . 451

577. Californian Creeper . .... 452

578. Slender-billed Nuthatch, feather 453

579. White-breasted Nuthatch, feather ... . 453

580. White-breasted Nuthatch, head ... . 453

581. Red-breasted Nuthatch, head . . . 454

582. Plain Titmouse . .456

583. Bridled Titmouse, head . . . 457

584. Chickadee, head . . 457

585. Wren-Tit .... .460

586. Bush-Tit ... .461

587. Lloyd Bush-Tit . . . 462

588. King-let, bill 463

589. Golden-crowned Kinglet, head . . 463

590. Ruby-crowned Kinglet, head 464

591. Gnatcatcher, tail . . • 465

592. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, head . 465

593. Plumbeous Gnatcatcher, feather . . 465

594. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher., feather . 465

595. Blue-gray Gnateatcher • • • 465

596. Plumbeous Gnatcatcher . . 466

597. Townsend Solitaire . • • 467

598. Wood Thrush . .469

599. Robin, bill . • .472

600. Robin .... 472

601. Bluebird 475

INTRODUCTION.

THE classification, nomenclature, and numeration used in this
book are those of the A. 0. U. Check-List of North American Birds,
except that modern scientific usage has been followed in dropping
the possessive form in the vernacular names of species, as Clarke
nutcracker and Steller jay, instead of Clarke's nutcracker and Stel-
ler's jay. The rulings of the nomenclature committee of the Amer-
ican Ornithologists' Union have been followed, but new species upon
which the committee has not yet ruled have been included in foot-
notes under their proper places.

In the matter of authorities, Ridgway's Manual of North Ameri-
can Birds, his Hummingbird paper, and Birds of North and Middle
America (Parts I. and II.) have been used at all points as standard
authorities, and the substance of keys and descriptions frequently
quoted.

In the general treatment of species various authorities have been
followed.

General Characters. - - These summaries of technical characters
have been abridged from the generic descriptions in Parts I. and II.
of Ridgway's Birds of North and Middle America, his monograph
on the Hummingbirds, and Coues's Key to Nortli American Birds.

Measurements. - The measurements have been taken from the
second edition of Ridgway's Manual of North American Birds, from
Parts I. and II. of North and Middle America, with the centimeters
converted into inches, and, in the case of species not included in
these books, from the original descriptions.

Ni'*f (i nd Eggs. - -Descriptions of nests and eggs are taken mainly
from Bendire's Life Histories of North American Birds, Ridgway's
Manual, second edition, The Auk, The Condor, The Osprey, The
Nidologist, The Ornithologist and Oologist, Goss's Birds of Kansas,
The Biological Survey Records, and from specimens in the Bendire
and Ralph collections of the United States National Museum.

xxvi INTRODUCTION

Food. — Food notes have been made up mainly from Bendire's
Life Histories, Fisher's Hawks and Oicls of the United States, Goss's
Birds of Kansas, and the records of the Biological Survey.

Distribution. - - The distributions have been compiled from the
manuscript maps and reports of the Biological Survey, and the North
American Fauna, (3) San Francisco Mountain, Arizona; (7) Death
Valley, and (16) Mount Shasta, California; (22) Hudson Bay; (5)
Idaho; (21) The Queen Charlotte Islands, British Columbia; and
(14) The Tres Marias Islands, Mexico; The A. 0. U. Check-List of
North American Birds; Belding's Land Birds of California; Bendire's
Life Histories of North American Birds; Bruner's Birds of Nebraska ;
Bryant's Birds and Eggs of the Farallon Islands; Cooke's Bird Mi-
gration in the Mississippi Valley, and Birds of Colorado; Fannin's
Check- List of British Columbia Birds; Goss's Birds of Kansas; Grin-
nell's Birds of the Pacific Slope of Los Angeles County; Loomis's Cali-
fornia Water Birds; Macoun's Catalogue of Canadian Birds; Mc-
Gregor's Pacific Coast Avifauna; and Silloway's Summer Birds of
Flathead Lake, Montana; together with local lists in The Auk, The
Bulletin of the Cooper Ornithological Club, The Condor, and The
Osprey.

Illustrations. — The new heads and full figures of birds are by
Louis Agassiz Fuertes, the outlines by Miss Franceska Weiser, the
old material from drawings of Louis Agassiz Fuertes, Ernest Thomp-
son Seton, Robert Ridgway, John L. Ridgway, and Frank Bond,
published previously by the Smithsonian Institution, the Biological
Survey, The Auk, The Osprey, and Houghton, Mifflin & Company
in Birds of Village and Field and A-Birding on a Bronco.

COLLECTING AND PREPARING BIRDS, NESTS,

AND EGGS.

BY VERNON BAILEY.

Collecting Birds. --Our present knowledge of birds and. their
classification has come from a study of specimens, of the dead bird
in the flesh, of crops and stomachs, stuffed skins, and skeletons ;
and without this foundation the study of birds would not have its
deep interest and meaning nor its practical bearing on the economy
of our lives. Even our enjoyment of the birds in life, their beauty,
song, and friendship, would be far less than it is without the un-
derlying knowledge of their life history, the place they fill, and
their importance to us.

INTRODUCTION xxvii

Naturalist collectors are far from being the ruthless destroyers of
life they are often supposed to be. It is, indeed, those who collect
the birds, study them most deeply, and know them best, who are
doing the most for their protection. Most ornithologists have begun
their study of birds by making private collections, and have turned
the knowledge thus gained to the best good of the birds, while their
collections have finally gone to museums, where they could benefit
the greatest number of students.

In most museums, it is true, there are large collections of bird
skins, often hundreds of specimens of a single species, showing
every shade of variation due to age, sex, season, moult, and wear of
plumage, and endless geographic variation over a wide range of
country ; but to many of those who have the best chance to study
the birds in life these collections are inaccessible.

There are still unknown, rare, and little known species of birds
that must be obtained before our knowledge of our own species can
be approximately complete and our system of classification firmly
established. But the more immediate and pressing question before
the young ornithologist is how to identify the obscure species and
the females and young of better known birds. In many cases the
bird must be shot to be identified, and not infrequently it must be
sent to some large museum collection for comparison for satisfactory
determination. Collecting, therefore, has not only a legitimate but
fundamental place in ornithology as a scientific study.

Measurements. — It should be borne in mind that measurements
are not infallible, and even where the maximum and minimum of a
series are given, still larger or smaller specimens may be found.
In many cases measurements are useless in determining characters,
but in others they are the all important differences between species
and subspecies. The total length is the most variable measurement,
and when taken from a skin instead of a bird in the flesh is only
intended to give a general idea of the size of the bird. In quoting
Mr. Ridg way's measurements throughout this book the word
'about ' has been omitted from his lengths, as it applies to all length
measurements. Lengths are taken from the birds in the flesh, if not
specifically stated to be from skins. All measurements in the book
are in inches. Wing, tail, bill, and tarsus measurements are the
important ones in most species, especially so because they can be
taken from the dry skin as well as from the fresh specimens. Mea-
surements should be taken in the following manner :-

Length. — From tip of bill to tip of tail. To get this lay the

xxviii INTRODUCTION

bird on its back on a rule or tape-measure, with neck and body
straight.

'Wing. — From the front of the bend of the wrist joint of the
wing to the tip of the longest feather. This can be taken with either
tape or dividers.

Tail. - - From the extreme base of the tail to its tip. To get this
exactly place one point of the dividers at the base of the tail be-
tween the two middle tail feathers, and the other point of the
dividers at the tip of the tail.

Sill. --From edge of feathers on top of bill to tip
of bill. When it would be necessary to part the
feathers to reacl^ the base of the bill the expression
' exposed culmen ' is used for the mea- A

surement.

Tarsus. — From heel joint to angle
of toe with tarsus. If this is difficult
to determine, put the dividers on the outside and
bend the toes.

Middle toe. - - From angle of tarsus and toes to base of claw, tho
length of the claw not being taken unless specified.

Such measurements as length of toes, depth of bill at base, at
nostril, etc., and relative lengths of certain feathers and spots and
markings can usually be taken most accurately and conveniently
with dividers.

Making bird skins. - - For making bird skins a few simple tools
and materials are needed, - - two sizes of scalpels or slender-bladed
knives for skinning, a pair of stout, sharp scissors, and a pair of
forceps, some powdered arsenic and corn-meal, cotton (for large
species tow), a round-pointed needle, thread, and labels.

The English sparrow is a good bird to begin with and practice on
until skins can be made that are worth keeping, an end not attained
without patient and painstaking effort.

Having shot a bird, examine it for bloody or soiled spots, and
sprinkle any that are found with corn -meal or fine sand, and plug
the throat with cotton to keep any blood or liquids from coming out
and soiling the feathers. If an eye is broken remove it with the
forceps, and fill the orifice with cotton and corn -meal, to prevent the
fluids from soiling the feathers of the head. To keep the bird from
injury until you can skin it, make a paper cornucopia, and after
smoothing the feathers drop the bird in bill first ; then fold together
the gaping edges of the cornucopia, and your bird will carry saiVh
in your game-bag or hunting-coat pocket.

INTRODUCTION xxix

Skinning. — Place the bird on its back with its bill to your left,
and part the feathers along the breast and belly. In most species a
strip of naked skin will appear. Holding the feathers back with
the thumb and finger of the left hand, cut with a down stroke of the
scalpel just through the skin from about the middle of the sternum
back to the vent. Catch the edge of the skin at one side, and with
the end of the scalpel handle or your fingers work it back from the
body until the knee-joint of the leg appears, sprinkling in plenty of
corn-meal as you go to absorb blood and juices and keep your fingers
dry and the feathers from sticking. Cut the bone at the knee-joint
with scissors or knife, and draw it up out of the flesh, which can
be cut off nearer the heel and left fast to the carcass. Loosen the
skin farther back, then treat the other side in the same manner, fre-
quently using corn-meal.

Then turn the bird's bill from ycu, and cut across below the tail
to the bone, and either uujoint or snip the bone with the scissors
just in front of the base of the quills, keeping the forefinger of the left
hand at a point opposite on the outside as a guide to prevent cut-
ting the skin, and work the skin up over the rump. At this point
a small hook, suspended in front and hooked into the bird's rump,
will help the beginner, but he will soon learn to hold up the body
between the tips of the first two fingers of the left hand, using the
thumb and third or little finger of the same hand to draw down the
skin as he cuts with the scalpel in the right. Work the skin from
the edges, being careful not to stretch it. As the wings are reached
draw them back out of the skin to near the second joint, break the
first bone in the middle and remove the flesh. Keep the body well
sprinkled with meal, and work the skin carefully down over the
neck to the head until the ears appear, picking them out rather
than cutting them off ; then working the skin along mainly with the
finger nails over the eyes (cutting the transparent membrane without
injury to the lids), and carrying it down to the base of the bill.

Next remove the eyes and cut off the base and lower part of the
skull, which can be done so as to leave brains, tongue, and fleshy
part of mouth attached to the neck, and the skull and bill clean and
free attached to the skin. If any bits of flesh or fat have been left
on the skin, remove them, and then dust dry arsenic over the inside
of the skin, fill the eye sockets with pellets of cotton, and reverse
the skin by pushing the bill carefully back through the neck. With
the beginner the skin will become dry before it is ready to be
turned back, and will need moistening, but after some practice the

xxx INTRODUCTION

whole process of skinning should take only from two to four min-
utes.

As soon as the skin is turned back, the feathers should be smoothed
and arranged, the eyelids adjusted, and the edges of the opening of
the skin laid together before it is put down.

Stuffing. - - For the sparrow, take a short thick piece of cotton —
tow for large birds — that will make a form the size of the bod}'
that has been removed from the skin, and press it firmly together
with the fibers all one way. To fill the skull and make a firm neck,
pinch one end of the cotton flat and double it over twice, holding it
firmly after each time betAveen the thumb and finger of the left
hand. Then catch the hard compact point of cotton between the
forceps in a position to hold it securely and push it into the bird
skin, forcing the point up through the neck and base of the skull,
catching it again with the left thumb and finger in the mouth of
the bird. Loosen and draw out the forceps, but hold the cotton in
the mouth until the skin is drawn back and adjusted over the
stuffing, and superfluous bits of cotton removed or tucked in.

Then draw together the edges of the skin and catch with a couple
of stitches. When the wings have been put in place under the
feathers at the sides, and the feathers properly arranged and
smoothed, the skin is ready to be labeled and wrapped in a thin
film of cotton. Then the bill can be tied shut with a thread and
the bird laid away to dry.

A beginner's skins are often greatly distorted, and only practice
can teach the correct amount of cotton to use and its proper form
and proportions. The best way is to keep in mind the size and
form of the bird's body, and try to reproduce them. Be careful not
to make bulging or weak necks. Leave each skin straight and
symmetrical when put away to dry, and each feather back in its
original place.

Labeliiif/. --Skins should be fully labeled with locality, date, sex,
number, and collector's name, while such additional data as colorof
eyes, bill, feet, or any parts that fade, notes on breeding or locality
where taken, stomach contents, etc., can be placed on the back of
the label or kept in a catalogue under the number of each specimen.

| Collection of Vernon Bailey.

L — Q jeJLp-'kv kxxxaxx _ ivj^dbLeJuiLOi _ -
Washington, D. C/ l^cu^ » <-V 1902 V. B.

Nr./Y ////. - - To determine the sex, cut through the side of the ab-
dominal wall, push away the intestines, and close against the small

INTRODUCTION xxxi

of the back, if the bird is a male, you will see the two oval, usually
light colored testes, - - in the breeding season large and conspicuous,
at other seasons small, and, in immature specimens, often difficult to
find. If the bird is a female, in place of the two oval bodies there
will be the ovary, a mass of spherical ovules, large or small ac-
cording to the season, and often obscure in immature specimens.
The male sign is Mars' arrow (£), the female, Venus' mirror (9).

Collecting and preserving eggs. - -Egg collecting is justifiable only
when the collector's earnestness of purpose warrants the sacrifice of
happy bird homes, and no amount of pains and care should be
spared to make each set a permanent and valuable illustration of
the life history of the species. So far as possible only complete
sets of fresh eggs should be taken. An incomplete set is of sec-
ondary importance, and eggs in which incubation is advanced are
not worth troubling with unless very rare.

The first step is to identify the nest positively, which, in cases of
rare species, can often be done only by collecting one or both of the
birds. Eggs are worse than worthless if there is any question of
their identity.

The next step should be to photograph the nest from at least two
points, one to show general setting and one at closer range to give
detail of form and structure. Then notes should be made on the
position, structure, and materials of the nest, the actions of the old
birds, and the manner of identification, etc, When possible the
nest should also be collected.

Each egg should be wrapped in cotton and each set packed snugly
in a wooden box with plenty of cotton for carrying home.

The tools necessary for blowing eggs are a slender blowpipe and
two drills, large and small, which can be bought of any dealer in
naturalist's supplies.

For drilling, hold the egg lightly between the thumb and two
fingers of the left hand, and placing the sharp point of the drill
against the side twirl it evenly with a slight pressure until it sinks
into the shell, grinding out a smooth round hole which points down-
ward, from the size of a pin-head in a fresh sparrow's egg to an
eighth of an inch in diameter in a larger or partly incubated egg.
In much incubated eggs it is often necessary to make a much larger
opening. A fine stream of air should be forced into the egg without
touching the blowpipe to the opening, and the contents gently forced
out. When the shell is empty, with mouth full of water blow a
stream into it and rinse out thoroughly, afterwards blowing all the
water out and laying carefully awray to dry.

XXX11

INTRODUCTION

Incubated eggs, though almost at the point of hatching, are
made by experts into nearly perfect specimens. Following their
methods, drill the hole and then coat the shell with flexible collodion.
After removing a small part of the fluid, if the egg is small, insert
a solution of pepsin or of chlorinated soda, --Labarraque's solution,
- and let the egg stand for a few hours, after which blow out the
softened portion of the contents. Add more of the solution, and
let the eggs stand again, keeping on until you have emptied the
shell. Large eggs may be treated with a solution of caustic potash,
care being necessaiy not to allow the alkali to touch the shell. To
prevent accident it is well to have a basin of water near in which to
immerse the egg if necessary. The collodion is removed after the
completion of the work by the use of ether.

Each set of eggs and each nest should be kept in a box, with a label
something like the following, from the Bendire and Ralph collection
in the National Museum : —

A. O. U. No..
Private No. .

Collector,

Locality,

Date,

Scientific uame,_
Common name,.

Identification.

No. of Eggs in Set,
Incubation, _

NEST : Diameter,.
Composed of

Depth,.

Location,

Of whom and when received,^.

Nests should be kept in boxes to fit their size. Great care
should be taken to protect them from moths and other destructive

INTRODUCTION xxxiii

insects, as not only wool but hair and all other animal substances will
be eaten and the nests ruined if they are not well looked after. The
best protection for a nest is a spray of a solution of corrosive sub-
limate, which can be used in a common atomizer, - - with a warning-
red label, bearing the word ' POISON.'

I

NOTE-TAKING, NOTE-BOOKS, AND JOURNALS.

The value of collections is increased mauy fold by the field-notes
which accompany the specimens, and the bird lover who does not
collect may add most valuable material to our meagre knowledge of
the life histories of our birds.

A compact, statistical journal may be made, as Mr. Chapman1
and Mr. Felger2 suggest by means of a ' roll or time book,' or any
sheets ruled in squares in pad form and punched along the sides to
fasten into a cardboard cover. The squares should be used for daily
records, the top or top and margin being used for headings, such as
locality, zone, zonal plants and trees, slope exposure, temperature,
condition of weather, direction and force of wind, amount of rainfall
or snowfall, advance of vegetation, new insects abroad, indications
of mating and of nest-building, number of nests found with eggs
and with nestlings, number of young on the wing, condition of
plumage, stage of moult, food, food habits, stomach contents of
specimens taken, time spent in field, number of birds seen in flocks,
number seen in migration flights.

For more detailed life history notes, card catalogues, with family,
generic, and specific divisions, are popular with many ornithologists.
A convenient form of field journal is a pad punched at the sides to
fit into a stiff cover, each sheet to be devoted to a species so that
the sheets can be slipped out and arranged by species, alphabeti-
cally. On the return from the field these can be dropped into box
manuscript trays and arranged by the check-list,

LIFE ZONES.

The physical geographies have long taught the division of the
earth into life zones, from the arctic to the tropical regions, with
the corresponding vertical divisions from the tropical base of equa-
torial mountains to their snow-clad arctic summits, and naturalists
have long since worked out the distribution of animals and plants

1 Handbook of Birds of Eastern North America, pp. 20-22.

2 " Plan for Recording Field Notes," The Auk, xix. 189-193.

xxxiv INTRODUCTION

along these lines in Europe and eastern North America. But it is
only within recent years that the Biological Survey carried on by
the government has studied the old familiar generalizations in the
western states in detail and mapped the life zones of the United
States as a whole.

The generally accepted 'theory that the distribution of mammals,
birds, reptiles, insects, and plants depends on temperature has been
demonstrated by Dr. Merriam as a physical law that ' ' the northward
distribution of terrestrial animals and plants is governed by the sum
of the positive temperatures for the entire season of growth and
reproduction, and that the southward distribution is governed by
the mean temperature of a brief period during the hottest part of
the year."1 With this as the working basis he has divided the
United States into three parts, having the northern (Boreal), south
ern (Austral), and intermediate (Transition) climates and flora and
fauna. By subdivision seven zones are made, known as Alpine,
Hudsonian, Canadian, Transition, Upper Sonoran, Lower Sonoran,
and Tropical. East of the hundredth meridian, which, broadly
speaking, is the dividing line between the eastern or humid and
western or arid sections, the Austral zone is known as Austral
rather than Sonoran, and divided into Alleghanian, Carolinian, and
Austroriparian Faunas.

The Alpine Zone lies above the limit of trees, and is characterized
by dwarf shrubs and plants, the polar bear, arctic fox, reindeer,
the snow bunting, snowy owl, ptarmigan, pipit, and leucosticte.

The Hudsonian Zone is marked by dwarfed timber along "the
northern or higher parts of the great transcontinental coniferous
forest, . . . stretching from Labrador to Alaska. It is inhabited by
the wolverine, woodland caribou, moose, great northern shrike, pine
bullfinch, and white-winged crossbill."2 On Mt. Shasta its only trees
are the black alpine hemlock and white-barked pine, its character-
istic mammal is the cony (Ochotona), and its characteristic bird the
Clarke crow. It is also frequented by the sooty grouse, western
goshawk, Williamson sapsucker, rufous hummingbird, Oregon jay.
pine siskin, junco, Audubon and hermit warblers, creeper, red-
breasted nuthatch, kinglets, and solitaire.3

1 Merriam's " Laws of Temperature Control of the Geographic Distribution of Ter-
restrial Animals and Plants," Xadonal Geoara/>hic Mnyazinc, vi. 229-23S.

2 Merriam, C. Hart, "Life Zones and Crop Zones of the United States," Bull. No. 10,
Kiologicnl Sun-i'ii ; " Geographic Distribution of Animals and Plants in North America,"
Yearbook of the U. 8. Department of Agriculture, 1SD4.

3 Merriam, C. Hart, North American Fauna, No. Ill, "Result of a Biological Survey

ss

.-VHH,^.

77<e dotted parts of the Sonoran Zones cast
of the Gnat Plains indicate the western limit
of the humid dh'iatons or 'these Zones.

LIFE ZONES

BY C. HART MERRIAM

INTRODUCTION xxxv

The Canadian Zone comprises " the southern or lower part of the
great transcontinental coniferous forest." It is the zone of firs,
spruces, and white pines, which on Mt. Shasta are represented by
the Shasta fir and the silver pine. One of its characteristic animals
is the mountain beaver, and it has also the porcupine, pine squirrel,
bear, wild cat, wolf, and other mammals. It is the home of the
crossbill, Lincoln sparrow, and Arctic three-toed woodpecker, and
frequented by birds found in the Hudsouian zone, such as the sooty
grouse, rufous hummingbird, siskin, j uncos, warblers, kinglets, and
solitaire, together with a number found also in the next lower zone
(the Transition), such as the white-headed, hairy, and pileated
woodpeckers, nighthawk, olive-sided, Hammond, Wright, and west-
ern flycatchers, Steller jay, Louisiana tanager, Macgillivray war-
bler, and robin.

The Transition Zojie, in which northern and southern elements of
flora and fauna often overlap, is characterized in the west by the
yellow pine (Pin us ponderosa}, several species of oaks and manza-
nita, together with buck brush and sage brush. Some of the char-
acteristic mammals are the big gray pine squirrel, the gray fox,
and various species of chipmunks, spermophiles, and pocket go-
phers. Among birds there are the western wood pewee, Gairduer
woodpecker, Lewis woodpecker, California pygmy owl, green-tailed
towhee, pygmy nuthatch, red-breasted sapsucker, and Brewer spar-
row, mixed with many species from the Upper Sonorau, the zone
below, such as the California jay, valley quail, California wood
pecker, and spurred towhee.

The Upper Sonqran Zone of the west is characterized by junipers,
piiion, and various oaks, jack rabbits, cottontails, five-toed kangaroo
rats, and several species of wood rats, the canyon wren, western lark
sparrow, California chewink, and California bush-tit, while many
Transition zone species also occur.

The Loicer Sonoran Zone, coming next above the Tropical zone,
is the zone of the hot valle}rs, where live-oaks, mesquites, and creo-
sote bushes abound, and the characteristic mammals and birds are
the four-toed kangaroo rat, cotton rat, and spotted skunk, the
mockingbird, nonpareil, verdin, pyrrhuloxia, road-runner, caracara,
white-necked raven, phaiuopepla, and scaled quail.

of Mt. Shasta; " North American Fauna, No. 3, "Results of a Biological Survey of San
Francisco Mountain Region and Desert of the Little Colorado ; " " The Geographic Dis-
tribution of Life in North America, with Special Reference to the Mammalia," Proc.
Biol. Soc. Wash. vii. April, 1892, 1-G4.

xxxvi INTRODUCTION

Birds are naturally less restricted to zones than mammals and
plants, and in the field the question of correlating them to zones is
rendered difficult by the modifying conditions which complicate the
zones themselves. Local conditions are constantly being met which
produce a change of temperature within a zone, resulting in the
intrusion of a tongue of a higher or lower zone. Forest fires
make an artificial change in zones, a Canadian fir forest sometimes
being replaced by Transition zone chaparral. Natural modifying
conditions are many, and not always so patent. Slope exposure is
the most important. If a ridge runs north and south, its southwest-
ern slope, which receives the hot afternoon sun, will have, we may
say, a Transition zone flora and fauna, while its cold northeast slope
will have a Canadian zone flora and fauna. A cold mountain
stream, on the other hand, will bring down the flora and fauna of
one or two higher zones; and Canadian and even Hudsonian plants
and trees bordering such a stream may thrive on its banks in the
Transition zone.

So many other modifying conditions are found that the determi-
nation of zones is a complex matter, and must be based largely on
the study of trees and shrubs, as they are the most stable part of the
life of a region. In relating the flora to the fauna the greatest care
should be taken with the bird life, as a bird can at will change his
zone by a few hours' travel. Zonal notes should always be accom-
panied by dates, as breeding zones alone are of much significance,
birds wandering widely after the breeding season. The Lewis
woodpecker is a striking example of this, for, while breeding in
Transition zone, after the breeding season it wanders up into Cana-
dian and down even into Lower Souoran zone in its search for
mast. Most mountain birds that do not migrate to the south
change their zones in this way, Canadian zone birds being found in
Upper and Lower Sonoran zones in fall and winter.

MIGRATION.

Many birds wander widely east and west after the breeding sea-
son, and some even go north for a short distance. With many
mountain birds the wandering movements after the breeding season
amount to a vertical migration. Birds, like the grouse and quail
and certain species of juncos, that make only a vertical migration
merely come down from the snow-covered mountains into the warm
valleys. A number of hummingbirds perform vertical migrations

INTRODUCTION xxxvii

between their first and second broods, following the seasons of
flowers from the valleys where they raise their first broods, to the
mountain parks, where they rear a second family, retreating- rapidly
down the mountain as soon as the frosts kill the flowers.

Among laud birds a north and south migration is not as vital in
the west as the east, especially for the seed-eaters, for the lowland
winters are so mild that the food supply is not as extensively de-
stroyed as in the east, and accordingly a much larger number of
birds winter in the valleys of the western states than in the eastern.
But while the western north and south migratory movement is less
striking, the absence of winter birds less felt than in the east, the
vertical migrations, from the superior height of the mountains and
the preponderance of the mountain ranges, assume great impor-
tance; and accordingly, while the total winter population may be
large, the species in a locality will be markedly different in summer
and winter.

Careful notes should be taken on all these phases of the migratory
movements to ascertain the exact migratory habits of each species
of bird, and the character of the bird population in every season.

As the mildness of climate which lessens the impulse to south-
ward migration in the western land birds does not affect the water
birds breeding in the arctic regions, the southward migration is
found in full force along the coast. At suitable points, like Mon-
terey, vast multitudes of birds may be seen passing on their way
from the arctic regions to the southern seas, and migration waves
and other phenomena studied to the best advantage. Mr. Loomis's
observations at Monterey have thrown a great deal of light on this
most interesting subject, and demonstrated the richness of the field
for future investigations.

•

ECONOMIC ORNITHOLOGY.

The question of the food of birds assumes peculiar importance in
the west from the extent of the fruit industry, and the consequent
magnitude of the depredations of insect and rodent pests. Birds if
left to themselves keep down the insect life, and the question is in
each case if the harm a bird does in eating fruit in June equals the
good he does the rest of the year in eating scale insects and other
pests that take off the profits of fruit growing. As it is a matter of
statistics, observers should make careful field notes on what birds
are actually seen eating, and especially careful records of the stom-

xxxviii INTRODUCTION

ach contents of birds shot. When these cannot be determined with-
out microscopes and collections of insects and seeds for comparison,
the stomachs should be sent for examination to Professor F. E. L.
Beal, of the Biological Survey, Department of Agriculture, Wash-
ington, D. C.1 In general it may be said that the thousands of
stomachs which have already been examined have shown that birds
are divided into three classes, -

1. Those that are injurious at all times, as the three accipitrine
hawks, which live mainly on small birds, game, and poultry.

2. Those that are injurious part of the year and beneficial the
rest of the time, such as blackbirds that come in hordes in the fall
and destroy the crops, but which when scattered out over the coun-
try at other times of the year do an immense amount of good by de-
stroying injurious insects.

3. Those that are beneficial at all times, as many hawks and owls
and a large number of insectivorous and weed-seed-eating birds.

As Professor Beal says: " If crows or blackbirds are seen in num-
bers about cornfields, or if woodpeckers are noticed at work in an
orchard, it is perhaps not surprising that they are accused of doing
harm. Careful investigation, however, often shows that they are
actually destroying noxious insects; and also that even those which
do harm at one season may compensate for it by eating noxious
species at another. Insects are eaten at all times by the majority of
land birds, and during the breeding season most kinds subsist largely
and rear their young exclusively on this food. When insects are
unusually plentiful, they are eaten by many birds which do not
ordinarily touch them. Even birds of prey resort to this diet, and
when insects are more easily obtained than other fare, the smaller
hawks and owls live on them almost entirely. This was well illus-
trated during the recent plague of Rocky Mountain locusts in the
western states, when it was found that locusts were eaten by nearly
every bird in the region, and that they formed almost the entire
food of a large majority of the species."

1 The Survey will furnish, on application, blank schedules for recording data, tags
for numbering the stomachs, and franked envelopes for mailing. When collected, the
stomachs (crops and gizzards) should be placed in alcohol or formalin for at least a
week. Before forwarding to the department, they should be taken from the fluid, spread
out on a newspaper, and dried for several hours, then placed in a baking powder can or
cigar box, wrapped with a franked envelope on the outside, and mailed. The collector
will be reimbursed for the outlay for alcohol, and will receive rive cents apiece for a
limited number of stomachs of certain species.

2 Beal, F. E. L., " Some Common Birds in their Relation to Agriculture." /-'tinner's
j;/i/letin,No. f>4. ('. S. Di'pnrtntent of Agriculture.

INTRODUCTION xxxix

As birds are the check nature has put upon insect life, the pro-
blem is a grave one. How shall we profit by the good offices of
the birds, and prevent the injury they in turn are capable of doing
to our crops ?

In the east Professor Beal has found that birds as a rule prefer
wild fruit to cultivated, and are drawn away from the orchard and
garden by the cultivation of wild fruit-bearing bushes. In parts of
the west the mulberry and elder and pepper are favorite bird foods,
and might be useful for such purposes. The question is a large one,
however, andean only be settled by patient study and investiga-
tion on the part of earnest bird students.

BIRD PROTECTION.

BY T. S. PALMER.

Laws for the protection of birds are necessary even in sparsely
settled regions. No place, however remote, is beyond the reach of the
market hunter, provided a demand for game or feathers for millinery
purposes exists, and prices are sufficient to warrant capture of the
birds. Game birds have been shipped by thousands from the states
beyond the Missouri River ; pelicans, terns, and gulls have been
decimated along the gulf coast of Texas; and grebes have been
slaughtered on their breeding grounds on distant lakes in the interior

^j cu tJ

of Oregon, — all to supply eastern markets. To meet such conditions
every western state and territory now has its game law ; but few
of these laws protect all the birds within the state, and several of
them are capable of being improved and made much more effective.
From the legislative standpoint birds may be divided into three
categories : (1) Game birds, such as quail and clucks, which are
hunted at stated seasons for food or sport. (2) Non-game birds, such
as thrushes and gulls, which are valuable as insect destroyers or
scavengers, and hence are protected throughout the year. (3) Inju-
rious species, such as the English sparrow and the great horned
owl, which are given no protection. Under the definition framed
by the Committee on Protection of Birds of the American Orni-
thologists' Union, game birds are restricted to four or five well
marked groups : the Anatidae, comprising ducks, geese, and swans ;
the Rallida?, including rails, coots, and gallinules ; the Limicolse, or
shore birds in general ; the Gallina?, including quails, pheasants,
grouse, and wild turkeys ; and (in some states) the Columbre, in-
cluding wild pigeons and doves. All other birds are classed as

xl INTRODUCTION

non-game birds, and the few injurious species are mentioned by
name. Such a division provides for all the birds, leaves no ambigu-
ity as to which may be killed as game, and defines each group in
the simplest and most satisfactory manner. A game law framed on
this basis has been adopted with excellent results in some states,
but in the west is still an ideal toward which to work rather than
an accomplished fact. California, Colorado, and Nebraska have
excellent laws for game birds, but they do not provide equally well
for insectivorous species. Nevada, New Mexico, and Wyoming
have comprehensive statutes for non-game birds, but do not afford
complete protection to all their game birds.

Game Birds. --Experience has shown that a modern game law
must do much more than merely prohibit the killing of certain spe-
cies at stated times. It must regulate methods of hunting, restrict
shipment and sale, and also prescribe means for carrying its pro-
visions into execution. It should contain the declaration that all
wild birds and animals are the property of the state. This fact,
based on the decisions of the highest courts, is now generally ac-
cepted, but it is well to have it incorporated in the law, as is the
case in the game laws of Colorado, Texas, and other states. Next in
importance is a comprehensive definition of game birds like that
given above. Another important point not fully appreciated is that
a law which prohibits killing certain species is much less effective
and permanent than one which simply permits, by declaring that it
shall be unlawful to kill or have in possession 'any birds except as
hereinafter provided.' This simple statement renders the law to a
certain extent automatic, since all birds will be protected until pro-
vided with an open season. Changes in season, the bane of game
legislation, cannot be made so readily without attracting attention,
and if, as often happens, a proposed change in season fails of enact-
ment, the species is left with complete protection instead of being
without protection as under the old method. Little need be said as
to seasons except that they should conform as nearly as possible to
those of adjoining states. With improved guns, smokeless powder,
and other modern appliances for hunting, no state can afford to
maintain an open season from the time the birds are mature until
they begin to breed the following year, for no species can withstand
such an ordeal and not be locally exterminated in a few years. Open
seasons are constantly growing shorter, and as they undergo change
should be shifted to correspond more and more closely with those of
other states. Above all, spring shooting should be abolished, and

INTRODUCTION xli

the close season begin as near the first of January as possible. Big
guns are very properly made illegal, and an unsuccessful attempt
was recently made in California to prevent the use of magazine or
' pump guns,' on the ground that they were too destructive. The
same might be said of the air gun or parlor rifle, which in the
hands of the reckless small boy is not only an effective but a dan-
gerous weapon of destruction. Night hunting in all its forms, bait-
ing, pursuing game with launches or even sailboats, are condemned
by true sportsmen, and should all be prohibited. Trapping and
netting should likewise be made illegal, but with some provision for
taking a reasonable number of birds for propagation under the super-
vision of competent state officers. Restrictions on the trade are
becoming more general and more necessary every year. Prohibition
of shipment out of the state is effective if it can be enforced, and it
can be made easier to enforce if transportation of all game for market
purposes is prohibited, as is done in Iowa and Texas, but with some
provision for carrying a limited amount of game for private pur-
poses. Sale is the keynote to the situation, and if it can be pro-
hibited the question of protection will be greatly simplified. It is
now prohibited in a number of states, and probably the day is not
far distant when most if not all game birds will be withdrawn from
sale.

Non-game Birds. — Even more important than laws for the pro-
tection of game birds (because applying to a much larger number
of species) are the statutes for the preservation of birds which are
not game, and which apply to ' song/ 'insectivorous,' and ' plume'
birds. In order to accomplish their purpose they must be compre-
hensive, and as already stated they should cover all birds except
game birds and a few injurious species mentioned by name. If
made applicable to certain species, or even to song, insectivorous, or
plume birds, some species are sure to be omitted, and often these
will be the very ones most in need of protection. Not only killing,
but also nest robbing, trapping, possession, shipment, and sale
should be prohibited. The traffic in cage birds, unless checked by
strict regulations, may sometimes decimate certain species, particu-
larly those distinguished for their vocal powers or bright colors. A
provision prohibiting possession of plumage or ' any part of a bird '
is necessary to prevent sale of birds for millinery purposes, and
overcome the objection which is sometimes raised that prohibitions
against the killing and possession of a bird do not apply to its
plumage or to one of its wings when used as a hat decoration.

xlii • INTRODUCTION

On the other hand, provision must be made for collecting birds
for scientific purposes, both for educational institutions and for
private collections, and also for keeping birds in captivity for study
or as pets. These requirements can readily be met by having per-
mits issued under the supervision of some state officer to properly
accredited collectors and students. In case it is desirable to allow
certain birds to be kept in captivity, sale and shipment out of the
state should be prohibited in order to avoid abuse of the privilege
and prevent wholesale bird-trapping for market.1

Injurious Species. - -In every state there are a few injurious spe-
cies from which protection should be withdrawn. In general these
species comprise the English sparrow, great horned owl, goshawk,
duck hawk, sharp-shinned hawk, Cooper hawk, crow, linnet or
house finch, and occasionally some of the blackbirds. Sweeping
provisions excluding hawks and owls from protection should be
carefully avoided, as most of the species are beneficial, and a clause
covering birds of prey in general without naming the injurious
species will result chiefly in the destruction of those which are bene-
ficial. It is useless to attempt anything more by legislation than
simple removal of protection. No means have yet been devised by
which an injurious species can be legislated out of existence, and the
various methods which have been advocated have almost uniformly
resulted in failure. Bounties for birds and eggs have little effect
except to drain the state or county treasury. The Colorado hawk
bounty, which was in force from 1877 to 1885, seems to have re-
sulted chiefly in the diminution of the sparrow hawk, one of the
most useful birds in destroying grasshoppers. The Utah bounty on
English sparrows, in force since 1888, has not exterminated the spar-
row in the state, and the provision of 1896, offering five cents per
dozen for eggs, must have resulted disastrously to the native birds,
for a year or two after it went into effect reports showed that in
Weber County alone payments had been made on 990 dozen (nearly
12, QUO) eggs, while during the same period only 640 sparrows had
been presented for bounty. The sparrow bounties in Illinois and
Michigan and the hawk and owl bounty in Pennsylvania all failed
to accomplish their objects, although each cost the state from
$50,000 to §100,000. The expense attending bounty legislation can
be readily illustrated by the records of payments for coyotes and

1 The bill prepared by the Committee on Protection of Birds of the American Orni-
thologists' Union covers all of these points. See '• Legislation for the Protection of
Birds other than Game Birds," Bulletin No. 12, Biological Survey, U. S. Dept. Agricul-
ture, pp. 56-60, 1902.

INTRODUCTION ^ xliii

wolves in Wyoming, Montana, and California. The coyote bounty
law in California remained in force only four years, but actually cost
the state §187,485, while the claims tiled aggregated about $400. OOO.1
In the west bounties on birds are now paid only in Utah and Oregon,
and in the latter state are restricted to cormorants and sheldrakes.

Enforcement. - - The enforcement of game laws depends largely on
public sentiment. Although most of the western states have game
wardens, the laws are not enforced as they should be. Better results
are attained where local wardens are under the authority of a state
officer or state board. Unfortunately the liberal appropriations neces-
sary to meet the expenses incident to warden service are not often
available, but game protection might be made almost self-support-
ing if the money derived from licenses, fines, sale of contraband
game, and similar sources, were all turned into a state game pro-
tection fund instead of going into several different funds, no one of
which is available for work of this kind.

A potent influence in bird protection is the federal law popularly
known as the Lacey Act, which went into effect on May 25, 1900.
Under this act interstate commerce in birds killed in violation of
local laws is prohibited, and through cooperation between federal
and state authorities statutes which were formerly dead letters are
now being enforced. The chief value of the law, however, lies in
the interest in protection which it has aroused throughout the coun-
try even among persons who formerly gave the subject no thought.
Largely through its influence game protection is now being estab-
lished on broader lines, rapid progress is being made in legislation,
and the laws are better observed than ever before.

LOCAL LISTS.
LIST OF BIRDS IN THE VICINITY OF PORTLAND, OREGON.

BY A. W. AKTHONY.

The country embraced in this list is about ten square miles in
extent. The region between the city of Portland and the Columbia
River perhaps furnishes most of the species, and is farming land
diversified by forest land, brush patches, and low wet meadows,
which in .winter are ponds upon which are found all of our species

1 See Palmer, "Extermination of Noxious Animals by Bounties," Yearbook Dept.
Agr. for 189G, pp. 55-68.

xliv . INTRODUCTION

of waterfowl. The high hills west of the city are less prolific. The
heavy forest is cleared in places, offering homes for such species as
white-crowned sparrows, juncos, and wrens, while the woodpeckers
and forest-loving species dwell in the undisturbed parts of the region,
which is as wild as a hundred years ago. Here also is found the
russet-backed thrush nesting in the thickets and deep ravines.

Colymbus nigricollis californicus ; Eared Grebe. — Rather common on the
ponds along1 the Columbia.

Podilymbus podiceps : Pied-billed Grebe. — Common with the eared grebe.

Gavia iinber: Loon. — Seen only as a migrant.

Larus glaucescens : Glaucous-winged Gull. — Five species of gull are seen
along the river during the winter, but the glaucous-winged is the com-
monest.

Larus argentatus : Herring Gull.

Lams californicus : California Gull.

Larus delaicarensis : Ring-billed Gull.

Larus brachyrhynchus : Short-billed Gull (?).

Phalacrocorax dilophus cincinatus : White-crested Cormorant. — In the
winter a species is found on the river about Portland, which is probably
the white-crested, but as no specimens have been taken I am in doubt
about it.

Merganser serrator : Red-breasted Merganser. — A common winter visitor.

Lophodytes cucullatus : Hooded Merganser. — A winter visitant, less com-
mon than the red-breasted.

Anas boschas : Mallard. - - Very common.

Chaulelasmus streperus : Gadwall. — The gadwall and the baldpate are
about equally common, but less so than most of the ducks found.

Mareca americana: Baldpate.

Spatula clypeata : Shoveller. — Common during fall and winter-

Dajila acuta : Pintail. — Common during fall and winter.

Aix sponsa : Wood Duck. — Common summer resident. A few winter
about Portland.

Ay thy a americana : Redhead. — Common in fall and winter.

Aythya vallisneria : Canvas-back. — Common in fall and winter.

Chen hyperborea : Lesser Snow Goose. — One or more species of snow
geese are common. During mild winters all the ducks and geese are
apt to winter about Portland, but a hard season drives them south.

Ansfr albifrons gambtli : White-fronted Goose. — Common migrant.

liranta canadensis minima: Cackling' Goose. — Two or more races of
canadensis are common, but the only species I have taken is the cack-
ling goose.

Olor columbianus : Whistling Swan. — Not uncommon migrant and winter
resident.

Ardea herodias : Great Blue Heron. — Common in summer ; a few winter.

Ardea virescens : Green Heron. -- A few herons seen, probably of this
species.

Grus canadensis : Little Brown Crane. — Common fall migrant, but very
rare in spring.

Rallus virginianus : Virginia Rail. — Like the sora, more or less common,
nesting in wet bottoms.

Porzana Carolina : Sora.

Fulica americana : Coot. — Not very abundant ; nests.

INTRODUCTION xlv

Triw/d minutilla: Least Sandpiper. -- Abundant for a few days during
migration.

Trinya a/pina pacified : Red-backed Sandpiper. -- Migrant ; less common
than the least or western sandpipers.

Ereunetes occidentalis : Western Sandpiper. -- Abundant during migration
for a few days.

Totanus melanweueus : Greater Yellow-legs. — Migrant ; not uncommon.

Sympkemia semipalinata inornata: Western Willet. -- Rather rare mi-
grant.

sEyialitis vocifera : Killdeer. -- Common summer resident.

Oreortyx pictus : Mountain Partridge. — Common resident.

Dendragapus obscurusfuliginosus : Sooty Grouse. — Common resident.

Columba fasciata : Band-tailed Pigeon. — Not uncommon in suitable local-
ities, but rare near Portland.

Zenaidura macroitra : Mourning Dove. — Common summer resident.

Cathartes aura : Turkey Vulture. — Common summer resident.

Circus htidsonius : Marsh Hawk. — Rare.

Accipiter velox : Sharp-shinned Hawk. — Common, especially during mi-
grations.

Accipiter cooper ii : Cooper Hawk. — Not common.

Buteo borea/is calurus : Western Red-tail. — Common.

Haliwetus leucocephalus : Bald Eagle. — Seen at times along the river.

Falco peregrinus anatum : Duck Hawk. — Seen only ones or twice.

Falco columbarius : Pigeon Hawk.

Falco columbarius suckleyi : Black Merlin. -- The pigeon hawk and the
black merlin are, perhaps, equally common ; more common during fall
and winter.

Megascops asio kennicottii: Kennicott Screech Owl. — Quite common
among the oaks along the river.

Bubo virginianus saturatus : Dusky Horned Owl. — Not uncommon in
heavy timber.

Nyctea nyctea : Snowy Owl. — A few have been taken near Portland in
winter.

Glauddium gnoma calif ornicum: California Pygmy Owl. — Rather com-
mon ; often seen in the daytime.

Coccyzus americanus occidental i* •: California Cuckoo. — Rare; a few seen
in low marshy places along the Columbia.

Ceryle alcyon : Belted Kingfisher. — Quite common along all water-
courses.

Dryobates villosus harrisii : Harris Woodpecker. — Common in all tim-
ber.

Dryobates pubescens gairdnerii: Gairdner Woodpecker. — Common in all
timber.

Sphyrapicus ruber notkensis : Northern Red-breasted Sapsucker. — Com-
mon ; more often seen in alder or dogwood than in fir growth.

Ceophloeus pileatus abieticola : Northern Pileated Woodpecker. — Less com-
mon than formerly, but still found in heavy fir growth.

Melanerpes torquatus: Lewis Woodpecker. — Common summer resident.

Colaptes cafer saturatior: Northwestern Flicker. — Abundant resident.
The flickers of this region are not constant to any race.

Phalcenoptilus nnttallii calif ornicus : Dusky Poor-will. -- A poor-will has
been described to me.

Chordeiles virginianus : Nighthawk. — Common summer resident.

Chwtura vauxii : Vaux Swift. — Rather common summer resident.

Selasphorus rufus : Rufous Hummingbird. — Very common summer resi-
dent.

xlvi INTRODUCTION

Tyrannus verticalis : Arkansas King-bird. — A kingbii'd is found at Port-
land, but is rare, and the species not determined.

Contopus borealis : Olive-sided Flycatcher. -- Common in tall firs.

Contopus richardsonii : Western Wood Pewee. - - Very common every-
where ; often seen in shade trees about the city.

Empidonax d(fficilis : Western Flycatcher. — Probably taken in migra-
tion.

Empidonax traillii : Traill Flycatcher. — Very common in alder and
vine maple thickets.

Alauda arvensis : Skylark. — Introduced. Common in open fields on the
east side of the river ; not seen elsewhere.

Otocoris alpestris strigata : Streaked Horned Lark. — Not uncommon in
suitable localities.

Pica pica hudsonica : American Mag-pie. — Not common ; a few are found
along the Columbia.

Cyanocitta stelleri : Steller Jay. — Common everywhere in the region of
Portland.

Aphelocoma californica : California Jay. — Rare ; more common during
migrations.

Perisoreus obscurus : Oregon Jay. — Rare.

Corvus caurinus : Northwest Crow (?). — Crows are abundant, but species
not determined.

Sturnus vulgaris : Starling. — Introduced ; still rare.

Agelaius phceniceus caurinus: Northwestern Redwing. — More or less com-
mon.

Sturnella magna neglecta : Western Meadowlark. — Abundant resident.

Icterus bullocki : Bullock Oriole. — Rather common in cottonwoods and
oaks along the river.

Scolecophagus cyanocephalus : Brewer Blackbird. — Abundant resident;
more common in open fields.

Coccothraustes vespertinus montanus : Western Evening Grosbeak. — Abun-
dant winter resident, flocking about the maples in the streets ; remark-
ably tame.

Carpodacus purpiireus calif ornicus : California Purple Finch. — Common in
fields about the city.

Loxia curvirostra minor: Crossbill. — Rare.

Astragalinus tristissalicamans : Willow Goldfinch. — Abundant.

Astragalinus psaltria : Arkansas Goldfinch. — Not uncommon.

Spinus pinus : Pine Siskin. --Not uncommon; nests about the city in
large firs (;*).

Passer dotttesticus : English sparrow. — Abundant in the city.

Pouecetes gramineus affinis: Oregon Vesper Sparrow. — Common in open
fields.

Ammodramus sandwichensis : Sandwich Sparrow. — Specimens taken dur-
ing migrations were nearer this form than any other, but not typical.

Ammodramus sandivichensis alaudinus : Western Savanna Sparrow. — Com-
mon in cultivated fields.

Zonotrichia leucophrys gambefii : Gambel Sparrow. — Common during mi-
grations.

Zonotrichia leucophrys nutta/li : Nuttall Sparrow. -- Abundant summer
resident ; nests in thickets and low brush.

Zonotrichia coronata : Golden-crowned Sparrow. — Common during migra-
tion for a few days.

Spizdla socialis arizonce : Western Chipping Sparrow. - - Abundant sum-
mer resident.

Junco hi/emails orcyanus : Oregon Junco. — Abundant resident.

INTRODUCTION xlvii

Melospiza melodia morphna : Kusty Song ISparrow. — Abundant resident.

Melosptza lincolnii striata : Forbush Sparrow. — A sparrow probably of
this species seen a few times during1 migrations.

PassereUa iliaca annectens: Yakutat Fox Sparrow. — Common winter resi-
dent ; usually seen with rusty sparrows.

Pipilo maculatus oregonus : Oregon Towhee. — Common resident ; found in
thickets all about the city.

Cardinalis cardinalis: Cardinal. — Several birds were released by a dealer
a few years ag'o and are still seen in the residence part of the city.

Zamelodia melanocephala : Black-headed Grosbeak. — Not uncommon.

Cyanospiza amcena: Lazuli Bunting1. — Common along the bottomlands
of the Columbia.

Piranga ludoviciana : Louisiana Tanager. — Common in the firs and alders,
nesting in the firs.

Progne subis hesperia : Western Martin. — Not common.

Petrochelidon lunifrohs : Cliff Swallow. — Common.

Hirundo erythrogastra : Barn Swallow. — Not common.

Tachycineta bicolor : Tree Swallow. — Not common.

Tachycineta thalassina lepida : Northern Violet-green Swallow. — Very
abundant ; nesting in barns and outhouses, entering through knot-
holes.

Hiparia riparia : Bank Swallow (?).

Stelgidopteryx serripennis : Rough-winged Swallow. — Of the bank and
rous'h-wins1 one or both have been seen, but neither is common.

O O »

Ampelis cedrorum : Cedar Waxwing. — Common summer resident.

Lanius borealis : Northern Shrike. — Rare winter visitant.

Vireo gilvus : Warbling Vireo. — Common ; nests in the alder and dog-
wood thickets.

Vireo solitarius cassinii : Cassin Vireo. — Common with the warbling1.

Vireo hultoni obscurus : Anthony Vireo. — Rare ; seen only about oaks.

Dendroica cestiva : Yellow Warbler. — Very common everywhere about
the city.

"Dendroica coronata : Myrtle AVarbler. — Rare migrant.

Dendroica auduboni : Audubon Warbler. — Common : nests in the small
firs.

Dendroica nigrescens : Black-throated Gray Warbler. — Common summer
resident.

Dendroica townsendi : Townsend Warbler. - - Not rare.

Dendroica occidental is : Hermit Warbler. — Not rare.

Geothlypis trichas arizela : Pacific Coast Yellow-throat. — Common in open
fields about the water.

Icteria virens lonyicauda : Long-tailed Chat. - Rare ; seen only a few
times.

Wilsonia pusilla pileolata : Pileolated Warbler. — Common summer resi-
dent.

Anthus pensilvanicus : Pipit. — Common winter resident.

Salpinctes obsoletits : Rock Wren. -- Rare.

Thryomanes beu'ickii cylophonus : Vigors Wren. — Common resident.

Troglodytes aedon parkmanii : Parkman Wren. — Common summer resi-
dent.

Olbiorchilus hiemalis pacificus : Western Winter Wren. -Resident; com-
mon in deep shaded thickets.

Cistothorus palustris pnludicola : Tule Wren. --Not uncommon in the
marshes along the Columbia.

Certhia familiar is occidentalis : Calif ornian Creeper. -- Resident in the fir
forests ; not rare.

xlviii INTRODUCTION

Sitta carolinensis aculeata : Slender-billed Nuthatch. — Common.

Sitta canadensis : Red-breasted Nuthatch. — Common fall migrant ; does
not seem to be so abundant in spring'.

Parus atricapillus occidentalis : Oregon Chickadee. - -"Very common resi-
dent.

Parus rufescens : Chestnut-backed Chickadee. — Common resident.

Psaltriparus minimus: Bush-Tit. --Abundant resident.

Regulus satrapa olivaceus : Western Golden-crowned Kinglet. Abundant
winter resident.

Regulus calendula : Ruby-crowned King-let. — Common migrant.

Myatlestes townsendii : Townsend Solitaire. — Seen once or twice in the
residence part of the city.

Hylocichla ustulata : Russet-backed Thrush. - - Common in the city and
wooded thickets along1 the river.

Hylocichla gnttata : Alaska Hermit Thrush. - A few seen during- migra-
tions.

Merula migratoria propinqua : Western Robin. -- Abundant ; a few win-
ter.

Ixoreus ncevius : Varied Thrush. — Abundant winter resident.

Sialia mexicana occidentalis : Western Bluebird. — Common.

LIST OF WATER BIRDS OF SAN FRANCISCO BAY.

BY WILLIAM H. KOBBE.

^Echmophorus occidentalism: Western Grebe. — Abundant throughout the
winter and spring'.

Colymbus holbcctlii : Holboell Grebe. — Rare ; two winter visitants taken.

Colymbus auritns : Horned Grebe. — Common winter visitant.

Colymbus nigricollis calif ornicus : American Eared Grebe. — Winter vis-
itant, most commonly at Oakland and Alameda.

Podilymbus podiceps : Pied-billed Grebe. — Common in the fall; probably
resident in favorable situations.

Gavia irnber : Loon. — Spring migrant.

Gavia pacijica : Pacific Loon. — Common winter visitant.

Gavia lumme : Red-throated Loon. - - Winter visitant : abundant about
Oakland.

Cyclorrhynchuspsittaculus : Paroquet Auklet. - - Winter visitant.

Synthliboramphus antiquus : Ancient Murrelet. - - Winter visitant.

Brachyramphus marmoratus : Marbled Murrelet. — Taken off Goat Island
by Bryant.

Uria troile californica : California Murre. — Visitant ; mainly fall, winter,
and spring ; probably occurs in summer.

Sterrnnirius parasiticus : Parasitic Jaeger. - - Fall migrant.

Kissa tridactyla poilicaris : Pacific Kittiwake. Winter visitant.

Larus delawarensis : Ring-billed Gull. -- Common about Oakland from
the last of autumn until summer.

Larus glaucus : Glaucous Gull. -One noted by Cooper (.Proc. Cal. Acad-
emy of S<-/f'iirfs, iv. 0-10) and one seen by Kobbe*.

Larus glaucpscms : ( iLuicous-winged Gull. — Abundant winter visitant.

Lnriis occidentalis : Western Gull. -- Abundant resident.

Luriis iir^t -ntntiifi •: Herring Gull.-- Abundant winter visitant.

Larus vcytc : Vega Gull. — Abundant winter visitant.

Larus ca/ifornicus : California Gull. — Abundant resident.

Larus brachyrhynchus : Short-billed Gull. — Abundant from November to
February.

INTRODUCTION xlix

canus : Mew Gull. — Very abundant from November into February.

Lams heermanni : Heermann Gull. — Abundant on bay in summer, rare in
winter.

Larus Philadelphia : Bonaparte Gull. — Common winter visitant.

A' ana sabinii : Sabine Gull. — One taken by Lorquin. October (10 ?).

Sterna caspia : Caspian Tern. — One taken by Bryant, December '2.

Sterna maxima : Royal Tern. — One taken at Oakland by Bryant, August
27.

Sterna elegans : Elegant Tern. — One taken by Lansing, September IT.

Sterna for steri : Forster Tern. — Winter visitant.

Diomedea albatrus : Short-tailed Albatross. — One taken near Goat Island
by Bryant, March 10.

Fid mar us glacialis glupischa : Pacific Fulmar. — Winter visitant.

Phalacrocorax dilophus cincinatus : White-crested Cormorant. -- Occurs in
winter.

Phalacrocorax dilophus albociliatus : Farrallone Cormorant. — Common
resident.

Phalacrocorax penicillatus : Brandt Cormorant. --Common resident.

Phalacrocorax pelagicus : Pelagic Cormorant. — Common resident.

Pelecanus erythrorhynchos : American White Pelican. — Rather rare win-
ter visitant.

Pelecanus calif ornicus : California Brown Pelican. — Common winter
visitant.

Merganser americanus : American Merganser. — Winter visitant.

Merganser serrator ; Red-breasted Merganser. — Spring and fall migrant.

.i//as boschas : Mallard. — Winter visitant in all marshes bordering bay.

Mareca americana : Baldpate. -- Winter visitant at Vallejo and Oakland.

Nettion carolinensis : Green-winged Teal. — Common in winter throughout
the bay region.

Querquedula d/scors : Blue-winged Teal. - - Taken at Vallejo by Golcher.

Querquedula cyanoptera : Cinnamon Teal. — Winter visitant at Vallejo.

Spatula clypeata : Shoveller. — Winter visitant.

Dafila acuta : Pintail. — Fall and winter visitant at Miller, Marin County,
and Vallejo.

Aix sponsa : Wood Duck. - - Taken by Slevin at Cordelia, November 8.

Aythya vallisneria : Canvas-back. — Abundant winter visitant at Vallejo.

Aythya marila : Scaup Duck. — Winter visitant to all parts of bay.

Aythya a finis : Lesser Scaup Duck. — Winter visitant at Vallejo and Oak-
land.

Aythya collaris : Ring-necked Duck. — Two taken by Hornung, February 5.

Clangula clangula americana : American Golden-eye. — Fall and winter
visitant.

Clangula islandica : Barrow Golden-eye. — Two taken by Bryant, Novem-
ber 1C) and December o.

Charitonetta albeola : Buffle-head. — Winter visitant.

Oidemia perspicillata : Surf Scoter. — Common winter visitant.

Oidemia deglandi : White-wTinged Scoter. — Common winter visitant.

Erismatura jamaicensis : Ruddy Duck. — Found in lagoons from October
until the middle of February.

All California 'geese occur in greater or less abundance in the inner
portions of the bay.

Olor columbianus : Whistling Swan. — One taken by Kellogg at Cordelia,
December 18.

Botaurus lentiginosus : American Bittern. — One taken by Bryant and one
by Hornung. I have found it fairly common in the marshes.

Ardea hcrndins : Great Blue Heron. — Breeds at Alameda : resident.

1 INTRODUCTION

Nycticorax nycticorax ncevius : Black-crowned Night Heron. — Abundant
at Alameda in winter ; also a colony at Tiberone ; resident.

Ballus obsoletus : California Clapper Rail. — Abundant in marshes border-
ing- the bay in fall and early winter.

Rallus virginianus : Virginia Rail. — Fall migrant.

Porzana noveboracensis : Yellow Rail. — Two taken by Bryant in Decem-
ber.

Porzanajamaicensis: Black Rail — Locally common in winter; probably
breeds.

Fulica americana : American Coot. — Common everywhere ; resident.

Crymophilusfulicarius : Red Phalarope. — Found commonly, especially in
calmer waters on bay, from October to January.

Phalaropus lobatus : Northern Phalorope. — Fall migrant.

Recurvirostra americana : American Avocet. — Reported from Redwood
City (Slevin).

Himantopus mexicanus : Black-necked Stilt. — Fall and winter migrant at
Miller, Marin Co.

Gallinago delicata : Wilson Snipe. — Fall, winter, and spring visitant.

Macrorhamphus scolopaceus : Long-billed Dowitcher. — Fall and early win-
ter visitant.

Tringa maculata : Pectoral Sandpiper. — One taken by Bryant, October 8.

Tringa minutilla : Least Sandpiper. — Abundant in fall and winter.

Tringa alpina pacijica : Red-backed Sandpiper. — Abundant from the
middle of October till the middle of May.

Ereunetes occidentalis : Western Sandpiper. — Abundant migrant.

Calidris arenaria : Sanderling. — Common migrant at Oakland.

Limosafedoa : Marbled Godwit. — Fall and winter visitant.

Totanus melanoleucus : Greater Yellow-legs. — Winter visitant.

Helodromas solitarius cinnamomeus : Western Solitary Sandpiper. — Two
taken by Bryant, April and September.

Symphemia semipalmata inornata : Western Willet. — Common in sum-
mer (Bryant).

Heteractitis incanus : Wandering Tatler. — Two taken by Kobbe* in Sep-
tember.

Actitis macularia : Spotted Sandpiper. — Taken at Tiberone and Angel
Island in May and November.

Numenius longirostris : Long-billed Curlew. — Common at Oakland in
August (Bryant/.

Numenius hudsonicus : Hudsonian Curlew. — Taken at Oakland in August
and September (Bryant).

Squatarola squatarola : Black-bellied Plover. — Fall and winter visitant.

Charadrius dominions : American Golden Plover. - - Taken at Valle jo and
Menlo Park (Hornung).

^gialitis vocifera : Killdeer. — Common everywhere in fall, winter, and
spring.

JEgialitis nivosa : Snowy Plover. — Taken on Presidio beach (Slevin).

Arenaria melanocephala : Black Turnstone. - - Two records from Angel
Island.

INTRODUCTION li

LIST OF BIRDS OF SANTA CLARA VALLEY AND SANTA
CRUZ MOUNTAINS, EXCLUSIVE OF WATER BIRDS.

BY WALTER K: FISUEK.

Resident =z Permanent resident.

\\'i liter visitant = Winter resident.

Summer visitant = Breeding bird not occurring in winter.

The country covered by this list includes practically all of the
Santa Clara Valley and the northern half of the Santa Cruz Moun-
tains. The Santa Cruz Mountains send a long spur northward to
form the backbone of the San Francisco peninsula. This ridge has
numerous lateral spurs, particularly toward the sea. On the east
the mountains slope down into low foothills rather abruptly, and
these foothills gradually merge into the floor of the valley, which,
north of San Jose, is largely occupied by the bay of San Francisco
and its environing marsh. To the east of the bay is the Mount
Hamilton range.

To the Transition zone belong most of the Santa Cruz Moun-
tains, and the country between them and the seacoast. In the
mountains are magnificent stretches of redwood forest, mixed wTith
Douglas spruce, tan-bark oak, and madrone, and underbrush of
evergreen huckleberry, myrtle, azalea, rhododendron, wild lilac
(Ceanothus thyrsiflorus), and several species of manzanita.

The Upper Sonoran zone includes all the main foothill region and
many of the outlying spurs of the Santo Cruz Mountains, much of
the Mount Hamilton range, and the greater part of the floor of the
valley. The valley contains an infusion of Lower Sonoran ele-
ments, but the proximity of the sea, with its tempering breezes,
many high fogs during summer, and a rather heavy rainfall (fora
valley), so reduces the total quantity of heat for the year that the
region is really a peculiar humid Upper Sonoran, or perhaps a mix-
ture of the two Sonoran zones. Characteristic valley types are the
white oak (Quercus lobata), blue oak (Q. douglasii), valley live-oak
(Q. ayrifolia), bay tree, buckeye, Christmas beny (Heteromeles arbn-
tifolia), and sycamore. In the Mount Hamilton range is found the
digger pine, and on many of the foothills of this range and of the
Santa Cruz, chamiso (Adenostoma fasciculatum), sage (Artemisia
calif or nicci), highland oak (Quercus wislizeni), scrub oak (Q. dumosa),
ceanothus, and various manzanitas form large areas of dense chap-
arral.

Hi INTRODUCTION

The broad Salicornia marshes surrounding the bay support a
rather numerous fauna that does not occur inland.

Lopkortyx calif or tiicus : California Partridge. — Abundant resident in hills
and valleys.

Coluniba fasciutu : Band-tailed Pigeon. — Autumn and winter visitant.

Zenaidura macroura : Mourning- Dove. — Summer visitant ; occasionally
seen in winter ; open valleys.

Gymnogyps calif or ni anus : California Vulture. — Occasional visitant in
Santa Cruz Mountains.

Cathartes aura : Turkey Buzzard. — Summer visitants of valley and moun-
tain.

Elanus leucurus : White-tailed Kite. — Resident among oak groves of the
valley.

Accipiter velox : Sharp-shinned Hawk — Common winter visitant.

Accipiter cooper ii : ( 'ooper Hawk. — Occasional transient visitant.

Circus hudsonius : Marsh Hawk. — A resident of the marshes ahout San
Francisco bay.

Buteo borealis calurus : Western Red-tail. — Common resident of the val-
ley and mountains.

Buteo lineatus elegans : Red-bellied Hawk. — Rare resident of the valley.

Buteo swainsoni: Swainson Hawk. — Rare transient visitant.

Archibuteo lagopus sancti-johannis : American Rough-legged Hawk. —
Rare transient visitant.

Archibuteo ferrugineus : Ferruginous Rough-leg. — Irregular winter vis-
itant near San Jose" (R. H. Beck).

Aquila chri/saetos : Golden Eagle. — Common resident of valley and foot-
hills.

Halitzetus leucocepkalus : Bald Eagle. — Occasional visitant.

Falco sparverius deserticola : Desert Sparrow Hawk. — Common resident.

Falco mexicanus : Prairie Falcon. — Occasional winter visitant in valley ;
resident near Santa Cruz.

Falco pereyrinus anatum : Duck Hawk. — Marshes.

Falco columbarius : Pigeon Hawk. — Fairly common winter visitant.

Strix pratincola : Barn Owl. — Common resident in valley.

Asio wilsonianus : Long-eared Owl. — Recorded from Santa Cruz Moun-
tains.

Asio accipitrinus : Short-eared Owl. — Common resident on the broad
marshes about San Francisco bay.

Megascops asio bendirei : California Screech Owl. — Common resident.

Bubo virginianus pacificus : Pacific Horned Owl. -- Permanent resident of
the valleys.

Speotyto cunicularia hypogcea : Burrowing Owl. - - Common resident of the
low valleys.

Glaucidium ynama calif ornicum : California Pygmy Owl. — A fairly com-
mon but inconspicuous resident of the Santa Cruz Mountains.

Geococcyx California nut; : Road-runner. — Uncommon resident in hot val-
leys.

Coccyzus americanus occidentalis : California Cuckoo. — Summer visitant in
heavy thickets.

Ceryle alcyon : Belted Kingfisher. -- Resident along the larger streams.

Jlryobates villas/is hnrrixii : Harris Woodpecker. --Resident in Santa Cruz
Mountains.

iJryobates J>II/H -sn-ns gairdncrii : Gairdner Woodpecker. — Common resident
in Santa Cruz Mountains, and breeds sparingly in valley.

INTRODUCTION liii

Dri/obates nuttallii : Xuttall Woodpecker. - - Recorded from Mount Ham-
ilton.

Spfii/rapi'-its nibcr : Ked-breasted Sapsucker. - - Fairly common winter
visitant, principally to Santa Cruz Mountains.

Melanerpes farmicivarus bainli : California Woodpecker. -- Abundant resi-
dent among- the oaks of the valleys.

Mdann-pes torquatus : Lewis Woodpecker. — Winter visitant.

Colaptes cqfer collaris : Red-shafted Flicker. — Abundant resident.

Phalcenoptilus nuttallii calif ornicus : Dusky Poor-will. — Uncommon resi-
dent.

Cfuttura vauxii : Vaux Swift. — Summer visitant among- redwoods ; occa-
sionally seen in valley.

Aeronautes melanoleucus : White-throated Swift. — Occasionally seen in
mig-ration ; breeds near Santa Cruz.

Calypte anna : Anna Hummingbird. — Abundant resident in valleys.

Selasphorus rufus : Rufous Hummingbird. — Occurs plentifully in the
spring1 as a migrant.

tielasphorus alleni : Allen Humming-bird. — Abundant summer visitant in
valley and hills.

Tyrannus verticals : Arkansas King-bird. — Rather common summer vis-
itant.

Myiarchus cinerascens : Ash-throated Flycatcher. — Summer visitant.

Sayornis saya : Say Phrebe. — Rather common winter visitant.

Sayornis nigricans semiatra : Western Black Phrebe. — Common resident.

Contopus borealis : Olive-sided Flycatcher. — Summer visitant in Santa
Cruz Mountains ; not common.

Contopus richardsonii : Western Wood Pewee. — Common summer vis-
itant.

Empidonax difficilis : Western Flycatcher. — Common summer visitant.

Empidonax traillii : Traill Flycatcher. — Summer visitant in willow
patches along- creeks.

Otocoris alpestris chrysolcema : Mexican Horned Lark. — Common in the
open valley.

Picanuttalli: Yellow-billed Mag-pie. -- Resident in colonies south of San
Jose*.

Cyanocitta stelleri carbonacea : l Coast Jay. — Abundant permanent resi-
dent in Santa Cruz Mountains.

Aphelocoma calif arnica : California Jay. — Abundant resident.

Corvus americanus: American Crow. --Resident in southern part of Santa
Clara valley.

Agelaius gubernator californicus: Bicolored Blackbird. — Breeds abun-
dantly in meadows bordering' marshes.

Agelaius tricolor : Tricolored Blackbird. — Occurs locally ; rare.

Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus : Yellow-headed Blackbird. — Breeds in the
marshes south of San Jose*.

Stnrnella magna neglecta : Western Meadowlark. Abundant permanent
resident.

Icterus bullocki : Bullock Oriole. — Resident for nesting- season; common.

Scolecophagus cyanocephalus : Brewer Blackbird. — Abundant permanent,
resident.

Coccothraustes vespertinus montanus : Western Evening- Grosbeak. — Occa-
sional winter visitants in flocks.

Carpodacus purpureus californicus : California Purple Finch. - - Common
resident in valley and mountains.

1 A form commonly called frontal ix. but really closer to typical stelleri than to the
Sierran form.

liv INTRODUCTION

Carpodacus mexicanus frontalis : House Finch. — Abundant resident.
Astragalinus tristis salicamans : Willow Goldfinch. — Resident in willows

and mustard patches.

Astragalinus psaltria : Arkansas Goldfinch. — Abundant resident.
Astragalinus lawrencei : Lawrence Goldfinch. — A rare summer visitant,

and erratic in its visits.

Spinuspinus: Pine Siskin. — Resident in the Santa Cruz Mountains ; mi-
grant in valley.
Ammodramus sandwichensis alaudinus : Western Savanna Sparrow. —

Abundant fall and winter visitant in valley fields.
Ammodramus sandwichensis bryanti : Bryant Marsh Sparrow. — Abundant

resident in marshes about San Francisco bay.
Ammodramus savannarum bimaculatus : Western Grasshopper Sparrow. —

Recorded from near San Jose* (R. H. Beck).
Ammodramus nelsoni : Nelson Sparrow. — Two records from Milpitas

marshes.
Pooecetes gramineus confinis : Western Vesper Sparrow. — Recorded from

near San Jose" (McGregor).
Chondestes grammacus strigat us : Western Lark Sparrow. — Commoner on

the east than on the west side of the bay.

Zonotrichia leucophrys gambelii : Gambel Sparrow. — Abundant winter vis-
itant, leaving1 in April.
Zonotrichia leucophrys nuttalli : Nuttall Sparrow. — Resident in damp

coast belt ; winter visitant in Santa Clara valley.
Zonotrichia coronata : Golden-crowned Sparrow. — An abundant winter

visitant.

Spizella socialis arizonce : Western Chipping Sparrow. — Not a very com-
mon resident.

Junco hyemalis thurberi : Sierra Junco. — Winter visitant ; not common.
Junco hyemalis pinosus : Point Pinos Junco. — Resident in Santa Cruz

Mountains, and south in humid coast belt ; commonest junco in valleys

in winter.
Amphispiza belli: Bell Sparrow. — Said to breed near Los Gatos (J. Van

Denburgh).
Aimophila rujiceps : Rufous-crowned Sparrow. — Resident, locally, on east

side of valley in sage-brush districts.
Melospiza melodia heermanni : Heermann Song- Sparrow. — Resident in

southernmost portions of Santa Clara valley uplands.
^felospiza melodia santcecrucis : 1 Santa Cruz Song Sparrow. — Common

permanent resident along streams flowing into San Francisco bay and

into Pacific Ocean from Santa Cruz Mountains.
Melospiza melodia pusillula.1 - - Resident in Salicornia marshes about San

Francisco bay.
Mclospiza melodia morphna : Rusty Song Sparrow. — Winter visitant in

Santa Cruz Mountains.

ILelospiza lincolnii : Lincoln Sparrow. - - Winter visitant.
Mf/usjiizu lincolnii striata : Forbush Sparrow. - - Casual winter visitant ;

marshes.
Passerella iliaca unalaschcensis : Townsend Sparrow. — Common winter

visitant in valley and Santa Cruz Mountains.
Pipilo maculatus megalonyx: Spurred Towhee. — Abundant resident in

valley and in Santa Cruz Mountains.
Pipilo fuscus crissalis: California Towhee. — Abundant resident in valley

and mountains.

1 A local race not yet acted upon by A. O. U. committee.

INTRODUCTION Iv

Zam/elodia melanocephala : Black-headed Grosbeak. — Abundant spring
and summer visitant ; departs after nesting.

Cyanospiza amn-na : Lazuli Bunting'. — A common summer visitant during
nesting1 season.

Piranga ludoviciana : Louisiana Tauager. — Occurs in Santa Cruz Moun-
tains during' migrations.

Progne subis hesperia : Western Martin. — Reported from Mount Hamilton

range.

Petrochelidon lunifrons : CHff Swallow. — Common summer visitant.

Hirundo ert/thrt>(/d*tra : Barn Swallow. — Summer resident.

Tachycineta bicolor : Tree Swallow. — Abundant in spring and summer :
rare in winter.

Tachycineta thalassina lepida : Northern Violet-green Swallow. — Common
summer visitant.

Stelgidopteryx serripennis : Rough-winged Swallow. — Reported as breed-
ing at San Jose* (J. Van Denburgh) ; migrant at Palo Alto.

, 1 mpelis cedrorum : Cedar Waxwing. — Irregular winter visitant.

Phainopepla nitens : Phainopepla. — Recorded from near San Jose*.

Lanius ludovicianus gambeli : California Shrike. — Abundant resident in
valley.

Vireo gilvus : Warbling Vireo. — Common summer visitant.

Vireo huttoni : Hutton Vireo. — Abundant resident in Santa Cruz Moun-
tains ; common summer visitant in valley.

Vireo solitarius cassinii : Cassiii Vireo. — Summer visitant in Santa Cruz
Mountains.

Helminthophila celata lutescens : Lutescent Warbler. — Rummer visitant on
chaparral slopes of Santa Cruz Mountains.

Dendroica (.estiva : Yellow Warbler. — Abundant summer resident.

Dendroica auduboni : Audubon Warbler. — Abundant Aviuter visitant.

Dendroica coronata : Myrtle Warbler. — Rather common winter visitant.

Dendroica nigrescens : Black-throated Gray Warbler. — Reported from
Mount Hamilton Range.

Dendroica toicnsendi : Townsend Warbler. — Common winter visitant in
Santa Cruz Mountains and about Monterey Bay.

Dendroica occidentalis : Hermit Warbler. — Occurs rarely during migra-
tions.

Geothlypis tolmiei : Tolmie Warbler. — Recorded from Los Gatos ; rare.

Geothlypis trichas sinitosa : l Western Yellow-throat. — Breeds about edges
of marshes of San Francisco Bay.

Icteria virens longicauda : Long-tailed Chat. — Summer visitant along water-
courses.

Wilsonia pusilla pileolata : Pileolated Warbler. — Common in copses and
willow thickets.

Anthus pensilvanicus : American Pipit. — Abundant during winter months.

Cinclus mexicanus: Water Ouzel. — Permanent resident on streams in
Santa Cruz Mountains.

Mimus polyglottos leucopterus: Western Mockingbird. — Occasional visitant
at Stanford University.

Toxostoma redivivum : Calif ornian Thrasher. — Common resident in thickets.

Salpinctes obsoletus : Rock Wren. — Permanent resident in eastern and
southern valley foothills, in dry. rocky places.

Catherpes mexicanus punctulatus : Dotted Canyon Wren. — Breeds in foot-
hills east of San Jose*.

1 Occidentalis of authors. This form has not been acted upon by the A. O. U. com-
mittee. It is nearer arizela than occidentalis.

Ivi INTRODUCTION

Thryomanes bewickii spilurus : Vigors Wren. — Common resident.
Troglodytes aedon parkmanii : Parkman Wren. — Summer visitant among

live-oaks.
Olbiorchiius hiemalis pacificus : Western Winter Wren. --Resident in the

Santa Cruz Mountains.
Cistothorus palustris paludicola : Tule Wren. - - Resident on Salicornia

marshes ; breeds in scirpus patches altogether.
Certhia familiaris occidentalis : Calif ornian Creeper. -- Resident in Santa

Cruz Mountains.
Sitta carolinensis aculeata : Slender-billed Nuthatch. — Resident in Santa

Cruz Mountains ; oaks.
Parus inornatus : Plain Titmouse. — Permanent resident among live, white,

and blue oaks.
Parus rufescens barlowi : l Barlow Chickadee. — Resident in Santa Cruz

Mountains, migrating to the valleys in winter.
Chamwafasciata intermedia : - Wren-Tit. — Common permanent resident of

Santa Cruz Mountains and of valley. Found usually on chaparral hills.
Psaltriparus minimus californicus : California Bush-Tit. — Common perma-
nent resident.
Segulus satrapa olivaceus : Western Golden-crowned Kinglet. — Winter

visitant in Santa Cruz Mountains.
Regulus calendula : Ruby-crowned Kinglet. — Abundant winter visitant in

valley and Santa Cruz Mountains.
Eegulus calendula grinnelli : Sitkan Kinglet. — Winter visitant to Santa Cruz

Mountains and to Monterey.
Polioptila carulea obscura : Western Guatcatcher. — Recorded from near

Mount Hamilton.
Myadestes townsendii : Townsend Solitaire. — Fairly common winter visitant

to Santa Cruz Mountains.
Hylocichla ustulata : Russet-backed Thrush. — Abundant summer visitant,

arriving in April.
Hylocichla guttata : Alaska Hermit Thrush. — Abundant winter visitant in

valley and Santa Cruz Mountains.
Hylocichla guttata slevini:s Monterey Hermit Thrush. — Summer visitant

in Santa Cruz Mountains, south in humid belt, along coast.
Menda migratoria propinqua : Western Robin. — A very abundant winter

visitant.
Ixoreus niKvius : Varied Thrush. — Abundant winter visitant: November

till last of March.

Sialia mexicana occidentalis: Western Bluebird. — Common resident.
tiialia arctica : Mountain Bluebird. — Rare or casual winter visitant.

LIST OF BIRDS TO BE LOOKED FOR IN THE VICINITY OF

PASADENA.

BY JOSEPH GRINNELL.

This list includes only such species as are believed to be of more
or less regular occurrence within a radius of ten miles of Pasadena.

1 A form occupying the Santa Cruz Mountain district and distinguished from ncglecttis
by absence of brown on flanks.

2 Not yet acted on by A. O. U. committee. (F. M. B.)

3 This remarkable little thrush lias been recently described by Joseph Grhmell, and
can be at once distinguished by its very small size and pale coloring. (The Auk, July,
1901, xviii. 258.)

INTRODUCTION Ivii

This area consists of 'mountains' (Sierra Madre), and 'valley' (San
Gabriel). The mountains are divided into spruce-wooded 'higher
mountains,' such as Wilson's Peak and Mt. Lowe, and brush-cov-
ered 'foothills.' The valley is separated into a 'mesa,' the dry
elevated plain sloping down from the foothills ; and the ' lowlands,'
which include the 'willow bottoms,' such as the San Gabriel river
bed in the neighborhood of El Monte. The 'oak regions' occupy
an intermediate area, in places running up on to the foothills.

In general, as far as I know, it may be said that the ' lowlands,'
the 'mesas,' and tongues extending up into the foothills are Lower
Souoran; that the 'oak regions,' and 'foothills,' and even the hot
slopes of the highest peaks, are Upper Sonoran ; while the north
slopes and deep canyons of the ' mountains ' to their summits, within
the ten mile radius of the list, are mainly Transition, but with a
trace of Canadian, and with such characteristic birds as the mountain
chickadee, blue-fronted jay, plumed partridge, junco, and slender-
billed nuthatch. Pasadena itself is Lower Sonoran, having such
birds as the phainopepla, mockingbird, road-runner, Texas night-
hawk, and Costa hummingbird.

jflSchmophorus occidentalis : Western Grebe. — Occasional winter visitant

on the larger ponds.
Podilymbus podiceps : Pied-billed Grebe. — Fairly common resident on

tule-margined ponds.

Gavia imber : Loon. — Frequent in winter on large ponds and reservoirs.
Larus californicus : California Gull. — Occasional in winter about ponds

and streams.
Phalacrocorax dilophus albociliatus : Farallone Cormorant. — Frequent in

winter on the larger ponds.

Pelecanus erythrorhynchos : American White Pelican. — Occurs in migra-
tion ; also more rarely about ponds in winter.
Merganser serrator : Red-breasted Merganer - - Occasional midwinter

visitant on the lowlands.
Anas boschas : Mallard. — Fairly common resident in the vicinity of

streams and ponds.

Mareca americana : Baldpate. — Common winter visitant.
Nettion carol inensis : Green-winged Teal. — Common winter visitant.
Querquedula cyanoptera: Cinnamon Teal. --Common spring and summer

visitant on ponds and marshes.

Spatula clypeata : Shoveller. — Common winter visitant.
Erismatura jamaicensis : Ruddy Duck. — Common resident on the larger

ponds.
Botaurus lentiginosus : American Bittern. — Common winter visitant on

marsh lands.
Ardea herodias : Great Blue Heron. -- Common resident in the lower

country.
Ardea virescens anthonyi : Anthony Green Heron. — Common migrant about

streams and ponds.

Iviii INTRODUCTION

.\t/cticorax nycticarax navius: Black-crowned Night Heron. — Common

migrant about streams and ponds.
Grusmexicana: Sandhill Crane. — Common in mig-ration and occasional

during winter.
/,',/////* virgimamts: Virginia Rail. — Fairly common migrant on marsh

lands and along streams.

I'nrzmtd Carolina : Sora. — Fairly common resident of marsh lands.
Gallinula galeata : Florida Gallinule. — Fairly common resident on the

larger tale-bordered ponds.
Fnlirn n/iiiririinn : American Coot. — Common resident on any body of

water.
nintantoj,ns mcrlranns : Black-necked Stilt. — Fairly common migrant in

the lower country.
(tdllinayo ddicata: Wilson Snipe. -- Fairly common winter visitant to

lower grass lands.
Trinrja in in nt ilia: Least Sandpiper. — Fairly common migrant and winter

visitant about streams and ponds.
Trinyu ali>ina pacijica : Red-backed Sandpiper. — Occasional migrant,

occurring at ponds.
Helix/roinds snlituriiis rinnantomeus : Western Solitary Sandpiper. — Fairly

common migrant along streams.
Actitis macularia : Spotted Sandpiper. — Common migrant, occurring

about any ponds or streams.

sEgialitis vocifera : Killdeer. - - Abundant resident on any marsh lands.
Oreortyx pictus plumiferus : Plumed Partridge. — Common resident of the

mountains: occasional along their bases.
Lojifi'>rti/.r ciilifnrnicus vallicola : Valley Partridge. — Abundant resident

of brush lands.
Columha fasciata : Band-tailed Pigeon. — Common winter visitant to the

oak regions.

Zenaiilnrii i/Kicroiirti : Mourning Dove. — Abundant resident everywhere.
Gi/Htnoui/jis calif ornianus : California Vulture. — Fairly common resident

of the mountains.

Catlmrtis nurd : Turkey Vulture. — Abundant resident everywhere.
Ciri-its futilsmiiiis : Marsh Hawk. — Common resident in the lower couu-

t ry .

Arrijiittr velox : Sharp-shinned Hawk. — Common winter visitant every-
where.
Ai-rijiiti r < ni, j,, fit : Cooper Hawk. — Fairly common resident along the

foothills.
Hutin litirtu/ix nilitritti : Western Red-tail. — Common resident every-

where.
rSnt'ii Hin n tn.-. i /it/tins: Red-bellied Hawk. -- Fairly common resident in

tin- lo\\ .•]• cMiuit ry.

lintin *ir<iinxniii : S\\;unson lla\vk. — Common spring and summer vis-
itant.
A'/iii'n chrysaefos : (lolden Ka^h-.-- Faiily common resident of the moun-

tains.
l-'.ili-i, mexicamu: I'rairi^ Falcon.-- Uare visitant to the foothill regions.

o columbarius : I'i^eon Hawk.-- Fairly common winter visitant.
l-'i/n, sfiiirn rni!, i/i .^rtirnln : Desert Sparrow I lawk. - -Abundant resident

e\i-|'\ \\ lli-lc.

Stlix /n-iitiiirnld : American Darn ( )wl. — Common resident of the oak
i . •_• imis.

Asm wilfionianus , American Long-eared Owl. -- Fairly common resident

..I i In- lou lands.

INTRODUCTION lix

Asio accipitrinus : Short-eared Owl. — Rare winter visitant to the low-
lands.

Syrnium occidentals : Spotted Owl. — Resident of the mountains ; perhaps
fairly common, though not often met with.

Megascops usio beiudirei : California Screech Owl. — Common resident
everywhere.

Bubo virginianus pacijicus : Pacific Horned Owl. — Fairly common resident
in the oak region.

Speotyto cuniculariu hypog&a : Burrowing- Owl. — Common resident of the
mesas and lowlands.

Glaucidium gnoma : Pygmy Owl. — Resident of the mountains; perhaps
fairly common, though by nature of its habits not often seen.

Geococcyx calif ornianus : Road-runner. — Fairly common resident of the
mesas and foothills ; rapidly becoming- scarce.

Coccyzus americanus occidentalis : California Cuckoo. — Rare summer vis-
itant to the willow bottoms.

Ceryle ulcyon : Belted Kingfisher. — Common migrant, appearing at re-
servoirs and along- streams.

Dryobates villosus hyloscopus: Cabanis Woodpecker. — Fairly common in
the mountains ; resident.

Dryobates pubescens turati : Willow Woodpecker.1 — Fairly common in the
willow regions ; resident.

Dryobates nuttallii : Nuttall Woodpecker. — Common resident in the oak
and foothill regions ; visits the willow bottoms in fall and winter.

Xenopicus albolarvatus : White-headed Woodpecker. — Fairly common re-
sident in the higher mountains.

Sphyrapicus varius nuchalis: Red-naped Sapsucker. — Rare midwinter vis-
itant along the foothills.

Sphyrapicus varius daygetti : - Sierra Sapsucker. — Common winter visitant,
often about orchards and on pepper-trees along the city streets.

Sphyrapicus thyroideus : Williamson Sapsucker. — Rare winter visitant on
the mountains.

Melanerpes formicivorus bairdi : California!! Woodpecker. — Common resi-
dent of the oak regions.

Melanerpes torquatus : Lewis Woodpecker. — Fairly common winter vis-
itant to the oak regions.

Colaptes cafer collar is : Red-shafted Flicker. — Common resident of both
the mountains and lowlands.

Phalcenoptilus nuttallii calif or nicus : Dusky Poor-will. — Common resident
of the foothills.

Chordeiles acutipennis texensis : Texas Nighthawk. — Common summer vis-
itant, chiefly on the dry mesas.

Chcetura vauxii : Vaux Swift. — Common migrant along the foothills.

Aeronautes melanoleucus : White-throated Swift. — Fairly common, except
in midwinter, along the foothills and in the mountains.

Trochilus alexandri : Black-chinned Hummingbird. — Common summer
visitant along the foothills and in the mountain canyons.

Calypte cosUe : Costa Hummingbird. — Common summer visitant to the
dry mesas.

Calypte anna : Anna Humming-bird. — Common resident anywhere.

Selasphorus rttfus : Rufous Hummingbird. — Common migrant every-
where.

Selasphorus alleni : Allen Hummingbird. — Fairly common spring migrant
along the foothills.

1 Not yet acted on by A. O. U. committee. (F. M. B.) - S. ruber of the Check-List.

lx INTRODUCTION

Stellula calliope: Calliope Hummingbird. --Fairly common summer vis-
itant on the mountains.
Tyrannus verticalis : Arkansas Kingbird. — Common summer visitant to

the valley. . .

Tyrannus vociferans : Cassin Kingbird. — Fairly common winter visitant

to the valley.

Myiarchus cinerascens : Ash-throated Flycatcher. - - Fairly common sum-
mer visitant in the oak and foothill regions.

Sai/ornis sat/a : Say Phoebe. — Common winter visitant to the valley.

Sdyarnis nigricans semiatra : Western Black Pho3be. — Common resident
of the valley.

Contopus borealis : Olive-sided Flycatcher. — Fairly common summer vis-
itant on the mountains ; migrant through the valley.

Contopus richarclsonii : Western Wood Pewee. — Common summer visitant
to the canyons and mountains.

Empidonax diffidlis : Western Flycatcher. — Common summer visitant to
the mountain canyons.

Empidonax traillii /Traill Flycatcher. — Common summer visitant to the
willow bottoms.

Empidonax hainmomli : Hammond Flycatcher. — Fairly common migrant
along the foothills.

Empidonax griseus : Gray Flycatcher. — Rare winter visitant to the val-
ley.

Otocoris alpestris actia : California Horned Lark.1 — Common resident of
the lowland plains.

Cyanocitta stelleri frontalis : Blue-fronted Jay. — Common resident of the
mountains.

Aphelocoma calif ornica : California Jay. — Common resident of the foothill
regions.

Corvus corax simuitns : American Raven. -- Frequent but irregular tran-
sient visitant to the valley.

Corvus amt-ricanus hesperis :l California Crow. — Common resident of the
lowlands.

Cyanocephalus cyanocephalus : Pinon Jay. — Irregular fall visitant to the
mesas and mountains.

Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus: Yellow-headed Blackbird. — Rare and
irregular winter visitant.

Agelaius phoeniceus >initr<ilfs: San Diego Redwing. — Common resident of
the lowlands.

Stnnicllti tinii/nii m (//I'ctn : Western Meadowlark. -- Common resident of

the valley.

Irt<-rus riirii/liittts /K/sotti : Arizona Hooded Oriole. — Common summer vis-
itant to the mesas and canyons.

Irii ,-us Inillncki : ISullofk Oriole. — Common summer visitant to the valley.
Scolecophagus cyanocephalus: Brewer Blackbird. -- Abundant resident of

the lou lands and cultivated mesas.
Coccotkraustes vespertinus ittf»i/<n,us : Western Evening Grosbeak. — Rare

aii'l i: i •c^-iilai- winter visitant along (he mountains.
( 'nr/ioi/'K -us jiiir/Hin us rmi/iiniicus : California Purple Finch. - Fairly

coiiiiiion winter \isitant to the valley.

( 'nr/»>tifirii* russini : Cassin I'urjilc Finch.-- Fairly common resident on the
higher mountains.

i/(i'-ns mexicanus frontalis : lI<Mise Finch. --Abundant resident of the

\alley everywhere.

1 Not yt acted on by A. 0. IT. committee. (F. M. B.)

INTRODUCTION Ixi

Loxia curvirostra bendirei : 1 Sierra Crossbill. — Rare and irregular winter
visitant.

Astragalinus tristis salicamans : Willow Goldfinch. — Common resident of
the lowlands.

Astragalinus psaltna : Arkansas Goldfinch. — Abundant resident of the
valley.

Astragalinus lawrencei ; Lawrence Goldfinch. — Fairly common spring and
summer visitant to 'the mountains and mesas.

Spinuspinus : Pine Siskin. --Irregular winter visitant anywhere.

Po(£cetes gramineus conjinis : Western Vesper Sparrow. — Fairly common
winter visitant on the mesas.

Pocecetes gramineus affinis : Oregon Vesper Sparrow. — Fairly common
winter visitant to the valley.

Aitiinodramus sandicichen.sis alaudinus: Western Savanna Sparrow^ —
Abundant winter visitant to the ^owland plains.

Ammodramus sarannarum bimaculatus : Western Grasshopper Sparrow. —
Rare winter visitant to the valley.

Chondestes grammaciis striyatus : Western Lark Sparrow. — Common resi-
dent of the valley.

Zonotrichia lrn<-»)>hrys yantbelii : Intermediate Sparrow. — Abundant winter
visitant to the valley.

Zonotrichia coronata : Golden-crowned Sparrow. -- Common winter visitant
to the foothill regions.

Hpizella socialis arizome : Western Chipping Sparrow. — Common summer
visitant, everywhere ; less common during the winter on the mesas only.

Xpizella breireri : Brewer Sparrow. - - Rare migrant along the foothills.

X]>izella atroyidaris : Black-chinned Sparrow. — Rare summer visitant on
the mountain slopes.

Junco kye mail's : Slate-colored Junco. - - Rare winter visitant to the valley.

Jtinco hyemalis thurberi : Sierra Junco. — Common midwinter visitant to
the valley : resident in the mountains.

Amphispiza belli : Bell Sparrow. -- Fairly common resident on the mesas.

Aimophilfi rnficeps: Rufous-crowned Sparrow. — Rare resident of the
foothills.

^felospiza cinerea cooper i : l San Diego Song Sparrow. — Common resident
of the lowlands.

Mrlospiza lincolnii : Lincoln Sparrow. - - Fairly common migrant and winter
visitant in the valley.

Passerella iliaca insuiaris : Kadiak Fox Sparrow.1 — Common winter vis-
itant on the mountains.

Passerella iliaca megarhyncha : Thick-billed Fox Sparrow. — Fairly com-
mon winter visitant on the mountains.

Pipilo maculatus megalonyx : Spurred Towhee. — Common resident of
brushlands everywhere.

Pipihfuscus senicula : Anthony Towhee. --Abundant resident of the val-
ley.

Oreospiza chlornra : Green-tailed Towhee. — Rare migrant along the foot-
hills.

Zamelodia melanocephala : Black-headed Grosbeak. — Common summer
visitant to the valley.

Gniraca ccerulea lazula : Western Blue Grosbeak. — Rare summer visitant
on the mesas.

Cyanospiza amcena: Lazuli Bunting. — Common summer visitant to the
foothills and mesas.

1 Not yet acted on by A. O. U. committee. (F. M. B.)

Ixii INTRODUCTION

Piranga ludovidana: Western Tanager. — Common summer visitant on

the mountains ; common migrant on the mesas.
Progne subis hesperia : Western Martin. — Fairly common summer visitant

to the mountains.
Petrocheiidon lunifrons : Cliff Swallow. — Abundant migrant and summer

visitant to the valley.
Hintndo erythrogastra : Barn Swallow — Fairly common migrant through

the valley.
Tachycineta bicolor : Tree Swallow. — Common resident of the lowlands, a

few wintering.

Tachycineta thcdassina lepida : Northern Violet-green Swallow. — Common

summer visitant to the mountains ; abundant migrant through the valley.

Stelgidopteryx serripennis : Rough-winged Swallow. — Fairly common sum-

mer visitant to the mesas.
Ampelis cedrorum : Cedar Waxwing. — Common winter visitant to the

valley.
Phainopepla nitens : Phainopepla. — Common summer visitant to the

mesas.
Lanius hidovicianus gambeli : California Shrike. — Common resident of the

valley.
Vireo gilvus swainsoni:1 Western Warbling Vireo. — Abundant migrant

through the valley ; fairly common summer visitant locally.
Vireo solitarius cassinii : Cassin Yireo. — Common summer visitant in the

mountain canyons.
Vireo huttoni : Hutton Vireo. — Fairly common resident of the oak

regions.

Vireo jjusillus : Least Vireo. — Common summer visitant to the valley.
Helminthophila rubricapilla gutturalis : Calaveras Warbler. — Fairly com-

mon migrant through the valley.
Helminthophila celata lutescens : Lutescent Warbler. — Common migrant

through the valley ; rare summer visitant to the foothills and canyons.
Helminthophila celata sortlida : Dusky Warbler. -- Common fall visitant to

the valley and foothills.
Dendroifti nxfim morcoini :'- Western Yellow Warbler. — Common sum-

mer visitant to the willow bottoms and mountain canyons.
Dendroica coronata : Myrtle Warbler. - - Rare midwinter visitant to the

valley.
Dendroica auduboni : Audubon Warbler. — Abundant winter visitant

everywhere.
Dendroica nigrescent* : Black-throated Gray Warbler.-- Common summer

visitant ti> the mountains; migrant through the valley.
Drtidrtiifti intrust IK! i : Townsend Warbler. --Fairly common migrant over

tin- mesas and footliills.
l)> Hdmifti tn-fitlt tifidis : Hermit Warbler. — Fairly common migrant along

the foothills and mesas.
< •> utfili/jiis /»/ //</< i : Tolmie Warbler. — Fairly common migrant along the

foothills.
Geothlypis Irifhu* tiri-tlti: Pacific Yellow-throat. — Common resident of

tlie lo\\ lands and migrant along the foothills.

Geothlypis ir'n-lm* si'ir/iirn/ii : :; Tnle Yellow-throat. — Common resident of
the lowlands.

i >-iu rirDis longicauda: Long-tailed Chat. Fairly common summer
visitant to the \\ilh.w liottoms.

r/;7c»/.s-(,f Clierk-List. (F. JM. B.)
1 1. a StiVO of Check-List. (F. M. ]',. )
* Not yet acted 011 by A. O. U. committee. (F. M. B.)

INTRODUCTION Ixiii

}\'ilsonia pusilla pileolata : Pileolated Warbler. — Abundant migrant
through the valley ; common summer visitant to the willow bottoms.

Anthus pensilvanicus : American Pipit. — Common winter visitant to the
lowlands.

Cinclus mexicanus : American Dipper. — Rare resident of the mountain
canyons.

Mimus polyglottos leucopterus : Western Mockingbird. — Abundant resident
of the valley, especially on the mesas.

Toxostoma redivivum jiasadenense : Pasadena Thrasher. — Common resi-
dent of brush lands anywhere.

Heleodytes brunneicapillus : Cactus Wren. — Rare resident locally on the
mesas.

Salpinctes obsoletus : Rock Wren. — Fairly common winter visitant to the
valley.

Caiherpes mexicanus punctulatus : Dotted Canyon Wren. — Fairly common
resident of the mountain canyons.

Thryomanes bewickii charienturus : San Diegan Wren. — Common resident of
the mountains ; common winter visitant to the brush lands in the valley.

Troglodytes aedon parkmanii : Parkman Wren. — Fairly common summer
visitant everywhere.

Olbiarchilus hiemalis pacificus : Western AVinter Wren. — Rare midwinter
visitant to the mountains.

Cistothorus palustris paludicola : Tule Wren. — Common resident of the
lowland marshes.

Certhia familiaris zelotes : Sierra Creeper. — Fairly common resident on
the mountains.

Sitta carolinensis aculeata : Slender-billed Nuthatch. Fairly common resi-
dent on the mountains.

Sitta canadensis : Red-breasted Nuthatch. — Irregular winter visitant to
the mountains.

Sitta pygmcea : Pygmy Nuthatch. — Fairly common resident of the higher
mountains.

Parus inornatus : Plain Titmouse. — Common resident of the oak regions.

Parus gambeli : Mountain Chickadee. — Common resident on the moun-
tains.

Chamcea fasciata : Wren-Tit. — Common resident of brush lands every-
where.

Psaltriparus minimus calif ornicus: California Bush-Tit. — Abundant resi-
dent of the oak regions of the valley and foothills.

Begulus satrapa olivaceus : Western Golden-crowned Kinglet. — Rare mid-
winter visitant to the mountains and mesas.

Begulus calendula : Ruby-crowned Kinglet. — Abundant winter visitant
everywhere.

Polioptila ccerulea obscura : Western Gnatcatcher. — Common resident
everywhere.

Polioptila californica : Black-tailed Gnatcatcher. — Rare resident locally
on brushy mesas.

Myadestes townsendii : Townsend Solitaire. — Fairly common winter visit-
ant to the mountains.

Hylocichla ustulata : Russet-backed Thrush. — Common summer visitant
to the willow bottoms ; migrant along the foothills.

Hylocichla guttata : Alaska Hermit Thrush. — Abundant winter visitant
everywhere.

Hylocichla guttata slevini : l Monterey Hermit Thrush. — Rare spring
migrant over the mesas.

1 Not yet acted on by A. O. U. committee. (F. M. B.)

INTRODUCTION

Merula migratoria propinqua : Western Robin. -- Common winter visitant
to the valley.

Ixoreus ncevius meruloides : Northern Varied Thrush.- Common mid-
winter visitant to the mountains and mesas.

Sialia mexicana occidentalis : Western Bluebird. — Common summer visit-
ant on the mountains ; common winter visitant to the valley.

Sicdia arctica : Mountain Bluebird. — Fairly common midwinter visitant
to the valley.

LIST OF THE BIRDS OF FORT SHERMAN, IDAHO.

From Dr. J. C. Merrill1 s Notes in The Auk, vol. xiv. 347-357, 1897, and

vol. xv. 14-22, 1898.

Fort Sherman is in northern Idaho, on Coeur d'Alene Lake, which
is encircled by hills clad with conifers, and near the Cceur d'Alene
Mountains. The mouths of streams flowing into the lake afford
flats with tules, water grasses, willows, and a few cottonwoods,
which are frequented by land birds and a few marsh birds and ducks.
At the southern end of the lake the marshy valley of the St. Joseph
River affords good nesting and autumnal feeding ground for water
birds. When the lake is open a few birds remain on it, going from
it to the Spokane River when driven out by ice. The local cli-
matic conditions somewhat resemble those of the Northern Cascade
Range, and while the avifauna is essentially that of the Rocky
Mountains it has Cascade Mountain elements.

j^Echmophorus occidentalis : Western Grebe. — A single specimen taken.

Colymbus holbcellii : Holboell Grebe. — Resident, but most common during
migrations.

Podilymbus podiceps .-"Pied-billed Grebe. — Common on the lake in spring
and fall.

Gavia imber : Loon. - - Resident and quite common except in winter.

Larus argentatus : Herring Gull. — Several taken on the lake during fall
and winter.

Lams delawarensis : Ring-billed Gull. — Fall and winter visitant.

Lar 11 s Philadelphia : Bonaparte Gull. -- One taken and several seen in No-
vember.

Sttrnn. — A small white tern breeds about the lake, but no specimens
were taken.

Phalacrocarax dilophus cincinatus: White-crested Cormorant. — Several
cormorants, probably of this form, were seen in September.

Mtrt/nnsi r n mi rit-n mis : Merganser. — Common during fall and winter.

Merganser si mi/or .- Red-breasted Merganser. — A single specimen taken.

Lcphodytes cucullatiis : Hooded Merganser. -- The most abundant of the
mergansers, ti e.|ueni in^ especially the rivers, and in the fall collecting
in ilucks of fi>rt\ or fifty individuals.

Anns l>t>s<-/ins : Mallard. - - The commonest duck of the vicinity, a few re-
maining throughout the winter.

Marten americana: ISaldpate. — Common fall visitant on marshes at
southern end of hike.

INTRODUCTION Ixv

Nettion carolinensis : Green-winged Teal. — Quite common, especially dur-
ing- migrations.

Qiierquedula cyanoptera : Cinnamon Teal. — Rare ; a female with several
young' two or three days old seen. June 11.

Spatula clypeata : .Shoveller. — Common ; breeds in St. Joseph marshes.

Dafita acuta : Pintail. — Common migrant.

Aix sponsa : Wood Duck. — Common summer visitor, especially abun-
dant in early fall.

Aythya collar is : Ring-necked Duck. — Seems to be more common than
the other * blue-bills.' one or both of which occur but were not certainly
identified.

Clangula islandica : Barrow Golden-eye. — Abundant throughout the win-
ter ; all the golden-eyes seen were of this species, although the other
doubtless occurs.

Charitonetta albeola : Duffle-head. — Common during winter.

Histrionicus histrionicus : Harlequin Duck. — Rare, but occasionally taken
on the St. Joseph and Coenr d Alene rivers.

Erismatitra jamaicensis : Ruddy Duck. — Not uncommon in spring and
fall.

Chen sp. ? : Ross Snow Goose. — Reported by hunters, but decidedly
rare.

Anser albifrons gambdi : White-fronted Goose. — Reported by hunters, but
rare.

Branta canadensis : Canada Goose. — Common- in spring, rare in fall.
Most abundant goose, especially on prairie at southern end of lake ; a
few nest near the lake ; on the fall flight they and many of the ducks
pass south over the open prairie fifty miles west of the lake.

Olorsp.? — In spring swans are sometimes quite common on lake and
marshes. No specimens taken.

Botaurus lentiginosus : Bittern. — Rather common in suitable localities
about the lake.

Grus mexicana : Sandhill Crane. -- Not uncommon migrant; a few prob-
ably breed.

Porzana Carolina : Sora. — Not rare in marshes ; breeds.

Fulica antfricanti : Coot. — Common, especially in autumn.

Phularopus lobatus : Northern Phalarope. — Common fall migrant.

Hecurvirostra mm-ricana: Avocet. — A pair seen and one taken in Sep-
tember.

Gallinago delicatn : Wilson Snipe. — Usually rather uncommon migrant.

Macrorhamphus yriaeun : Dowitcher. — Five taken in September on St. Jo-
seph marshes.

Tringa maculata : Pectoral Sandpiper. — Common in 1890 from last of
August till early October.

Trinya mi nut ilia : Least Sandpiper. — Three taken in August.

Ereunetes occidentals : Western Sandpiper. — One taken with the least
sandpipers.

Totanus melanolciicus : Greater Yellow-legs. — Rather common fall mi-
grant ', one heard in June.

Helodromas solitarius : Solitary Sandpiper. — A young bird taken in August.

Bartramia longicauda : Bartramian Sandpiper. — Breeds not uncommonly
on prairie north of fort.

Actitis macularia : Spotted Sandpiper. — Common summer visitor.

Numenius longirostris : Long-billed Curlew. — Not uncommon on prairie.

Squatarola squatarola : Black-bellied Plover. — Four taken in September
on St. Joseph marshes.

lxvi INTRODUCTION

Charadrius dominions : Golden Plover. — Usually rare.

.-Kyialitis vocifera : Killdeer. — A few pairs breed on the prairie near the
Spokane River.

Dmdragapus obscurus richardsonii : Richardson Grouse. — Occasionally
found about the fort; breeds from lake level to top of mountains.

Canachites franklinti : Franklin Grouse. — Common in surrounding woods.

Bonasa umbellus togata : Canadian Ruffed Grouse. — Exceedingly abun-
dant.

Pedicecetes phasianellus columbianus : Columbian Sharp-tailed Grouse. -
Quite common, particularly about ranches on prairie north of fort ; win-
ters in pine woods.

Z> until 'nra macroura : Mourning Dove. — Not common, but generally dis-
tributed.

Cathartes aura : Turkey Vulture. — A few seen at intervals during the
summer.

Circus hudsonius : Marsh Hawk. — Not uncommon in autumn.

Accipiter velox: Sharp-shinned Hawk. — One taken in May.

Accipiter atricapillus : Goshawk. — Rather common in migrations and
winter, and probably breeds.

Enteo swainsoni : Swainson Hawk. -- A young bird taken in September.

Archibuteo lagopus sancti-johamns : Rough-legged Hawk. — Occasionally
seen in spring and fall.

Aquila chrysaetos : Golden Eagle. — Occurs sparingly throughout the
year.

Halueetus leucocephalus : Bald Eagle. — A few pairs breed about the lake ;
an adult seen in February.

Falco mexicanus : Prairie Falcon. — Rare ; taken in September.

Falco richardsonii : Richardson Merlin. — Taken in August and October.

Falco sparverius deserticola : Desert Sparrow Hawk. — Summer resi-
dent.

Pandion halia'i'-tns carolinensis : Fish Hawk. — Frequently seen in summer.

Asia wilsonianus : Long-eared Owl. — A single specimen examined.

Asio accipitrinus : Short-eared Owl. — Often flushed on prairie and
marshes.

.\//ct(i/it tengmalmi ri<-fmr<lsoni : Richardson Owl. - -Three specimens seen.

Nyrtuld uriidi a : Saw-whet Owl. — A specimen taken in January. Notes
frequently heard in spring.

Megascops asio subsp. ? - -Screech owls occasionally heard, doubtless mac-
farlanei. Apparently <juitf rare.

llnlin virginianus pallescens : Western Horned Owl.

liulu, rirgitiiiiiiiis suliiraltis : Dusky Horned Owl. --Both forms of the
•_M->'aT horned owl occur commonly.

t>-n iii/i-fui : Snowy ( )wl. -- Irregular winter visitor.

Glauddium >/n<>/i/ti : Pygmy Owl. — A not uncommon resident.

('iH-rir.iis tiiinririiitiis nrcii/t iitii/is : California Cuckoo. — One seen in July.

Ciri/li tilriin n : Uelted Kinglislier. — Common in summer ; a few winter.
Dryobates r//l<,sns hyloscopus: ('al)anis Woodpecker. --Abundant in win-
i«-i ; lirerds sparingly.

Dryobates /»i/n *n /is Immurus : Batehelder Woodpecker. --Rather uncom-
mon re-ident.

.\ i nil/urns albolarvatus : White-headed Woodpecker. -- Rare resident.
l'ii-i,if/rs arcticus: A.rctic Three-toed Woodpecker.-- Fairly common resi-
dent.

Sphyrapicus rm-ius nm-fni/is: IJed-naped Sapsucker. -- A few pairs breed

.•Milling t he col tmiwoods.

INTRODUCTION Ixvii

Spkyrapicus thyroideus : Williamson Sapsucker. — Seen near Coeur
d'Alene.

Ceophlteus pileatus abieticola : Pileated Woodpecker. — Rather common
resident.

Mdanerpes torquatus : Lewis Woodpecker. — Summer resident, breeding
in cottonwoods and pines.

Colaptes cafer collaris : Red-shafted Flicker. — Common summer resi-
dent.

Chordeiles virginianus : Nighthawk. — Common summer resident.

Chcetura vauxii : Vaux Swift. — Seen in May and July ; some probably
breed.

Trochilus alexandri : Black-chinned Hummingbird. — Fairly common in
spring1 ; a few remain to breed.

Selasphorus rufus : Rufous Hummingbird. — Common spring migrant ;
probably breeds.

Stellula calliope : Calliope Hummingbird. — Common summer resident.

Tyrannus tyrannus : Kingbird. — Fairly common summer resident.

Tyrannus verticalis : Arkansas Kingbird. — Rare ; a pair or two breed
near the fort.

Sayornis saya : Say Flycatcher. — Common at Co3ur d'Alene.

Contopus borealis : Olive-sided Flycatcher. — Breeds sparingly on hill-
sides.

Contopus richardsonii : Western Wood Pewee. — Very common in pines and
cottonwoods.

Empidonax hammondi : Hammond Flycatcher. — Common summer resi-
dent among cottonwoods and willows along the river and near swamps.

Empidonax icrightii : Wright Flycatcher. — A single specimen taken in
May.

Otocoris alpestris arcticola : Pallid Horned Lark. — One specimen taken
in September.

Otocoris alpestris merrilli : Dusky Horned Lark. — Common in spring and
summer.

Pica pica hudsonica : Magpie. — Not uncommon in winter.

Cyanocitta stelleri annectens : Black-headed Jay. — Fairly common in spring
and fall, a feAv wintering.

Perisoreus canadensis cap it a Us : Rocky Mountain Jay. — Rather common
resident.

Corvus corax sinuatus : Raven. — Probably resident.

Corvus americanus : Crow. — Common during migrations, a few pairs
breeding'.

Nucifraga columbiana: Clarke Nutcracker. — Irregular visitant; abun-
dant in good pine cone winters.

Dolichonyx oryzivorus : Bobolink. — Breeds on St. Joseph River.

Molothrus ater : Cowbird. — R;ire.

Agelaius phceniceus caurinus : Northwestern Red-wing. — Breeds sparingly
about the lake.

Sturnella magna neglecta : Western Meadowlark. — Common in summer.

Icterus bullocki : Bullock Oriole. — Breeds sparingly in cottonwoods along
the river.

Scolecophagus cyanocephalus : Brewer Blackbird. — A few breed along the
river.

Coccothraustes vespertinus montanus : Western Evening Grosbeak. — Proba-
bly common, but irregMilar summer visitor.

Carpodacus cassini : Cassin Finch. — Abundant summer resident.

Loxia curvirostra minor: Crossbill. — Irregular visitor, breeding in hills.

Ixviii INTRODUCTION

Leucosticte tq)hrocotis littoral is: Hepburn Leucosticte. — Apparently an
irregular fall and -winter visitant.

Acanthis linaria : Redpoll. - - Winter visitant.

Astrayalinus tristis : Goldfinch. — A fairly common summer resident.

Spinus pinus : Pine Siskin. — Resident.

Passer ina nival is : Snowflake. — An irregular winter visitor.

Calcarius lapponicus : Lapland Longspur. - - A single specimen taken in
November.

Pocecetes gramineus conjinis : Western Vesper Sparrow. — Breeds spar-
ingly.

Ammodramus sandwichensis alaudinus : Western Savanna Sparrow. — Com-
mon migrant, a few breeding.

Ammodramus leconteii : Leconte Sparrow. — A single specimen taken.

Zonotrichia leucophrys yambelii : Gambel Sparrow. — Fairly common mi-
grant.

Spizella monticola ochracea : Western Tree Sparrow. — Rare in winter.

Spizella socialis arizonce: Western Chipping Sparrow. — One of the com-
monest summer residents.

Junco hy emails connectens : Intermediate Junco. — Migrant".

Melospiza fasciata merrilli : Merrill Song Sparrow. — Common summer
visitor.

Passerella iliaca schistacea : Slate-colored Sparrow. — Rare migrant.

Pipilo maculatus meyalonyx: Spurred Towhee. — Generally but sparingly
distributed in summer.

Za/iielodia mdanocephala : Black-headed Grosbeak. -- Not uncommcn.

Cyanospiza amcena : Lazuli Bunting. -- Not common.

Piranga ludoviciana : Louisiana Tanager. — Common in migrations ; a few
breed.

Petrochelidon lunifrons : Cliff Swallow. — Common summer visitor.

Hirundo erythrogastra : Barn Swallow. — Occasionally seen near prairie in
summer.

Tachycimta bicolor : White-bellied Swallow. --Breeds abundantly in cot-
Tonwoods.

liiparia riparla : Bank Swallow. — Breeds on Coaur d'Alene River.

Ampelis garrulus : Bohemian Waxwing. -- Irregular winter visitant.

Ampelis cedrorum : Cedar Waxwing. — Common summer resident.

Lunius borcaiis : Northern Shrike. — Common in fall ; a few winter.

\'irco olivaceus: Red-eyed Yireo. — Abundant summer visitor.

1 'in <> </i/rus : Warbling Vireo. — Breeds somewhat sparingly.

I rireo soli/ariiix r</ **///// : Cassiii Vireo. --Breeds in moderate numbers,

//' / minthcphila rul.rirtipiint (/titturulis : Calavcras Warbler. — Breeds.

Helminthophlla ciiuta lutescens: Lutescent Warbler. — Several taken in
May.

I)')i(lr»i<-(i a stir/i .- Yellow Warbler. — Abundant summer resident.

l)< n,/r<>i,;i uni/nLuiii : Aiidubon Warbler. — Summer resident.

l)i iiiiroii-n ttiinisriitli : Tou ns<-nd Warbler. — Breeds.

Cmthliipis toiniid : Macgillivray AVarbler. -- Breeds rather commonly.

Geothlypis tr'n-1,,1* ocri<f< iifulix : V/cstmi Vellow-throat. — Breeds sparinglv.

l<-t,, -in virens longicauda : Long-tailed Cliat. — Common at Cceur d'Alene" '

Wilsonia pusilla pileolata : Pileolated Warbler. — Occasional migrant.

Setophaga ruticilla : llcdstan. — Almndant summer visitor.

J/////MN IH nsilvanicus : I'ipit. — Ran- in spring, abundant in fall.

Cindtts mexicanus: Dipper.-- Faii-ly common.

(,,il, nsrn/,!, .s rtiro/itu nsis : < 'ai bird. — ( '..mmon summer visitor.

Salpinctes obsolete, I,'..,ck Wr.-n.—A pair found, evidently nesting.

INTRODUCTION Ixix

Troglodytes aedonparkmanii : Parkman Wren. — Breeds rather commonly.
OlbiorcJiilus hiemalis pacificus : Western Winter Wren. — Rather common

resident.

Cistothorus palustris paludicola : Tide Wren. — Rare in fall.
Certhia familiaris montana : Rocky Mountain Creeper. — Abundant in

winter.
Sitta carrtliitensix acuhata : Blender-billed Nuthatch. — Breeds rather

sparingly.
Sitta c<D,a't> -nxix: Red-breasted Nuthatch. — Common winter resident,

breeding1 less plentifully near the fort.

Sitta pygmcea : Pygmy Nuthatch. — Most abundant resident.
Partis atricapillus : Chickadee. — A common resident.
Parus gambeli: Mountain Chickadee. — Abundant resident.
Parus rufescens : Chestnut-backed Chickadee. — Resident.
Regains satrapa olii'acrns : Western Golden-crowned Kinglet. — Resident
Hi ;/uIus calendula : Ruby-crowned King-let. — .Summer resident.
Mya<fe*t> * /"//•//>•'•//</// : Solitaire. — Not uncommon migrant, one pair found

breeding-.

Hylorii'itla fuscescens salicicola : Willow Thrush. — Rather common sum-
mer resident among cottonwoods.
Hylocirfiln mtnlata a1 nm • : Alma Thrush. — Breeds rather commonly about

the lake and on mountain.

Merula tit igratoria propimpia : Western Robin. — Abundant summer resident.
Lrtin-u* mi -fins : Varied Thrush. — Migrant.
Sialia inexicana bainli : Chestnut-backed Bluebird. — Abundant summer

resident.
Sialia arctica : Mountain Bluebird. — Summer resident.

LIST OF BIRDS OF CHEYENNE AND VICINITY.

BY FKANK BOND.

Cheyenne is located in the midst of the Great Plains region, a
little over 6000 feet above the ocean, with an annual rainfall of
thirteen inches. The plains around Cheyenne are drained by streams
fringed by cottonwoods and willows which attract the migrants.
One of these streams flows through the city, which by persistent
arboriculture has been made an immense grove of trees, an oasis in
the desert. Five small lakes, from within the city limits to a mile
and a hftlf beyond, offer resting places to waterfowl of all descrip-
tions. The mountain range twenty miles west of the city, acting
as a barrier to flight, completes the conditions which give Cheyenne
a peculiar and diversified avifauna. The list covers a radius of about
three miles from the city limits

sEchmophorus occidentals: Western Grebe. — Rare visitant.

Colymbus holbodlii : Holbcell Grebe. — Rare visitant.

Colymbus nigricollis calif ornicus : Eared Grebe. — Common during' migra-
tions.

Gavia imber : Loon. — Not common but tolerably regular visitor during
migrations.

lxx INTRODUCTION

Larus argentatus : Herring- Gull. — Rare visitor.

Larus delaivarensis : Ring-billed Gull. — Common during- migrations.

Larus Philadelphia: Bonaparte Gull. — Regular but not very common

visitor.

,SYf rnaforsteri : Forster Tern. — Rare visitor.
Sterna hirundo : Common Tern. — Occasional visitor.
Hydrochelidon nigra sitrinamensis : Black Tern. — Regular visitor.
Pelecanus erythrorhynchos : White Pelican. — Occasional visitor.
Pelecanus occideutalis : Brown Pelican. — One specimen taken in 19,00.
Merganser americanus: Merganser. — Not common ; sometimes winters at

springs in Laramie County.

Lophodytes cucullatus : Hooded Merganser. — Rare.
Anas boschas : Mallard. — Common migrant.
Chaulelasmus streperus : Gadwall. — Common.
Mareca americana : Baldpate. — Common.
Nettion carolinensis : Green-winged Teal. — Common.
(jnerquedula discors : Blue-winged Teal. — Common.

(Jnerquedula cyanoptera : Cinnamon Teal. — Occasional on city reservoirs.
Spatula clypeata : Shoveller. — Common. The blue and green winged teal

and the shoveller breed commonly in suitable localities a few miles from

town.

Dajila acuta : Pintail. — Common.
Aix sponsa : Wood Duck. — Very rare visitor.
Ayihya americana: Redhead. — Common migrant.
Ay thy a vallisneria : Canvas-back. — Common migrant, but not so common

as the redhead.

Aythya marila : Scaup Duck. — Not common.
Ayihya affinis : Lesser Scaup Duck. — Rare.
Aythya collaris : Ring-necked Duck. — Not common.
Clanyula clanyula americana : American Golden-eye. — Rare.
Clanyula islandica : Barrow Golden-eye. — Rare.
Charitonetta ulbeola : Buffle-head. — Tolerably common.
Oidemia americana: Scoter. — Rare.

Erismatura jamaicensis : Ruddy Duck. — Very common migrant.
Chen hyperborea : Lesser Snow Goose. — Rare visitor.
> 1 user albifrons gambeli : White-fronted Goose. — Rare visitor.
liranta canadensis : Canada Goose. — Not common.

liranta canadensis hntrfiinsii : Hutchins Goose. — Common for the species.
Olor columbianus : Whistling Swan. — Rare.

. (nli a herodias : Great Blue Heron. — Common, for the species.
Nycticorax nycticorax ncevius : Black-crowned Night Heron. — Not com-

mon.

I'or.-iiiKi Carolina : Sora. - - Tolerably common.
rn/ifd t/ nit rim mi : Coot. --Very common.
l'lui/iiroj>ns Inlxitus : Northern Phalarope. -- I {are.
Stf</fin<>j>ns tr'n-olur : Wilson Phalarope. - Tolerably common; breeds

abundantly <>n Laramie plains fifty miles west of Cheyenne.
Hifitrrirostrti <i mi-ricana : A vocet. -- Tolerably common for the species

during migrations,

Gallinago <l<li<-ut<t : Wilson Snipe. --Not very common.
Macrorhamphus smlti/itiiTus: Long-billed Dowitcher. - - Rare.

-

Micropalama /iitiit/iil<,/,ii* • .- Stilt Sandpiper. — Very rare.
Ti in/in Iiairtlii : llainl Sandpiper.-- \'ery common.
7V///'/'/ niinntillii : Least Sandpiper. -- Very common.
Limosn J«l<,n : Mai 1. led (Jodwit. - • Tolerably common.

INTRODUCTION Ixxi

Totanus melanoleucus : Greater Yellow-leg's. — Rare.

Totanus Jiavipes : Yellow-legs. — Tolerably common.

Symphemia semipalmata inornaiu : Western Willet. — Common migrant.

Bartramia longicauda: Bartramian Sandpiper. — Not common.

Actitis macularia : Spotted Sandpiper. — Common ; breeds.

JV/////P//M/.S- longirostris : Long-billed Curlew. — Common migrant.

Squatarola squatarola : Black-bellied Plover. — Rare.

Charadrius dominions : Golden Plover. — Rare.

^EgiaUtis vocifera : Killdeer. — Common ; breeds.

^Egiulitis semipalmata : Semipalmated Plover. — Rare.

^Egicditis indoda circumcincta : Belted Piping- Plover. — Rare.

jiEgialitis nivosa : Snowy Plover. — Rare.

^Egialitis montana : Mountain Plover. — Common.

Zenaidura macroura : Mourning' Dove. — Common : breeds.

Catkartes aura : Turkey Vulture. — Rare.

Accipiter velox : Sharp-shinned Hawk. — Tolerably common.

Accipiter cooperii : Cooper Hawk. — Not common.

Buteo borealis calurus : Western Red-tail. — Not common.

Buteo swainsoni : Swainson Hawk. — Tolerably common.

Archibuteo ferrugineus : Ferruginous Rough-leg'. — Common.

Haliceetun leucocephalus : Bald Eagle. — Rare.

Falco mexicanus : Prairie Falcon. — Common.

Falco jjeregrinus anatum : Duck Hawk. — Rare.

Falco sparverius : Sparrow Hawk. — Common ; breeds.

Pandion haliattu* carolinensis : Osprey. — Not common.

Asio wilsonianus : Long-eared Owl. — Common.

Asio afcipitrinus : Short-eared Owl. — Rare.

Nyctala acadica : Saw-whet Owl. — Not common.

Nyctea nyctea : Snowy Owl. — Rare.

fyeotyto cunicularia hypogcea : Burrowing Owl. — Common ; breeds.

Ceryle alcyon: Belted Kingfisher. — Tolerably common.

Sphyrapicus thyroideus : Williamson Sapsucker. — Rare.

Melanerpes erythrocephalus : Red-headed Woodpecker. — Tolerably com-
mon.

Melanerpes torquatus : Lewis Woodpecker. — Occasional visitor.

Colaptes cafer collaris : Red-shafted Flicker. — The most common wood-
pecker.

Phakenoptilus mtttaUii : Poor-will. — Not common.

Chordeiles virginianns henryi : Western Nighthawk. — Common.

Selaspkorus platycercus : Broad-tailed Hummingbird. — Not very common.

Selaspliorus ritfus: Rufous Hummingbird. — Not very common.

Tyrannus tyruiimis : Kingbird. — Common; breeds.

Tyrannus verticalis : Arkansas Kingbird. — Most common kingbird;
breeds.

Tyrannus vociferans : Cassin Kingbird. — Not common.

Myiarchus cinerascens : Ash-throated Flycatclier. — Rare.

Contopus borealis : Olive-sided Flycatcher. — Not common.

Contopus richardsonii : Western Wood Pewee. — Tolerably common.

Empidonax trail! ii : Traill Flycatcher. — Rare.

Empidonax minimus : Least Flycatcher. — Tolerably common.

Pica pira hudsonica : Magpie. — Rare in the city.

Cyanocitta stelleri diademata : Long-crested Jay. — Rare in the city.

Nucifraga columbiana : Clarke Nutcracker. — Autumnal flocks of young
tolerably common.

Cyanocepkalus cyanocephalus : Pinon Jay. — Regular autumn visitor, some-
times wintering.

Ixxii INTRODUCTION

Dolichonyx oryzivorm : Bobolink. — Occasional summer resident.

Molothrus ater : Cowbird. — Common summer resident.

Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus : Yellow-headed Blackbird.- Not com-

mon.

Agelains phifniceus : Red-wiiiged Blackbird.-- Common summer resident.

Stuntf-lla magna neglecta : Western Meadowlark. • -Common summer resi-
dent.

Icterus buttock i : Bullock Oriole : Tolerably common summer resident.

Scolecophagus cyanocephulus : Brewer Blackbird. — Common.

Quiscalus quiscula (eneus : Bronzed Grackle. - - Rare.

Coccothraustes vespertinus montanus : Western Evening- Grosbeak. - - Visit-
ant ; does not breed.

Carpodacus mexicanus frontalis : House Finch. — Abundant summer resi-
dent ; sometimes also winter resident.

Leucosticte tephrocotis : Gray-crowned Leueostiete. Frequent winter
visitor.

Acanthis linaria : Redpoll. — Occasional winter visitor.

Astragalinus tristis : Goldfinch. — Common summer resident.

Astragalinus psaltria : Arkansas Goldfinch. — One taken in Cheyenne.

Spinus pinus : Pine Siskin. — Regular autumn visitor.

Passerina nivalis : Snowflake. — Regular winter visitor, often in very large
flocks.

Calcarius ornatus : Chestnut-collared Long-spur. — Summer resident ; not
common.

Rhynchophanes mccownii : McCown Longspur. — Abundant summer resi-
dent.

Pocecetes gramineus confinis : Western Vesper Sparrow. — Common mi-
grant ; probably breeds near.

Ammodramus sandwichensis alaudinus : Western Savanna Sparrow. — Com-
mon migrant.

Chondestes grammacus strigatus : Western Lark Sparrow. — Common mi-
grant.

Zonotrichia leucophrys gambelii: Gambel Sparrow. — Common migrant.

Spizella monticola ochracea : Western Tree Sparrow. — Common migrant.

Spizella sodalis arizonce : Western Chipping Sparrow. - • Tolerably com-
mon migrant.

Spizella pallida : Clay-colored Sparrow. — Common ; probably breeds.

Spizella bretreri : Brewer Sparrow. — Tolerably common.

Jnnnt li'/t-//in/is : Slate-colored Junco. — Tolerably common.

Ji/nru hyemalis connectens : Intermediate Junco. - - Tolerably common.

Jn iii-it mi uriixi : Pink-sided Junco. — Common migrant.

, 1 mphispiza belli m /-m/r//x/.s .- Sage Sparrow. - - Kare visitor.

Mclnx/>iz<i titt/ndin Montana : Mountain Song Sparrow. -- Tolerably com-

ninn migrant.

Mi li>s/ii~fi lini-iilnil : Lincoln Sparrow. — Common migrant.
Oi-fox/ji-n r/t/oriira : Green-tailed Towhee. — ( 'ommon migrant.
/.a/in fuii in melanocephala : Black-headed Grosbeak. — Occasional city vis-
itor only.

Ci/diiox/ii-'i amcena : La/nli Bunting. — Summer resident; not many nest.
Calamospiza melanocarys : Laik Hunting. — Abundant; breeds.
Piranga ludoviciana : Louisiana Tanagcr. — Common migrant.
riraiii/n iTi/tlirtuiicftis : Scnrh-t Tanager. -- Ifare visitor.
I'm;/ a*' Kiibis: Purple Martin.-- Hare visitor.
Petrochelidon Innifran s : Clill' Swallow. --Common; breeds.
Iliriiiiifn i rt/tlirni/iisfrii : Hani Swallow. — ( 'ommon ; breeds.

INTRODUCTION Ixxiii

Tachycineta bicolor : White-bellied Swallow. — Not very common.
Siparia riparia : Bank Swallow. — Tolerably common.
Stelgidopteryx serripennis : Rough-winged Swallow. — Tolerably common.
Ampelis garruhis : Bohemian Wax wing. — Rare.
. 1 mpelis cedrorum : Cedar Waxwing. — Rare.
Lanius borfalis : Northern Shrike. -- Regular winter visitor.
Lanitis Indovicianus excubitorides : White-rumped Shrike. — Common sum-
mer resident.

Vireo olivaceus : Red-eyed Vireo. — Not common.
Vireo gilvus swainsoni : 1 Western Warbling- Vireo. •• — Common.
Helminthophila celata : Orange-crowned Warbler. — Common migrant.
Helmintkophila peregrina : Tennessee Warbler. — Rare.
Compsothlypis amf-rimna nxitt-u : Northern Parula Warbler. — Rare.
Dendroica (estiva : Yellow Warbler. — Common summer resident.
Dendroica coronal a : Yellow-rumped Warbler. — Common migrant.
Dendroica audnboni : Audubon Warbler. — Common migrant.
Datdmicd striata : Black-poll Warbler. — Tolerably common migrant.
Seiurus novfl»r<n-< axis notabilig : Grinnell Water-Thrush. — Rare visitor.
Gmthhipis tolinid : Macgillivray Warbler. — Common migrant.
Geothlypis trichas occidenttdis. — Western Yellow-throat. — Common mi-

grant.

Setophaga rut if- ilia : Medsrarf. — Tolerably common migrant.

Anthus sprat/Hen : Spragne Pipit. -- Common migrant.

Cinclux ntc.rininits : Dipper.-- Mare visitor.

Oroscoptfs wontanus: Sage Thrasher. — Common migrant.

Mint us polytilutttix It-m-optt ru* : Western Mockingbird. --Regular summer
resident; a few pairs breed.

(lalfoxi-npttx (-(irolincnsix : Catbird. — Tolerably common migrant,

Toxostoma rufnm : Brown Tlirasher. — Common ; breeds.

^(i/jtinctf-s obxolctnx : Mock Wren. — Common migrant.

Troglodytes ai'don aztecus : Western House Wren.- -Tolerably common
migrant.

Certhia familiaris /n<»it<in<t : Mocky Mountain Creeper. — Casual visitor.

.S///// (-(trolinenxix andcata : Slender-billed Nuthatch. — Rare visitor.

Sitta cuacidi >t*ix : Med-breasted Nuthatch. — Occasional visitor.

Sitta pygmcea : Pygmy Nuthatch. -- Rare visitor.

J \n-KK gambeli : Mountain Chickadee. — A flock occasionally visits the
city.

Reyulus calendula : Ruby-crowned Kinglet. - Tolerably regular spring-
migrant.

Myadestes townsendii : Townsend Solitaire. - - Regular migrant ; tolerably
common.

Hylocichla ustulata swainsoni : Olive-backed Thrush. — Common migrant.

^[truia migrati'iria : Mobin. — Tolerably common summer resident.

Mn-ula migratoria propinqua : Western Robin. -- Frequently winters.

Sialia nitdi* : Bluebird. — Occasionally seen both in winter and in midsum-
mer ; may breed.

tiialia arctica : Mountain Bluebird. — Abundant breeder for species.

i V. gih'its of Check-List, (F. M. B.)

INTRODUCTION

BIRDS OF FINAL, PDIA, AND GILA COUNTIES, ARIZONA.

From W. E. D. Scott, in The Auk, vol. iii. 383, 421, 1886 ; vol. iv. 10, 1 «.»(>,

1887 ; vol. v. 29, 159, 1888.

The region covered by Mr. Scott's paper extends eighty miles
north and forty miles south of Tucson. The Santa Cataliua Moun-
tains form its backbone, and the Gila, Santa Cruz, and San Pedro
rivers flow through it. The region about Tucson is a plain of about
2300 feet altitude, arid and cactus-grown except where it is watered
by springs and sporadic streams which support cottonwoods and
other trees. The Florence region in the valley of the Gila is similar
to that about Tucson. At Riverside the valley is much narrower.
Mineral Creek rises at about 5000 feet altitude in the Final Moun-
tains. The birds of the entire region may be divided into birds of the
plains and valleys, birds of the oak belt, and birds of the pine re-
gions, though of course the species shift back and forth, the vertical
migration being here as important as the north and south migra-
tions.

Podilymbus podiceps : Pied-billed Grebe. - - Two taken by Mr. Herbert

Brown near Tucson in February.

Gavia lumme : Red-throated Loon. — One taken in December near Tucson.
Merganser americanus : Merganser. — Seen at San Pedro River in Jan-
uary.
Lophodi/tes cucullatus : Hooded Merganser. -- One taken by Mr. Brown

near Tucson in December.
Anas boschas : Mallard. — One of the commonest ducks about Tucson in

fall and winter.

Chaulelasmus streperus : Gadwall. — One taken by Mr. Brown near Tuc-
son.
Mart I'd americana : Baldpate. — Found on San Pedro River in small flocks

in January.
Nettion carolinensis : Green-winged Teal. — Abundant about Tucson at

times during the winter (Brown).
Querquedula discors : Blue-winged Teal. — A few seen on San Pedro

River; uncommon about Tucson (Brown).
Querquedula <-i{<tn«i>t<r<t : Cinnamon Teal. — Common winter visitant about

Tucson (Brown).

S/mtit/<i i-i I//H nt(i : Shoveller. — Common about Tucson in winter (Brown).
Dafila n'-iita : Pintail. - - Not uncommon on San Pedro River in March.
Aytliya anif-rinnKi : Redhead. — Common about Tucson in winter (Brown),

and found in small Hocks on San Pedro River in January.
Aythya vallisneria : Canvas-back. -- A small flock seen on San Pedro in

January.
Ai/t/ii/n marila : Sc.-uip Duck. -- Rather common on San Pedro River in

winter.
Ai/tlii/n (ijfinin : Lesser Scaup Duck. --A few seen on the San Pedro in

January.

INTRODUCTION Ixxv

Charitonetta albeola : Buffle-head. — One taken in December near Tucson,

and one on San Pedro in Jamiary.
Erismatura jamaicensis : Ruddy Duck. — Not uncommon about Tucson at

times.
Branta canadensis (subsp. ? ) : Canada Goose. — Three seen on pond near

the San Pedro in January.
Plegadis autumnalis : Glossy Ibis. — Not infrequent about bottom lands

near Tucson (Brown).
Plegadis guarauna : White-faced Glossy Ibis. — Common in May near

Tucson.
Tantalus loculator : Wood Ibis. — Rather common on Gila and San Pedro

rivers most of the year.

Botaurus lentiffinosvs : Bittern. — Rare about Tucson (Brown).
Ardea herodias : Great Blue Heron. — Rather common resident.
Ardea egretta : Egret. — Rather common about Tucson in May.
Ardea candid i*sima : Snowy Heron. — Five seen near Tucson in May.
Ardea virescenx anthonin : Anthony Green Heron. — Rather rare about

Tucson (Brown).
Nycticorax nycticorax wevius : Black-crowned Night Heron. — Rather

rare about Tucson (Brown) ; found on the Santa Cruz in May.
Rallus virginianus : Virginia Rail. — One seen on the San Pedro in Jan-
uary.

Porzana Carolina: Sora. — One taken at Tucson in April (Brown).
Gallinnla galeata : Florida Galliuule. — Not uncommon about Tucson

(Brown) ; rare on San Pedro in late January.
Fulica americana : Coot. — Common except in summer.
Steganopus tricolor : Wilson Phalarope. — Common during1 migration about

Tucson.
Recurvirostra americana : Avocet. — Common at times in fall migration

near Tucson (Brown).
Gallinago delicata : Wilson Snipe. — Common in migrations about Tucson,

a few wintering there and in San Pedro River region.

Tringa minutilla : Least Sandpiper. — Common about Tucson in migra-
tions (Brown).
Tringa alpina pacijica : Red-backed Sandpiper. — Flocks seen in April

near Tucson.
Ereunetes occidentalis : Western Sandpiper. — Common migrant about

Tucson.
Limosa fedoa : Marbled Godwit ('?). — A godwit probably of this species

seen in January on San Pedro River.
Totanus melanoleucus : Greater Yellow-legs. — Two taken by Mr. Brown

near Tucson in October.
Helodromas solitarius cinnamomeiig : Western Solitary Sandpiper. — Not

uncommon about Tucson in migrations.
Actitis macularia : Spotted Sandpiper. — Occasional about Tucson in

spring.
Numenius longirostris : Long-billed Curlew. — Not common in migrations

about Tucson (Brown).
j^Eyialitis vocifera : Killdeer. — Common about Tucson in spring and fall.

breeding in small numbers in the San Pedro region.
j^Egialitis semipalmata : Semipalmated Plover. — Doubtless common about

Tucson in migrations.
Colinus ridgwayi : Masked Bob-white. — Found by Mr. Brown in the

Barboquivari Mountains.
Callipepla squamata : Scaled Partridge. — Most abundant on the dry mesas

of the San Pedro slope of the Santa Catalina Mountains.

lxxvi INTRODUCTION

Lophortyx yanibelii : Gambel Partridge. — Common below 5000 feet.
Cyrtonyx montezumte inearnsi : Mearns Massena Partridge. — Common in

oak regions of the mountains.
Meleagris yallapavo merriami : Merriam Turkey. - - Found on the San Pedro

Uiver and in oak and pine regions of the Catalina Mountains.
Columba fasciata : Band-tailed Pigeon. — Common in Catalina Moun-

t ains.

Zenaidura niacroura: Mourning Dove. — Resident except in pine region.
Mdnpelia leucoptera : White-winged Dove. - - Generally distributed up to

3500 feet.

Columbigallinapasserinapallescens : Mexican Ground Dove. — Not uncom-
mon about Tucson, Riverside, and Florence.
Xcardafdla inca : Inca Dove. — Found at Tucson and Florence.
Cathartes aura : Turkey Vulture. — Common at low altitudes throughout

the year.
Circus hudsonius : Marsh Hawk. — Recorded from Tucson in fall, winter,

and spring.
Accipiter velox : Sharp-shinned Hawk. — Common in fall migration in oak

region of Santa Catalina range.

Accipiter conpt-rii : ( 'ooper Hawk. — Common resident.
Parabutcn unicinctu* ftarrisi : Harris Hawk. — One taken by Mr. Brown

near Tucson.

Buteo boreal is calurus : Western Red Tail. — Abundant resident through-
out the entire region.

Buteo abbreriatiis : Zone-tailed Hawk. — Breeds throughout the region.
Buteo sirainsoni: Swainson Hawk. — Common near Tucson in warmer

part of year.
.Isturiua playiata : Mexican Goshawk. — Not uncommon in spring and

summer about Tucson.

. \'/niln i-firysni'tns : Golden Eagle. — Common resident above 4000 feet.
Fal<-<> iiK.i'ininns: Prairie Falcon. — Rather common resident of the

plains.
Falco rolx/nbarius : Pigeon Hawk (?). — A small falcon seen at a distance

in the Catalina pine region.
Fain/ xjifirri rins ill -st rticola : Desert Sparrow Hawk. — Common resident

up to ."i(HH) feet. Breeds in woodpecker holes in giant cactus.
J'n/i/burus i-ln-riirai/ : Audubon Caracara. -- Rather common about Tucson

in warmer part of year ; a few apparently resident.
I'd IK! inn finliiii'tiis ni r<ili in //sis : Osprey. -- Not uncommon along large

watercourses.

Stri.r jirnti n<-iil a : I Jam ( hvl. - - Three specimens taken near Tucson.
Miijtiscnjis trii-lnt/isis : Spotted Screech Owl. — Common resident about

Tucson: also taken at Riverside and in Cataliuas.

l'nr,» virginianus pallescens : Western Horned Owl. — Common resident.
Speotyto cunicularia hypogcea: Burrowing Owl. -- A colony reported from

near Benson and another near Florence, lint unusual in region.
' 'in-iiliiiiii /ilniln nniifi s : Ferruginous Pygmy Owl. -- Not uncommon

about Tucson.

Micropattas whitneyi : Kit (>\\1. — Commonest i-esident o\\l uji to 5000 feet.

(ii iii-ni-i-i/.i- calif ornianus ; Road-runner. - - Common resident up to 4000
feet.

Coccyzus -I an rii-niiiis nrriili iilui is : California Cuckoo. -- Rare in June and
.Inly on San iVdm -,lo|n- of Catalinas.

Tnii/'iii (sp. '.').-• A xjircics of t logon undoubtedly occurs in Catalina Moun-
tains. Imported.

INTRODUCTION Ixxvii

Ceryle alcyon : Belted King-fisher. — Resident.

Dry abates villosus hyloscopus : Cabanis Woodpecker. — Resident in pine
forest ; winter visitor to lower altitudes.

Dryobates pubescens homorus : Batchelder Woodpecker. — One seen on Gila
River.

Dryobales scalar is bairdi : Texan Woodpecker. — Common below 4000 feet.

Dryobates arizona : Arizona Woodpecker. — Not uncommon in Santa Ritas
and Catalinas.

Sphyrapicus variitx nnchalis : Red-naped Sapsucker. — Migrant.

Sphyrapicm thyroideus : Williamson Sapsucker. — Found in pines of Cata-
lina Mountains.

Melanerpes formicivorus : Ant-eating- Woodpecker. — Common resident of
mountains down to 4000 feet.

Melanerpes torquatus : Lewis Woodpecker. — Abundant though irregular
migrant in Catalina Mountains at low altitudes.

Melanerpes uropygialis : Gila Woodpecker. — Common resident, especially
in giant cactus region, and occurs in numbers up to 4500 feet.

Colaptes cafer collaris : Red-shafted Flicker. — Common throughout the
region, but breeding above (5000 feet

Colaptes chry sold es : Gilded Flicker. — Rather common resident in giant
cactus belt.

Antrostomus vociferus macromystaz : Stephens Whip-poor-will. — A whip-
poor-will, undoubtedly of this species, heard in the Catalinas.

Pkalcenoptilus nuttallii : Poor-will. — An abundant migrant; breeds in
mountain regions.

Chordeiles virginianus henryi : Western Nighthawk. — Seen in Catalinas in
early spring- above 4000 feet.

Chordeiles acutipennis texensis : Texan Nighthawk. — Abundant migrant
below 4500 feet.

Chfctura vauxii : Vaux Swift. — Seen between 3000 and 4000 feet in the
Catalinas in October.

Aeronautes melanoleucus : White-throated Swift. — An abundant migrant;
a few probably winter.

Trochilus alexandri : Black-chinned Hummingbird. — Common summer
resident in Catalina Mountains.

Calypte cost& : Costa Hummingbird. — Common in Catalinas.

Calypte anna : Anna Hummingbird. — One seen in Catalina Mountains at
5000 feet in October.

Selasphorus plat ycercus : Broad-tailed Hummingbird. — Common migrant,
doubtless breeding in Catalinas.

Selasphorus rufus : Rufous Hummingbird. — Probably breeds at higher
altitudes in Catalinas ; abundant in August and September from 4000
to 6000 feet.

Selasphorus alleni : Allen Hummingbird. — One taken in Catalina Moun-
tains.

Stellula calliope: Calliope Hummingbird. — Two taken in Catalinas at
500!) feet.

lache latirostris : Broad-billed Hummingbird. — Summer resident in Cat-
alina Mountains.

Tyrannus verticalis : Arkansas Kingbird. — One of the commonest sum-
mer resident birds of the plains, and common in April up to 9000 feet.

Tyrannus vociferans: Casein Kingbird. — Found in foothills about River-
side and in Catalina Mountains.

Myiurchits mexicanus magister: Arizona Crested Flycatcher. — Common in
spring and summer about Tucson, Florence, Riverside, and the Catalinas
up to 4500 feet.

Ixxviii INTRODUCTION

3/// w /•»•// MS cinerascens : Ash-throated Flycatcher. - - Abundant migrant and
summer resident.

irrfins laurenc'i nlivascens : Olivaceous Flycatcher. — One taken at
.".(Kill feet iii Catalina Mountains; common in Santa Rita Mountains

(Stephens).
Sayornis sat/a : Say PhcEbe. — Common winter resident, breeding- sparingly

in Cataliua Mountains.
Sayornis niyrininx : Black Phoebe. — Regular resident in valleys about

\\atercourscs. and summer resident of mountains.
Contnniis bwulis : Olive-sided Flycatcher. — Rather common migrant in

mountains.
Contopus pertinax pallidiventris : Cones Flycatcher. — Two recorded from

tin- ( 'atalinas.
Contopus richardsnnii : Western Wood Pewee. — Common summer resident

in Catalina Mountains.
Eiiij>iili>ii<i.r <//[tirilis : Western Flycatcher. — Found in Catalinas from

June till last of October.
Empidona.r traillii : Traill Flycatcher. — Two taken in the Catalina Moun-

taius.

Einpidonax hammondi : Hammond Flycatcher. — Migrant in Catalina
Mountains.

Emjiidona.r uriyfttii : Wright Flycatcher. — Four taken in Catalina Moun-
tains. :'.:•<>() to 4500 feet.

Pyrocephalus rubineus mexicanus : Vermilion Flycatcher. — Resident at
Tucson and Florence ; a few breeding up to 451 K) feet in the Catalinas.

Otocori* (iljicstrix (subsp. '.') : Horned Lark. — Found about Tucson in fall
and winter.

Cyanocitta strllrri </i<u/f///ata : Long-crested Jay. -- Resident in pines in
('atalina Monniains. descending to oak region in winter.

Aphelocoma •irnnt/liinis< -// : Woodhouse Jay. — Common resident at head-
waters of Mineral Creek and in foothills of the Catalinas.

Aphelocoma >/»//>/•// nrizonce: Arizona Jay. — Abundant resident in oak
regi'iu of ( 'atalinas.

< 'or/v/.s corax siiiiititus : Raven. — Common about Tucson throughout the
year.

Corrnx rri/jitnl' nnis : White-necked Raven. — Common at times about
Tucson and other points.

( '<, TIIS nun '-ii-nnns : Crow. — Large flocks seen in spring and fall on foot-
lulls ot ( 'atalinas.

Cyanocephalus cyanocephalus : Pinon Jay. — Seen in oak belt of Catalinas.

Molothrus <it'i' iihsniriis : l)\\art' Cowbird. — Common at Riverside and not
niieiiiiiinoii aliout Tucson and Florence.

Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus : Fellow-headed P>lnckbird. - - Abundant
aliout Tin-sun, l-'lm-.-nci-. :in<l valley of the San I'edroin winter.

Agelaius phoeniceus N»*//O/- ///•>•/> • : Sonoran Ked-wing. — Common resident.

Slurnilln magna hoopesi : llio (Jrande Meatlowlark. Resident.

1U parisorum : Smtt Oriole. -- Ilreeds near water, and on arid plains
and mesas lr.nn I'.lMl'l to SHIM I f,.,.}.

lit, in*, citcullatus iii/^>i/i: Aii/ou;i Hooded Oriole. — Common throughout
'!"• i' jioii. lieinu alisent only ahout four months, ranging in summer up
to m-.-irh 6000 Feet

T'tn-iis l>iill<>i-kt : I Jiillock Oriole.- Not uncommon about Tucson and Flor-
ence ; i.-n-'- in t h.- I ':italiii:i<.

.////<///»/•. cyanocephalus : llre\\,.r IMackbird. — Abundant winter resi-
d.-in IM-IOU :; i i

INTRODUCTION Ixxix

Coccotkraustes vespertinus montanus : Western Evening- Grosbeak. — Seen in
pine woods of Catalinas.

Carpodacus purpureus ccdifornicus : California Purple Finch. — Large flocks
seen in Catalina Mountains in fall and winter of 1885.

Carpodacus cassini : Cassin Purple Finch. — Seen in Catalinas in winter.

Carpodacus me.ricanns frontalis : House Finch. — Abundant summer resi-
dent ; less common winter resident.

Loxia curvirostra stricklandi : Mexican Crossbill. - - Irregularly abundant
in Catalinas.

Astragali nus tristis pallid us : Western Goldfinch. — Seen in Catalinas in
winter.

Astragal i nus psaltria : Arkansas Goldfinch. — Nomadic and not very com-
mon in the Catalinas.

Astragal inus psaltria arizome : Arizona Goldfinch. — Less common than
the Arkansas.

Astragalinus la/rrencei : Lawrence Goldfinch. — One taken by Mr. Brown
in February.

Spinuspinus: Pine Siskin. — Common and at times an abundant winter
visitor in the Catalinas.

Calcarius ornatus : Chestnut-collared Long-spur. — A large flock seen in
November on mesa of Catalina foothills.

Pocecetes grainineus confinis : Western Vesper Sparrow. — Migrant in Cat-
alina region.

Ammodramus sandwichensis alaudinus : Western Savanna Sparrow. — Oc-
curs rather sparingly about Tucson in fall, winter, and spring (Brown).

Ammodramus savannarum bimaculatus : Western Grasshopper Sparrow. —
Apparently rather an uncommon resident of the mesas of the Catalina
foothills.

Chondestes grammacus strigatus : Western Lark Sparrow. — Resident about
Tucson and common in the Catalina region up to 5000 feet in the
warmer months.

Zonotrichia leucophri/s : White-crowned Sparrow. — Apparently rare.

Zonotrichia leucophri/s gambelii : Intermediate Sparrow. — Winter resident.

Spizella socialis arizotue : Western Chipping sparrow. — In Catalinas ; rare
in summer, abundant in fall, winter, and spring-.

Spizella pallida : Clay-colored Sparrow. — Seen at Mineral Creek in Octo-
ber. November, and March.

Spizella atrogularis : Black-chinned Sparrow. — Apparently rare.

Junco hyemalis : Slate-colored Junco. — Rare, but of regular occurrence in
the Catalina region.

Junco hyemalis connectens : Intermediate Junco. — Common winter resident.

Junco mearnsi : Pink-sided Junco. — Apparently not very common in the
Catalinas.

Junco caniceps : Gray-headed Junco. — Common in winter in foothill region
of the Catalinas.

Junco pfutonotiis palliatus : Arizona Junco. — Found in Catalinas and Final
mountains in pine woods in fall and winter.

Junco phffonotus dorsaiis : Red-backed Junco. — Three specimens taken in
the Catalinas.

Amphispiza bilineata deserticola : Desert Sparrow. — Common resident of
the foothill region of the Catalinas. and abundant about Tucson.

Amphispiza belli nevadensis : Sage Sparrow. — One seen in Catalina Moun-
tains ; not common at Tucson. A number seen on low mesa near the
San Pedro in November.

Aimophila carpalis : Rufous-winged Sparrow. — Common in Catalina foot-
hills in migrations. 3000 to 4500 feet,

[NTRODUCTION

nni<-i/>s srottii : Scott Sparrow.-- Resident in the Catalinas
down to :'.i'O. i feet in \\ inter.

Mdospiza mdodia fallax : IVsert Sons;- Sparrow. -- Apparently resident

about Tucson.

M'i»s/>i:n im/ix/id niontdiid : Mountain Song Sparrow. - -Not uncommon on
San IVdro Ki\er in January ; irregular winter visitor about Tucson.

Mflospiza lincolnii : Lincoln Sparrow. --Regular migrant in tin- Catalina

Mountains ; a tV\v probably winter.

Pipilo macvlafas megalonyx : Spurred Towhee. — ronnnon resident of the

Cataliuas, breeding above .'>POi' feet.
/'//'/Vo i tan- us int's»l< HCKS : Canyon Towhee. — Common resident throughout

tin- fin ire region, raii^ini; up to pine forests in warmer months.
ri/iii<> di'i rti : Abort Towluu*. — liesident about Tin-son ami Floremv.
(>;> <>*j>i:ii i -hiiH-tint : (Jreen-taileil Toxvliee. - - C'ommon mim'ant in the

C'atalinas. a fe\v \viiiteriiiu.
( \inliinilis cardinallS *ti/>< >'l>ns : Ari/ona Cardinal. — (lenerally distributed,

laii^iuu nj> to about r»(lHO feet.
Pyrrkttloxia sinuatti : Ari/ona Pyrrliuloxia. -- Kare or i-asual in foothills of

the C'atalinas. Katlier i-mnmou about Tiu-son.

/.ttiiitlotiiii nit!aiii>i-i/>fntl(i: Black-headed Grosbeak. -- Found breeding at

r>dO;> feet at .Mineral Creek ; found also in Catalina Mountains.
Guiraca t-tiriiitu lazula: Western Blue Grosbeak. -- Rather rare ahout

Tuesou in spriuu ( llrown).
(.\tj<iin>tij>i:a ainniin : l.a/uli Bunting. -- Found at Mineral Creek and in

Cataliuas; breeds, but not ronimouly, about Tucson.
Spita americana 1 Hirkeissel. — (>ne taken near '1'iU'soii in September by

Mr. l>ro\vn.
Calamospiza in<i<i>i<><-«ri/s : Lark Bunting. -- Seen nearly throughout the

\. ar. sometimes in enormous tloeks.
I'iruntjit luilnriciumi : Louisiana Tanager. -- Summer resident in pine

forests of the mountains.

rininifd hcpcUica : Hepatic Tanager. — Summt>r n'sident in the oak reg-ions.
/'/reim/u rubra cooperi : Cooper Tanager. — Common summer resident about

Tuesou. Uiverside. Florence. Mineral Creek, and the San Pedro Valley.

A ft \\ l»reed in the ( 'ataliuas.

/'n •(/;,•, siihis h< sj» ri<i : ^\ extern Martin. -- Kather uncommon about Tucson.
/' '/'liiioii luni/rons : Fave Swallow. — Seen in numbers about Kiverside-

in April.

Hinmao erytkrogastra : llaru s\vallo\\. -- Common migrant, Breeds spar-
ingly in the Catalinas at ">i " H> feet.

/ 'i*/c/ /(•/»; bicolor : Tree S\\allo\v.-- Kare about Tucson ( I>rown).
rtxchydneta thaiassina li/>in'd : \'iol«>t-t;reen >\\ allow. — Commonest swal-

lo\\ of i he < 'at alinas.

/»'//'«/;•/»/ rijidi-in : Hank Swallow.-- Hreeds aliout Fort ].o\\ell (Urown).
nilo/iftri/.i- >'/r//'i unit ; : Kouuh-xxiiiuevi Swallow.- K'ather rare about

Tni-soii ( r>K>\\ n).

• I'"/"' nun: Cedar \\'a\\\ iii^. -Taken near Tucson in May and

.1 line.

Phainopepla nitens : Phainopepla Summer resident to about .".ooit ftvt.
^^ int. -i- in small nnnibers from 'I'li.-^ou southward.

riilis: \\"hite rnmp.'d Shiike. - - Kesiilent to
a I. out .V.i H i t

\\arblini; \'ii Common migrant. \ t\>\\ br»>ed in the

1 i\ .dina- M l-\\

1 i -in N'iieo - - Kather uncommon migrant in
•h-- ' '.italinas.

[NTRODUCTION Ixxxi

Vireo olitariv //''///<v-«.s.- Plumbeous Vireo. Undoubtedly breeds in the

mountains above T'lO1) feet.
\'n«> I, nth, ni. fUphensi i Stephens Vin;o. Four - .pi -ci m'-ns taken in tin-

mountains.

Vir<-» i»i Ulu : I-' a, I Vireo. ' ommon summer r<- id«-nt up to !<»00feet.
l''/'o riiiinur : f/ra. Vireo. J'airlv abundant on (Jatalina foothills from

--<)«) to !'-<) ) feet

//• I mi iitlnt/iliilu /iirin .- Lucy Warbler. — A common migrant and summer
.resident in suitable places up to IM'') f'i-»-t.

Helminthophila ciK/iuin- .- Virginia Warbler. -- Donbtlese bn:f;fl:s in t}i>-

< al ilin.i :iljOV<; IOI)<) f<:'-t .

Helminthophila rubricapilla >/><ttu,-<i/i; .- r;ii;iv<:ra.i \Varl>l' - Mi^i-ani. in

tlic ('atalinas at I'/OD f-

ophila i-i-lala In'- cent: l.ui<-ic<-iit. \\'ai-|»l'.-r. - Katl.ir comiuon

••ni'l fall nii'ji.int in t lit: <Jatalina.s at, looo l'«;<.-i anil probably breedc
til',- ))in«- for' -*- o!' tli': higher altitudes.

'iln-na-a: Oliv«: Warbler. — IS«i<:ii in tli«- < atalina-, at, about
lOJi(Ji) i'ci-t iii Novt-iiilji-r. iii company svith l>ln<:bii'

Dendroica cestiva gonorana : >onora V«-llow Warbler. -- Rather connnon.

in tin- ('at ali nas up to 4-~>()f) tf':'.

i-'irniiiiln : Y'-Jlo\v-rnmp':<l \\'arUlt:r. — Xot n<.-ai'ly :so common ;i.s
1). <i.nniil,<,n'i . hut ol r'-unlar o'-'-ii i r'-ii'-'- a- .. migrant.
l)i-nilr«K n audttboni i A.ndabon Warbler. — A common migrant.; a ft;w

probably breed in the pine forests. '1 If:.', uint.'-r in nnal] numbt;is in
t li»- i i\ t;i vail-
Dendroica gracice : Ghrace Warbler. — S(,-<-n in pine forests of Cataliiian in

Black-throated ^rray Warbler. — Quit.t; common
migrant in tin: ' atalinas. l»';<-(lin'4 rart:ly al*ovc JoOO t't-t-t.
l)i-n<lr',i<n tijirii.v mil : 'J'ovv ns'iiid \VarU<:r. -- Found mj'^iatiii" in tlit; Pinal

fi O

and ( 'atalina ran.
1), mil '.nit OCcidentalis : H'-rmit, \VarM<;r. — Foil ml on<-f in ''atalina-; at

:;:,o<) i:

tii'iurux nOVeborOCensii imtahin*: (/nnn<-ll \\'at<-r Tlir-iish. - - Tuo hirds

probably of tliis .Tiib.Tpi-ci'-s tak':ii at iJoOO ft,-t,-t in th«; rata]ina-:. in S<-p-

tember.
Geothlypis tolmiei : Macg^illivray \\rarbl':r. - Jiathcr a common migrant, a

f'".v probably breeding in tin; ''atalinas.
Geothlypis tricha. occidentalis : \\'«-st<-i-n Yellow-throat. — A rather com-

mon migrant; breeds abonl Tucson.
Jit,, -in virens longicauda: Long-tailed <"hat. — Common migrant, and -,nm-

ni'-r i-'--id'-iii in suitable localities up to 40OO fi-t-t.
\\'il*i>n!.u jiiixlilij. pileolata: E^leolated \V'.tibl'-r. — Rather common mi-

grant.
Setophaga TlUicilla : Redstart. — One takc-n near Tucson by Mr. Rrown.

and on': in Catalina Mountains.
Setophaga picta : Painted Redstart. — Bummer n.-.-jident in the ('atalinas.

breeding as lo\v as "'ll() ' feet, in the oak helt.
Cartli'll.ii"! i •//',/ i/'rorts : Iied-fact;fl \Varbler. — ('onimon in the pine forests

of tli<; < 'atalinas in A pril.
Anthui pensilvanu Ut . Pipit. — Not uncommon as a migrant, throughout the

region.
Oroscoptes in<>ntin,n.-, : >a^t; Thrasher. — Common fall migrant in Pinal

Mountain-; : coininon migrant and winter resident of f'atalina foothills up

to :iOOO f'-et.

Ixxxii INTRODUCTION

Mi in us polyglottos leucoptervs : "\Vestern Mocking-bird. — Common resident

throughout the region up to 5000 feet.
T<>.r»sti>nui l» -iK/ini: Bendire Thrasher. -- Resident on the plains from

I HOI Hi southward, and quite common about Florence in the warmer

months. Breeds in Catalinas below 4000 feet.
T".n>st"inn curvirostre palmeri: Palmer Thrasher. --Common resident in

c-holla cactus region.
Tuj-nstoiint irissnlis : Crissal Thrasher. — Apparently resident throughout

th«- region.
Hdeodytes brunneicapillus : Cactus Wren. — Common resident throughout

the region below 4000 feet.
*<ilj'iiti-tt* nl'stj/t.tus : Rock Wren. — More or less abundant in the counties

considered.
Cat k< r/>< s mexicanus conspersus : Canyon Wren. — Resident in mountain

canyons up to 5000 feet.
Tfiri/HiiutHcs bc/rirkii Irttcogaster : Baird Wren. -- Resident in the Catalinas

and I'iual Mountains up to about 6000 feet.

Tri't//»</i/tt's nt'i/un uzttcus : Western House Wren. — Breeds in pine re-
gions.
Cist <>t li»nts jHilttstris jili sins : Western Marsh Wren. — One taken by Mr.

I!ro\vn near Tucson.
Certhia familiaris albescens: Mexican Creeper. — One taken in pine forests

of ( 'atalinas in April.
tiitta carolinensis aculeata : Slender-billed Nuthatch. — Common resident in

pine woods and higher altitudes.
Sittu i-iuinili lists : Red-breasted Nuthatch. — One taken at 4500 feet in the

Catalinas.
Sitta pygmcea : Fyumy Nuthatch. — Found in pine forests of Final and

( 'atalina Mountains.
I 'urns irull inliiri : Bridled Titmouse. — Rather common resident of the

oak region in the Final and Catalina Mountains.

Psaltriparus plumbeus: Lead-colored Bush-Tit. — Resident in the Cata-
linas up to about 7500 feet.
Aiiri/Htrn* fltrrii-ijis : Verdin. — Resident throughout the entire region up

to l"o i feet.
/,'"/"/"> <-<i!' ml nlii : 1 uiby-crowned Kinglet. — Common migrant and

u inter resident in the oak belt.
Polioptila ccerulea n!>*i-iini : \\'estern Gnatcatcher. -- Breeds commonly in

ill. Catalinas. but winters on the plains and mesas.
r<i/it,jiti/(i plumbea: Plumbeous (inatcatcher. — Common resident about

'I iH-^oii ;md in valley of San Fedro.

Myadestes townsendii : Townsend Solitaire. -- Found in the mountains.

Uylocichla ///>»-,. *<•, //> snHricnlu .• \Villow 'I'hrnsh. — One taken bv Mr. Brown

f P J

at I ucsoii.

Ili/ini •/••/,/,/ i/nt/dtn : Alaska Hermit Thrush. -- Winter \isitant.
//.'/' i/iilliitii ,ui,l,il,ni,i : Audubon Hermit rriirush. — Three speci-

men-, l;ik. n.
M'l-'iln ii,'niruinri<i /tr<>i,in</ii,i .- \\, tem K'oliiu. --Common winter resident,

:;5ini to <'< feet.

ia mexicana <><•<;</, ,,/u/i*: Western Illnebird. -- Winter resident of the
foothills; .il-.. lireeds iii small numbers in the Catalinas.

i arctica: Moimlain lllneliird. -- Irn-gular fall and winter visitant of
ihe toothills.

INTRODUCTION Ixxxiii

BOOKS OF REFERENCE.

GENERAL WORKS.

AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGISTS' UNION. Check-List of North American

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AUDUBON, JOHN JAMES. Birds of America. — Ornithological Biography.
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BAIRD. S. F., BREWER, T. M., and RIDGWAY, R. History of North

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BEDDARD, F. E. Study and Classification of Birds. Longmans, Green &

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BENDIRE. CHARLES E. Life Histories of North American Birds. Smith-
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NELSON, E. W. Rept. Nat. Hist. Coll. Alaska Arct. Ser., No. iii. part i..

Birds, 1877.
NEWTON, ALFRED. Dictionary of Birds. Macmillan Co., New York. 4

vols., 1893-1896.
RIDGWAY, ROBERT. Birds of North and Middle America. Bull. No. 50,

U. S. Nat. Mus. 1901, 1902. -- Hummingbirds, Ann. Rept. U.S. Nat.

Mus. 1890, sec. iii. 253. — Nomenclature of Colors, Little, Brown &

Co.. Boston, 1890. — Manual of North American Birds. J. B. Lippin-

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Parallel, U. S. Geol. Expl., part iii. 1877.
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(1885.) Houghton, Miffliii & Co., Boston.

Ixxxiv INTRODUCTION

TOWNSEND, C. H. Notes on Birds of Kowak River, and other portions of

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AMKKICAN FIELD. American Field Publishing' Company, 801 Masonic

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Ill I.l.KTIN OF THE CoOI'KR ORNITHOLOGICAL CLUB. (See Coildor.)

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FOREST AND STREAM. o4'j Broadway. New York.
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Arizona. -- Cot KS. ELLIOTT. Birds of Fort Whipple, Proc. Acad. Nat.
Sci. Pbila. xviii. ISIM. IsilC, ; Birds of Colorado Valley, U. S. Geol. Surv.
Terr. 1>,S -- HENSIIAAV. H W. Annotated List of" Birds of Arizona,
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fauna <>f Portions of Arizona, Auk. vii. 45, 251, IS! >0. -- MERRIAM, C.
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fauna of I'iual Count), \\ith Remarks on Birds of Pima and Gila Coun-
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British Columbia. •- CHAPMAN, F. M. Cuilrction Of Birds of British

Columbia, by C. P. Stn-ator. Am. .Mus. Nat. Hist. vol. 3, No. i. 1890. —
F\N.MN. .I..MN. Cb,.ck-List of I5ritish Columbia Birds. 'Provincial Mu-
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Canada. --MACOUN, .lon.\. Catah.-u.' of Cana.lia., Birds, Geol. Surv

Canada. P. KM).

California. •-(,; //,,-,//. BBLDING, LYMAN. Land Uirds of the Pacific

District, Cal. Acad. Sri.. S.m Fram-is«-o. 1890. - - COOPER, J. G. Orni-
holog) ..t California. (;,.,.!. Surv. Calif. 1870.-- CuiNNELL, JOSEPH.
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LOOMIS, I.. M. CaliforniaWaterBirds, Proc. Cal. Acad. Sci s.-r 2and
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^" •>• l!inU ..t Santa c,-u/. Island. Auk. iv. 328, L887.— BRYANT

^ \i UK hn.l and I • t'r the Faralloii klan.ls. I 'roc. Cal. Acad!

'-''' Sl •'•• '• !> C -i a, J.G. Ad.linons to liinls ,,f Ventura County

Auk. i\. 85, I887j Caliloinian (ianlcn Bird-,. AMI. Nat. \. No. -J '.III

INTRODUCTION Ixxxv

1876. — EVERMANN, B. W. Birds of Veutura County. Auk, iii. 80, ITU,
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1900. — TAYLOR, H. R.. and BARLOW. C. Story of the Farallones,
Alameda, Cal., 189T. — TOWNSEND. C. H. Field' Notes on Mammals,
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Colorado. — COOKE, W. W. Birds of Colorado, State Agr. Coll. Bull.
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Hudson Bay. — PREBLE, EDWARD A. Biological Investigations of
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Idaho. — MERRIAM, C. H. Biological Reconnoissance of South Central
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Kansas. — Goss, N. S. Birds of Kansas. Crane & Co., Topeka, Kan.. 1891.

Lower California. — BELDING, LYMAN. Catalogue Coll. Birds from
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Manitoba. - THOMPSON, E. E. Birds of Manitoba, Proc. U. S. Nat
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Montana. - - COOPER, J. G. Fauna of Montana, Am. Nat. ii. and iii.
1869. — RICHMOND, CHARLES W., and KNOWLTON, F. H. Birds of
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Nebraska. BRUNER, LAWRENCE. Notes on Nebraska Birds, Neb.
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Nevada. - - FISHER. A. K. Ornithology of Death Valley Exp., from
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New Mexico. — ANTHONY, A. W. Birds of Southwestern New Mex-
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MERRILL, J. C. Birds of Fort Klamath. Auk, v. 139, 251, 357, 1888. —
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Ixxxvi INTRODUCTION

K.M-ky Mts.. Appendix. Perkins & Marvin. Boston, 1839. — WOODCOCK,
A. \i. Annotated List of Birds of Oregon, Ore. Agr. Exper. Station,
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South Dakota. -- GRINNELL, G. B. Ludlow's Kept. Reconn. Black
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Texas. — ATTUATER, H. P. Birds of San Antonio, Auk. ix. 337, 1802. —
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Utah. - - HENSHAW. H. W. Annotated List of Birds of Utah, Ann. Lye.
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Washington. - - COOPEK. J. C.. and SCCKLEY. G. Birds of 47th and
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1902. --KoBBE, W. II. Birds of Cape Disappointment, Auk, xvii. 349,
1900. -- LAWRENCE, R.H. Birds of Gray's Harbor, Auk, ix. 39, 3-'.2.
1892. - - RATHBUN, S. F. Birds of Seattle. Auk. xix. 131, 1902.—
UHOADS. S. N. Notes on Washington and British Columbia Birds, Auk,
x. Hi. 18'.-:;.

Wyoming. -- GARY, MERKITT. Birds of Black Hills, Auk, xviii. 231,
1901. — KNKIIIT. WILBUR C. Birds of Wyoming, University of Wyo-
ming, Laramie. In press.

SPECIAL SUBJECTS AND POPULAR WORKS.

SPECIAL SUBJECTS.

llird Protection.

A. O. IT. <'<>M MM i ! i ON BIRD PROTECTION. Annual Repts., Auk, xiv. 21,
1897; KV. 81, LS9S: xvi. :>:>. is'.ni; xvii. 51, 19Mii; xviii. ns. moi ; xix.
31, I'll >i'.-- Game La\\s in Brief. Forest and Stream Publishing Co.
inuartcrly), NYu \'.n-k. -- PAL. MM;. T. S.. aiul OLDYS. H. W. Digest of
<!;IIIH- La\\s. I'.ml. Bull. Hi. Biol. Surv. U. S. Dept. Agr. Game Laws
fur HUH', Fannrr's IJull. N,,. Hit). I'. S. 1 >ept. Agr. - PALMER, T. S.
I .••_ i-l:n'nui fur tin- Protection <>{' Uirds dtlicr than Game Birds, Bull.
\... Ii'. Hiul. Surv., n-vis.-d cd. llHiii. - - LANGE, 1). Our Native Birds,
llnxv K. I'riitiM-i thfin and Attract tlu-m t<> ciiir 1 lomes. The Macmillan
Company, \.-\v V.,rk. L899. - M \SMIKLD. J. H. IJ. Wild Bird Pro-
i.-i-iiuu an. I Nf-tin- 1 ;(1\rs. Ta\ loi' Bros., Leeds, England, is<)7. -- Bir/l-
L»r, . Aii(liih(in Department, The .Macmillan Cumpany. Harrisburg. Ponn.
l;\r.. ... K. C. A. Mini Da\ : Ilu\\ to 1'ivpare for It, Silver. Burdett
A ( ,,.. \, u Y-.i-k an. I M..SIMII. I'.MIl.

i'liml i if /Jirt/s.

Publications ••/ / al Survey, I'. >'. />,/,,,rt i/,,i,t ,,f . \</r/<-n/ture. — BEAL,
l-'""d "f \V Ipeckers, Mull. No. 7, L895.--Food of Bobo-
link. Mlackl.irds. an. I ( Jrackli-s. Mull. No. l:',. I'.KID; Some Comiiiun

INTRODUCTION Ixxxvii

Birds in their Relation to Agriculture, Farmer's Bulletin, No. 54, 181 >T ;
Crow Blackbirds and their Food, Yearbook for 1894 ; The Meadowlark
and Baltimore Oriole, Yearbook for 1895; The Blue Jay and its Food,
Yearbook for 181)0 ; Birds that Injure Grain, Yearbook for 1897 ; How
Birds Aft'ect the Orchard, Yearbook for 1900 ; The Food of Cuckoos,
Bull. No. 9, 1898 ; The Food of Nestling Birds, Yearbook for 1900.

— FISHEK, A. K. Hawks and Owls from the Standpoint of the Farmer,
Yearbook for 1894 ; Two Vanishing- Game Birds, Woodcock and Wood
Duck, Yearbook for 1901. — JUDD, S. D. Four Common Birds of the
Farm and Garden, Yearbook for 1895 ; The Food of Shrikes, Bull. No.
9, 1898; The Relation of Sparrows to Agriculture. Bull. No. 15, 1901.

-MEKKIAM. C. H., and BARROWS, W. B. The English Sparrow in
America, Bull. No. 1, 1889. — PALMER, T. S. A Review of Economic
Ornithology in the United States, Yearbook for 1899.

Migration.

BAIRD, S. F. Distribution and Migration N. Am. Birds, Am. Journ. Sci.
Arts, vol. xli., Jan. 1806. --BELDING, LYMAN. Land Birds of Pacific
Coast District, Cal. Acad. Sci., San Francisco, 1890. — BREWSTER, WIL-
LIAM. Bird Migration Memoirs Nutt. Orn. Club, Cambridge, Mass., 1880.

— CHAPMAN, F. M. Remarks on Origin of Migration. Auk, xi. 12. 1894.

— COOKE, W. W. Bird Migration in the Mississippi Valley, Div. Econ.
Orn. Bull. No. 2, U. S. Dept. Agr. — GATKE, H. Heligoland, David Doug-
las, Edinburgh, 1895. — LOOMIS. L. M. Water Birds of California, Proc.
Cal. Acad. Sci., San Francisco. — STONE, WITMER. Bird Waves and
their Graphic Representation, Auk, viii. 194, 1891 ; Graphic Representa-
tion of Bird Migration, Auk, vi. 139, 1889. See. also, sections on Migra-
tion in Chapman's Bird-Life and Newton's Dictionary of Birds.

Moult and Protective Coloration.

CHADBOURNE, A. P. Individual Dichromatism in Megascops asio. Auk,
xiii. 321, 1896 ; xiv. 33, 1897. -- CLARKE, H. L. Pterylography of the Ca-
primulgidte. Auk, xviii. 107, 1901. — D WIGHT, JONATHAN, JR. Moult of
Quails and Grouse, Auk, xvii. 143, 1900 ; Plumage Cycles and Relation
between Plumages and Moults, Auk, xix. 248, 1902 ; Sequence of Moults
and Plumages of Laridse, Auk, xviii. 49, 1901 ; Sequences of Plumages
and Moults of Passerine Birds, Annals New York Acad. Sci. vol. xiii. 77,
1896. — STONE, WITMER. Moulting of Birds, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci.
Phila. 1896, 108; Moult and Alleged Color Change in Birds, Ibis, Apr.
1901, 177 ; Summer Moulting of Plumage of Certain Ducks. Proc. Acad.
Nat. Sci. Phila. 1899, 407. See, also, Newton's Dictionary, Moult, and
Chapman's Bird-Life, chap, iii., Colors of Birds.

Nests and Eggs.

BENDIRE, CHARLES E. Life Histories of North American Birds, 2 vols.
Smith. Inst. 1892, 1895. — DA VIE, OLIVER. Nests and Eggs of North
American Birds, 5th ed. Landon Press, Columbus, Ohio, 1898. See, also,
the Condor, Osprey, and Nidologist.

Songs.

BICKNELL, E. P. A Study of the Singing of our Birds, Auk. i. 60, 120,
209, 322. 1884 ; ii- 144, 249, 1885. - - CHENEY, S. P. Wood Notes Wild.
Lee & Shepard, Boston, 1892. — OLDYS, H. W. Parallel Growth of Bird

Ixxxviii INTRODUCTION

and Human Music. Harper's Monthly, August, 1902, vol. cv. No. dcxxvii.
171. -- Win HI I.L, CHAKLHS A. Evolution of Bird-Song, Adam &
Charles Ulat-k. London, 1896.

POPULAR BIRD BOOKS.

BASKKTT. .1. N. The Story of the Birds, D. Appleton & Co., New
Ycik. is; >7. — BURROUGHS. JOHN. Wake-Kobin ; Fresh Fields ; Birds
and I'oets: Locusts and Wild Honey; Pepacton ; Winter Sunshine;
S-ns and Seasons: Riverby, Hotig'hton, Mifflin & Co., Boston. —
CHAPMAN. FKANK M. Bird Life (popular colored ed.), 1902; Bird
Studies with a Camera, 1900; Handbook of Birds of Eastern North
America. I'.XrJ. 1). Appleton & Co, New York. -- ECKSTORM, FANNIE
HARDY. The Bird Book, D. C. Heath & Co., Boston, 1901; The
Woodpeckers. Houghton. Mifflin & Co., Boston, 1901. — ELLIOT, D.
(J. Shore Birds, 1895; Game Birds. 1897 ; Wild Fowl, 1898, Francis
P. Harper. New York. -- HERKICK, FKANCIS H. Home Life of Wild
I!irds. G. P. Putnam & Sons, New York, 1901. — JOB, HEKBERT K.
Annni"- the Water-Fowl. Doubleday, Page & Co., New York, 1902.
- KKKLEK. CHAKLES A. Bird Notes Afield, Elder & Shepard, San
Franei-i.-o. !»'.'. KEYSER. LEANDER S. Birds of the Rockies, A. C.
Mi-Clurg & Co. , Chicago, 1902. — LORD, WT. R. Birds of Oregon and
Washington, J. K. Gill Company. Portland, Oregon, revised edition,
IDOL'. — MERRIAM, F. A. A-Birding on a Bronco, Houghton, Mifflin &
Co., Boston. 1 si Hi. — MILLER. OLIVE THORNE. Bird-Ways: In Nesting
Time; Little Brothers of the Air; A Bird-Lover in the West ; Upon
ili.- Tree-Tops ; First Book of Birds ; Second Book of Birds, Houghton,
Mitllm iV Co., Boston. - - TORREY, BRADFORD. Birds in the Bush ; A
Rambler's Lease; The Foot-Path Way; Everyday Birds. Houghton,
Mifllin A: Co.. Boston. - - SANDYS and VAN DYKE. Upland Game
IJinU. M.H-millan Co.. New York. 18D2. — VAN DYKE, T. S. Game
liirdx at Home. Fords. Howard & Hulbert. New York. 1895. — A\TRIGHT,
M.\r. ML <)-.<;ooi>. Hirdcrat't, 2d ed.. Macmillan Co., New York, 1809. —
\\'I:K;HI . MAI-.I.L ( >s<;ooi>. and Dr. ELLIOTT COUES. Citizen Bird, 2d
ed.. Macmillan Co.. New York. 1900.

USE OF THE KEYS.

If you an- a ben inner wit h a bird to identify, and do not know the
orders iiitu which birds an- divided, ^<> first to the Key to Orders,
pp. 1. -. If your l)ird is a plover, you may not be sure whether it is
Haxsrd \\illi 'be water or land birds; so bcuin with the Key to
\\aici- IJinK This key. as all others in the book, is dichotomous,
that is to say, ai every step the birds arc divided into two classes,

which have or have not a givCD character- -birds are black or the v
arc in.t black, they have crests or they have not crests, their feet are
\\cbbcd or iln-ir led aiv m.t \\ebbcd. At each step of the key a
number and it-, prime are u>cd tn set apart the two classes. In the
• i Of the Key In Order- ,,f Water Birds the firM two classes arc
bird> \\ hicb have

i Peel t'uil\ uebin d

INTRODUCTION Ixxxix

1'. Feet incompletely or not at all webbed.

If the bird you want to name has fully webbed feet, read down
the key from 1 ; if not, go to 1', and read down. The numbers fol-
low consecutively from each heading. In this case the birds with
fully webbed feet are divided again into several classes, and those
without full}* webbed feet also have subdivisions.

1. Feet fully webbed (except Grebes in Pygopodes. which have the toes

lobed or margined).
2. Foot with three webs, all four toes connected.

Stegaiiopodes : Totipalmate Swimmers, p. 3.
2'. Foot with two webs, three front toes connected.
3. Nostrils tubular . Tubinares : Tube-nosed Swimmers, p. 3.
3'. Nostrils not tubular.

4. Edges of mandibles toothed or serrate.

Anseres : Lamellirostral Swimmers, p. 3.
4'. Edges of mandibles not toothed or serrate.
5. Legs placed far back, wings short.

Pygopodes : Diving Birds, p. 2.
5'. Legs placed near middle of body ; wings long and pointed.

Loiigipemies : Long-winged Swimmers, p. 2.
1'. Feet incompletely or not at all webbed.
2. Lores and ring' around eye naked.

Herodiones : Herons. Storks, and Ibises, p. 4.
2'. Lores and ring around eye feathered.

3. Hind toe long and approximately on a level with front toes (except

in Cranes which are over three feet long).

Paludicolae : Cranes, Rails, Coots, Gallirmles, etc., p. 4.

3'. Hind toe short and elevated or absent ; bird never over twenty-six

inches long Limicolae : Shore Birds, p. 4.

Read clown the key, passing the orders to which it does not
belong till vou come to the order to which it does belong. For in-

O *- o

stance, if your bird is a duck it has feet fully webbed (1), with two
webs, three front toes connected (2'), nostrils not tubular (3'), and
edges of mandibles toothed or serrate (4). It belongs to the Order
Anseres: Lamellirostral Swimmers. If , on the other hand, the bird
you want to name is a great blue heron, as it has not fully webbed
feet, you throw out 1 and all its subdivisions, passing on to 1', —
feet incompletely or not at all webbed. The first subdivision here
is

2. Lores and ring around eye naked.

Herodiones : Herons, Storks, and Ibises.

You know if there is a naked ring around the eye, and to find
what lore* means you turn to the diagram of a bird, p. 1. When
you find that your bird belongs to Order Herodiones, turn to the
page given (4), where you will find a key to the families in the order,

xc

INTRODUCTION

Read down this as before, when, by throwing out the families to
which it does not belong, you come to Ardeidce — 2'. Sill straight
and .V/////-/J. neck and most ofhendfatJi, red, to which it does belong.
Go now to the page specified (72), and run down the Key to Genera,
contained in Fa'mily Ardeidse, and you find that it belongs to the
genus Ardea. to which you are referred (p. 74). Here you find the
general characters of the genus and a key to its species. As you
know the bird is bluish gray and its size large you find it to be Ardea
]nrnili,ix. i>f which a detailed description is given (p. 75). If you
have been identifying a bird that you have shot, you will have your
own fresh measurement s to compare with those in the description
(see ]>ai;e \xvii.).

In sonic of the more obscure birds you will find on getting to the
description of the species that you have made a mistake in running
down the keys, but by patience and care in following them you will
be able to identify all but the most difficult birds.

After a little study you will grasp the general classification of
birds so that it will not be necessary to go through the whole series
of key- for each bird. You may not know what it is, but you
know many tilings that it is not, and if you make a practice of
ill in i nut! i<t/ you will narrow down the possibilities so that it will be
much easier to find your bird. You may not know whether it
is a crow or a raven, but you do know that it is not a water bird,
a hawk, owl. or sparrow, and so you can go on throwing out what
you know it is not until you have to look up only those about which
you feel uncertain.

The question as to which subspecies a bird belongs to, unless de-
tcnninable by -co-rapine range, caB often be decided only by expert
ornithologists with lai'ire series of skins for comparison, and, in such
found often amoni! some of the llycatchers, the song spar-
ro-As. and \\rens. the only way to be sure of your bird is to send it
to a museum for identification. The National Museum in Washing-

O

ton and the American .Museum of Natural History in New York
both identify material sent them.

<>J Bill

Measurement of Tarsus

Middle toe

Outer tuc

TOPOGRAPHY <>K A r.iRO

BIRDS OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES

KEY TO ORDERS.

WATER BIRDS.

1. Feet fully webbed (except grebes in Pygopodes, which have the toes

lobed or margined).
2. Foot with three webs, all four toes connected.

Steganopodes : Totipalmate Swimmers, p. o.
2'. Foot with two webs, three front toes connected.

3. Nostrils tubular. Tubiiiares : Tube-nosed Swimmers, p. ;j.
3'. Nostrils not tubular.

4. Edges of mandibles toothed or serrate.

Anseres : Lamellirostral Swimmers, p. 3.
4'. Edges of mandibles not toothed or serrate.
5. Legs placed far back ; wings short.

Pygopodes : Diving Birds, p. 2.
5'. Legs placed near middle of body ; wings long and pointed.

Loiigipermes : Long-winged Swimmers, p. 2.
1'. Feet incompletely or not at all webbed.
2. Lores and ring around eye naked.

Herodioiies : Herons, Storks, and Ibises, p. 4.
2'. Lores and ring around eye feathered.

3. Hind toe long' and approximately on a level with front toes (except

in cranes, which are over three feet long) . . . Palndicolee :

Cranes, Rails. Coots, Gallinules, etc., p. 4.

3'. Hind toe short and elevated or absent ; bird never over twenty-six

inches long Limicolae : Shore Birds, p. 4.

LAND BIRDS.

1. Bill strongly hooked.

2. Toes two in front and two behind, outer toe permanently reversed.

Psittaci : Parrots," etc., p. 109.
2'. Toes three in front, or outer toe reversible.

Raptores : Birds of Prey, p. 109.
1'. Bill not strongly hooked.

2. Hind toe small and elevated above front ones.

Gallinae : Gallinaceous Birds, p. 108.
2'. Hind toe not elevated above front ones.

3. Bill with soft swollen skin around nostrils.

Columbae : Pigeons or Doves, p. 108.

KEY TO FAMILIES OF WATER BIRDS

3'. Bill without soft swollen skin around nostrils.

4. Toes always three in front, middle and outer ones never connected
for half their length ; feet strong1.

Passeres : Perching Birds, p. 110.
4'. Toes two or three in front; if three, middle and outer connected

for at least half their length, or feet small and weak.
.">. Bill needle-like, or short, with wide gape . Macrochires :
Goatsuckers. Swifts, and Hummingbirds, p. 110.
5'. Bill not needle-like nor with wide g'ape.
»>. Tail feathers stiff and pointed.

Pici : "Woodpeckers, p. 110.

6'. Tail feathers soft, with normal tips .... Coccyges :
Cuckoos, Trogoiis, and Kingfishers, p. 109.

KEY TO FAMILIES OF WATER BIRDS.

ORDER PYGOPODBS: DIVING BIRDS.

1. Tail wanting; feet not fully webbed.

Fodicipidae : Grebes, p. 5.

1'. Tail present, but short; feet webbed.

2. Hind toe present Gaviidee : Loons, p. 0.

2'. Hind toe absent Alcidae :

Auks, Murres, and Puffins, p. 11.

Fig. 1.

Fin. :;.

ORDER LONGIPENNES: LONG- WINGED

SWIMMERS.

I. Upper mandible with distinct basal saddle.

Stercorariidce : Jaegers, etc., p. IT.

1'. Upper mandible in <>nr piece.

Laridae : Gulls and Terns, p. 19.

c,

KEY TO FAMILIES OF WATER BIRDS

ORDER TUBINARES: TUBE-NOSED SWIMMERS.

1. Nasal tubes separated and at sides of bill.

Diomedeidce : Albatrosses, p. 32.

1 '. Nasal tubes connected on top of bill.
Procellariidee : Fulmars,

Shearwaters, and Petrels, p. 33.

Fig. 8.

ORDER STEGANOPODES :
TOTIPALMATE SWIMMERS.

1. Bill straight and sharp, not hooked at tip.

Anhingidae : Darters, p. 39.
1'. Bill strongly hooked at tip.

2. Tail deeply forked ; space around eye feath-
ered.
Fregatidae : Maii-o'-War Birds, p. 43.

'!' . Tail not forked ; space around eye naked.

1 ig. 10.

3. Bill narrow, with slight pouch at base.

Phalacrocoracidae :

Cormorants, p. 39.

3'. Bill wide and flat, with large pouch.
Pelecanidse . Pelicans, p. 42.

Fig. 1-2.

ORDER ANSERES: LAMELLIROSTRAL,

SWIMMERS.

Short-legged swimmers Anatidse :

Ducks. Geese, and Swans, p. 44.

Fig. 13.

KEY TO FAMILIES OF WATER BIRDS

ORDER HERODIONES: HERONS, STORKS, AND

IBISES.

1. Bill grooved along- sides from nostril to tip.

Ibididae : Ibises, p; 70.

1'. Bill not grooved along- sides from nostril to tip.

'2. Bill slightly decurved or else inclined upward

toward end ; head and part of neck naked.

Ciconiidae :

Storks and Wood Ibises, p. 72.
"_' . Bill straight and sharp ; neck and most of
head feathered. Fig-. 15. Ardeidae :

Herons, Bitterns, Egrets, p. 72.

ORDER PALUDICOL^] : CRANES. RAILS. COOTS,

AND GALLINULES.

1. Hind toe small and much elevated ; size larg-e, wing- 17 or

more.

Fig.

1C) Gruidae : Cranes, p. 78.

1 . Hind toe long, nearly on a level with front toes;
size small, wing 10 or less. Fig. 17. Rallidae :
Rails, Coots, Gallinules, etc., p. 79.

Fig. 17.

Fig. 16.

ORDER LIMICOL^E: SHORE BIRDS.

1. Hind claw, it' any, not longer than its toe.

•_'. Kront of tarsus covered with transverse scutellre. Fig. 18.
;!. Tarsus very thin, toes with lateral scallops or memhraues.
Phalaropodidae : Phalaropes, p. 84.
:! .Tarsus rounded, toes without lateral scallops or mem-

hranes.
4. Bill sleiid.-r. longer than middle toe without claw.

Scolopacidae : Snipes, Sandpipers, etc., p. 87.
4'. Bill stout, not longer than middle toe without claw.

Aphrizidae : Surf Birds and Turnstones, p. IOC).
J . Kront nt tarsus covered with hexagonal or irregular scu-
te] la-. Kig. ]<».
Tarsus more than twice as long as middle toe and claw.

Recuivirostridae: Avocets and Stilts, p. 86.
. Tarsus less than twice as long as middle toe and claw.
I. Hill h.n-er than tarsus, laterally compressed and wedge- Flg>

Haematopodidae : Oyster-catchers, p. 107.

shorter th;m t;,,-siis, pointed, not laterally compressed.

Charadriidae : Plovers, p. 102.
Bind da\v Longer than its toe; wing with spur.

Jacanidae : Jacana, p. 108.

GREBES 5

ORDER PYGOPODES: DIVING BIRDS.
(FAMILIES PODICIPID.E, GAVIID^E, ALCIIXE.)

FAMILY PODICIFIDJE. GREBES.

KEY TO GENERA.

1. Bill long- and slender, tip not decurved.

2. Bill five or more times as long- as depth at base.

JEchmophorus, p. 5.
2'. Bill less than four times as long1 as depth at base.

Colymbus. p. 6.
V. Bill short and stout, tip of upper mandible decurved.

Fodilymbus, p. 8.

GENUS ^ECHMOPHORUS.

1. JEchmophorus OCCidentalis (Lawr.). WESTERN GREBE.

Head without side rS!5$
crests ; bill slender;
neck nearly as long-
as body. Adults :
top of head and line
down back of neck
blackish ; back
slaty gray ; throat
and under parts sil-
very -white. Male :
length 24-29, wing-
7.45-8.50. bill 2.00-
3.05. Female:
smaller, bill 2.10-
2.48.

Distribution. — From the Pacific to Manitoba, and from central Mexico
to British Columbia and Alberta.

Nest. — Floating- on the water, a raft of tule stems, grass, and water
plants, with a slig-ht depression in the centre. Eyys : 4 to 5, -white.

To find the western grebe at home go to the tule-bordered lakes
of eastern Oregon. Creep through the tall grass and part the tules
on the edge of a clear pond, and right before you on the water is the
grebe, with its silvery throat, graceful form, and fiery eye. A sud-
den motion of your hand, and the needle-like bill pierces the water
and the bird disappears like a flash of light, to reappear a full
minute later well beyond shot-gun range from shore. If you make
yourself known less suddenly the grebe instead of diving sinks
slowly and without a ripple, never to reappear except far away or
in some hidden part of the tules.

As you watch the birds out in the lake, popping up and remain-
ing long enough for a good breath, then going below to stay a much

0 GREBES

longer time, you wonder what they are rinding. If you shoot one,
a few tinv hones of minnows in its stomach mixed with the usual

«.

ball of feathers from its own breast tell part of the story and ex-
plain its mermaid habits, slender head, long neck, and spear-like
bill.

But to get to the heart of the grebe's home you should wade out
where the tules stand up to their necks in water. Here in the damp,
saucer-shaped top of a floating island of tule stems, you find the
eggs, warm and hastily covered with material from the sides of the
nest, There is no bird in sight, but the large size of both nest and
, _ jrg serve to distinguish them from those of the smaller grebes. If
you keep still for a little while a slender head and long neck may
come up out of the water near you and a pair of keen eyes watch
you anxiously fora moment, then quickly sink below again, to come
up a little later on the other side.

The irrebes are rarely seen except on the water, but when, after
much kicking and spattering, they are fairly launched on the wing,
they have a steady rapid flight, and in migration make long jour-

VERNON BAILEY.

GENUS COLYMBUS.

Characters.- -Dill straight and sharp, never four times as long1
as its depth at base ; neck not nearly as long as body ; head sometimes
ted.

KEY TO SPECIES.

. Size large, bill over 1.50 holboellii, p. 6.

\'. Si/.c small or medium.

2. Small, bill .si* brachypterus, p. 8.

•1 . Medium, bill about l.( H i.

Hill deeper than wide at base ; bead of adult in breeding plumage

lie;,vily crested aiiritUS. p. 7.

Bill wider than deep at base; bead of adult in breeding plumage
lightly crested . . . californicus, p. 7.

Subgenus Colymbus.
2 Colymbus holboellii (/,%/////.). IIo,.r,KLL GREBE.

Hill n. -ails as Inn- as bead; crests inconspicuous or wanting. Breeding

top of head greenish Mack : hack blackish, -with brown on wings ;

head anil ttm.at patch white or -ravish ; neck rufous; lower

part uitl. wl,it,. over gray. Winter plumage, and young: neck

1.,,,'jth: \ S.IK )-•_>(».:,(). wing 7.30-8.10, bill I .<;:>-

N-ril, America, (ueenland. and eastern Asia, breeding
States, migrating south to South Carolina, southern
( olorado. and Monterej l!.-i\. < '.-difoniia.

,M ",'" "' ""' ""id. attached to growing reeds or

tnaaoea oi dead vegetable matter. y-.V/s .- I to 5.

I \RF.I) C.RF.HE

GREBES 7

The Holbcell grebe nests in isolated pairs in reeds along the mar-
gins of shallow, fish-frequented lakes, preferably in forested country,
but also in prairie regions.

Subgenus Dytes.

3. Colymbus auritus Linn. HORNED GREBE.

About the size of the dabchick, but slenderer ; sexes similar ; cheeks
and sides of head with crests or ruffs in adults.
Breeding plumage : sides of head with yellow tufts
of silky feathers, rest of head and throat black ;
upper parts dusky; lower neck, chest, and sides
rufous; breast silvery white. Winter adults ami
young: crests scant or wanting ; throat white ; sides
with little or no rufous. Length: 12.50-15.25, wing-
about 5.75, bill about .85-1.00.

Remarks. - The young can usually be distin-
guished from young californicus by the bill, which is
higher than wide at base.

Distribution. — Northern part of northern hemi-
sphere, breeding in North America chiefly north
of the United States; migrating south over the ™

United States. Fig. 21.

Nest. — Made of reeds, grass, and mud, attached
to reeds, or 011 floating masses of sticks and sedges. Eggs : 5 to 8.

In full plumage, with their big crests and mufflers and rich colors,
the horned grebes easily rank as the handsomest of their family.
In the United States they are seen on their migration journeys
usually in small flocks, late in fall or following close on the retreat-
ing ice in spring. In their northern summer home their habits are
said to be similar to those of other grebes.

4. Colymbus nigricollis californicus (Heerm.). EARED GREBE.

Breeding plumage. — A fan-shaped tuft of yellow silky feathers on each
side of head ; rest of head, neck, and chest black ; back blackish ; sides
brown; breast silvery white. Winter plumage and young : upper parts and
sides dusky ; throat and ear patch white or grayish ; bill slender, wider
than deep at base ; crests wanting. Length : 12-14, wing 5.30, bill 1.

Distribution. — Western North America, east to the Mississippi, north to
Great Slave Lake, south to Guatemala, breeding throughout most of its
range.

Nest. — Floating on shallow water in ponds or lakes ; made of rushes.
Eggs : 4 to 6, soiled white.

In the Great Basin country where tall tules grow half way across
some of the big shallow lakes, the eared grebes have made their
homes for ages, raising their young in peace and as much quiet as
the cackling of coots anc1 rails, the quacking of ducks, and laughing
of stilts and avocets would allow. Out in the open ponds diving for
minnows, gliding among the dark tule stems, or brooding on their
floating nests and caring for their downy black chicks, they have

8 GEEBES

been comparatively safe from enemies, and year after year have
gone south \\ IK ii the lakes froze over and come back again with the
warm spring- days.

But this HfV of primitive security was rudely broken into when
their beautiful silvery breasts and rich brown sides attracted the
attention <>!' the plume hunters, and within five or six years the
demand for their skins for hats, muffs, and capes has grown so
great as to threaten the species, and with it several other species of
grebes, with extermination. Hunters go to the breeding-grounds
and shoot the old birds when bold in defense of their eggs and
young, stripping off their skins and shipping them in thousands to
the cities. Unless some wise law intervenes, these harmless, beauti-
ful spirits of the lake will soon have disappeared from the face of

the earth. VERNON BAILEY.

Subgenus Podiceps.

5. Colymbus dominions brachypterus Chapm. LEAST GREBE.

A tiny dusky grebe, about half as big- as the dabchick ; bill black, tipped

with whitish. Adults : top of head
and back dull greenish black ; chin and
throat blackish ; sides of neck and head
plumbeous ; breast mottled silvery
p. - gray. Winy : o.SO, bill .82.

Distribution. - - From Panama north
to southern Texas and Lower California.

Nt-st. — On water, rloating1 among the rushes. Eggs: usually 7.

These tiny grebes are as common in the ponds of southern Texas
"lie dabchick in the north. In open water they bob on the little
waves, and in <|uiet pools where the willows overhang the banks
s\\ini and dive among the sedges and pink water-lilies. When not
seeking food below the surface of the water, they usually keep
close to some cover, and in the middle of the day if not hidden in
the sedges are found sitting close under the shore grass, or in the
shade of a bush or low-hanging tree. VKKXON BAILEY.

GENUS PODILYMBUS.

6. Podilymbns podiceps (Linn.). PIKD-P-IM/HD ORKP.E : DABCHICK.
Dill vlmrt and stout, head nut crested. Breeding plumage : bill whitish,

crossed by a black band : upper parts
blackish: chin and throat black ;
breast mottled silvery gray. Winter
plumagt : bill brownish, with paler
lo\\vr inaudible : chin, throat, and
breast whitish. }'i»i»(/ .- head and
neck mure or less striped with brown,
l.l.-i. k. and \vhitc. l.-ii'i!/,: 1 L1- 1.".. \\ ing t. :.()-,",. (II). bill about >7.

Distribution. North .-md South America, except extreme northern and
li- in p.u-ts. breeding throughout most of its range.

LOONS 9

Nest. — A floating1 or anchored raft of water-soaked plant stems among
tules in shallow water. Eyys : 4 to 8, soiled whitish.

Every boy who lias carried a gun and crept through tall grass to
the edges of ponds and lakes, or has followed the creeks, cutting
from bend to bend, and peering cautiously up stream and down,
has found himself more than once face to face with a little gray
duck, — only it was n't a duck - - which when he raised his gun dived
just as he pulled the trigger, so the shot scattered over the sur-
face of the water. No amount of waiting or searching the banks
did any good, - - the bird was never seen again, dead or alive. There
was a mystery about it, and when some one older and wiser than
he told him- it was a water witch or hell diver, the mystery was
only half solved. Where did it go ? How could it stay under
water through the half hour that he waited for it to come to the
surface ? Had he been just around the next bend he might possibly
have seen a gray bill and a pair of dark eyes that came up out of
the water close to the bank, stayed just long enough for a good
breath of air, and then disappeared for another long swim below the
surface.

Fortunately for the dabchick, its dress is all in dull colors, and as
no one wants to borrow its plumes it may be hoped that, like the
poor, the little plebeian may be always with us. VERNOX BAILEY.

FAMILY GAVIIDJE: LOONS.

GENUS GAVIA.

General Characters. — Tail feathers short and stiff ; front toes fully
webbed, hind toe small ; head and neck velvety, never crested.

KEY TO SPECIES.

1. Tarsus longer than inner toe and claw lumme, p. 11.

1'. Tarsus shorter than inner toe and claw.

2. Head and neck black imber, p. 9.

2'. Back of head and neck smoky gray.

3. Larger, wing 12.55, back of head dark gray . . arctica, p. 10.
?>'. Smaller, wing- 11.54. back of head light gray . . pacifica, p. 10.

7. Gavia imber (Gunn.). LOON: GREAT NORTHERN DIVER.

Adults in summer plumage. — Head and neck velvety black, glossed with
green ; thi-oat and sides of neck crossed by series
of white streaks ; breast white ; back black,
spotted with white. Winter plumage and young :
back slaty, without white spots ; throat white.
Length : 28-36, wing 14.00, bill 3.07.

Distribution. — Northern part of northern hemi- Fig 24.

sphere, breeding in the northern United States
and northward ; south in winter to Gulf of Mexico and Lower California.

10 LOONS

\,st. — Usually the hollowed-out top of an old muskrat house in a lake.
Eggs : -. dark olive gray, spotted with black and more or less stained
with brown.

lii the north spring comes with a bound. A few warm days and
a rain — the ice breaks-- and then, with a wild shrill cry overhead
come the loons, with strong steady flight --and spring is here.
On their home waters the loons are found usually in pairs, swim-
ming in the clear rivers and lakes, not paddling around shore or in
the \\ild rice or tules with the ducks and grebes, but out in a big
sweep of open water. If alarmed they dive, and few if any birds
can equal them in long rapid journeys under water. If the lake is
shallow you can follow their wake, but you must be a good rower
with a good boat to keep up with one. If there is no wind a loon
will often race for miles, showing only his head above water at long
intervals rather than undertake the laborious water kicking per-
formance necessary in order to get fairly on the wing. Against a
stiff breeze the birds rise with less effort. On laud they are practi-
cally helpless, as they can neither walk nor take wing, and must
slide and flap along to the nearest water. The water is their home
from the time they hatch and tumble into it as furry balls of dusky
down till their last cry rings over the surface.

Only on the lonely lake in the heart of the woods do you get the
>tartling thrill of the loon's wild cry, --one clear, piercing note or a
long, quavering, demoniacal laugh that to the timid suggests a herd
of screaming panthers. It is one of the stirring, inspiring sounds
of nature, like the scream of an eagle or the bugling of a flock of
swans, and after hearing it you no longer wonder that the loon has
figured in poetry and legend. VERNON BAJLEY.

9. Gavia arctica (Linn.). BLACK-THROATED LOON.

Adults in sitiniiKr. — Back of head and neck smoky or plumbeous gray;
throat and fore neck purplish black, throat crossed by transverse bars of
whit.- streaks, a series of longitudinal white streaks separating- the gray
and Mark on sides of neck ; back black, barred and spotted with white ;
In-east pirn- \\lnte. \Yintcr and immature plumages: white markings of
Lack v.anting, and throat white. Lenyth : 2(i-L>(.), wing- 12.55, bill 2.00.

Distribution. Northern part of northern hemisphere, breeding in arctic
-i.-.-i ;n,d mi-rating south to extreme northern states, east of the
) Mountains.

A''/.'/s- - I^iid on the -round on a small islet in a pond; dark olive,
blotched with Llaek.

10. Gavia pacifica (/.« //•/-.). PACIFIC LOON.

/.' ceding j.lnmn^. i;.,«-k of head and neck smoky gray or whitish;
throat black, glo sed with greenish or purplish and crossed by transverse

I- .11 .,» \\hite streaks; sides of n.-ck with series of longitudinal white
Lae|< Llaek witli four series of white Lars; lower parts white.

AUKS, MURRES, AND PUFFINS

11

^'

Fig. 25. Pacific Loon.

Winter plumage and young: back without white markings; throat white.
Winy: 11.54, bill 2.15.

Distribution. — Pacific coast from Lower California to Alaska, breeding
far northward ; east to Hudson Bay.

Macfarlane has found nests of the Pacific loon in wooded sections,
in the Barren Grounds, and on the shores of the Arctic Sea. The
birds reach these breeding places in Jane and leave in September.
In winter Mr. Loomis has found them passing up and down the
coast in great numbers.

11. Gavia lumme (Gunn.). RED-THROATED LOON.

Adults in summer plumage. - - Head and neck plumbeous gray ; throat with
a wedge-shaped patch of rich chestnut ; back sooty ; top of head and back
of neck streaked and back specked with white ; under parts white. Winter
plumage and young : throat and fore neck white. Length : 24-27, wing
10.00-11.50, bill 2.25.

Distribution. — Northern part of northern hemisphere, breeding in arc-
tic regions and migrating south nearly across the United States.

Eggs. — 2, laid on the ground, like those of G. arctica, p. 10.

In Alaska the red-throated are by far the most abundant of the
loons. They reach St. Michaels and the Yukon delta with the first
open water, and by the end of May are to be seen in great numbers.
Mr. Nelson says they are extremely noisy all through the first part
of summer, their harsh gr-r-gd-gr-r, gr-r-gd, gd-gr-r rising every-
where from the marshes during the entire twenty-four hours.

FAMILY ALCIDJE : AUKS, MURRES. AND PUFFINS.

••a-

KEY TO GENERA.

h*Y 1. Bill high, much compressed, ridged down sides ; a fold of
5 naked skin at corner of mouth .... Lunda, p. 12.

Fig. 26. 1'. Bill not extremely high, compressed, nor ridged ; corner of
mouth without fold of naked skin.

Fig. •!!.

2. Nostrils covered by feathers ....

- • Nostrils exposed.

3. Bill about as long as head, 1 or more.

Uria, p. 16.

12

AUKS, MURRES, AND PUFFINS

4. Bill stout, tip decurved, base with horn in breed-
ing season Cerorhinca, p. 13.

. O 4'. Bill slender and straight, base without horn.
3 Cepphus, p. 16.

29.

3'. Bill much shorter than head, .80 or less.

4. Bill wider than deep at base.

Ptychoramphus, p. 13.
4'. Bill much deeper than wide at base.

5. Cutting edge of lower mandible concave.

'Sk (5. Bill .GO, without knob at base.
* Cyclorrhynchus, p. 14.

Fig. 30.

6'. Bill .40 or less, with knob at base.

Simorhynchus, p. 14.

Fig. 31.

5'. Cutting edge of lower mandible convex.
(>. Tarsus scutellate in front.

Synthliboramphus, p. 15.
6'. Tarsus reticulate in front.

BrachyrampJtms, p. 15.

GENUS LUNDA.

12. Lunda cirrhata I' all. TUFTED PUFFIN.

Bill compressed, nearly as high as long. Adults : upper parts sooty

black ; under parts dark grayish.
Breeding plumage : sides of face
white, a long crest of fine silky yel-
low feathers over each eye ; terminal
half of bill, and feet, bright red.
Winter plumage : sides of head
dusky, and without crests ; horny
covering of base of bill replaced by
soft dusky brown skin ; feet flesh
color. Young injirst winter: similar
to winter adult, but with rudiments
of light brown crests, and sides of
upper mandible without grooves.
Length: 14.40-15.60, wing 7.75, bill
L.30-1.45.

Distribution. — Coast and islands
from southern California to Alaska,
and from Bering Strait to Japan.
hid usually on the bare ground at the end of a burrow or in

ca\it\ HI - rocks on the face of a cliff.

Tin- tufted pulliiis nest preferably among cliffs and on earth and
grasa covered edges of Mulls, and in such places the ground is of ten

AUKS, MURRES, AND PUFFINS 13

a network of their burrows. When there is no soil to burrow in,
the birds use- natural cavities.

They reach the Farallone Islands the latter part of March, and
when the nests are made and incubation begun, Mr. Bryant says,
they may be located by the presence of a sentinel at the entrance of
the burrow.

The bright and oddly shaped bill, white eyes, and yellow nuptial
tufts, which flutter in the wind, give the bird a most distinguished
appearance. Its bill is not only an ornament but a most effective
weapon. When caught in its burrow the puffin inflicts painful
wounds with it, sometimes actually cutting to the bone, its jaws
remaining set until pried apart or until it is killed.

GENUS CERORHINCA.

15. Cerorhinca monocerata (Pall.}. RHINOCEROS AUKLET.
Bill much compressed, longer than deep ; in breeding1 season base of

bill surmounted by upright horn. Breeding plum-
age : upper parts dusky ; sides of head, throat,
and rest of under parts plumbeous, except for whit-
ish belly ; side of head with two series of white
pointed feathers. Winter plumage : breast more uni-
formly gray ; belly purer white ; horn absent.
Young : head without crests. Length : 14.00-15.50,
wing 7. -5, bill from front edge of horn 1.

Distribution. — From coasts and islands of the north Pacific to Lower
California, and to Japan.

When collecting the rhinoceros auklet at the Catalina Islands, Mr.
Joseph Grinuell found it a most persistent diver and powerful
swimmer under water. He did not see one of the birds on the wing.
They all dived on approach. He says the auklet is so short and
chunky that at a little distance it looks like a block of wood float-
ing on the water. The food of the birds Mr. Grinnell took, on ex-
amination of their stomachs, proved to be entirely a small yellow
crustacean, none of which were to be seen anywhere near the sur-
face.

At Monterey Mr. Loomis saw an extensive migration of the auk-
lets on January 12, 1895. The birds came from the north in pairs,
and went on down the coast without stopping.

GENUS PTYCHORAMPHUS.

16. Ptychoramphus aleuticus (Pall.). CASSIN AUKLET.

Bill broader than deep at base ; upper outline nearly straight.

Upper parts slaty black ; sides of head, neck, and throat plumbeous ;
spot on lower eyelid, and under parts, white. Length : 8.00-9.50, wing
4.75-5.25, bill .75.

Distribution. — Pacific coast of North America from Aleutian Islands to
Lower California.

Egg. — 1, unmarked, laid in a natural cavity.

U AUKS, MURRES, AND PUFFINS

At Monterey Mr. Loomis has found comparatively few Cassin
auklets near land, but reports them as common off shore, especially
on the ocean. In July he has found eggs and young birds on the
Faralloiie Nlands, and in one case discovered an auklet sharing its
apartment with two rabbits. The numbers of these birds on the
islands was impressively shown one night during Mr. Loomis's visit.
At sundown lie saw several flocks flying high overhead and at two
in the morning awakened to find the bird population in an uproar.
Although it was pitch dark the voices of the anklets — which he com-
pares to those of whip-poor-wills — filled the air till the whole island
appeared to be alive with birds.

GENUS CYCLORRHYNCHUS.

17. Cyclorrhynchus psittaculus (Pall.). PAROQUET AUKLET.
Bill dark red. high, and thin, with sickle-shaped lower mandible curved

upward. Breeding plumage : throat and upper
parts sooty black ; under parts white ; a white line
from lower eyelid back over ear ending1 in a thin
white Crest. Winter plumage, and young : throat
as well as rest of under parts white. Length : 9.00-
10.40, wing- 5.40-0.00, bill .60.

34. Distribution. — Coasts and islands of the north

Pacific from, the Kurile Islands and San Francisco
Bay to Sitka. and northward.

Egg.-- 1, pure white, deposited in a deep chink or crevice.

When sailing across Bering Sea, on the way to Norton Sound, Mr.
Nelson's vessel was stopped and held by the pack ice. When the
ice at last opened, he says, the water became covered by thousands of
the strange little anklets, and as long as the ship \vas in the ice the
only sounds beside the grinding of the cakes and the roar of the
waves were the low whistled notes of the parrot and crested auklets,
myriads of which surrounded the boat, "swimming buoyantly from
ride to side or skurrying away from the bow of the vessel." On the
l"u r s<-al Islands the birds were again encountered, this time breed-
ing on the elilTs. feeding at sea and returning to their nests and
mates on the islands.

GENUS SIMORHYNCHUS.

20. Simorhynchus pusillus (Pall.). LKAST AUKLET.

very small ; bill with knob at base ; crests of slender white feathers
in 1H. nt and back of eye. Breeding plumage: upper parts
blackish, mixed \\itb white on scapulars ; under parts white,
irregularly spotted or mottled witli dusky, often forming
a ilusky band across chest. Winter jilumage: under parts
ni'l si.l.-s oF neek pure white; face crests usually less de-
veloped. ) <»inif : similar to winter adults but with more white on scapu-
l.-ir- and uitlmnt the whit, lace feathers. Length: 5.50-7.20, wing 3.50-
i.«>. hill ,36 1".

AUKS, MUKRES, AND PUFFINS 15

Distribution. — Coasts and islands of the" north Pacific from Bering-
Strait south to Washingtou and Japan. Recorded from Pug-et Sound,
Auk, x. 17.

GENUS SYNTHLIBORAMPHUS.

21. Synthliboramphus antiquus (Gmel.). ANCIENT MURRELET.

Bill small and short, nostrils exposed ; front of tarsus covered with
transverse scutellse. Breeding plumage : head and neck black, with large
white patch on side of neck, a wide stripe of white filaments along back
edge of crown, and scattered white filaments over back of neck ; back
slaty ; sides black ; under parts white. Winter plumage : throat white ;
head and back without white filaments ; sides gray. Length : 9.50-10.80,
wing 5.25-5.50, bill .60.

Distribution. — Coasts and islands of the north Pacific ; south to Monte-
rey Bay.

Nest. — As described by Littlejohn, often an abandoned burrow of Cassin
auklet, a crevice under a rock, or a burrow under a tussock of rank grass,
lined with dry grass ; but sometimes bare rocks, sand, or wet ground.
Eggs : 2, deep buff, with small longitudinal markings of light brown and
lavender gray.

Ancient murrelets visit California in winter in considerable num-
bers, and Mr. Loomis has found them near the Seaside Laboratory
close to the surf in the little coves. He describes them as "great
divers and swimmers under water, and voracious in their pursuit of
small fry, occasionally driving the fish to the surface in the eager-
ness of the chase."

Mr. Littlejohn, who visited their breeding grounds on the Alaskan
islands, says that on some of the favorite islands the entire surface
was literally alive with murrelets, anklets, and petrels.

GENUS BRACHYRAMPHUS.

General Characters. — Bill small and slender ; colors plain ; head not
crested.

KEY TO SPECIES.

1. Tarsus shorter than middle toe to claw . . . marmoratus, p. 15.
1'. Tarsus as long as, or longer than, middle toe to claw.

hypoleucus, p. 16.

23. Brachyramphus marmoratus (Gmel.}. MARBLED MUR-
RELET.

Breeding Plumage. — Upper parts dusky, back and sides barred with deep
rusty brown ; under parts white, mottled with sooty brown. Winter plum-
age: upper parts slaty, with white
band on back of neck ; scapulars
mixed with white ; feathers of back
tipped with plumbeous ; flanks with
dark gray stripes. Young : upper Fig. 36.

parts dusky, collar and scapular spots indistinct ; under parts white, mot-
tled, or speckled with sooty. Length : 9.50-10.00, wing 5, bill .60-.70.

Distribution. — Pacific coast from southern California to western Alaska.

16 AUKS, MURRES, AND PUFFINS

Mr. Preble, who found these inurrelets common at Neah Bay, Wash-
ington, reports that they were almost invariably seen in pairs and
that they were difficult to approach, as they dived at the slightest
alarm.

25. Brachyramphus hypoleucus Xantus. XANTUS MURRELET.

Upper parts plain dark slaty ; under parts and lining1 of wing' pure white.
Length : 9.60-10.50, wing 4.50-5.25, bill .70-.80.

Distribution. — Southern and Lower California from Santa Barbara
Island to Cape St. Lucas.

Mr. Griunell writes from Los Angeles that this murrelet is fre-
quently seen in the Santa Barbara Channel at all seasons.

GENUS CEPPHUS.

29. Cepphus COlumba Pall. PIGEON GUILLEMOT.

Bill black, straight, and slender, upper edg-e of nostril feathered ;
^____^ feet bright red in summer, pink in winter.

Breeding plumage : black, except for large
white patch on base of wing- which half in-
closes a black triangle. Winter plumage :
wings and tail as in summer, rest of plum-
age mainly white, varied above and some-
times below with black. Young : similar to
winter adults, but white of wings obscured
by dusky, tips of quills marked with white.
Length: 13-14. wing 0.90-7.30, bill 1.20-1.40.
Distribution. — Coast of the Pacific from
southern California to the Aleutian Islands,
37 and to northern Japan.

Eggs. — As found by Dr. Dall, 2, at the
bottom of a hole under the rocks near the water's edge.

In Alaska Mr. Nelson found the pigeon guillemot one of the most
abundant of the larger water birds, occurring wherever the coast
was bordered by bold headlands or where there were precipitous
islands. He says that their bright red legs and white wing patches
make them very conspicuous. They are graceful swimmers and
have the amusing habit of putting their heads under water and pad-
dling along their headless bodies.

Mr. Bryant, who has watched them at the Farallones, says that
when at rest they squat like ducks on the rocks. Before brooding
begins they often sit in groups, and when disturbed stand up, open
their bills, and salute each other or their returning fellows with a
whistling cry.

GENUS URIA.

30a. Uria troile californica (Bryant). CALIFORNIA MURRE.

Bill narrow and slender, nostril concealed in feathers ; a deep groove in
feathers back of eye. Breed ing plumage : upper parts slaty or blackish, sec-

JAEGERS 17

ondaries tipped with white ; sides of head, neck, and throat velvety sooty

brown ; under parts pure white.

Winter plumage : sides of head,

neck, throat, and under parts

pure white ; a dusky stripe

back of eye. Young : like Fig.SS. California Murre.

winter adults, but with white more restricted on sides of head and lower

throat faintly mottled with dusky. Wing: 8.30, bill 1.80.

Distribution. — Pacific coast of North America ; south to southern Cali-
fornia.

Eggs. — Deposited on the bare rock.

The attention of the ornithological world has been called to the
rnurres by the San Francisco egg industry, which threatened to de-
stroy the rookeries on the Faralloue Islands. Between 1850 and 1856
three or four millions of eggs are said to have been brought to San
Francisco, where they sold for a little less than liens' eggs. In the
eighties the number of eggs marketed annually, Mr. Bryant states,
averaged from 180,000 to 228,000. This wholesale destruction de-
creased the numbers of the murres to such an extent that in 1897
the attention of the Lighthouse Board was called to the matter, and
they put a stop to the business on the islands.

The murres' eggs are considered a delicacy not only by man, but
by gulls and young sea lions. Two or three gulls will sometimes
combine to rob a nest. When they try to steal tlie young the murres
crowd their little ones from the rocks so they can escape by diving.

In describing the habits of the murres Mr. Bryant says that on the
rocks they continually bow their heads and make a great noise, and
when on the wing sometimes emit a curious grunting note. They
are especially clamorous before a storm.

When incubating, one bird stays on the nest during the day and
the other during the night, and when the exchange is made a great
commotion ensues, the air being filled with quarreling, screaming
masses of bird life.

ORDER LONGIPENNES: LONG-WINGED

SWIMMERS.

(FAMILIES STERCORARIID.E, LARID.E, ETC.)

FAMILY STERCORARIIDJE : JAEGERS, ETC.

GENUS STERCORARITJS.

General Characters. — Bill strongly hooked, nostrils near middle, section
above and back of nostrils covered with a saddle-like plate ; tail with
middle pair of feathers much the longest.

18 JAEGERS

KEY TO SPECIES OF STERCORARIUS.

1. Middle pair of tail feathers wide, and rounded at ends.

pomarinus, p. 18.

1'. Middle pair of tail feathers narrow and sharp-pointed.
2. Middle feathers about half longer than rest of tail.

parasiticus, p. 18.
2'. Middle feathers about twice as long- as rest of tail.

longicaudus, p. 18.

36. Stercorarius pomarinus (Temm.). POMARINE JAEGER.

Adults — Light phase : face, crown, and upper parts, except collar, sooty
black ; throat white, becoming' silky yellow on cheeks and around back of
neck ; breast white, chest and sides mottled with sooty. Dark phase : wholly
dark sooty or plumbeous. All grades are found between the dark and
light phases. Young : back dusky, feathers tipped with buff ; rest of
plumage dull buff, barred with dusky. Length: 20-23, wing 13.50-14.00,
tail 8-9, bill 1.45-1.75.

Distribution. — Northern part of northern hemisphere ; south in winter to
Africa, Australia, and probably South America ; in the United States to
Michigan, Nebraska, and California.

Mr. Nelson found the pomarine jaeger largely replacing the other
two jaegers along the shores of the Arctic Ocean, especially on the
edge of the ice pack and about the whaling fleet, where it found
abundant fare. He says that the peculiar twist of its long tail
feathers makes it conspicuous and easily identified as far as seen.
When feeding it gives a low, harsh, chattering cry.

Compared with the parasitic jaeger, the pomarine is a clumsy
cowardly bird, Mr. Nelson tells us, and is made the sport of its active
little relative. When met in the air, the pomarine wards off attack
from one side by a half -closed wing, and from above by raising both
wings to form an arched shield over its back. One that Mr. Nelson
saw attacked alighted on the river, and "at every swoop of its
assailant thrust its head under water, exhibiting the most ludicrous
terror."

37. Stercorarius parasiticus (Linn.). PARASITIC JAEGER.

Adults.-- Light phase : upper parts slaty, becoming blackish on crown,
wings, and tail ; throat and under parts white ; sides of head and neck
white or grayish, tinged with yellow. Dark phase : entire plumage slaty
or sooty, darkest on crown, wings, and tail. Young: head and neck
streaked, and under parts spotted and barred with buff and dusky. Length :
15.50-2 1.0 .», wing 1 2.1)7, tail 4.90-6.25, bill 1.27.

Distribution. - - Northern part of northern hemisphere, breeding in arc-
tic regions ; south in winter to New York, Illinois, Colorado, and southern
California.

Nest. -- A depression in the moss. Eggs: 2.

38. Stercorarius longicaudus Vieill. LONG-TAILED JAEGER.
Adults.— Top and sides of head black ; back slaty ; neck and lower parts

GULLS AND TERNS

19

of head, including ear coverts,
straw yellow, paler on throat;
chest, and sometimes breast and
belly, white, shading- into gray on
sides ; under tail coverts, and
usually belly, gray ; feet black ;
tarsus light bluish. Length : 20-
2o, wing- 12.25, bill 1.19, longest
tail feathers 10.50-14.50.

Distribution. — Northern part
of northern hemisphere, breed-
ing in arctic regions ; south in
winter to Florida, Gulf of Mex-
ico, and California. Taken at
Monterey Bay by Mr. Loomis.

Eggs. — Deposited in a depres-
sion in the mossy top of a knoll.

Fig. 39. Long-tailed Jaeger.

Fig. 40.

The long-tailed jaeger is so swift and graceful on the wing that
Mr. Nelson compares its flight to that of the swallow-tailed kite.
After chasing each other about or pursuing hapless gulls or terns,
the birds may often be seen sunning themselves on an elevation,
their white breasts pointing them out at a long distance.

FAMILY LARIDJE. GULLS AND TERNS.

KEY TO GENERA.

1. Bill deeper through angle of lower mandible than
through nostril.

2. Hind toe wanting, or a mere rudiment.

Rissa, p. 19.
2'. Hind toe small but perfect.

3. Tail square across end .... Larus, p. 20.

3'. Tail deeply forked Xema, p. 27.

1'. Bill deeper through middle of nostril than through
4 angle of lower mandible.

2. Tail forked for more than one fifth its length (ex-
cept sometimes in S. caspia); outer feathers nar-
row and pointed.
3. Length of bill less than three times its depth at

base Gelochelidon, p. 27.

3'. Length of bill more than three times its depth

at base . Sterna, p. 27.

2'. Tail forked for about one fifth its total length,
outer feathers wide and rounded at tips.

Hydrochelidon, p. 31.

GENUS RISSA.

40a. Rissa tridactyla pollicaris Eidgw. PACIFIC KITTIWAKE.

Appearance gull-like ; hind toe minute, with or without a nail ; feet

Fig. 41.

20 GULLS AND TERNS

and legs black ; tarsus shorter than middle toe with claw ; bill yellow,
with greatest depth at base ; tail slightly emarginate, or forked. Adults :
back and wings light bluish gray, five outer primaries tipped with black ;
rest of plumage pure white. Young : like adults, but with black or slaty
on back of neck and across ear coverts. Length : 16.00-17.70, wing 12.25,
bill 1.40-1.50.

Distribution. — North Pacific and Bering Sea; south in winter casually
to Lower California.

Nest. — On inaccessible shelves of rock, made of grass and moss cemented
with mud. Eggs : usually 2, gray, spotted with brown.

The kittiwakes reach Alaska before the ice breaks up, and hunt
for food in the tide cracks along shore. In the breeding season
they take to the cliffs of the mainland or the rocky islands. ' From
the end of August they hunt in the inner bays and mouths of small
streams, but as they are strictly tide- water birds rarely go up the
rivers. In October the ice forming on the bays drives them south.

GENUS LARTJS.

General Characters- -- Bill deeper through angle of lower mandible than
through nostril ; tail square across end ; hind toe small but perfect.

KEY TO SPECIES.

1. Size large, wing 15.00 or more.
2. Wing without any black.

3. Quills white or pale gray shading to white at ends.

glaucus, p. 21.

3' Quills clear gray with white tips . . . . glaucescens, p. 21.
2'. Wing quills partly black at all times.

3. Mantle dark slaty gray in adult occidentalis, p. 21.

3'. Mantle light gray in adults.

4. Lower mandible in adult with subterminal spot of red and spot of

black californicus, p. 23.

4'. Lower mandible in adult with subterminal spot of red only.

5. Mantle delicate pearl gray argentatus. p. 22.

5'. Mantle slightly darker gray vegae, p. 23.

I'.Size medium or small, wing under 15 (rarely over in delawarensis) ,

2. Breast always dark slaty gray heermaiini, p. 24.

2'. Breast always white in adult, mottled in young.
3. Head never black ; white in adults,

4. Bill yellowish, with black band near end in adults.

delawarensis, p. 23.
4'. Bill greenish, without black band.

5. Third quill with subterminal white spot in adult.

brachyrhyiichus, p. 24.
5'. Third quill without subterminal white spot in adult.

canus, p 24.
3'. Head black in summer adults, size small.

4. Bill and tips of outer quills black . . Philadelphia, p. 26.
4'. Bill dark red in adult, quills not tipped with black.

5. Three outer quills mainly black .... atricilla, p. 25.
5'. Five outer quills with tips and base white . franklinii, p. 25.

GULLS AND TERNS 21

42. Lams glaucus Briinn. GLAUCOUS GULL.

Primaries white or light gray, shading into white at ends. Adults in

summer: mantle, i. e. back and top of wings, light pearl gray; rest of

plumage white. Adults in winter : head and neck streaked with grayish.

Young : whitish, tinged below and mottled above with brownish gray.

Length : 26-32, wing 10.75-18.75. bill 2.80-2.70.

Distribution. - - Arctic regions ; in North America south in winter to
North Carolina, the Great Lakes, and Sail Francisco Bay. Not common in
the United States.

Nest. — A depression in a ledge of rock, lined scantily with fine grass, or
a bulky mass of sod and tufts of moss on an islet in a pond. Eggs : 2 or 3.

The glaucous gull has been found by Mr. Loomis at Monterey,
and by Dr. Cooper and Mr. Kobbe in San Francisco Bay.

44. Larus glaucescens Naum. GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL.

Adults in summer. — : Mantle light pearl gray ; primaries gray, with dis-
tinct white tips ; rest of plumage white. Adults in winter : head and neck
clouded with sooty gray. Young: deep ashy gray; head and neck
streaked, and rest of upper parts mottled with grayish white or dull buff.
Length : 23.70-27.75, wing 16.25-17.30, bill 2.20-2.60, depth of bill at
angle .80-.90.

Distribution. — From Bering Sea south in winter to southern California
and Japan.

Nest. --Usually on the face of a rugged cliff, but sometimes in grass on
grassy islands, or a depression in seaweed. Eggs : 3.

Mr. Kobbe says that the glaucous-winged gulls are abundant in
San Francisco Bay in winter, and Mr. Loomis lias found them com-
mon in Monterey Bay. Mr. Loomis says they make up the greater
number of gulls in the large trains of gulls and pelicans that attend
the whales that come into the bay. Near the ocean, in the Carmel
valley, he has found them in company with western gulls following
the plough like blackbirds.

At Gray's Harbor, Washington, Mr. Lawrence says the gulls are
very common from fall until late spring. During the salmon runs
they often fly thirty miles to feed on the dead salmon along the
streams, returning to the harbor to roost. The gulls also visit the
salmon canneries to feed on the refuse.

49. Larus occidentalis Aud. WESTERN GULL.

Adults in summer. — Mantle dark slaty gray ; primaries, including inner
webs of first, second, and usually third black, tipped with white ; rest of
plumage white. Adults in icinter : top of head and back of neck streaked
with dusky. Young : upper parts brownish slaty, varied with buff and
whitish ; quills and tail dull black, usually tipped with white ; under parts
brownish gray, specked or spotted with whitish. Length : 24-27, wing
15.75-17.00, bill 2.00-2.35, depth of bill at angle .S5-.95. '

Distribution. -- Pacific coast from British Columbia to Cape St. Lucas,
Lower California.

Nest. — A depression in seaweed. Eggs: usually 3, light grayish olive,
spotted with shades of brown and lilac.

22 GULLS AND TERNS

The western gull is abundant on the California coast at all seasons.
At San Pedro harbor it is protected by law as a useful scavenger,
and at Monterey Bay is so fearless that the young will alight within a
few feet of the fishing boats to get what the fishermen throw out.

On the Farallone Islands the birds assume another role. As Mr.
Loomis says, " a more vagabond set of gulls than the western gulls
inhabiting South Farallone Island during the egg season could
scarcely be found. They are arrant thieves, robbing the murres
wherever they have the opportunity." Before the murre egg indus-
try was stopped they took an excited part in the collections. Mr.
Loomis, speaking of it at the time, says that "when the eggers
appear on the scenes the gulls congregate and soon a large flock is
formed, circling about overhead with loud cries, eagerly waiting the
flight of the murres to join in the pillage. When exceptionally
hungry the gulls are said to suddenly descend in a compact flock
among the murres, frightening them from the eggs. One gull was
seen trying to steal an egg from under a murre. The murre gave a
reproachful squack and with a thrust of the bill drove the gull
away."

But though the gulls enjoyed the raids of the eggers, they suf-
fered by them, for before the murres began to lay, the men took
gulls' eggs to supply the market ; and when the murre harvest was
ripe, recognizing the gulls as rival eggers, the men destroyed both
their eggs and young. In addition to fish and eggs, the gulls eat
sea-urchins, crabs, young murres, and rabbits.

They congregate at South Faralloue Island the first of April, Mr.
Bryant tells us, and proceed to nest in small colonies. It takes them
two weeks to repair their old nests, and even after the first egg is
laid they may be seen carrying Farallone weed to the nest.

51. Lams argentatUS Bri'mn. HERRING GULL.

Adults in summer. — Mantle delicate pearl gray ; five outer primaries
black toward ends, and tipped with white ; a distinct gray wedge on inner
web of second quill ; rest of plumage white ; bill yellow, with red spot near
end of lower mandible ; feet pale flesh color. Adults in winter : head and
neck streaked with grayish. Young: brownish gray; head and neck
streaked with white ; back mottled with buffy and gray ; quills and tail
blackish ; bill dusky, feet purplish. Length : 22.r>0-26.00, wing 17.24, bill
2.24, depth of bill through angle of lower mandible .68-.S5.

Distribution. — Northern hemisphere, including the whole of North
America ; south in winter to Cuba and Lower California ; breeding from
the Great Lakes northward.

Nest . — On rocks or in trees, made mainly of grass, seaweed, and earth.
Eggs: usually o, from pale olive drab to greenish or bluish white, irregu-
larly spotted with lilac, yellowish, or brown, markings usually thickest
about larger end.

The herring gulls arc abundant in the bays of San Francisco and

GULLS AND TERNS 23

Monterey in winter and common down the coast to San Diego. In
the harbors they alight on the masts and fly about the vessels, often
following them thirty or forty miles from land. Their name probably
comes from the commotion they make at sight of a school of herring
or other little fish. As they follow the small fry about, the fishermen
often take them for pilots and follow to get the larger fish which are
in pursuit of the little ones.

52. Lams vegae (Pal men). VEGA GULL.

Like urgentdtiis. but mantle darker, deep pearl or plumbeous gray ; feet
pale flesh color. ISize about as in aryentatus.

Distribution. — Southern Europe and Central Asia to Japan and Bering-
Sea, and down the coast of North America in winter to California.

Mr. Kobbe, in The Auk (xix. 19), after examining a large num-
ber of specimens, concludes that vegcc and argentatus are identical,
but as there is a difference of opinion as to its validity, the species
is included on what seems to be its only character, the slightly
darker mantle.

53. Larus californicus Laicr. CALIFORNIA GULL.

Ad alts. — Mantle clear bluish g'ray; outer primaries black, tipped with
white, the first two with subterminal white spots; a distinct gray wedge
on inner web of second ; bill yellow, with red and black spot near end
of lower mandible ; feet greenish. Youny : upper parts coarsely spotted
and mottled with dusky, buffy, grayish, and whitish ; under parts mottled
and streaked ; quills and tail blackish ; bill dusky, with black tip. Length :
20-23, wing 15.00-16.75, bill 1.05-2.15, depth of "bill at angle .60-.75.

Distribution . — Western North America from Alaska to Mexico, chiefly
in the interior.

Mr. Loomis says that in the matter of numbers near Monterey in
midwinter the California gull ranks with its larger congeners the
glaucous-winged and the western. Mr. Grinnell finds it common
along the southern coast, where it frequents the fresh-water marshes,
and he has seen it on the Los Angeles river-bottoms. At Pescadero
in the low fields near the ocean hundreds have been seen following
the plough.

54. Larus delawarensis Orel. RING-BILLED GULL.

Adults. — Mantle light pearl gray ; bill greenish yellow, crossed near end
by a distinct black band, tip yellow or orange ; eyelids vermilion, iris pale
yellow ; feet pale yellow, sometimes tinged with greenish. Young : upper
parts dusky, feathers bordered and marked with grayish buff or whitish ;
under parts white, spotted along sides with grayish brown ; quills blackish,
the shorter ones gray at base and tipped with white ; base of tail gray,
outer half blackish, tipped with white. Length : 18-20, wing 13.00-15.75,
bill 1.55-1.75. depth at angle of lower mandible .50-.65.

Distribution. -- Whole of North America, breeding as far south as
Colorado, but mainly north of tbe United States ; migrating south to Cuba
and Mexico.

Nest. — On the ground, made of dry grass. Eygs : usually 3.

24 GULLS AND TERNS

Mr. Griimell reports the ring-billed gull as tolerably common along
the coast in midwinter, and Mr. Loomis has taken a few at Monterey.
In Colorado they are the only gulls found abundantly throughout
the state. Professor Cooke says they are very common in the fall
migration on all bodies of water below 9000 feet, and he has found
them breeding at the San Luis Lakes at an altitude of 7500 feet.

Colonel Goss says that he has often seen the gulls on fall after-
noons sailing and circling about in the air, catching grasshoppers and
beetles.

55. Larus brachyrhynchus Rich. SHORT-BILLED GULL.

Adults in summer. — Mantle light pearl gray ; rest of plumage, except
quills, white ; outer primary mainly black, with a large white spot near
end ; second primary with a smaller white spot, white tip, and wedge of
gray on inner web ; third with white tip and a large white space on inner
web between gray and black ; bill greenish, with yellow tip ; feet and legs
greenish. Adults in winter: head, neck, and chest mottled with dusky.
Young: upper parts grayish brown, feathers bordered with pale grayish
buff ; head, neck, and lower parts brownish gray ; tail gray at base,
brownish gray toward end, and narrowly tipped with white. Length :
16.50-18.00, wing 13.95, bill 1.45, depth of bill at angle .40-.50.

Distribution. — Western North America, breeding far north ; south in
winter to southern California.

Nest. — On an islet, in a lake or pond, bulky, made of grasses and
mosses. Eggs : '2 or 3.

Mr. Loomis has found the short-billed gull common on both the
bay and ocean about Point Pinos in winter.

56. Larus canus Linn. MEW GULL.

Adults. — Similar in general appearance to brachyrhynchus, but with inner
webs of two outer quills mainly black behind the subterminal white spots,
and third quill mainly black except for small white tip. Length: 17.00-
18.50, wing 14.00-14.50, bill 1.35-1.60, depth of bill at angle .38-.50.

Distribution. — Northern Europe and Asia ; found in Labrador (?) and at
San Francisco Bay.

The mew gull was formerly supposed to be confined almost
entirely to Europe and Asia, but Mr. Loomis finds that it is common
on the California coast in winter.

57. Larus heermanni Cass. HEERMANN GULL.

Adults in summer. — Bill bright red; head and upper neck white; back
_____ sooty gray, secondaries

tipped with white ; prima-
ries and tail black, tail
tipped witli white ; under

„. .0 parts dark gray. Adults in

winter : bead darker than

body, otherwise as in summer. Young: sooty gray, feathers of tipper
parts bordered with whitish or pale buff; or. entire plumage sooty gray
except blackish tail and quills. Length : 17.50-21.00, wing 13.50, bill 1.50.

GULLS AND TERNS 25

Distribution. --Pacific coast of North America from British Columbia
to Panama.

Heermaun gulls are generally common winter visitors in southern
California. At Monterey Mr. Loomis has taken careful notes of
their migratory movements. In May they were rare, in June adults
were still scarce, but the latter half of the month immature birds
were common. By the middle of July adults were abundant, and
before August there was a great inroad of the dark-plumaged birds.
Toward the end of August the western and Heermann gulls appeared
to be of about equal abundance, and in November their nights
rivaled or exceeded those of the western gull.

Mr. Griunell says that on the coast near Los Angeles where the
fishermen draw their seines along the beaches, clouds of gulls are
usually attracted, about half of the flocks being Heermann and a
quarter western gulls.

58. Larus atricilla Linn. LAUGHING GULL,.

Adults in summer. — Head slaty black, mantle bluish gray ; rest of plum-
age, except quills, white ; three outer quills black, the fourth and fifth
black towards ends, all but first usually with very small white spot at tip ;
bill and feet dark red. Adults in winter : head mainly white with dusky
around eyes and on back of head. Young : upper parts mottled grayish
brown ; breast smoky gray ; upper tail coverts white, base of tail gray,
outer third black, narrowly tipped with whitish ; wing- quills black.
Length : 15-17, wing 13, bill 1.75, tarsus 2.

Remarks. — The young- of the laughing gull may be distinguished from
Franklin and Bonaparte by its large size, longer bill, and wider black tail
band.

Distribution. — Atlantic and Gulf coast of United States and Pacific
coast of Mexico ; south in winter to the Amazon. Recorded from Col-
orado.

Nest. — In trees, four to twenty feet from the ground, generally made
of small sticks, lined with hay and moss.

59. Larus franklinii Sw. $• Rich. FRANKLIN GULL.

Adults in summer. — Bill
bright red, with darker sub-
terminal band ; head plum-
beous black ; eyelids white ;
mantle dark slaty ; quills
gray, tipped with white, the
five outer with subterminal
black spaces ; under parts
white, deeply tinted with rose
pink. Adults in winter: head
mainly white, with sides and
back grayish dusky. Young :
top and sides of head and
back grayish brown ; quills L_
dusky, tipped with white ; tail Fig. 43.

26

GULLS AND TERNS

Fig. 44. Wing of Franklin Gull.

with subterminal band of dusky ; rest of
tail, under parts, forehead, and eyelids
white. Length: 13.50-15.00, wing- 11.2."),
bill 1.30, tarsus 1.60.

Distribution. — Interior of North
America, breeding1 from Iowa north into
Canada ; migrating south to Peru.

Nest. — On broken-down rushes in shal-
low water, made largely of grasses and
rushes. Eggs : usually 3.

In the northern plains and prairie country Franklin gulls are of
the greatest economic importance, the immense flocks living mainly
on grasshoppers and other destructive insects. At times a white
horde will descend upon a ploughed field, a band of them following
at the heels of the ploughman, while long white lines cover the
mellow furrows. Recognizing the ploughman as a friend, the birds
only get out of his way to let him pass, waiting for him to turn up
a fresh supply of food for them. In Utah their services are so well
appreciated that Brigham Young used to offer up prayers that they
be sent to destroy the grasshoppers that infested the land. One
often sees flocks of fifty to five hundred catching grasshoppers on
the wing, wheeling, diving, and rising, till at a distance the white
flock suggests a wild flurry of snowflakes. When the meal is over
the birds disband, to scatter out among the sloughs, drift on lazy
wings over the lakes, or float idly on the surface of the water.

VERNON BAILEY.

60. Larus Philadelphia (Ord). BONAPARTE GULL.

Adults in summer. — Bill and head black ; mantle delicate pearl gray ;

three outer quills chiefly white, outer
web of the first, and terminal portion of
all, black ; tail and under parts white ;
feet orange red. Adults in icinter : head
white, tinged with gray behind and with
a dusky spot on ear coverts ; feet pale
flesh color. Young : top of head, back,
and spot on ear coverts dusky ; sides of
head, neck, and under parts white, in-
cluding tail coverts and base of tail;

band across end of tail blackish, feathers tipped with white. Length : 12-

14. wing 10.25, bill 1.20.

Distribution. — North America, breeding far northward ; south to western

Mexico.

Mr. Henshaw states that the Bonaparte gull is not uncommon in
San Diego Bay in December, though he thinks it winters mainly to
the southward.

Mr. Loorais has seen the gulls at Monterey during their migrations
in November and May. He says that "although white-throated
birds with the tail-band were in the majority, and pied-headed ones

Fig. 45.

GULLS AND TERNS 27

were plentiful, every flock had adults in nuptial plumage, showing
that the young are not without experienced leaders on the return

north."

GENUS XEMA.

62. Xema sabinii (Sab.). SABINE GULL.

Bill gull-like, tail conspicuously forked, the feathers rounded, not nar-
row and pointed at ends. Adults in summer : head and upper
neck dark plumbeous, bordered below by a black collar ; man-
tle slaty gray ; tail and middle of wing1 white ; outer quills
Fig. 4G." Mack, with inner webs and tips white ; under parts white ;
bill black, tipped with yellow. Adults in winter : head and
neck white, with dusky on ear coverts m -

adults, but mantle brownish, feathers -<a4B^ fe^ — —

with huffy or grayish edges ; tail with

a subterminal black band, white tip Fig. 4».

and base; bill black. Length: 13-14, wing 10.10-11.15, bill 1.00, tail

4.50-5.00. fork .00-1.00 deep.

Distribution. — Arctic regions of Xorth America ; south in winter to
Peru. Not common in the United States, but recorded from many scat-
tered localities.

Eggs. — Laid on the ground, or on a few grass blades and stems ; 2 to 5,
olive, indistinctly spotted with brown.

GENUS GELOCHELIDON.

63. Gelochelidon nilotica (Hasselq.). GULL-BILLED TERN.
Bill stout, depth at base equal to one third of its length ; tail forked.

Adults in summer : top and back of head black ; upper parts light pearl
gray ; lower parts white ; bill black ; feet and legs blackish. Adults in
u- inter : head and neck white ; ear coverts and spot in front of eye gray.
Young : similar to winter adults, but upper parts wrashed with huffy and
sometimes streaked with dusky. Length: 13.00-15.25. wing 11.75-12.25,
bill 1.40, tail 5.50, forked for 1.50-1.75.

Distribution. — Almost cosmopolitan. In America from Brazil to Massa-
chusetts along the Atlantic coast, and both coasts of Mexico and Central
America ; rare inland.

GENUS STERNA.

General Characters. - - Bill slender and sharp ; tail deeply f orkedr the
outer feathers narrowed or sharp-pointed ; wings very long and slender.

KEY TO SPECIES.

1. Black feathers of crown elongated into a crest.

2. Size large, wing 14-15 maxima, p. 28.

2'. Size smaller, wing 12.40-12.50 elegans. p. 29.

1'. Head not crested.

2. Size large, feet black . . caspia, p. 28.

2'. Size small, feet red. orange, or yellow.

3. Crown and forehead black in summer adults, wing over 9.

4. Outer web of outer tail feather white . . . forsteri. p. 29.
4'. Outer web of outer tail feather dusky.

5. Bill orange, with black tip hirundo, p. 29.

5'. Bill vermilion, without black tip . . . paradiseea, p. 30.
3'. Forehead always white, wing under 7 ... antillarum, p. 30.

28

GULLS AND TERNS

Subgenus Thalasseus.
64. Sterna caspia Pall. CASPIAN TERN.

Tail not very deeply forked, the outer feathers pointed, but not much
narrowed; bill red. feet black. Breeding plumage : crown and back of
head .black; mantle light gray; wings darker gray, the outer quills tipped

Fig. 48.

with black. Winter plumage: black of head streaked with white. Young :
crown grayish, mixed with black posteriorly ; back and tail feathers with
dusky spots. Length : 19.00-22.50, wing 15.00-17.40, bill 2.48-3.10, tail
5.30-6.75, forked for .75-1.60.

Distribution. — North America at large, breeding in isolated localities.

Nest. — In hollow in the sand. Eggs : usually 3.

But for their long wings, slender forms, and forked tails, the Cas-
pians, the largest of our terns, could easily be mistaken for gulls.
Their flight is quicker and stronger, however, and their black crowns
usually conspicuous. They are eminently social in the breeding
season, nesting in large colonies, and it is no uncommon sight to see
several hundred of them lined up on a sandy lake beach, with the
waves rippling in at their feet. After the breeding season they scat-
ter out and wander widely over the country. VERNON BAILEY.

Subgenus Actochelidon.

65. Sterna maxima Bodd. KOYAL TERN.

Crest of long pointed feathers on back of head ; tail long and forked for
half its length ; inner webs of quills broadly margined with white ; bill
orange red, feet black. Breeding plumage : upper parts light pearl gray,
top and back of head, including crest, black ; under parts white. Post-
breeding plumage : forehead and fore part of crown white. Winter plum-
age : white mixed with black on back of head. Young : crown speckled
with white and dusky, crest only slightly developed ; upper parts and
tail feathers with spots of dusky. Length: 18-21, wing 14-15, bill 2.40-
2.75, tail 6-8, forked for 3-4.

-Distribution. -- Coasts and larger lakes of the United States, mainly
southward.

1

FORSTER TERN

GULLS AND TERNS 29

Mr. Loomis has found the royal tern decidedly common at times
during the winter at Monterey, and Mr. Griunell reports it as very
numerous around Catalina Island in winter, and more or less com-
mon along the coast throughout the year.

66. Sterna elegans Gamb. ELEGANT TERN.

Like .S. maxima, but smaller, with longer crest, and under parts deeply
tinged with rose pink. Length : 16-17, wing 12.4(3-12.50, bill 2.25-2.55,
tail 6.60-7.30, forked for about 2.60-3.50.

Distribution. — Pacific coast of middle America, and north to San
Francisco.

Mr. Loomis has found the elegant terns at Monterey in autumn,
but in smaller numbers than the royal tern.

Subgenus Sterna.

69. Sterna forsteri Nutt. FORSTER TERN.

Outer tail feathers very narrow and long. Adults in summer: under
parts white ; upper parts light pearl gray, top of head black ; outer web of
outer tail feather white ; feet orange red, bill dull orange, dusky at tip.
Adults in winter: top of head white, back of head tinged with gray, a
dusky stripe around eye and across ear coverts ; bill and feet duller
colored. Youny: upper parts, crown, and sides of head washed with brown-
ish ; tail feathers dusky toward ends. Length : 14-15, wing 9.50-10.30,
bill 1.50-1.65, tail 5.00-7.70, forked for 2.30-5.00.

Distribution. — Breeds in the United States north to Manitoba, south in
winter to Brazil.

Nest. — A hollow in the sand lined with grasses, or a rude nest in marsh
grass or on raft of floating tule stems. Eggs : 1 to 3, bluish green to
olive buff, marked with lilac and brown.

Low over the lakes, sloughs, and big tule marshes, you see these
graceful terns beating the air with long, soft strokes of their narrow
wings, while the sharp bill points downward, and the eyes are
intent on the surface of the water. If a minnow shows so much as
a fin, there is a quick dive, a splash, and a gulp — the minnow has
disappeared and the tern is beating over the water again, now skim-
ming close to the surface, now lighting daintily on it to pick up
some choice morsel. Sometimes a large number of terns are at-
tracted by a school of minnows, and an animated diving and splash-
ing ensues. Enter the terns' breeding grounds, or wound one of their
number, and the airy creatures, all soft silent grace before, storm
about you with threatening swoops and harsh, piercing screams.

VERXOX BAILEY.
70. Sterna hirundo Linn. COMMON TERN.

Outer web of outer tail feather dusky, inner web white. Adults in sum-
mer : bill and feet bright orange red, the bill tipped with black ; top of
head black ; mantle light pearl gray ; tail and its coverts mainly white ;
throat white, breast light gray. Adults in winter : crown mainly white ;
under parts pure white ; bill and feet duller. Young : marked with

30 GULLS AND TERNS

blackish around eyes and on back of head ; forehead and under parts
white ; back light gray with buffy edgings to feathers and dusky spots on
wings ; bill and feet brownish or pale reddish. Length: 13-16, wing 9.75-
11.75, bill 1.25-1.50, tail 5-7, forked for about 3.50.

Distribution. — Greater part of northern hemisphere ; in America mainly
east of the plains ; south to Florida, Texas, Arizona, and Lower California.

Nest. — Made of grasses or seaweeds, or eggs laid on the bare rock, or in a
depression in the sand. Eggs : 2 to 4, pale bluish to greenish drab, with
lilac shell markings and rather evenly distributed spots of brown.

The common terns are mainly birds of the Atlantic coast, and
together with other terns and gulls have been so sought after by
plume hunters and eggers that a few years ago they were on the road
to extermination. The Bird Protection Committee of the American
Ornithologists' Union took up the matter, however, and by the ap-
pointment of wardens to protect the birds on their breeding grounds,
and by protective laws enacted in the states where the terns occur,
succeeded in rescuing the birds, which, in addition to their useful
work as scavengers, give life and beauty to otherwise barren shores.

71. Sterna paradissea BrUnn. ARCTIC TERN.

Outer web of outer tail feather dusky, rest of tail white. Adults in
summer : bill and feet bright vermilion, bill without black tip ; top of head
black, bordered by white superciliary ; body clear deep gray. Adults in
winter : under parts white, or tinged with grayish ; forehead white, rest of
crown streaked with black. Young : similar to young of hirundo, but with
breast and throat washed with dull brownish. Length: 14-17, wing 10.00-
10.75, bill 1.08-1.40, tail 6.50-8.50, forked for 4-5.

Distribution. — Mainly circumpolar regions ; south in winter to Massa-
chusetts, Colorado, and California, breeding in Massachusetts and Quebec.

Nest. — A bare spot on the ground, sometimes with a little grass. Eggs :
1 to 3.

Subgenus Sternula.

74. Sterna antillarum (Less.). LEAST TERN.

Breeding plumage. --Upper parts pearl gray, with black lores and black

on top and back of head ; two or three outer
quills mainly dusky ; forehead superciliary,

"s^^^^^ ^ a"d under parts white. Adults in winter :

^*^^*^ "-" crown grayish, whole forehead white.

Young : like adults in winter but with

brownish on back, and with U or V-shaped margins to part of feathers.
Length : S.5()-<).75. wing 6.60. bill 1.20, tail 3.50, forked for about 1.75.

Distribution.-- United States from California. Dakota, the Great Lakes,
and Massachusetts south to northern South America.

Eggs. — 2 to 4, buff to cream white, spotted about the larger end with
brown and lilac ; laid in a depression in the sand on an island or sand
beach.

The least tern is abundant along the coast of southern California
in summer, arriving, Mr. Grinnell says, about the middle of April
and leaving usually the latter part of August. He states that it
nests abundantly in suitable places along the seacoast, generally on

GULLS AND TERNS 31

a strip of sandy beach separating the surf from the tide marsh.
Colonel Goss, speaking of the terns of Kansas, says : " These little
beauties, the smallest of the family, flit through the air like swal-
lows, darting here or there for an insect, or suddenly stopping to
hover, like hawks or kingfishers, over a school of minnows or
shrimp, ready to drop on the first that comes to the surface."

GENUS HYDROCHELIDON.

77. Hydrochelidon nigra surinamensis (GmeL). AMERICAN
BLACK TERN.

Web of feet reaching1 only to middle of toes. Adults in breeding plum-
age: head, neck, wing's, and breast
black ; tail slaty gray ; under tail
coverts white ; bill and feet black.
Winter plumage : head, neck, and
under parts white, orbital ring1 and

ear coverts dusky ; upper parts blue gray. In late summer the white and
black feathers are mixed on the breast. Young : similar to winter adults,
but with edges of scapulars brown, and crown and back of head dusky.
Length : 9.00-10.25, wing- 8.25. bill 1.10, tail o.75. forked for .90.

Distribution. — Temperate part of North America, and south to Brazil
and Chili.

Nest. — Usually on dead floating1 rushes in shallow water, sometimes on
the bare ground, or on an old muskrat bouse or a water-soaked log ; made of
reeds, wild rice, and grasses, and lined with leaves and fine stems. Eggs:
2 to 4, greenish drab to olive brown, spotted with blackish brown.

The first sight of Hydrochelidon in the breeding season is an amaz-
ing one, for as you see the tern-like form approaching across a lake
your imagination clothes it in white, but when it reaches you--lo !
its fore parts are jet black. Another surprise comes, when, associat-
ing its kin with wide lakes and ocean shores, you find one beating
over a patch of marsh between the angles of a meadow brook, or
circling over a pool in a barnyard ! But, in spite of the shocks
given your preconceived ideas, this swallow-like tern excites your
keenest interest, and whether on the prairies of Texas or in the valleys
of the high Sierra, you soon find yourself eagerly watching for the
strange bird, and every landscape graced by its form goes down to
memory with a charm all its own.

32

ALBATROSSES

ORDER TUBINARES : TUBE-NOSED SWIMMERS.

(FAMILIES DIOMEDEID.E AXD PROCELLARIIDJE.)

FAMILY DIOMEDEIDJE : ALBATROSSES.

KEY TO GENERA.

1. Sides of lower mandible with deep longitudinal
groove ; tail long and graduated.

Phoebetria, p. 33.

*

V . Sides of lower mandible without longitudinal

groove ; tail short and rounded.
2. A wide strip of bare skin from nasal tube to
forehead . . . Thalassogeron, p. 33.
2'. Hard plates of top and sides of bill meeting
between nasal tubes and forehead.

Diomedea, p. 32.

GENUS DIOMEDEA.

General Characters. — The horny plate on top of bill widened back of
nostrils and meeting the plate on side of bill ; wings very long ; tail short,
not reaching tip of folded wings ; size that of a large goose.

KEY TO SPECIES.

1. Feet, bill, and most of plumage, dusky or blackish . nigripes, p. 32.
1'. Feet and bill yellow, plumage mainly white in adult . albatrus, p. 32.

81. Diomedea nigripes And. BLACK-FOOTED ALBATROSS.

Adults. -- Face and chin whitish, top
of head and rest of upper parts blackish,
except for whitish tail coverts and base
of tail ; under parts sooty gray ; bill
dusky, feet black. Young : face with
less white, and upper tail coverts dusky.
Length: 28.50-3(3.00, wing 18.50-20.50,
bill 4.00-4.25.

Distribution. — North Pacific, abun-
dant from southern California to Alaska.

Fig. 52.

Mr. Loomis once saw an albatross at Monterey Bay when there
was a heavy sea on, but most of the birds keep out to sea, where
they are known to the fishermen as ' goonies.'

82. Diomedea albatrus Pall. SHORT-TAILED ALBATROSS.

Adults. — Mainly white, but head and neck washed with yellowish, tail
and most of wings dusky, primaries with yellow shafts ; bill and feet
yellowish. Young : plumage sooty brown, darker on head and neck ;
primary shafts yellowish. Length : 33-37, wing 22-23, bill 5.50-5.60.

Distribution. — North Pacific from southern California to Alaska, but
mainly northward.

The large white albatross, unlike the black-footed, is so shy that

FULMARS AND SHEARWATERS

33

instead of following vessels for food it usually gives a wide berth
to any species of sailing craft. At Monterey, in stormy winter
weather, Mr. Loouiis has seen some of the birds in the bay. The
largest number he has recorded from the region were seen off Point
Finos, a dozen being counted in an hour.

GENUS THALASSOGERON.

[83.] Thalassogeron culminatus (Gould). YELLOW-NOSED ALBA-
TKOSS.

Horny plate 011 top of bill not widened back of nostrils ; a strip of soft
skin between top and side plates ; size .of a large goose. Adults: head,
neck, and shoulders gray, shading- into blackish of back, wing's, and tail ;
under parts white ; bill black on sides, bordered above and below with
yellow. Length : 35-37, wing 17.75-21.00, bill 4.35-4.50, tail 8-0.

Distribution. — Southern oceans, north casually to coast of Oregon and
Gulf of St. Lawrence.

GENUS PHCEBETRIA.

84. PhoBbetria fuliginosa (GmeL). SOOTY ALBATROSS.

Tail long- and graduated, reaching- well beyond tips of folded wings ;

size large. Adults : eyelids white, area
around eyes blackish ; sides of head
and throat sooty ; rest of under parts
light smoky gray ; back of neck and
back smoky gray ; wing and tail sooty ;
bill black, feet yellowish. Young (?):
upper parts blackish except for slaty
gray on middle of back ; under parts
slaty gray. Length : 34-37, wing 20.00-
21.50, extent 78-S4. tail 10.50-13.00.

Distribution. — South Pacific, north
(casually) to coast of Oregon.

Fig. 53.

FAMILY PROCELLARIIDJE : FULMARS AND

SHEARWATERS.

. . Ossifraga, p. 34.
Oceaiiodroma, p. 37.

KEY TO GENERA.

1. Wing 17 or more, tail feathers 16
1'. Wing 15 or less, tail feathers 12-14.

2. Wing 7 or less, tail forked . . .

Fig. 54. 2'. Wing 9 or more, tail not forked.

3. Nasal tubes opening separately, with partition as wide as

opening- Puffinus, p. 35.

3', Nasal tubes opening together and inclosing a thin par-
tition between nostrils.

4. Bill short and stout, about twice as long as depth at
base Fulmarus, p. 34.

^~-o

j_ 4.' Bill long and slender, over twice as long as depth at

6 base Priocella, p. 34.

Fig. 55.

34 FULMARS AND SHEARWATERS

GENUS OSSIFRAGA.

[85.] Ossifraga gigantea (GmeL). GIANT FULMAR.

Nasal tubes occupying more than half the length of bill ; tail feathers

16 ; size of a large goose. Light phase :
sometimes almost entirely white, but gen-
erally with head, neck, and under parts
white, and upper parts dusky ; bill light
yellowish. Dark phase: uniform sooty
brown, sometimes whitish around base of
bill ; bill olive yellowish or grayish.
Fig. 5G. Length: 30-36, wing 17-21, bill 3.50-4.00,

extent of wings 72-84.
Distribution. — Southern seas, casually north to coast of Oregon.

GENUS FULMARUS.
Subgenus Fulmarus.

KEY TO SPECIES.

1. Upper parts plain gray or dusky glupischa, p. 34.

1'. Upper parts gray, marked with white rodgersi, p. 34.

86b. Flumarus glacialis glupischa Stejn. PACIFIC FULMAR.

Bill short and stout, wider than deep at base, nasal tubes occupying
about half the length of bill and opening as one tube ; nasal tubes and
tip of bill yellow. Light phase : head, neck, and under parts white ;
upper parts bluish gray, with quills darker. Dark phase : whole plumage
deep sooty plumbeous. Length : 17-19, wing 11.90-12.35, bill 1.35-1.65.

Distribution. — North Pacific, south along the American coast to Mexico.

Nest. — On high cliffs and promontories. Eggs : white.

Mr. Loomis states that when ari ' oil slick ' appeared on the Mon-
terey Bay at one time, he counted over a hundred Pacific fulmars
and several Rodgers fulmars scattered in groups apparently feeding
on a slimy substance floating on the surface of the oil.

86.1. Fulmarus rodgersi Cass.. RODGERS FULMAR.

Similar to the light phase of glupischa, but bluish gray of upper parts
broken by mixture of white. No dark phase known. Wing: 12.10-12.90,
bill 1.40-1. GO, depth of bill at base .65-.75.

Distribution. — North Pacific from Bering Sea south to Monterey Bay.

Egg. — Soiled white, laid on the bare rock.

GENUS PRIOCELLA.

87. Priocella glacialoides (Smith). SLENDER-BILLED FULMAR.
Bill slender, deeper than wide at base ; nasal tubes not reaching middle
of bill ; nasal tubes and tip of bill black. Adults :
head, neck, and under parts whitish or light gray ;
back and wings light pearl gray, the quills darker,
with inner webs mainly white. Length : 18.00-18.50,
wing 13, bill 1.75-2.10, depth of bill at base .(55.

Distribution. — Southern seas, north along Pacific
Fig. 57. coast to Vancouver Island.

FULMARS AND SHEARWATERS 35

GENUS PUFFINUS.

General Characters. — Nasal tubes united and resting on base of bill, not
reaching to middle ; nostrils visible from above ; the partition between
them as wide or wider than nostril.

KEY TO SPECIES.

1. Under parts white or grayish.

2. Bill 2.60 bulleri, p. 36.

2'. Bill under 1.70.

3. Larger, wing about 13 creatopus, p. 35.

3'. Smaller, wing about 9 opisthomelas, p. 35.

1'. Under parts dark sooty gray.

2. Larger, wing over 11, bill over 1.55 griseus. p. 30.

2'. Smaller, wing under 11, bill under 1.28 . . . tenuirostris, p. 37.

91. Puffinus creatopus Coues. PINK-FOOTED SHEARWATER.

Breast and throat white, shading into brownish gray of upper parts and
under tail coverts ; bill yellowish, feet flesh color. Length : 19, wing
12.50-13.25, bill 1.60-1.70.

Distribution. — Eastern Pacific Ocean from Monterey, California, south
to Chili.

At Monterey Mr. Loornis has found the pink-footed shearwater
abundant in June, and in November has seen as many as two hun-
dred in a day. In migrating, he says, their flight is not as direct as
that of the black-vented and dark-bodied. They circle frequently
and cross their tracks, much as swallows are wont to do when mi-
grating singly or in small companies.

93. Puffinus opisthomelas Coues. BLACK-VENTED SHEARWATER.

Upper parts sooty gray, lighter on head and neck ; under parts white,
except for sooty under tail coverts. Length : 12.25-15.00, wing 9.00-9.10,
tail 3.25-3.80, bill 1.30-1.42.

Distribution. — Pacific Ocean from coast of Lower California north to
Vancouver Island.

A set of opisthomelas eggs was taken at Santa Barbara Island in
1873, and Mr.- Anthony thinks the birds not uncommon on some of
the smaller outlying islands. Their presence along the coast of
southern and Lower California, lie says, seems to depend on the food
supply. They are always common, but less so during the breeding
season, their numbers being greatest in late July, August, and Sep-
tember, when they follow the large schools of herring and other fish
that come in shore. They are often seen in flocks of several thou-
sand when fish are plenty, and Mr. Anthony has met a flock on the
coast of Lower California which lie estimated at not less than fifty
thousand.

It is only im very calm weather, he says, that they are seen resting
on the water, but then they collect in a compact circle and wait

36 FULMARS AND SHEARWATERS

until started on their journey by a rising wind. None of our Pacific
coast sea birds adhere so closely to established fly lines as the puf-
fins. Mr. Anthony tells us (Auk, xiii. 223-228) that "even when fly-
ing fifty miles or more from land the first flock that passes will, with
almost absolute certainty, mark the line which the next will follow,
even though they be an hour behind."

Mr. Anthony calls attention to the habit common to different spe-
cies of shearwaters of flying in large circles or an advancing series
of loops when quartering the sea for small fish, --a flock seen along-
shore going in the opposite direction from one farther out to sea.

95. Puffmus griseus (GmeL). DARK-BODIED SHEARWATER.

Entire plumage sooty gray except for white under wing coverts, which
are mottled with gray at tips ; bill and feet dusky or black. Wing :
11.15-12.00, bill 1.55-1.70, depth of bill at base .45-.S5, tarsus 2.12-2.35.

Distribution. — South Pacific, north along the coast of California, and
reported in great numbers from Queen Charlotte Islands, B. C.

One of the most important results of the valuable work done by
Mr. Loomis on the water birds off Monterey is the light thrown on
the northward migration of birds from the south temperate zone.
The dark-bodied shearwater affords conclusive evidence on the sub-
ject. The shearwaters taken at Monterey in May were in worn,
moulting plumage, common with birds just after the breeding season ;
while their sexual organs showed none of the functional develop-
ment of birds about to breed. The migratory movements of these
birds increased from May until September, when there was an
abrupt decrease in their numbers, only stragglers being seen after-
wards. Not only were the September and October birds in fresh
plumage, but those secured had their sexual organs enlarged as in
birds in the flush of the breeding season. As the shearwaters are
known to breed from March to October on oceanic islands in the
south temperate zone, the case seems to be a simple one.

Puffinus bulleri Salvin.

Adults : mantle gray, in striking contrast to black on head, tail, and
lesser wing coverts ; greater coverts gray, tipped with white ; outer pri-
maries black, with two thirds of inner webs white ; cbeeks mottled grayish
white ; lower parts and xinder wing coverts white. Length : 16.50, wing
11.30, tail 5.20, bill 2.60.

Distribution. — New Zealand. One record from Point Pinos, California.

Mr. Loomis secured a specimen of Puffinus bulleri about six miles
west of Point Pinos, on November 6, 1896. As this was the fourth
of the species known to science, and the others had come from New
Zealand seas, the record is of great interest, and as pointed out
suggests that persistent observation along the Pacific coast may add
largely to the list of pelagic wanderers from the southern seas.

FULMARS AND SHEARWATERS 37

96. Pufimus tenuirostris (Temm.). SLENDER-BILLED SHEARWATER.

Size small ; bill relatively small and slender ; plumage sooty or blackish
except for paler throat and white tinder wing- coverts ; bill and feet dusky.
Wing: 10.00-11.10, tail 0.20-3.00, bill 1.20-1.28, depth at base .35-.50,
tarsus 1.90-2.00.

Distribution. — Pacific Ocean, breeding- in the southern hemisphere, but
migrating' north in summer to Kotzebue Sound.

The slender-billed shearwater was discovered at Monterey by Mr.
Joseph Maillard, December, 1895. Between the 14th and 20th of the
month he saw great numbers of the birds, and secured twenty speci-
mens. Mr. Loomis infers that they were belated migrants on their
way back to their breeding grounds in the southern hemisphere.

GEIvTUS OCEANODROMA.

General Characters. - - Bill small and weak, with nasal tubes elevated at
tip ; tail slightly forked ; size small ; slender and tern-like ; bill and feet
black.

KEY TO SPECIES.

1. Upper or lower tail coverts white.

2. Lower tail coverts white, upper gray furcata, p. 37.

2'. Upper, and sides of lower tail coverts, white . . kaedingi, p. 37.
V . Upper and lower tail coverts dusky.

2. Under wing1 coverts with a light-colored patch . homochroa, p. 38.
2'. Under, wing1 coverts without light patch.

3. Side of rump with gray or whitish patch . socorroensis, p. 38.
3'. Side of rump without gray or whitish patch . . melania, p. 38.

105. Oceanodroma furcata (Gmel.). FORKED-TAILED PETREL.

Body light bluish gray, fading to white on chin, throat, and under tail
coverts; bend of wing, quills, and space around eye, dusky. Length:
8.00-0.20, wing 5.90-0.40, bill .00. tail :',.75-4.00. forked for about 1.

Distribution. — From the Arctic circle south on the American side to
Monterey.

Nest. — A hole in a bank, lined scantily with dry grass and fine roots.
Egg : 1, white, with fine spots of lilac and dark color about the larger end.

105.2. Oceanodroma kaedingi Anthony. KAEDING PETREL.

Plumage mainly sooty black ; wing cov-
erts brownish ; upper tail coverts and side
of under coverts, white. Wing: 5.75. tail
3.25. forked for .(50, tarsus .80, bill .55 (from
type).

Distribution. --Pacific coast and islands from Socorro Island and south-
ern California north to Cape Flattery.

Nest.^ — Under a pile of stones, or a burrow in a turfy bank, lined with
grass, bits of bark, and wood. Egg: 1, sometimes plain white.

The slightly larger and lighter colored 0. leucorJioarf the Atlantic
and north Pacific apparently does not occur on the west coast of the
United States. A series of May and June specimens from near Cape
Flattery are unquestionably kaedinrjt.

38 FULMARS AND SHEARWATERS

107. Oceanodroma melania (Bonap.). BLACK PETREL.

Upper parts sooty black with grayish brown on wing- coverts ; under
parts brownish black, without white or light colored patches. Wing : 6.80,
tail 3.90, forked for about 1.20, tarsus 1.20.

Distribution. — From the Pacific coast of Mexico north to southern
California.

Mr. Grinnell thinks the black petrels are probably more or less
common residents off the southern California coast. Mr. Nelson
found them the most abundant of the petrels of the Tres Marias
Islands, Mexico. He saw little that was remarkable about their
habits, but says they circled about the vessel in all directions and
were quick to see fragments of food that were thrown overboard.

108. Oceanodroma homochroa (Coues). ASHY PETKEL.

Plumage mainly smoky gray or plumbeous ; quills and tail dusky ; upper
wing- coverts brownish, under coverts with light patch. Wing : 5.30-5.40,
tail 3.30-3.50, forked for .70-.90, tarsus, .80-. 90.

Distribution. — Coast of California.

Egg. — Dull creamy white, finely dotted with red around the larger
end ; placed in a natural cavity.

Mr. Loomis, writing of his visit to South Farallone Island iu July,
1896, gives some interesting notes on the habits of the ashy petrel.
"Although these petrels were breeding abundantly in all parts of
the island," he says, " every portion of it might have been passed
over in daylight without a single individual being discovered, for
apparently only brooding birds occurred, concealed in loose piles
of stone, in stone walls, and under driftwood. After nightfall the
petrels became active. They were especially conspicuous during
the early morning hours of the 14th, when the anklets held their
concert, As I stood in the dooryard of a keeper's house, every few
moments one or more would pass silently by, disappearing in the
darkness. Their flight recalled that of a goatsucker.

' ' The strong musky odor of the petrels renders their discovery
in the rock piles easy. It is only necessary to insert the nose into
likely crevices to find them. With little practice one may become
very expert in this kind of hunting, readily determining whether it
is an auklet or a petrel that .has its residence in any particular
cranny. ... It seemed strange to find these birds of the ocean rear-
ing their young near the dwellings and within several rods of the
siren. None of the feathered inhabitants of the island appeared to
be alarmed at the blast of this signal, repeated every forty-five
seconds when the foe; settled down."

108.1. Oceanodroma socorroensis Toimscnd. SOCORRO PETREL.

Similar to homochroa but slightly larger and lighter colored ; under wing

DARTERS — CORMORANTS 39

coverts without light-colored patch, but rump with gray or whitish patch
on side. Wing: 5.80-6.38, tail 3.07-3.42, forked for .71-.92, bill .5S-.65.

Distribution. — From islands of western coast of Mexico north to San
Diego, California.

ORDER STEGANOPODES : TOTIPALMATE

SWIMMERS.

(FAMILIES ANHIXGID^, PHALACROCORACID^E, PELECAXID.E,

FREGATIDJE, ETC.)

FAMILY ANHINGIDJE: DARTERS.

GENUS ANHINGA.

118- Anhinga anhinga (Linn.). ANHINGA. J^ATER TURKEY.

Bill straight and sharp ; form extremely slender, tail long and rigid,
without upper coverts. Adult male in breeding plumage : glossy greenish
black : back of head and sides of neck with long white or grayish filaments,
and back of neck with black hair-like mane ; shoulders and base of wings
finely spotted with gray, wing crossed with wide gray band ; back striped
with pearl gray ; tail tipped with brownish. Adult male in winter : head and
neck without elongated filaments. Adult female in breeding plumage :
similar to male but head and neck brown, throat and breast buffy. Young :
lower back, tail, and quills black ; head and rest of body brown except for
buffy or whitish throat and breast, and gray streaking on wing coverts.
Length : 32.25-36.00, wing about 14. tail 11. bill 3.25.

Distribution. -- From tropical America north in Lower Sonoran zone to
South Carolina, southern Illinois, Texas, western Mexico, and casually to
Kansas.

FAMILY PHALACROCORACIDJE : CORMORANTS.

GENUS PHALACROCORAX.

General Characters. --Bill slender and abruptly hooked at tip; mouth
opening back under eye ; skin around eye and at base of lower mandible
naked ; head smooth or variously crested.

KEY TO SPECIES.

1. Tail of 14 feathers, head never crested .... penicillatus, p. 41.
1'. Tail of 12 feathers, head with or without crest.
2. Flanks without white patch.

3. Size large, wing- over 11. a slender crest over each eye in breeding
plumage.

4. Crests entirely black dilophus, p. 40.

4'. Crests mainly white.

5. Larger, wing 13 or more. Breeds in Alaska.

cihciiiatus, p. 40.
5'. Smaller, wing' 13 or less. Breeds in Oregon and California.

albociliatus, p. 40.
3'. Size small, wing' under 10.50, head without crests.

mexicanus, p. 41.

40 CORMORANTS

2'. Flanks with a large white patch in breeding plumage. Top and back

of head crested in breeding plumage.
3. Size larger, wing 10.00-11.40. From Washington northward.

pelagicus, p. 41.
3'. Size smaller, wing 9.30-10.50. From Cape Flattery southward.

resplendeiis, p. 42.

Subgenus Phalacrocorax.

120. Phalacrocorax dilophus (Swain.). DOUBLE-CRESTED COR-
MORANT.

Adults in breeding plumage. — Throat pouch orange ; a narrow crest of
curved black feathers above and back of each eye ; back and wings slaty,
feathers bordered with black ; rest of plumage glossy greenish black.
Post-breeding plumage : head without crests. Young : plumage brownish,
becoming grayish brown on head and neck ; throat and breast lighter,
sometimes white before the first moult. Length : 29-34, wing 12-13, bill
2.00-2.45.

Distribution. - - Breeds from northeastern North America west to the
Dakotas and north to Athabasca ; migrates to Gulf coast ; west to Colo-
rado and Utah.

Nest. — In trees or on rocks, made of sticks, and usually coated with
lime-like excrement. Eggs : 3 or 4, dull bluish green.

The double-crested cormorants are common along the Atlantic
coast and the lakes and rivers of the Mississippi valley, breeding in
communities on cliffs and rocky islands along the coast, and mainly
in trees in the interior.

Like all cormorants, they are expert fishers. With their dense
glossy plumage, long, almost fish-like form, powerful leg muscles,
and wide paddles, double-jointed mouths, elastic throats, and the
hooked tip of their bills, they are built for pursuing, catching, and
swallowing fish. Much of their time is spent in the water pursuing
their prey, or perched on rocks or posts near their fishing grounds.

VERNON BAILEY.

120b. P. d. cincinatus (Brandt). WHITE-CRESTED CORMORANT.

Like P. dilophus, but with crests mainly white. Length : 36, wing 13.70,
bill 2.25-2.55.

Distribution. — Northwest coast of North America, breeding on the
coast of Alaska ; south in winter to California.

Nest. -- On islands, a mass of sticks and weeds six inches to a foot in
height. Eyys : 4 or 5.

120c. P. d. albociliatus Ridgw. FARALLONE CORMORANT.

Similar to cincinatus, but slightly smaller. Length : 25-31, wing 11.75-
13.00, bill l.t 10-2.35.

Distribution. — Coast and inland lakes of southern Oregon and Califor-
nia, and south to western Mexico and the Socorro Islands.

Nest. - - A firm structure of sticks, lined with moss and various water
plants ; placed in trees and on rocks. Eggs : 3 to 5, dull bluish green.

The Farallone cormorant is a common resident of the California

CORMORANTS 41

coast, and breeds abundantly on the Farallones and other islands; also
in the interior, nesting in extensive colonies in trees near some of
the large lakes. Mr. Chamberlain reports a colony at Clear Lake,
California, and those at Tule Lake, Oregon, are undoubtedly of this
species.

On their breeding grounds, nests, rocks, trees, and ground are
painted white with their excrement, and some of the trees are
usually killed by it. Bones and pieces of fish are scattered about,
adding to the general attractiveness of the place.

121. Phalacrocorax mexicanus (Brandt). MEXICAN CORMO-

RANT.

Adults. — Head and foreparts of body mainly dark brownish, lighter on
throat, and gray or whitish adjoining brown throat pouch ; shoulders
and wing coverts slaty ; feathers bordered with black ; posterior parts of
body, tail, and wing quills blackish. Breeding plumage : head, neck, and
belly with slender white filaments. Young : brownish, becoming grayish
brown on throat and under parts, whitish next to pouch. Before first
moult : throat and breast whitish. Length : 28.00-28.75, wing 9.95-10.40,
bill 1.70-2.00.

Distribution. — Mexico, Cuba, and the Gulf coast ; north to New Mexico,
Kansas, and Illinois.

Nest. — Rudely made of sticks and leaves, placed on bushes or trees near
or over water. Eggs : bluish white, with a slight chalky deposit.

Subgenus Compsohalieus.

122. Phalacrocorax penicillatus (Brandt). BRANDT CORMO-

RANT.

Bill slender, nearly straight ; tail short, with 14 instead of 16 feathers;
head without crests or elongated tufts. Adults: head and neck glossy
blue black, except for light brownish patch next to gular sac ; under
parts glossy greenish black ; scapulars and wing coverts dull greenish
black. Breeding plumage. : sides of neck and shoulders with long white or
yellowish filaments ; throat pouch blue. Young : plumage brown, throat
and under parts paler ; upper parts darker, becoming blackish on back of
neck. Length : 35, wing 10.50-11.75, bill 2.60-2.95, tail5.50-6.50.

Distribution. — Pacific coast from Cape St. Lucas to Vancouver Island.

The Brandt cormorant is abundant along the Pacific coast, breed-
ing in large colonies on rocky islands. Grinnell says it is the cormo-
rant observed about San Pedro, hundreds sometimes being seen
roosting on the breakwater. On the Farallones Bryant says they
congregate in large rookeries. The young are hatched entirely
naked, their skin resembling a greasy black kid glove. In this con-
dition, and even after the down is on them, they are an irresistible
morsel to the hungry gulls.

Subgenus Urile.

123. Phalacrocorax pelagicus Pall. PELAGIC CORMORANT.
Breeding plumage. — Throat pouch dull coral red ; crown and back of

42 PELICANS

head with purplish green crests ; neck with loose white filaments ; rump
and large patch on flanks white ; head and body dark glossy green,
changing to rich purple on neck and purplish green on wings ; quills and
tail black. Post-breeding plumage : crests, white filaments, and white
flank patch wanting. Young : dusky brown, lighter on head ; upper parts
darker, with a tinge of green. Wing: 10.00-11.40, tail 6.25-8.50, bill
1.70-2.10.

Distribution. — Coast of Alaska and British Columbia to Washington.

Nest. — Usually on a ledge of bold-faced rock, large, made of seaweed, a
few grass-stalks, and excrement. Eggs : 3 to 4, pale blue to white.

The Eskimo use this cormorant's skin for clothing, and the white
filaments from the flanks for fringes in their ornamental work.

123b. P. p. resplendens (And.}. BAIRD CORMORANT.

Coloration as in pelagicus, size smaller, bill nearly as long, but slenderer.
Wing: 9.30-10.50, tail 5.80-7.00, bill 1.05-2.00.

Distribution. — Pacific coast from Cape Flattery to Mazatlan, Mexico.

The Baird cormorant is usually less common than the Farallone
or Brandt cormorants, breeding apart from them in communities on
the islands or rocky points off shore.

FAMILY PELECANIDJE : PELICANS.

GENUS PELECANUS.

General Characters. - - Bill much longer than head, upper mandible flat ;
a large pouch of elastic, naked skin hung as a fish-net from flexible sides
of lower mandible.

KEY TO SPECIES.

1. Color mainly white erythrorhyiichos. p. \~1.

1'. Color mainly grayish brown calif oriiicus, p. 43.

Subgenus Cyrtopelicanus.

125. Pelecanus erythrorhynchos Gmel. AMERICAN WHITE

PELICAN.

Tail feathers 24. Breeding plumage : mainly white, primaries and most
of secondaries black ; back of head with thin white or yellowish crest, breast
and lesser wing coverts with narrow lanceolate yellowish feathers ; upper

Fig. f.lt.

PELAGIC CORMORANT

MAN-O'-WAR BIRDS. 43

mandible with upright horn. Post-breeding plumage : crest replaced by
short grayish feathers, upper mandible without horny excrescence. Adults
in winter plumaye : back of head white ; bill pouch and feet pale yellow
instead of orange. Young : white, with gray on top of head and lesser
wing coverts. Length : 4-i to nearly (5 feet ; extent 8-i- to nearly 10 feet ;
wing 20.00-25.25, bill 11.05-15.00 ; weight about IT Ibs.

Distribution. — North America from latitiide 61° to Guatemala.

Nest. — Usually on islands, sometimes a depression in gravel or sand,
lined with seaweeds ; but generally a thin layer of sticks and weeds, laid
on the ground or on rocks. Eggs : 1 to 3, dull white, like those of the
Canada goose, but with rougher shell.

The white pelican is more a bird of the interior than of the coast
districts, and still breeds in great colonies on a few of the larger
lakes. Some of the little islands which used to be covered with
nests are abandoned now, the splendid birds having been driven
away by wanton persecution.

The pelicans are eminently social at all seasons, sometimes gather-
ing in flocks of many hundreds along the shore, where, by beating
the water with their wings, they drive the fish into the shallows, to
scoop them up with their wide pouches. At other times they may
be seen circling, wheeling, and soaring overhead, in magnificent aerial
drill, or riding buoyantly on the surface of the water like a squadron
of white ships. VERNON BAILEY.

Subgenus Leptopelicanus.

127. Pelecanus californicus Eidgw. CALIFORNIA BROWN PELI-

CAN.1

Tail feathers 22. Breeding plumage, : pouch reddish ; head, and feathers
next to pouch, white ; crown tinged with yellow ; neck, including mane-
like crest, rich velvety brown ; upper parts silvery gray, streaked with
brownish ; under parts brownish, streaked on sides with white. Winter
plumage : head and neck white, tinged with yellowish on throat and crown.
Young : upper parts grayish brown, darker on back ; under parts white,
tinged on sides with brownish. Length : 4^ feet or more, wing 20.50-2o.25,
bill 12.25-14.75.

Distribution. — Pacific coast from southern British Columbia to Gala-
pagos Islands.

FAMILY FREGATIDJE: MAN-O'-WAR BIRDS.

GENUS FREGATA.

128. Fregata aquila Linn. MAN-O'-WAR BIRD.

Wings very long ; tail deeply forked ; feet small, half webbed. Adult

male : plumage black, base of wings glossed
with greenish or purplish. Adult female :
plumage dull black ; wings with grayish
patch ; sides and breast white. Young :
head, neck, and under parts white ; upper
parts dull brownish black. Length : 37.50-
41.00, wing 22.00-27.10, tail 14.25-19.25,
Fig- 60. forked for about 9 ; bill 4.25-5.15.

1 A specimen of P. occidentalis was taken in Wyoming. July, 1899. (The Attfc. xvi. 351.)

44

DUCKS, GEESE, AND SWANS

Distribution. — Tropical and subtropical seas, chiefly north of the equa-
tor ; north regularly to Florida, Texas, and California, and casually to
Wisconsin and Nova Scotia.

Nest. — Made of sticks, placed in the tops of bushes or low trees.

Fig. 61.

Fig. 62.

ORDER ANSERES: LAMELLIROSTRAL

SWIMMERS.

FAMILY ANATIDJE: DUCKS, GEESE, AND SWANS.

KEY TO GENERA.

1. Tarsus shorter than middle toe without claw.

2. Lower mandible without trace of lamellae along sides,
edges of mandibles strongly toothed or serrate.

3. Tooth-like serrations of mandibles sharp and strongly
inclined backward .... Merganser, p. 45.

3'. Tooth-like serrations of mandibles blunt and not dis-
tinctly inclined backward . Lophodytes, p. 47.

2'. Lower mandible with a distinct series of lamellae along
side as well as cutting edge.

3. Lower part of tarsus with small hexagonal plates and
no transverse scutelbe in front.

Deiidrocygiia, p. 09.
3'. Lower part of tarsus with a row of transverse scutel-

Ia3 across the front.
4. Tail without upper coverts, the base of the stiff

feathers scarcely concealed.
5. Tail feathers 18 .... Erismatura, p. 04.

5'. Tail feathers 20 Nomoiiyx, p. 65.

4'. Tail with base well concealed by upper coverts.
5. Hind toe without a flattened membraneous lobe.
6. Bill long and much wider near end than to-
ward base Spatula, p. 54.

6'. Bill not much wider near end than at base.
7. Tail feathers wide and rounded at, end.

Aix, p. 55.

7'. Tail feathers narrow and pointed at tips.
8. Tail graduated more than a third of its

total length.

9. Tail feathers 14 . . Mareca, p. 49.
9'. Tail feathers 1(5.

10. Bill longer than middle toe without

claw Dafila. p. 54.

10'. Bill shorter than middle toe without

claw . Chaulelasmus, p. 49.

8'. Tail graduated less than a third of its

total length.

9. Wing more than 8 . . Alias, p. 47.
9'. Wing less than 8.

DUCKS, GEESE, AND SWANS 45

10. Upper and lower outlines of upper
mandible beyond nostril convex.

Querquedula, p. 52.
10'. Upper and lower outlines of upper
mandible beyond nostrils straight.
Nettion, p. 51.

5'. Hind toe with a flattened membraneous lobe.
6. Graduation of tail less than length of bill from

nostril Aythya, p. 56.

G'. Graduation of tail much more than length of

bill from nostril.
7. Anterior edge of nostril in front of middle of

culmen Clangula, p. 59.

7'. Anterior edge of nostril back of middle of

culmen.

8. Upper mandible widest back of nostril,
and not conspicuously elevated nor swol-
len at base.

9. Feathers ending in straight line across
forehead .... Harelda, p. 01.
9'. Feathers ending in point of acute tri-
angle on forehead.

10. Upper mandible constricted to small
nail-like tip.

Charitonetta, p. 60.
10'. Upper mandible rounded at tip.

Histrionicus, p. 61.

8'. Upper mandible widest at anterior edge
of nostril, and elevated or swollen at
base (except in female and immature
O. americana) . . Oidemia, p. 62.

1 . Tarsus as long as or longer than middle toe without claw.
2. Neck as long as or longer than body . . Olor, p. 70.
2 . Neck shorter than body.

3. Bill and feet always black .... Branta, p. 67.
3'. Bill and feet never entirely black, usually reddish or

yellowish.

4. Bill as wide as deep at base . . Philacte, p. 69.
4'. Bill much deeper than wide at base.

5. Depth of bill at base more than half the length

of culmen ; adults mainly white . Chen, p. 65.

5'. Depth of bill at base less than half the length of

culmen ; adults never white . Anser, p. 66.

GENUS MERGANSER.

General Characters. -- Bill slender and approximately cylindrical in front
of nostrils, armed along edges of mandibles with sharp, strongly recurved
teeth ; head crested in both sexes.

KEY TO SPECIES.

1. Nostril near middle of bill, about .50 from feathers.

americanus, p. 46.
1'. Nostril near base of bill, about .25 from feathers . serrator, p. 46.

46

DUCKS, GEESE, AND SWANS

AMERICAN MERGANSER :

129. Merganser americanus (Cass.).

SHELDRAKE.

Adult male. — Head and short crest black glossed with green ; shoulders
black ; wing black, with white in middle ; rump and tail gray ; neck and
sides white ; breast creamy white or pale salmon. Adult female : head,
neck, and long thin crest light brown ; rest of upper parts bluish gray,
except white patch on middle of wing ; chin and breast white. Male :
length 25-27, wing 10.50-11.25, bill 1.90-2.20. Female: length 21-24,
wing 9.60-9.75, bill 1.80-2.00.

Distribution. — Whole of North America, breeding from Pennsylvania
and mountains of Colorado and California, northward.

Nest. — In hollow tree or on ground, lined with down. Eggs : 8 to 10,
pale buffy.

The sheldrakes, while common and widely distributed, are never
abundant. They are usuall}7" found in pairs or small flocks along the
rivers or in open lakes where there are plenty of small fish. In sum-
mer the few that remain in the United States to breed keep princi-
pally in the high mountains, along the streams or lakes of the Boreal
zone. Even the half fledged young delight in the cold water and
foaming rapids of a mountain trout stream. VERNON BAILEY.

130. Merganser serrator (Linn.). RED-BREASTED MERGANSER.
Adult male. — Head and crest black, glossed with green ; neck white ;

back black ; middle of wings white ; rump gray ; chest buffy brown,
streaked with blackish ; belly white or creamy ; sides gray. Adult female :

Fig. (J3.

head and neck brown, darker and duller on crown and crest ; rest of upper
parts and tail slaty gray, except for white patch on wings ; under parts
white. Length; 20-25, wing 8.60-9.00, bill about 2.50.

DUCKS, GEESE, AND SWANS

47

Remarks. - - The female is distinguished from the female americanus by
smaller size, slenderer bill, and position of nostril.

Distribution. — Northern part of northern hemisphere, breeding in Amer-
ica from Illinois and Minnesota north to Alaska and Greenland ; south in
winter over the United States.

Nest. — On ground near water, hidden in grass and weeds, made of leaves,
grass, and moss, lined with down. Eggs : 8 to 10, olive buff.

The red-breasted merganser is a common duck of the clear streams
and lakes, a good diver and fisher, but rarely fat and often flavored
by its favorite food.

GENUS LOPHODYTES.

131. Lophodytes CUCUllatus (Linn.). HOODED MERGANSER.

Bill narrow, slender, and with terminal part cylindrical, armed along
edges of mandibles with
blunt, scarcely inclined
teeth ; head with high
thin, wheel-shaped crest,
less prominent in female.

Adult male. — Head,
neck, and back black ;
middle of crest and under
parts, white ; sides light
brown, finely cross-lined
with black. Adult female :
xipper parts grayish brown,
browner on crest ; patch
on Aving, throat, and belly
white. Young : similar to
female, but with little or
no crest. Length : 17-25-
19.25, wing 7.50-7.90, bill
1.50.

Distribution. - — North
America from Alaska to
Cuba and Mexico, breed-
ing throughout most of its
range. Fig ^

Nest. — In hollow trees,
lined with grass, feathers, and down. Eggs: 6 to 10, ivory white.

The hooded merganser or saw-bill is widely distributed and often
abundant during migration, frequently gathering in large flocks in
the rice lakes. It becomes very fat and its flesh rarely has any flavor
of fish. In fall it is one of the last ducks to leave, lingering on the
half frozen lakes and streams of the northern states. A little flock
may now and then be found in open rapids, when all the still water
is covered with ice. VERNON BAILEY.

GENUS ANAS.

General Characters. - - Bill flat, long, and slightly wider near end than
toward base ; wing with purple or green iridescent speculum occupying a

48 DUCKS, GEESE, AND SWANS

large space on secondaries ; head uncrested except for the slightly elon-
gated green feathers of male mallards in winter plumage.

KEY TO SPECIES OF ANAS.

Head and neck iridescent green (winter male) . . . boschas, p. 48.
1'. Head and neck finely striped and specked with dusky.
2. Belly mottled gray and dusky (summer male, female, and young).

boschas, p. 48.
2 . Belly mottled brown and dusky maculosa, p. 49.

132. Anas boschas Linn. MALLARD.

Male in winter and breeding plumage. — Four of the black upper tail coverts
recurved ; head and
neck, down to white
collar, rich iridescent
green ; chest dark
chestnut brown ; belly ^**
and sides gray ; wing
with iridescent violet
green speculum bor-
dered by black and white bars ; rump
and upper and lower tail coverts black.
Male in summer plumage : like female.
Female and immature: entire plum-
age variously mottled, scalloped, and
streaked with dusky and buff, ex-
cept for plain buffy chin and white
under surface of wing ; buff predomi-
nating on bellv ; wing as in male.
Length : 20-25, wing 10.25-12.00, bill
2.00-2.40.

Distribution. • Northern hemi-
sphere ; in America breeding from
southern United States to Alaska ; south in winter to Panama.

Nest. — On the ground, in grass or weeds, well lined with down. Eggs :
6 to 10, pale olive or buffy green.

The mallard is the best known of all the American ducks, breed-
ing at large over the country and migrating north and south in great
flocks, feeding extensively on wild rice and various grains and seeds,
and becoming extremely fat. Its large size and delicious flavor ren-
der it an important and much sought game bird, but at the same
time threaten it with partial extermination. Nature has done her
best for it in its summer dress, for nothing could be more protec-
tively inconspicuous. The female keeps the mottled disguise all
winter. In fall, however, both old and young males acquire the
rich breeding plumage which they keep until after the eggs are laid
in spring. The male then doffs his bright dress and in his dull dis-
guise can be distinguished from the female only by his soft voice,
a mere whispered imitation of her loud quack, '/mick. When both
old birds are away from the nest, the eggs are left carefully covered
with down. VERNON BAILEY.

DUCKS, GEESE, AND SWANS 49

134a. Anas fulvigula maculosa (Senn.). MOTTLED DUCK.

Sexes similar, resembling- a dark-colored female mallard. Head and
neck buffy, finely streaked with dusky ; under parts mottled about equally
with dusky and light brown ; feathers of breast and back with brown cen-
ters and margins ; speculum of wing- greenish purple framed in black, the
feathers tipped witli white. Wing : 10.05, bill 2.25.

Distribution. — From Central Mexico north to Kansas and Colorado.

Eggs. — Pale huffy.

The habits of the mottled duck are similar to those of the mal-
lard.

GENUS CHAULELASMUS.

135. Chaulelasmus streperus (Linn.}. GADAVALL.

Tail feathers 16. Adult male : top of head with wide low crest ; head
and body gray, crossed with wavy lines of black and white ; rump and
upper and lower tail coverts black ; wing- marked with black, white, and
bright brown ; belly white. Post-breeding plumage : duller and more spotted
below. Adult female: head without crest ; head and neck finely specked
with dusky on a huffy or whitish ground ; chin and belly white ; rest of
body with feathers dusky, bordered with buff. Male : length 19.25-21.75,
wing 10.25-11.00. bill 1.60-1.75. Female: length 18, wing 10.00-10.25,
bill 1.55-1.65.

Remarks. — The female resembles the female mallard, but may be distin-
guished by white chin and belly, gray under surface of wing, and white
instead of green speculum.

Distribution. — Northern hemisphere, including the whole of North
America.

Nest. — Like that of the mallard. Eggs : 8 to 12, pale buffy or creamy
white.

In habits the gadwall is much like the mallard, being a bird of the
ponds and marshes and breeding more or less commonly over much
of North America, especially on the plains and prairies.

GENUS MARECA.

General Characters. — Tail feathers 14 ; male with short crest, adult male
with white crown ; bill small, widest near base.

KEY TO SPECIES.

1. Sides of head and neck rich russet brown (specked with dusky in im-
mature) (male) penelope, p. 49.

1'. Sides of head and neck thickly specked with dusky on light buff or

whitish ground.

2. Crest and sides of crown metallic green . (male) americana, p. 50.
2'. Whole head and neck streaked and specked.
3. Head and neck streaked on whitish ground.

(female) americana, p. 50.
3'. Head and neck streaked on buff ground.

(female) penelope, p. 49.

136. Mareca penelope (Linn.). WIDGEON.

Adult male. — Bill blue with black tip ; crown white or creamy ; rest of
head and neck rich russet brown, more or less specked with black ; chest

50 DUCKS, GEESE, AND SWANS

light vinaceous brown ; back, rump, and sides gray crossed by fine wavy
black and white lines ; wing with green speculum framed in black, and
bordered above by large white patch ; under, and sides of upper, tail
coverts, black. Adult female : head and neck thickly specked all over
with dusky on buff : breast, sides, and back mottled with dusky and buff ;
speculum grayish, bordered above and below by narrow white tips to
feathers. Young male: head and neck brown, thickly specked with black;
breast and sides dull brown, back mottled dusky and brown. Length : 18-
20, wing 10-11, bill 1.35-1.45.

Distribution. — Northern part of Old World, occurring rarely in eastern
United States, Nebraska, California, and Alaska.

137. Mareca americana (GmeL). BALDPATE.

Adult male. — Bill blue with black tip ; crown white, bordered on sides

and back with wide
patch of metallic
green ; rest of head
and neck finely
specked with dusky
over buff y ; chest
and sides grayish
lavender or vina-

and specked with
dusky ; belly white ;
back dark gray
crossed with wavy
lines of black, white,
C ft ^ and lavender ; spec-

-p. QQ uluni green, framed

in velvety black ;

bordered above by large white patch ; lower, and sides of upper, tail
coverts, black. Adult female : head and neck finely specked with dusky
on whitish ground, the dusky predominating on top of head ; chest, sides,
and back dull brown, mottled with blackish ; belly white ; wing with dull
black speculum bordered above and below by white. Length: 18-22, wing
10.25-11.00, bill 1.30-1.50.

Distribution. - - Whole of North America, breeding from Texas to North
Dakota, and northward.

Nest. — On the ground, in a bunch of grass, under a bush, or in a depres-
sion lined with grass, leaves, and down. Eggs : 10 or 11, creamy or buffy
white.

Like most of the shoal water ducks, Colonel Goss tells us, the
baklpates are to be looked for along the edges of lagoons, grassy
lakes, and pools of water. The birds are not shy, he says, and " their
note, a sort of whew, io7iew, whew, uttered while feeding and swim-
ming, enables the hunter to locate them in the thickest growth of
water plants ; and when in the air the whistling noise made by their
wings heralds their approach." Ordinarily their food habits are the
same as those of the gad wall, but in the fall they often attach them-
selves to a party of canvas-backs or other deep water ducks, that
feed on Vallisnena, and following them about lie in wait while the

DUCKS, GEESE, AND SWANS 51

divers arc below, and as their heads appear above the surface snatch
their catch and hurry away to swallow it at leisure.

GENUS NETTION.

General Characters. - - Tail feathers 16 ; sides of bill parallel throughout ;
upper and lower outlines in front of nostril straight : wing- with speculum
bright green ; head of male in winter and breeding plumage with short
crest.

KEY TO ADULT MALES.

1. Sides and shoulders finely lined with black and white, and shoulders
crossed by white bar carolinensis. p. 51.

1'. Sides and shoulders coarsely lined with black and white; shoulders
without white bar crecca, p. 51.

[138.] Nettion crecca (Linn.}. EUROPEAN TEAL.

Adult male. — Similar to carolinensis but shoulder without white bar, and
black lines and spots on body heavier and coarser. Adult female : indis-
tinguishable from female carolinensis.

Distribution. — Northern part of Old World, occasional in northern part
of North America and in California.

139. Nettion carolinensis (Gmel.). GREEN-WINGED TEAL.

Adult male. — Head light chestnut, forehead and chin blackish ; a wide
crescent of green and black inclosing eye and reaching to base of crest ; breast
buffy, spotted with black ; back
gray, shoulders crossed by white
bar ; shoulders and sides finely
cross-lined with black and white ;
wing with green and black specu-
lum, bordered above by buff and
below by white ; under tail coverts
black, bordered by rich buff. Adult
female : back, sides, and breast
dusky, scalloped and mottled with
buff ; throat and belly whitish ;
base of wing slaty ; wing with

7

speculum as in male. 1 oung male :

belly white. Length : 12.50-15.00, wing 6.25-7.40, bill 1.40-1.60.

Distribution. — Whole of North America, breeding in Colorado. Oregon,
and California, but mainly north of the United States : in winter south to
Honduras and Cuba.

Nest. — In a tuft of grass, or on dry ground among willows, made of
grass and lined with down. Eggs: usually 9 to 12, sometimes 16 to 18,
pale buff.

The green-winged teal, like most of its near relatives, is far more
a duck of the marshes, grass-fringed ponds, meadow creeks, and
irrigation ditches than of the clear lakes and streams. Like the
mallard, and often in its company, the teal are fond of feeding in
shallow water where, by standing on their heads, - - with tails and
sometimes feet sticking up out of .the water, — they can reach the
bottom to grub up the tender roots and water plants, and sift out

52 DUCKS, GEESE, AND SWANS

the sunken seeds. They become excessively fat, and although the
smallest, are one of the most delicious of our ducks.

YERXOX BAILEY.

GENUS QUERQUEDULA.

General Characters. — Tail feathers 14, bill of nearly uniform width ;
upper and lower outlines swollen toward end ; wing with large patch of
light blue, speculum green in males.

KEY TO ADULT MALES.

1. Lower parts clear bright cinnamon cyanoptera, p. 52.

1'. Lower parts thickly spotted with dusky on vinaceous . discors, p. 52.

KEY TO FEMALES.

1. Under parts mottled dusky and dark buff . . . cyanoptera, p. 52.
lf. Under parts mottled dusky and gray discors, p. 52.

140. Querquedula discors (Linn.). BLUE-WINGED TEAL.

Adult male. — Sides of head slaty gray, with purple gloss ; white crescent

in front of eye bordered by black ; uudei-
parts vinaceous, finely spotted with
dusky ; back scalloped and streaked with
dusky and vinaceous ; wing bright blue
at base, middle coverts tipped with white
and buffy, speculum iridescent green ;
under tail coverts black, base of tail with
white patch on either side. Adult female :
crown mainly dusky, rest of head and
neck speckled and streaked with dusky ;
back dusky ; under parts gray, mottled
j,- £g with dusky ; wing with lesser coverts

blue, greater tipped with white, spec-
ulum greenish. Young : belly white, wing without green. Length : 14.50-
16.00, wing 7.00-7.50, bill 1.40-1.65.

Distribution. — North America, but chiefly east of Rocky Mountains ; in
winter south to Ecuador.

Nest. — On dry ground, or in grass or reeds in marshes ; made of grass
and lined with feathers. Eggs : 8 to 12, pale buffy.

The blue-winged teal is one of the commonest ducks throughout
the middle portion of North America, but towards the west coast it
becomes scarce, its place being filled by the more abundant cinna-
mon teal. It breeds through most of its United States and northern
range and migrates early, before the really cold weather. By prefer-
ence it inhabits the marshes and grass-fringed ponds, keeping out of
sight when it can ; but during migration, like many other ducks,
it depends for safety on a wide expanse of open water.

VERNON BAILEY.

141. Querquedula cyanoptera (VieilL). CINNAMON TEAL.
Adult male. — Head, neck, breast, and sides bright cinnamon brown,

DUCKS, GEESE, AND SWANS 53

fading1 to dull brown on belly and becoming- blackish on chin and crown ;

back dusk}", shoulders spotted and

barred with dusky and brown ; wing

with lesser coverts light blue, middle

coverts tipped with white, speculum

green, tertials broadly striped with

blue, greenish black, and rich buff.

. \.didt female : crown dusky, rest of

head and neck finely specked and

streaked with dusky on buff y ground :

rest of upper parts dusky scalloped

with buff ; wing with large blue

patch ; under parts brownish, mottled

with dusky. Young: like female.

but more streaked below. Length :

15.50-17.00, wing 7.20-7.25, bill 1.65-

1.85.

Eemarks. — The female cyanoptera
,.~, r i ?• • Fie. l>9. Cinnamon Teal,

differs from the female aiscors in

darker coloration, with the breast browner, and more spotted.

Distribution. — From southern Canada and the western United States to
Chili and Falkland Islands ; east irregularly into the Mississippi Valley.

Nest. — On the ground. Eggs : S to 12, creamy white.

Over most of the United States west of the hundredth meridian
the cinnamon teal is one of the commonest ducks, breeding in abun-
dance throughout the Great Basin country, and to some extent over
the greater part of its United States range. Its favorite summer
home is in the shallow tule-bordered lakes or tule marshes of the
arid region, where, even in the breeding season, it is found in little
companies feeding along shore or out in the open patches of water.
The nest is usually in a dry marsh or on a grassy bank not far from
the water, well lined with dusky down from the duck's breast. The
young are protected in the tule cover until old enough to fly, but
they have many enemies. The prowling coyote dines with equal
relish on a nest full of eggs or an unwary duck, and there are hawks
by day and owls by night.

The teals could hold their own against these old-time enemies,
however, but a new danger has come to them in the form of the
unrestrained market hunter. He goes to the breeding ground just
before the young can fly and while the old ducks are moulting and
equally helpless, and day after day loads his wagon with them for
the train. This wholesale slaughter has gone on until some of the
breeding grounds have been woefully thinned not only of teal, but
of other ducks. "Without speedy and strenuous efforts to procure
and enforce protective laws, many species of ducks that breed prin-
cipally within our limits will soon be exterminated.

VERNON BAILEY.

54 DUCKS, GEESE, AND SWANS

GENUS SPATULA.

142. Spatula Clypeata (Linn.). SHOVELLER : SPOONBILL.

Bill long, much widened toward end ; the long-, fine comb-like teeth
conspicuous along- side of closed bill. Adult male : head and neck black,
glossed on sides and back with green ; wing coverts light blue with a white
bar ; scapulars streaked with blue, white, and black ; speculum green ;
chest white, belly chestnut ; bill black, feet orange. Adult female : plum-
age mainly spotted and streaked with dusky and brown ; wing as in the
male, but duller. Young: in general like adult female. Length: 17-21,
wing 9-10, bill 2.60-2.90, width of bill at base .60, near end 1.10-1.20.

Distribution. — Northern hemisphere, breeding in North America from
Texas to Hudson Bay and Alaska.

Nest. — On ground in dry grass or under bushes, made of grass or
weeds, lined with feathers. Eggs : 9 to 14, olive greenish to buffy.

The shoveller is especially common over the plains and valleys of
the western part of the continent, breeding from Texas to northern
Alaska in the open country where there are shallow ponds and
sloughs. They are usually found in pairs or small flocks, sitting on
the bank or puddling in the shallow water close to shore, skimming
flies and larvae from the surface with their spoon-like bills, or with
head and neck under water, sifting seeds, mollusks, and crustaceans
from the muddy bottom. They rarely become fat, and while fairly
good eating are astonishingly thin and light for their apparent size.

VERNON BAILEY.

GENUS DAFILA.

143. Dafila acuta (Linn.). PINTAIL.

A large duck, with long neck and long, sharp tail of 16 feathers ; head
not crested. Adult male : sides of head snuff brown, with a purple gloss ;

Fig. 70.

crown darker, back of neck blackish, a white stripe down side of neck ;
throat and under parts white ; sides and upper parts gray crossed by wavy
lines ; wing slaty, with purple speculum bordered above by a line of buff,
and below by white ; tertials with broad stripes of velvety black and
white ; under tail coverts black. Adult female : gray, with head and neck
finely specked, and under parts, including under surface of wing, finely
mottled with dusky ; back and wings more heavily mottled with black,
brown, and buffy ; wing without speculum, but greater coverts tipped
with white. Male: length 26-30, wing 10.25-11.20, bill 1.85-2.15, tail
7.25-9.50. Female: smaller, length 21.00-23.50, wing 9.60-10.10, bill
1.80, tail 4.50-5.00.

DUCKS, GEESE, AND SWANS

55

Distribution. --Northern hemisphere, breeding- from Arizona, Missouri,
and Illinois northward ; migrating to Cuba and Panama.

Nest. — On the ground, in a well concealed depression ; lined with grass
and feathers. Eggs : 1 to 10, pale greenish to olive buff.

The pintail is a common and widely distributed species, breeding
from southern California, Arizona, and Iowa north to Point Barrow.
In Kansas, Goss says, it haunts the wet prairies, muddy flats, and
edges of reedy, grassy waters, feeding largely on bulbous roots,
tender shoots, insects and their larvae, worms, snails, and, in the fall,
various seeds of water plants, grain, and acorns. At Point Reyes,
California, large flocks of the pintails were seen by J. A. Loring
lying out in the bay waiting for the tide to come in. As soon as it
covered the salt grass flats they would follow it in and go to feeding.

GENUS AIX.

144. Aix sponsa (Linn.). WOOD DUCK.

Bill narrow, higher than wide at base. Both sexes with drooping crests.
Adult male: bill marked
with black, white, red, and
yellow ; head and crest
brilliant purple and green,
with white stripes ; throat
white ; chest rich chestnut,
with rows of white trian-
gles; sides gray, with black
and white bars and cres-
cents ; shoulder crossed by
black and white bars ; rest
of upper parts black,varied
with rich iridescent colors.
Adult female : head dull
grayish, glossed with green
on crest and crown ; sides
of head and throat white ;
chest brown, belly white ;
back richly glossed grayish
brown. Male : length 19.00-

20.50, wing 9.00-9.50, bill Fig. 71.

1.40. Female smaller.

Distribution. — Temperate North America, from southern Canada south-
ward.

Nest. — Usually 30 to 40 feet from the ground in the natural cavity of a
tree trunk, lined with down. Eggs : usually 8 to 14, creamy white.

If the end of a rainbow had touched a marsh and dabbled its colors
over a plain brown duck, it could never have produced anything half
so brilliant as one of these old male wood ducks in full breeding
plumage. No wonder the handsome fellows are shy and deem it
prudent to keep hidden in crooked forest creeks or ponds surrounded
by tall grass, brush, and trees ! A mossy log in a pond is a favorite

56

DUCKS, GEESE, AND SWANS

resting place for the ducks, but as you walk through the woods in
spring a pair will often fly from a branch overhead, uttering their
shrill, plaintive cry as they dart through the trees.

The nest is sometimes placed in the old excavation of a pileated
woodpecker, but usually in a natural cavity. A mass of gray down
from the mother's breast generally protects the eggs. The parents
are said to carry the young in their bills from the nest to the nearest
water, but in some cases, whether accidentally or not, the young
tumble to the ground. In autumn the families gather into large
flocks to fatten on wild rice and acorns. When fat the flesh is
scarcely excelled by that of any duck. They are becoming scarce,
and unless protected will before long be a bird of the past.

GENUS AYTHYA.

General Characters. — Head not crested, but short, thick, and rounded ;
tail short and rigid ; wing with white or bluish speculum.

KEY TO ADULT MALES.

1

57.
56.

Head and neck bright brown.

2. Crown dusky vallisneria, p

2 . Crown reddish brown americaiia, p

1'. Head and neck greenish or purplish black.

2. Head glossed with green marila, p. 57.

2'. Head glossed with purple.

3. Neck without chestnut collar affinis, p. 58.

3'. Neck with dark chestnut collar collaris, p. 59.

146. Aythya americana (Eyt.). REDHEAD.

Bill little more than twice as long as wide. Adult male : whole head

and neck bright reddish
chestnut ; shoulders and
chest black ; belly white ;
sides and back uniform
gray. with fine lines of black
and ashy ; tail and feathers
around base black. Adult
female : plumage dull gray-
ish brown except for whit-
ish chin, throat, and belly.
Length : 17-21, wing 8.50-
l>.2f>. bill 2.05-2.25, width
of bill .75-.8o.

Distribution. — Nearly the
whole of North America,
breeding from California,
Missouri, and Maine, north-
ward. Not reported from
Fig. 72. Alaska.

Nest. — On marshy or

grassy ground near water, loosely constructed of grass and weeds, and lined
with down. Egys : 7 to 10, grayish white or pale olive.

DUCKS, GEESE, AND SWANS

57

The redhead is so similar to the canvas-back as to be easily mis-
taken for it at a little distance, and in habits the resemblance is
equally close. Goss says that this deep water duck, though widely
distributed, is not so common on the Pacific slope as east of the
Rocky Mountains. It is usually found in flocks on the open water
associated with canvas-backs, and diving with them for its food,
which consists of various kinds of submarine and fresh water plants,
small mollusks. crustaceans, fish, frogs, and water newts.

147. Aythya vallisneria ( Wils.). CANVAS-BACK.

Bill three times as long- as wide. Adult male: head and neck rich

chestnut brown, becoming-
dusky on crown and face ;
shoulders and chest black ;
sides and back light gray ;
belly white or grayish ; tail
and quills dark gray ; feath-
ers around base of tail black.
Adult female: plumage
mainly umber brown, becom-
ing whitish around face and
chin. Length: 20.00-23.50,
wing _ 8.75-9.25, bill 2.10-2.50.

Distribution. — Whole of
North America, breeding in
Colorado,Nevada, Minnesota,
and northward to Fort An-
derson and Fort Yukon.

Nest. — Usually in reeds,
grass, or rushes, in shallow
water, a bulky mass of grass
stems lined with down. Eggs:
7 to 8, pale olive green.

In its breeding range the
canvas-back is largely a bird of the northern interior, while in winter
it is found mainly in the bays and estuaries of the southern coasts,
where it is attracted by its favorite food, the stems and bulbs of wild
celery or eel grass, Vallisneria. While feeding on this plant the
canvas-backs become fat and so delicately flavored as to outrank all
other ducks in quality and market price. Hunted wherever they
go, they have learned that existence depends on eternal vigilance,
and so keep out in open water as far from shore as their feeding
grounds will allow. VERNOX BAILEY.

Subgenus Fuligula.

148. Aythya marila (Linn.}. SCAUP DUCK: BLUE-BILL.

Bill short and wide, bluish with black tip. Male in breeding plumage :
head black, glossed with green ; shoulders, rump, and chest black ; belly
white, margined along sides with light grayish ; crissnm black. Post-

58 DUCKS, GEESE, AND SWANS

breeding plumage : similar to female
but darker brown. Adult female: head,
neck, chest, and sides brownish ; re-
gion around base of bill, and belly,
whitish. Length: 18-20, wing about
8.50, bill 2.03.

Distribution. — Most of the northern
hemisphere ; in North America breed-
ing mainly north of the United States ;
south in winter to Guatemala and the
West Indies.

Nest. — Usually in a marsh, or a de-
pression in grassy ground near water,
lined with {Town. Eggs : 9 to 12, pale
olive gray.

The scaup duck, or blue-bill, is not
so generally common in the United
Fig. 74. Scaup Duck. States as the lesser scaup, which

has essentially the same habits and is sometimes mistaken for it.
Flocks of both are found associated in the rice lakes, where the
report of a gun will sometimes start thousands into the air with the
roar of an avalanche. The two species are generally indistinguish-
able on the wing, and together often form the bulk of the ducks
seen during the early spring or late fall migration.

VERNON BAILEY.

149- Ay thy a affinis (Eyt.}. LESSER SCAUP DUCK.

Like A. mar Ha, but smaller, with black of head glossed with purple
instead of green, and sides more heavily lined with gray. Length : 15.00-
16.50, wing 7.50-8.25, bill 1.58-1.90, width of bill .80-.95.

Distribution. — North America, south in winter to Guatemala, breed-
ing mainly north of the United States.

Nest. — Similar to that of marila. Eggs : 7 to 9, pale olive gray.

The lesser scaup, or little blue-bill, is abundant during migrations
over most of the United States, wintering from Okanagon and Lake
Chelan south to Guatemala, and in spring following north close to
the edge of the retreating ice, to breed mainly north of the United
States.

Like all of the genus, the lesser scaups are great divers and keep
much in the open lakes, often in large flocks, where they dive for
food, or sleep and rest on the water in comparative safety. They
cannot resist the temptation of the rice lakes, however, and swarm
into them by thousands to fatten on the delicious grain, which they
glean from the mud bottoms after it has been threshed out by the
wind and the wings of myriads of coots and rails. While they eat,
the hunters lie hidden in the tall rice and on the ridges which they
must pass in going from lake to lake, and in spite of their bullet-like
flight the sadly thinned flocks show the penalty they have paid for
leaving the open water. VERNON BAILEY.

DUCKS, GEESE, AND SWANS 59

150. Aythya collaris (Donov.). RING-NECKED DUCK.

Bill narrower than in A. marila, black, crossed by blue band near end.
Adult male : head, except small white triangle on chin, black, glossed
with rich purple ; neck encircled by narrow chestnut collar ; chest and
back black, back glossed with greenish ; wings blackish, with blue gray
speculum ; middle of belly buffy white ; sides and back finely vermiculated
gray ; crissum black. Adult female : throat and face whitish, rest of
head, neck, and upper parts dull brown ; wing with blue gray speculum
as in male ; chest and sides fulvous, belly white. Lenyth : 15.50-18.00,
wing 8.00, bill 1.75-2.00.

Distribution. — North America, south in winter to Guatemala, breeding
from Minnesota and North Dakota northward.

Nest and eggs as in affinis.

In habits, as well as iu general appearance, the ring-neck is very
similar to the lesser scaup. At a little distance they are indistin-
guishable, either on the wing or on the water.

GENUS CLANGULA.

General Characters. — Bill short, high at base and narrowed toward end ;
head with wide, high crest ; males with head green and large white spot
at base of bill ; females with head and crest plain brownish.

KEY TO ADULT MALES.

1. White patch on cheek, circular americana, p. 59.

1'. White patch on cheek, triangular islandica, p. 60.

KEY TO FEMALES.

1. Head light snuff brown . . americana, p. 59.

1'. Head dark umber brown . . islandica, p. 60.

151. Clangula clangula americana (Bonap.). AMERICAN

GOLDEN-EYE.

Adult male. — Head and crest rich dark green, a round white patch at
base of bill ; neck and under parts
white ; back black, shoulders white ;
wing with white central patch and
white stripes on scapulars. Adult
female : head and upper neck light
snuff brown, neck with wide white
or gray collar ; belly white ; chest,
sides, and shoulders gray ; wing
dusky, with white 'on coverts and
secondaries, the white greater cov-
erts not tipped with dusky. Nail of
bill not over .20 wide. Young male :
like female, but sometimes with a
suggestion of the white patch at
base of bill, and less gray on chest.
Male : length 18.50-23.00, wing 9.18,
bill 1.95. Female: 16.50, wing 8.14, Fi 7-

bill 1.64.

Distribution. — North America, breeding in the northern United States
and northward ; south in winter to Cuba and Mexico.

60 DUCKS, GEESE, AND SWANS

Nest. — Usually in a hollow tree, sometimes in a log or stump, lined with
down. Eggs : usually 9 to 12, light greenish.

Although ranging practically over the whole of North America
the golden-eyes are rarely common. They are generally found in
small flocks on large lakes or rivers, where they dive for fresh
water weeds, muscles, and crustaceans. Their strong rapid flight
is accompanied by a loud whistling of the wings, which gives them
the common name of whistler. VERNON BAILEY.

152. Clangula islandica (GmeL). BARROW GOLDEN-EYE.
Similar to americana, but male with glossy blue black head, and tri-
angular or crescent-shaped spot at base of bill ; female with head and
neck dark umber brown, white collar narrower, and white greater wing
coverts tipped with dusky ; nail of bill over .2-5 wide. Male : length 21-
23, wing 9.17, bill 1.75. "Female : wing 8.46, bill 1.56.

Remarks. — In many of the females the characters do not hold, and it
is difficult even with specimens of both species to name them all.

Distribution. — Northern North America, breeding from mountains of
Oregon, Colorado, and Gulf of St. Lawrence northward to Alaska and Green-
land ; south in winter to Illinois, Nebraska, Utah, and San Francisco Bay.

Nest. — In hollow trees.

The Barrow golden-eye, though less common and less widely dis-
tributed in migration, breeds farther south than its near relative the
American golden-eye, nesting in the crater basin of Paulina Lake,
Oregon, and about many of the wild mountain lakes of the Rockies
as far south as Colorado. In winter it is able to remain as far north
as Minnesota or the Great Lakes by keeping in water that is too
deep or rapid to freeze. VERNON BAILEY.

GENUS CHARITONETTA.

153. Charitonetta albeola (Linn.). BUFFLE-HEAD.

A plump little duck with short, pointed bill and round, crested head.

Adult male : head, except
white patch, rich iridescent
purple, violet, and green ;
back and part of wings
black ; rump and tail gray ;
rest or plumage white. Adult
female: mainly grayish or
dusky, with a large white spot
on ear coverts and white patch
on middle of wing ; belly
white. Male : length 14.25-
!.->.#>, wing <i.75-6.90, bill
1 .10-1 . 1 5. Female : smaller.
Distribution. North
America, south in winter to
Mexico ; breeds from Maine,
Iowa, and British Columbia
Fig. 7C>. north to Alaska.

DUCKS, GEESE, AND SWANS

61

Nest. — In hollow tree or hole in bank. Eggs : 9 to 14, grayish buff,
unusually rounded, for a duck.

During migration the buffie-he'ad is common and often abundant
over most of the western United States. It is a conspicuous little
duck, and the male is easily recognized bjrits small size, white sides,
and breast. The flocks generally keep out in the open water of
lakes and rivers, where they dive for their food, but are sometimes
surprised in small ponds or creeks in the shelter of grassy banks.
In fall they often remain till the last hole in the ice is closed up,
and in spring are back again close to the retreating ice.

VERNON BAILEY.

GENUS HARELDA.

154. Harelda hyemalis (Linn.). OLD-SQUAW.

A trim little duck with short bill; male with long- slender tail; head
not crested. Adult male in winter : head and fore parts to shoulders and
breast white, except for
patches of ashy and dusky
on side of head ; back,
middle tail feathers, and
breast black ; belly white
posteriorly, shading1 into
pearl gray on sides. Adult
male in summer : sooty, ex-
cept for white belly, ash
gray face, and white eye-
lids ; back and scapulars
streaked with chestnut.
Adult female in winter : tail
not lengthened ; head,
neck, and under parts
mainly white ; chest gray-
ish ; crown dusky, rest of upper parts dusky brown, the scapulars bor-
dered with lighter brown. Adult female in summer : head and neck
grayish brown, with whitish spaces around eye and on side of neck.
Young : similar to female in summer. Male : length 20.75-23.00, wing
8.50-9.00, middle tail feathers 8.00-8.50, bill 1.10. Female : length 15-16,
wing 8-9, tail 8.

Distribution. — Northern part of northern hemisphere ; south in winter
nearly across the United States ; breeding from Labrador to Alaska.

Nest. — Usually on the grassy bank of a pond or stream, made of grass
and lined with down. Eggs : 5 to 9.

The old-squaw, or long-tailed duck, is mainly a bird of the arctic
coasts, migrating south into the northern United States in winter.

Fig. 77.

GENUS HISTRIONICUS.

155. Histrionicus histrionicus (Linn.). HARLEQUIN DUCK.
A small duck with moderate crest, short bill, and long sharp tail.

62 DUCKS, GEESE, AND SWANS

Adult male in winter and spring:
head and neck bluish black, with
white patches ; collar white ; shoul-
der bar black and white ; middle of
crown black, bordered behind by
chestnut ; chest and shoulders dark
plumbeous ; belly sooty, sides bright
rufous ; wing- with steel blue specu-
lum and four white spots ; rump
black, with white spot on each side.
Adult male in summer: colors much
duller than in winter. Adult female :
head, neck, and upper parts sooty,
with a white spot on ear coverts and
a large white patch on side of face ;
belly mottled grayish. Length: 15.00-
17.50, wing 7.40-8.00, bill 1.05-1.10.
Distribution. — Eastern Asia.
Greenland, Iceland, and northern
North America ; south to the middle
states in winter ; breeding from New-
foundland and the mountains of Col-
Fig. 78. Harlequin Duck. orado and California northward to

the arctic coast.

Nest . - - In hollow tree or stump or under rocks or driftwood. Eggs : 6
to 8.

The harlequin duck is rare enough in the United States to excite
keen interest, especially when found on its breeding grounds. A
little flock of the richly barred and spotted beauties fishing in a
foaming mountain stream, diving, bobbing on the rough surface,
drifting or darting down over the rapids, and then gathering in a
bunch below to fly back up stream for another descent, suggests a
lot of schoolboys on a coasting party rather than a flock of birds
engaged in the serious business of getting breakfast. They seem
to enjoy the icy water and their power to dare and buffet its tor-
rents. Although breeding more or less commonly in the mountains
from Colorado and California northward, little is known of their
nesting habits. Nests are reported in the far north under shelter of
rocks and driftwood. VERNON BAILEY.

GENUS OIDEMIA.

General Characters. - - Bill with base much swollen (except in female
americana), partly orange in males, black in females ; colors mainly black
or dusky.

KEY TO SPECIES.

1. Feathering of head stopping far short of nostrils . americana, p. 63.
1'. Feathering of head not stopping far short of nostrils.

'2. Lores not feathered as far forward as forehead.

perspicillata, p. 03.

2'. Lores feathered as far forward as forehead . . deglandi, p. 63.

DUCKS, GEESE, AND SWANS 63

x

Subgenus Oidemia.
163. Oidemia americana Swains. AMERICAN SCOTER.

Plumage dark without white markings ; eyes always brown. Adult
male : bill swollen back of nostrils, with a large yellow and red spot at
base, including nostrils ; plumage black or sooty. Adult female : bill
black, with a trace of yellow at base in breeding plumage, not swollen at
base ; upper parts dusky brown, under parts grayish brown. Young :
like female but lighter and indistinctly barred below. Length : 17.00-21.50,
wing 8.75-9.50, bill 1.65-1.80.

Distribution. — Northern part of North America, breeding in Labrador,
Hudson Bay region, and Alaska; south in winter to New Jersey, Illinois,
Colorado, and southern California.

Nest. — In grass or willows near water.

The American scoter is a duck of the northern seacoasts, mi-
grating but sparingly into the United States.

Subgenus Melanitta.

165. Oidemia deglandi ~Bonap. WHITE-WINGED SCOTER.

Bill swollen at base over nostrils and on sides ; tip orange in male ;
feathers of lores coming close
to nostrils, as far forward as
those of forehead. Adult male :
eyes white; plumage black or
sooty, with white eye patch and
wing speculum. Adult female:
eyes brown ; plumage sooty
gray, darker above ; wing
speculum white. Length : 19.75-
23.00, wing 10.65-11.40, bill
1.40-1.70. Fig

Distribution. — Northern
North America, breeding in North Dakota but mainly north of the United
States ; south in winter to Chesapeake Bay, Colorado, and Lower Cali-
fornia.

Nest. — A depression in the ground lined with grass, twigs, moss, and
down ; usually concealed among dwarf willows, rosebushes, or spruces.
Eggs : 5 to 8, deep buff.

The white-winged scoter is more or less common along the Pacific
coast, but rare inland in the United States.

Subgenus Pelionetta.

166. Oidemia perspicillata (Linn.). SURF SCOTER.

Bill with swollen sides of base naked ; feathers of forehead reaching
to near nostril, of lores only to corner of mouth ; bill black and less
swollen in female ; red, orange, yellow, and white in male, with large
black spot on side of base. Adult male : entire plumage velvety black
except for triangular white patch on forehead and another on back of
head ; eyes white. Adult female : upper parts sooty black, under parts
sooty gray, usually with white patch at corner of mouth. Young : like
female, but with whitish patches at base of bill and back of ear. Male :
length 20-22, wing 9.25-9.75, bill 1.30-1.60. Female: smaller.

64 DUCKS, GEESE, AND SWANS

Distribution. — North America, breeding from Sitka and the Gulf of
St. Lawrence north to the arctic regions ; south in winter to Florida,
Colorado, and Lower California.

Nest. — In a bunch of marsh grass, on ground in tall grass, or under
low branches of scrubby trees ; made of plant stems and lined with down.
Eggs : 5 to 8, cream color.

The surf scoters are abundant on both coasts, and during the
breeding season quite common on the large northern inland waters.

Colonel Goss in describing their habits says that they are " at
home as well in the surging surf as upon the smooth waters, resting
and sleeping at night out on the open waters. . . . They rise in a
running, laborious manner, but wThen fairly on the wing fly rapidly,
and in stormy weather hug closely to the water." The ducks are
very active when feeding, diving so constantly and rapidly one after
another that they are continually disappearing and popping up.
The bivalve is a favorite food with them, Colonel Goss says, its
shell apparently digesting with as much ease as its contents. As
they also eat fish, their flesh is coarse and rather rank.

GENUS ERISMATURA.

167. Erismatura jamaicensis (GW.). RUDDY DUCK.

Bill short and widest near end, bright blue in adult male. Adult male :

top and back of head black ; neck
and rest of upper parts chestnut ;
cheeks and chin white ; belly
gray, washed with silvery white,
or sometimes rusty. Female and
immature : upper parts plain
grayish brown : sides of head
whitish, with a dusky streak
from corner of mouth to back of

Fig. 80. ear ; under parts gray, washed

with silvery white or rustv.
Length : 13.50-16.00, wing 5.75-6.00, bill 1.50-1.60.

Distribution. - - North America and south to Colombia, breeding over
much of its North American range.

Nest. — A bulky mass of plant stems on the water among tules, reeds,
or cat-tails. Eggs : 9 to 14, creamy or light buffy.

The ruddy duck is common over much of the western United
States, and breeds abundantly in places that suit its taste, especially
in the grass-fringed lakes of the northern plains and the big shallow
tule lakes of the Great Basin country. It is a duck of much indi-
viduality. It sits jauntily on the water, its spike tail tilted up, and
with bold audacity holds its ground till you are at close quarters,
then as you think it is going to fly, and raise your gun for a wing
shot, it suddenly dives. Its skill at hiding under water till it has
gained the other side of a point or island would do credit to a grebe,

DUCKS, GEESE, AND SWANS 65

and has doubtless come from its habit of feeding at the bottom of the
lake. Goss gives its food as seeds, roots, and plant sterns, shellfish
and various forms of life found in both deep and shallow water.
He adds that when fat it is a good table duck. My own experience
is that, roasted Indian fashion in the fire with the feathers on, its
meat is juicy, tender, and of delicious flavor, particularly if you are
hungry! VEKNON BAILEY.

GENUS NOMONYX.

[168.] Nomonyx dominicus (Linn.). MASKED DUCK.

Similar to the ruddy duck, but tail with 20 instead of 18 feathers, and
bill smaller with wider nail — nail over .25 wide instead of .10 as in the
ruddy. Adult male : front of head black ; neck, sides, and back bright
chestnut, streaked on back with black ; wing's black, with a large white
patch. Adult female: crown blackish ; side of head with two black and
two buffy stripes ; neck and sides dull brownish ; back dusky. Length :
12.00-14.50, wing- about 5.50-5.75, tail 3.50-4.50, bill 1.30-1.37.

Distribution. — Tropical America and West Indies ; north on Gulf coast
to Lower Rio Grande ; accidental in eastern United States.

GENUS CHEN.

General Characters. - - Bill short and high at base, dull red, with whitish
tip ; feet dull red : plumage of adults white, except for wing, which has a
black tip and adjoining gray patch. Young with head, neck, and upper
parts light gray ; rump, tail, and under parts white, feet and tail dusky.

KEY TO SPECIES.

1. Bill very stout, with black along edges.

2. Smaller, wing 14.50-17.00 hyperborea, p. 65.

2'. Larger, wing 17.35-17.50 nivalis,_p. 66.

1'. Bill not very stout, without black on cutting edges ; wing 13.75-15.50.

rossii, p. 66.

169. Chen hyperborea (Pall.). LESSER SNOW GOOSE.

Adults. — A conspicuous hard, black plate along side of lower mandible ;
plumage pure white except for wing, winch has black tip and gray patch ;
white of head and sometimes neck and breast washed or stained with
rusty orange. Length : 23-28, wing 14.50-17.00, bill 1.95-2.30.

Distribution. — Western North America, breeding in Alaska ; south in
winter to southern California, Gulf of Mexico, and east to Kansas and
southern Illinois.

The snow geese, or white brant, are common in migration over the
western United States, wintering in California, southern Utah, Texas,
and Mexico. They are oftenest seen on the wing high overhead in
long diagonal lines or V-shaped flocks, flying rapidly and uttering a
chorus of shrill falsetto cries ; but not infrequently they are found in
some big marsh, on the open prairie, or in a field of grain, massed till
they look like a spring snow bank. Much of their food is gleaned
from the stubble fields during the fall migration and from fields of

66 DUCKS, GEESE, AND SWANS

sprouting grain in spring. In winter they feed largely on the tender
white roots of a rush — Juncus balticus (?) — dug from the river banks,
marshes, and shores. They are usually lean, and their flesh is dark
and generally tough. VERNON BAILEY.

169a. Chen hyperborea nivalis (Forst.). GREATER SNOW GOOSE.

Like hyperborea, but larger. Length: 30-38, wing 17.35-17.50, bill 2.55-
2.70.

Distribution. — Eastern North America, breeding1 in northern Greenland
and probably west to Mackenzie River ; south in winter along Atlantic
coast to Cuba, and in the Mississippi valley to Nebraska and Colorado.

Nest. — Little known. Eggs : 5 to 8, cream color.

Subgenus Exanthemops.

170. Chen rossii (Cassin). Ross SNOW GOOSE.

Adults. — Base of upper mandible often rough and warty ; bill compara-
tively small and without black stripe along side ; plumage as in hyperborea.
Length: 20-26, wing 13.75-15.50, bill 1.50-1.70.

Distribution. — Interior of arctic America ; south in winter to California
and east to Montana. Rare.

GENUS ANSER.

171a. Anser albifrons gambeli (Hard). WHITE-FRONTED
GOOSE.

Bill comparatively low at base, yellow' or orange ; feet orange or red-
dish. Adults : face white, bor-
dered with dusky ; rest of head
and neck, also shoulders and
chest, dark gray ; belly and
sides black or spotted with
black, becoming white pos-
teriorly and on under tail
coverts ; back dusky gray.
Young : without white face
or black on belly. Length : 27-
30, wing 14.25-17.50, bill 1.80-
2.35, depth of upper mandible
F. gl at base .90-1.20. '

Distribution. — North Amer-
ica and Greenland, breeding from Vancouver Island to the Arctic Ocean ;
south in winter to Mexico and Cuba.

Nest. — A shallow cavity in the ground lined with grass, feathers, and
down. Eggs : 5 to 7, creamy white.

The food of the white-fronted goose, according to Goss, consists
chiefly of vegetable matter, tender aquatic plants, insects, snails, and
frogs. In the San Joaquin and Sacramento valleys the geese are so
abundant and their ravages to the growing wheat crop so serious
that farmers often hire men by the month to drive them away. Dr.
Merrill says that the numbers of these birds that migrate through
western Oregon are so immense they cannot be appreciated until one

DUCKS, GEESE, AND SWANS 67

has seen the spring flight, which, he has been told, extends from
the coast inland two hundred and fifty to three hundred miles. Mr.
A. M. Shields states that the white-fronted is the goose usually seen
in the Los Angeles game market, being most easily secured by the
pot-hunters.

GENUS BBANTA.

General Characters. — Bill and feet black at all ages ; both sexes and
young- alike ; neck long- and slender ; head and neck black, with white on
cheeks, or else white collar ; body mainly gray.

KEY TO SPECIES.

1. Cheeks white.

2. White of cheeks continuous under throat.

3. Length 35-43 canadensis, p. 67.

3'. Length 25-34 ... hutchiusii, p. 68.

2'. White of cheeks separated by black of throat.

3. Wing 16.25-18.00 occidentalis, p. 68.

3'. Wing 13.60-14.50 minima, p. 68.

V. Cheeks black, collar white nigricans, p. 68.

172. Branta canadensis (Linn.}. CANADA GOOSE.

Head and neck black except for broad white band across throat and
cheeks ; body deep gray, feathers
tipped with lighter ; rump, tail,
and quills black ; upper and
lower tail coverts, and ventral
region, white. Length : 35—43,
wing 15.60-21.00, bill 1.55-2.70.

Distribution. - - North Amer-
ica, breeding from the northern
United States to Labrador and
the lower Mackenzie ; south in
winter to Mexico.

Nest. — Usually on low mound
in marsh, made of grass and
leaves, lined with down. Re-
ported also in old nests of Fig. 82.
hawks and eagles, in trees. Eggs : 6 to 7, dull white.

Few wild bird notes are more inspiring than the honk, honk, ha
icank, honk, of a long line of Canada geese flying with apparent de-
liberation but with really terrific speed overhead, calling as they go
in notes that carry for a mile over marsh, lake, and prairie. The
big strong wings whish loudly overhead far out of shotgun range,
and often a low conversational gabble can be heard under the loud
honking. Few of our game birds, by intelligent caution and watch-
fulness, have withstood so successfully the deep laid schemes and
murderous devices of pot-hunters and sportsmen as this noble, spir-
ited bird. The widest expanse of water, marsh, or prairie is sought
for the day's feeding and resting ground, and the country surveyed

68 DUCKS, GEESE, AND SWANS

in lofty circles before the flock descends. Some of the long necks
are always stretched and some keen eyes on guard, but danger lies
in the hidden hunter, the decoy, and the lantern. The rice lakes are
usually abandoned as too deadly, and much of the food of the geese
is obtained in fall from stubble fields, scattered wheat, oats, barley,
or corn ; or in spring from fields of sprouting grain. In summer,
grass furnishes most of their food, but many of the small water ani-
mals, such as snails, minnows, and tadpoles, are eaten. As the geese
still breed over parts of the United States and Canada, the eggs are
often found and frequently hatched under hens, tarne geese, or tur-
keys. A hen can cover three eggs very nicely. The young become
perfectly tame, and are affectionate, exceedingly bright, interesting
pets, always ruling the poultry yard and most of the barn yard.

VERNON BAILEY.

172a. Branta canadensis hutchinsii (Rich.). HUTCHINS GOOSE.

Like canadensis, but smaller. Length : 25-34, wing 14.75-17.75, bill 1.20-
1.90.

Distribution. — Japan. Siberia, and arctic America ; south in winter
through the United States. Breeds mainly in arctic regions, but reported
as resident in British Columbia. Rare toward Atlantic coast.

Nest. — On ground in grass, lined with down. Eggs : usually 6, dull
white.

The habits of the Hutchins goose are similar to those of the Canada
goose.

172b. Branta canadensis occidentalis (Baird). WHITE-
CHEEKED GOOSE.

Like canadensis, but under parts darker, white cheek patches usually
separated by black on throat ; lower part of neck with a more or less dis-
tinct collar. Length: 35, wing 16.25-18.00, bill 1.40-1.65.

Distribution. — Pacific coast of North America, north to Sitka ; south in
winter to California.

172c. Branta canadensis minima Ridgw. CACKLING GOOSE.

Like occidentalis but smaller. Length: 23-25, wing 13.60-14.50, bill
.95-1.15.

Distribution. — Pacific coast of North America, breeding about Norton
Sound and the lower Yukon ; south in winter to California, and rarely east
to the Mississippi valley.

Nest. — A depression in the ground, lined with grass and down. Eggs :
5 to 8, white.

The cackling goose is reported by Nelson as common and breeding
in Alaska, and by Fauuin and Brooks as resident on the coast of
British Columbia.

174. Branta nigricans (Lawr.}. BLACK BRANT.

Adult*. -- Head entirely black, neck almost encircled by a broad white
collar open behind ; upper parts dark sooty brown ; breast black, shading

DUCKS, GEESE, AND SWANS 69

to dark slaty ; anal region white. Young : white collar indistinct or
wanting ; larger wing- coverts and secondaries broadly tipped with white.
Luifith: 22-29, \vinj-- 12.70-1:1.50, bill 1.20-1.35.

Distribution. - -Western and arctic America, breeding at Point Barrow;
south in winter along the coast to Lower California. Rare in eastern United
States.

Nest . — A depression in marshy ground, lined with down. Eggs : 4 to 6.

GENUS PHILACTE.

176. Philacte canagica (Sevast.). EMPEROR GOOSE.

Bill small and not much elevated at base, mainly light colored, bluish
or pinkish white above ; pit of nostrils reaching feathers of forehead ; feet
orange. Adults : head and back of neck white or stained with rusty
orange ; chin and throat dusky or brownish black ; rest of plumage, except
white tail, bluish gray, each feather with a black bar and white tip.
Young : similar to adult, but whole head dusky, specked with white on
top. Length: 26, wing- 14.30-15.75, bill 1.40-1.65.

Distribution. — Coast of Alaska, chiefly in the region of Norton Sound
and the lower Yukon ; south in winter to Butte County, California. Rare
in the United States.

GENUS DENDROCYGNA.

General Characters. — Feet and legs long- and larg-e for a duck ; legs
covered with small hexagonal plates ; neck long and slender ; head not
crested ; sexes similar.

KEY TO SPECIES.

1. Feet and legs pinkish, bill yellow autumnalis, p. 69.

1'. Feet, legs, and bill black fulva, p. 69.

177. Dendrocygna autumnalis (Linn.). BLACK-BELLIED TREE

DUCK.

Adults. — Crown, neck, breast, and back bright cinnamon brown ; sides
of head ashy gray ; belly, rump, tail, and end of wing- black ; base of
wing and quills with large white patches ; under tail coverts white, spotted
with black. Young: colors duller, bill and feet dusky. Length: 19.75-
24.00. wing 9.20-9.70, bill 1.90-2.15, tarsus 2.25-2.60.

Distribution. — Middle America and north to the Rio Grande Valley
and Nueces River, Texas.

Nest. — In hollow trees, often at considerable distance from water.
Eggs : 12 to 16.

178. Dendrocygna fulva (Gmel.). FULVOUS TREE-DUCK.
Under parts, head, and shoulders plain buffy brown or tawny, darkest on

crown ; back of neck with black stripe ; back and wings blackish, feathers
of middle of back broadly tipped with tawny ; upper and lower tail cov-
erts and stripes along sides creamy white. Length : 20-21, wing 8.10-
8.90, bill 1.65-1.95, tarsus 2.10-2.40.

Distribution. — Mexico and north to central California, Nevada, and
Louisiana ; also in South America, southern Asia, Africa, and Mada-
gascar.

Nest. — In hollow trees or more commonly on ground in marsh or near
water, a well built and often well concealed nest. Eggs : numerous, 15 to
30 or more.

70 IBISES

The fulvous tree-duck is a more or less common summer resident
of the tule marshes and irrigated regions of southern California,
breeding abundantly in favorite localities and migrating south in
winter. Its usual nesting place seems to be on the ground in
marshes, but it also breeds in trees. (See Bull. Cooper Ornithological
Club, vol. i. No. 1, p. 9; and Condor, vol. iii. No. 3, p. 67.)

GENUS OLOR.

General Characters. — Size very large ; neck longer than body ; bill
black, large, and high at base, with naked space reaching eyes. Plum-
age entirely pure white in adults. Young : ashy, or tinged with brownish ;
bill and feet grayish or flesh color.

KEY TO ADULTS.

1. Distance from eye to back of nostril greater than rest of bill.

columbianus, p. 70.
1'. Distance from eye to back of nostril less than rest of bill.

buccinator, p. 70.

180. Olor columbianus (Ord.). WHISTLING SWAN.

Bill black ; lores usually with a small yellow spot. Length : 44 feet,
extent about 7 feet, wing 21-22, bill 3.80-4.20.

Distribution. — North America, breeding far northward and probably in
British Columbia ; migrating south over the United States ; wintering
from British Columbia and Illinois southward.

Nest. — On ground usually on island or bank near water ; made of moss,
grass, and leaves. Eggs : 5 to 7, dull whitish.

181. Olor buccinator (Rich.). TRUMPETER SWAN.

Adult male. — Bill and lores entirely black. Length : 5-5| feet, extent 8
to nearly 10 feet, wing 21.00-27.50, bill 4.30-4.70.

Distribution. - - Interior of North America, less common toward the
coasts, breeding from Iowa and the Dakotas northward, but mainly far
north ; wintering from southern British Columbia to Gulf- of Mexico and
southern California.

Nest. — On ground, made of grass, leaves, and feathers. Eggs : 5 to 7,
dull whitish.

Mr. Grinnell says that the trumpeter swan is a regular spring
visitant to the fresh water ponds and lakes in the vicinity of Los
Angeles.

ORDER HERODIONES: HERONS, STORKS,

IBISES, ETC.

(FAMILIES IBIDID^:, CICONIID.E, AND ARDEID^E.)
FAMILY IBIDIDJE: IBISES.

KEY TO GENERA.

1. Head of adult mainly naked, crown with short feathers.

Guara, p. 71.
1'. Head feathered except on lores, crown slightly crested.

Plegadia, p. 71.

IBISES 71

GENUS GUARA.

184. Guara alba (Linn.). WHITE IBIS.

Size large ; face and chin naked in adults ; head not crested. Adults :
tips of wing's black ; rest of plumage white, tinted with pink in life.
Young : dark brownish except for white belly, rump, and tail coverts ;
head and neck specked with dusky. Length : 21.50-27.50, wing- 10.30-
11.75, bill 4.15-0.30, tarsus 3.10-4.00.

Distribution. — Tropical America, the West Indies, and north to North
Carolina. Indiana, Illinois, Great Salt Lake, and Lower California ; acci-
dentally to Connecticut.

GENUS PLEGADIS.

General Characters. — Lores and eyelids naked, rest of head well feath-
ered and crown slightly crested ; bill long, scythe-shaped, grooved from
nostril to tip ; colors rich purplish brown, with metallic tints.

KEY TO SPECIES.

1. Feathers at base of bill black autumnalis, p. 71.

1'. Feathers at base of bill white guarauna, p. 71.

186. Plegadis autumnalis (Hasselq.). GLOSSY IBIS.

Like guarauna, but larger, with green instead of red lores, and feathers
at base of bill blackish instead of white. Length : 22-25, wing 10.20-
11.85, bill 4.30-5.45.

Distribution. — Southeastern United States and West Indies, and warmer
parts of Old World ; straggling to New England, Nebraska, and Arizona.

187. Plegadis guarauna (Linn.). WHITE-FACED GLOSSY IBIS.
Lores and eyelids naked, rest of head well feathered ; bill long and

narrow, gently
curved downward,
grooved from nos-
tril to tip. Adults :
lores red ; face
whitish; head,
neck, shoulders,
and under parts
dark rich chestnut ;

crown and wings ^^'' Fig. 83.

glossed with iri-
descent purplish and greenish. Young : head and neck streaked with white
and dusky, and under parts grayish brown. Length : 19-26, wing 9.30-
10.SO, bill 3.75-G.OO, tarsus 3.00-4.40.

Distribution. — Tropical America and western United States, Texas,
and Lower California to Oregon, and casually to British Columbia and
Florida.

Nest. — Among or on rushes, made of stems of rushes and various
other plants. Eggs : usually 3, greenish blue.

The glossy ibis is a marsh bird, usually seen in flocks varying
from a dozen to fifty, circling overhead or wading in the shallow
water of a marsh, slough, or irrigated field. At a distance the birds

72 STORKS AND WOOD IBISES

look as black as ravens, but their flight is crane-like, and walking or
wading they have the dignified pose of the cranes and herons. No
doubt the name black curlew comes from their curved bill, but they
are neither cranes nor curlews. According to Goss, they feed on
crawfish, snails, minnows, frogs, and insects. YERKOX BAILEY.

FAMILY CICONIID-S3 : STORKS AND WOOD IBISES.

KEY TO GENERA.

1. Bill curved downward and blunt at tip Tantalus, p. 72.

1'. Bill inclined upward and sharp at tip Mycteria, p. 72.

GENUS TANTALUS.

188. Tantalus loculator Linn. WOOD IBIS.

Aduhs. — Head and upper neck naked and, except for a smooth square
patch on crown, scurfy. Plumage mainly white ; wing1 quills and tail
greenish and purplish black ; under wing- coverts pinkish in breeding
plumage. Young : whole head and neck except face covered with green-
ish brown feathers, darker on back of head ; rest of plumage dull whitish.
Length : 35-45, wing 17.60-19.50, bill 0.10-7.30.

Distribution. — SoTithern United States from Ohio, Colorado, Utah, and
southeastern California south to Argentina ; casually north to Wisconsin
and New York.

Nest. --In trees, a loosely arranged platform of sticks, lined with moss
or other soft material. Egys : usually 3, dull white.

Goss says the white ibis is a common resident of all the Gulf
states, and is found on the Colorado and Gila rivers in the vicinity of
Yuma. During the breeding season the ibises assemble in large
flocks, but they scatter more or less afterwards, when it is not un-
common to find a solitary bird on the feeding ground or perched on
top of a tall tree. Their food consists of fish, crabs, frogs, and
young alligators, together with the small forms of life that inhabit
shallow lagoons, stagnant streams, and pools on overflowed land.

[189. J Mycteria americana Linn. JABIRU.

Sixe of a large crane ; legs long, bill enormous and inclined upwards at
tip. Adults : head and neck naked except for a hair-like crest on occiput ;
bill, head, and legs black ; skin of lower neck red in life ; plumage
white. Young: Plumage mainly brownish gray. Lenqlh : about 4 ] r feet ;
wing 24.50-27.00, bill 9.75-13.00, tarsus 11.25-12.50.

Distribution. - -Tropical America ; north casually to southern Texas.

FAMILY ARDEIDJE: HERONS, EGRETS. BITTERNS.

KEY TO GENERA.

1. Tail feathers 10, short and very soft.

2. Plumage mainly striped Botaurus. p. 73.

2'. Plumage not mainly striped, back black or brown . Ardetta, p. 74.
1'. Tail feathers 12, normal.

HERONS, EGRETS, BITTERNS

73

2. Bill long- and slender, five times as long as depth at base.

Ardea, p. 74.
2'. Bill short and stout, less than four times as long- as depth at base.

Nycticorax, p. 77.

GENUS BOTAURUS.

190. Botaurus lentiginosus (Montag.). AMERICAN BITTERN.
Sexes alike and young very similar to adults ; feathers lax and coarse ;

Fig. 84.

upper parts broadly sti-iped with dusky on buff ; crown and streak along
jaw blackish ; throat and under parts creamy buff, striped with brown.
Length : 24-34, wing 9.80-12.00, bill 2.50-3.20,
tarsus 3.10-3.85.

Distribution. — Temperate North America,
and south to Guatemala, breeding in suitable loca-
tions over most of the United States.

Nest. — On the ground, usually in marshes ;
made of stems of grass, rushes, weeds, or sticks.
Eggs : 3 to 6, brownish drab.

Over most of the United States the boom-
ing of the bittern is a familiar sound from
the marshes. The deep ump-up, ump-up,

ump-up, has suggested such names as prairie pump, thunder pumper,
and stake driver, and the gurgling tone has very naturally led to
the belief that the call was produced with the bill under water. In
reality it is the love-song and call-note of the breeding season, pro-
duced by inflating the throat and emitting the air with a gulping
motion and the familiar booming sound. The skin of the neck
becomes much thickened and of a gelatinous texture, as in the necks
of the various grouse that boom, so that it serves as an elastic bel-
lows. On a still spring morning the sound carries far over the
marshes and to human ears gives little clue to distance or direction.
But its ventriloquism is not the bittern's only protection. If the
sound is successfully followed up and the bird actually seen, he may

74 HERONS, EGRETS, BITTERNS

not be discovered. Standing in the high grass or rushes, at your
step he points his bill to the sky as if turned to stone, his striped
coat harmonizing so well with the straight lines of the surrounding
vegetation that he is often passed by for a stick. His throat is
his most protectively colored part, and it is said that if you walk
around him he will turn as you do, so as to keep facing you. If
discovered and flushed he will jump into the air with awkward
haste and sometimes a startled sqitack. His flight would be heron-
like but for the quicker strokes given by his smaller wings.

VERNON BAILEY.

GENUS ARDETTA.

191. Ardetta exilis (GmeL). LEAST BITTERN.

Size very small, sexes and young' different. Adult male : back, crown,
rump, and tail greenish black ; back of neck and patch on wing1 chestnut ;
throat and under parts light buff, with two dusky spots on breast. Adult
female : back mainly chestnut, and buff of under parts striped with dusky.
Young : like female, but brown feathers of back tipped with buff. Length :
12.00-14.25, wing- 4.30-5.25, bill 1.60-1.90, tarsus 1.50-1.75.

Distribution. — Temperate North America, north to southern Oregon
and the British Provinces, and south to the West Indies and Brazil.

Nest. — Usually in tall grass or rushes, a little above the ground or water,
made of grass and rush stems. Eggs : 3 to 6, bluish white.

The slender, dainty least bittern is mainly a bird of the marshes.
Like the bittern, it avoids the trouble of flying whenever it can by
making a bold bluff, and when it strikes its attitude may easily be
mistaken for one of the yellow tule stems or dry cat-tails. Some-
times it eludes you by stealthy retreat, for it is almost rail-like in
its manner of creeping under the grass and rushes. When the water
is too deep to wade in, it walks by grasping the protruding stems.

VERNON BAILEY.

GENUS ARDEA.

General Characters. — Legs and neck long and slender ; bill slender,
straight, and sharp ; crown, throat, or back with plumes or crests in
adults.

KEY TO SPECIES.

1. Plumage entirely white.

2. Adult with long plumes on back only egretta, p. 75.

2'. Adult with long plumes on crown, neck, and back.

caiididissima, p. 75.

1'. Plumage mainly blue, or brown and green ; sometimes white in cwrulea.
2. Color mainly bluish gray or slaty.
3. Size large, wing over 17.

4. Lighter, upper parts bluish gray .... herodias, p. 75.

4'. Darker, upper parts slaty farmini, p. 75.

3'. Size small, wing under 11 ; young, and sometimes adults, white.

caerulea, p. 70.

HERONS, EGRETS, BITTERNS 75

2'. Color mainly dark green or slaty and brown.
3. Body dark green.

4. Neck dark chestnut virescens, p. 76.

4'. Neck light chestnut aiithonyi, p. 77.

3'. Body slaty ; neck cinnamon ruf esceiis. p. 76.

Subgenus Ardea.

194. Ardea herodias Linn. GREAT BLUE HERON.

Adults. — Upper parts bluish gray ; top of head white, bordered by
black and with black occipital crest ; shoulders black, striped with white ;
under parts heavily streaked with black and white ; thighs and edge of
wings cinnamon brown. In breeding season : crest with two or more slender
white plumes. Young : whole crown and crest black ; wing coverts without
white or rufous spots. Length : 42-50, wing 17.90-19.85, bill 4.30-6.25,
tarsus 6-8.

Distribution. — North America, except northwest coast, from Hudson
Bay and Alaska south to Venezuela.

Nest. — Usually in tall swamp trees, but sometimes on rocks or the
ground, a wide platform of sticks with little lining. Eggs : 3 to 6, dull
greenish blue.

The blue cranes or great blue herons are common along river
banks, lake shores, and marshes all over the United States, and are
everywhere known both by their stilted pose as they stand in shallow
water watching for fish, and by their heavy flight as they move evenly
along with crooked neck and big slowly flapping wings.

1 94a. A. h. fannini Chapm. NORTHWEST COAST HERON.

Similar to herodias, but with shorter tarsus and darker plumage, the
upper parts being bluish slaty black instead of bluish gray ; tibise more
feathered. Wing : 17.50, tarsus 5.38, culmen 5.90.

Distribution. — Queen Charlotte and Vancouver Islands and coast region
of British Columbia.

Subgenus Herodias.

196. Ardea egretta Gmel EGRET.

Plumage always pure white. Adult in nuptial plumage : scapular plumes
of dissected filameiitose feathers covering back and reaching well beyond
end of tail ; head and neck without crests or long feathers ; feet black,
legs yellow ; bill yellow, usually blackish near tip. Post-breeding plumage
and young: back without plumes. Length : 37-41, wing 14.10-16.80, bill
4.20-1.90 ; tarsus 5.50-6.80.

Distribution. — Southern United States and south to Patagonia ; north
irregularly to Oregon, Minnesota, and Nova Scotia.

Nest. - - In trees or bushes, near water. Eggs : 3 to 5, pale bluish.

The egret, one of the most beautiful of our birds, has been almost
exterminated for its plumes, which are used in millinery as aigrettes.

Subgenus Garzetta.

197. Ardea candidissima Gmel. SNOWY HERON.

Plumage always pure white. Adults in nuptial plumage : scapulars
with long plumes of dissected filamentose feathers reaching beyond tail
and recurved at tip ; head and throat crested ; feet yellow, legs black ;

76 HERONS, EGRETS, BITTERNS

bill black, with yellow base. Post-breeding plumage and young : back with-
out plumes. Length : 20.00-27.25, wing 8.20-10.50, bill 2.08-3.65, tarsus
3.15-4.50.

Distribution. — Approximately the whole United States, and south to
Argentina, South America.

Although widely distributed, the snowy heron is generally a rare
bird. Throughout most of the western United States only an occa-
sional wanderer is found.

Subgenus Dichromanassa.

198. Ardea rufescens GmeL REDDISH EGRET.

Adults. — Feathers of head, sides of neck, and lower part of throat long
and lanceolate ; scapular plumes extending beyond end of tail and with
fine dissected filaments ; color plain slaty, with cinnamon or vinaceous
rufous head and neck. Young : plain grayish, tinged here and there with
rusty. Length : 27-32, wing 11.90-13.60, bill 3.30-4.00, tarsus 4.90-5.75.

Distribution. — Cuba, Jamaica, and Mexico, from Guatemala north to
Lower California, the Gulf states, and southern Illinois. One record for

Colorado.

Subgenus Florida.

200. Ardea CSBrulea Linn. LITTLE BLUE HERON.

Adults. — Plumes on crown, back, and breast long and narrow ; head and
neck chestnut or maroon ; rest of plumage dark slaty blue ; plumage
sometimes partly or mainly white, with bluish tips to quills. Young :
without elongated plumes ; mainly white with a tinge of blue on quills.
Length: 20.00-29.50, wing 9.00-10.60, bill 2.70-3.: JO. tarsus 3.15-4.00.

Distribution. — Eastern United States from New Jersey and Maine west
to Nebraska and San Angelo, Texas ; south to northern South America.

The little blue heron breeds in Tropical and Lower Sonoran zones,
and after the breeding season wanders north, sometimes as far as
Nebraska.

Subgenus Butorides.

201. Ardea virescens Linn. GREEN HERON.

Bill longer than tarsus, crown and back with long, lanceolate, but not

dissected plumes.
Adults : crown and
crest, tail, and most
of wings dark green ;
scapular plumes blu-
ish given : sides of
neck rich dark chest-
nut ; belly dusky.
Young: similar to

adults. but with

Fig- 86. scapular plumes

shorter and darker
green ; most of quills tipped with white and under parts coarsely streaked.
Length: 15.50-22.50, wing 6.:;()-S.()0, bill 2.00-2.55, tarsus 1.75-2.15.

Distribution. — Oregon and Ontario southward to West Indies and Vene-
zuela.

BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON

HERONS, EGRETS, BITTERNS 77

Nest. — On branches of trees and bushes near water ; loosely made of
sticks and lined with leafy twigs. Eyys : '•> to 0, light bluish green.

The green heron, with other mainly nocturnal herons, lives in
woody swamps, bogs, or sedgy marshes, and often hunts along
streams and ponds. When startled it flies up with a ' hollow gut-
tural scream,' but soon lights on a stump or tree, looking around
with craned neck. It lives largely on small fish, frogs, larva-, and
grasshoppers, together with a variety of insects.

20 lb. A. V. anthonyi Nearns. ANTHONY GREEN HERON.

Similar to virescens, but decidedly lighter colored ; sides of neck bright
3'ellowish chestnut. Length : 19.10, wing 8.20, bill 2.35.

Distribution. — Arid region of the southwestern United States, and
south through Mexico ; north to Yreka, California.

Anthonyi is a pale desert form of virescens, writh only local modi-
fications of habit.

GENUS NYCTICORAX.

General Characters. - - Bill comparatively short and stout ; head crested,
and, in breeding plumage, with a few long white cord-like plumes from
back of crown.

KEY TO SPECIES.

1. Crown black, cheeks and chin creamy white . . . neevius, p. 77.
1'. Crown creamy white, cheeks and chin black . . violaceus, p. 78.

Subgenus Nycticorax.

202. Nycticorax nycticorax naevius (Bodd.). BLACK-
CROWNED NIGHT HERON.

Bill abf ut as long as tarsus. Adults : crown and back black ; wings
and tail ashy gray ; forehead and throat creamy white, shading into light
gray of sides and under parts. Young : crown blackish, streaked with
buff ; back dusky gray, spotted and striped, and quills tipped with buff ;
neck and under parts coarsely striped with buff and dusky. Length : 23-
2<i. wing 11.00-12.80, bill 2.80-3.10, tarsus 3.10-3.40.

Distribution. — Most of South America and north to southern Canada ;
breeding throughout its range and wintering from the southern United
States southward.

Nest. — Roughly made of reeds, rushes, or sticks placed on the ground
among reeds, or on bushes or trees. Eggs : 3 to 6, dull bluish.

The black-crowned is one of the commonest and most widely dis-
tributed of our herons. Pairs or small flocks pass hurriedly over-
head morning and evening, uttering now and then the harsh gut-
tural 'squawk' which gives them their commonest name. During
the day you frighten them from their naps among the tides or reeds
or from the leafy branches of the cottonwoods that overhang the
streams ; and whether one or a dozen are aroused, each loudly re-

78 CRANES

peats its name. True to their more dignified appellation, the herons
feed mainly at night, but they are seen on the wing occasionally dur-
ing the day.

Social at all times, they are especially so during the breeding
season, nesting in small groups of three or four families to a tree, or
in colonies numbering many thousands. The largest colonies usually
have their nests on the ground, in tule swamps or reed patches, the
nests, which are only a few feet apart, covering many acres.

VERNON BAILEY.

Subgenus Nyctanassa.

203. Nycticorax violaceus (Linn.). YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT
HERON.

Bill much shorter than tarsus ; back with long narrow plume-like
feathers reaching- beyond end of tail. Adults : crown and patch under
eye creamy white ; sides of head and chin black ; rest of plumage bluish
gray, striped with black and light gray on wings and back. Young :
striped and mottled with brownish on back and belly. Length : 22-28,
wing 10.50-12.65, bill 2.50-3.00, tarsus 3.10-4.20.

Distribution. — Tropical America and north to the Carolinas and Colo-
rado, and casually to Massachusetts and Maine ; south to Brazil.

Nest. — In trees, a platform of sticks. Eggs : 4 to 6, dull bluish.

ORDER PALUDICOL^ : CRANES, RAILS, ETC.
FAMILY GRUnXSI: CRANES.

GENUS GRUS.

General Characters. — Size very large, hind toe short and elevated ;
head partly naked, the warty skin covered with scattered bristly bairs.

KEY TO SPECIES.

1. Crown and cheeks naked in adults ; plumage white.

americaiia, p. 78.
1'. Crown naked in adults, cheeks feathered ; plumage gray and brown.

2. Larger, wing 21.00-22.50 mexicana, p. 79.

2'. Smaller, wing 17.50-20.00 canadensis, p. 79.

204. Grus americana (Linn.). WHOOPING CRANE.

Adults. --Plumage pure white except for black primaries and their cov-
erts, and sometimes a slaty patch on back of bead ; naked skin of crown,
face, and cheeks with stiff black bristles. Young : mainly white, but
more or less washed with brownish on upper parts ; bead entirely feath-
ered. Length: 50-54, wing 22-25, bill 5.35-5.80, tarsus 11-12.

Distribution. — Interior of North America, breeding from Illinois west
to Colorado ; north to Great Slave Lake, and migrating to central Mexico.

Nest. — On ground, usually in marsh. Eggs : 2, olive or buffy, spotted
with brown and gray.

RAILS, GALLINULES, AND COOTS

79

205. Grus canadensis (Linn.). LITTLE BROWN CRANE.

Like mexicana, but smaller. Length : o5, wing 17-50-20.00, bill 3.04-
4.20, tarsus (5.70-8.44.

Distribution. — Northern North America, breeding from Hudson Bay
and the arctic coast to Alaska ; south in winter through the interior
United States to Mexico ; west to Colorado and British Columbia.

206. Grus mexicana (Mull.). SANDHILL CRANE.

Crown and lores naked except for scattered black bristles ; cheeks and
jaw well feathered. Adults : whole plumage slaty gray
or light brownish, wrings darker; cheeks and throat
lighter and sometimes whitish. Young : head entirely
feathered ; plumage rusty brown. Length : 40-48, wing
21.00-22.50, bill 5.15-6.00, tarsus 9.90-10.65.

Distribution. — From southern Canada south to cen-
tral Mexico and Florida; breeding from Canada to
Arizona. Rare east except in Georgia and Florida.

Nest. — A wide platform of flags and rushes in a
marsh. Eggs : 2, olive buff, spotted with brown.

On the big unfenced prairies and the treeless
expanse of marsh where there is nothing to hide
a lurking foe, you find the sandhill cranes, some-
times in small migrating flocks but usually in
pairs, stalking about in dignified but ever watch-
ful manner, stretching up to nearly a man's
height to survey the surrounding country, then
stooping to probe the earth for worms, catch a
distant grasshopper, or spear a luckless frog or
minnow. Let an enemy appear in the distance,
and the long necks are up, and one of the most
powerful, far-reaching of bird-notes rings out with its alarm chal-
lenge, a prolonged bugle-like cry, deeper and heavier than the
loon's, and often heard a mile away. With a quick run the splendid
birds mount on the wing, the bugle-notes resounding rhythmically
with only the space of an inspiration between as they fly; and
though their calls mellow in the distance, the cranes vanish as
specks in the air before the sound of their magnificent voices is en-
tirely lost. VERNON BAILEY.

FAMILY RALLIDJE : RAILS, GALLINULES, AND COOTS.

KEY TO GENERA.

1. Forehead entirely feathered down to base of bill.

2. Bill long and slender, as long as or longer than tarsus . Rallus, p. 80.

2'. Bill short and stout, about two thirds the length of tarsus.

Porzana, p. 81.
1'. Forehead covered by naked shield at base of bill.

2. Toes deeply lobed along sides Fulica, p. 83.

2'. Toes slender, without lobes Gallinula, p. 82.

Fig. 87.

80

RAILS, GALLINULES, AND COOTS

GENUS RALLUS.
General Characters. — Bill slender, longer than tarsus ; sexes alike.

KEY TO SPECIES.

1. Size large, wing over 5.50.

2. Breast uniform deep cinnamon obsoletus, p. 80.

2'. Breast pale cinnamon buff caribaeus, p. 80.

1'. Size small, wing not over 4.25 virginianus, p. 80.

210. Rallus obsoletus Eidgw. CALIFORNIA CLAPPER RAIL.1

Upper parts olive gray, striped on back and wings with dark brown ;

breast and throat plain cinnamon
brown ; chin white ; flanks dusky,
narrowly barred with white.
Length: 17-18, wing 6.20-6.70,
bill 2.25-2.50, tarsus 2.10-2.30.

Distribution. — Salt marshes of
the Pacific coast from Washington (?) to Lower California.

Nest. — Usually in grass or tules at edge of slough or tide marsh, com-
posed of dry grasses. Eggs : 6 to 12 (Henry Adams in The Condor, 1900,
31).

In Los Angeles County, Mr. Grinnell says, the clapper rails are
tolerably common residents of the salt coast marshes. Their loud
cackling notes are frequently heard, especially at high tide, when
they are driven to the higher ground.

Fig. 88.

CARIBBEAN

[211.2.] Rallus longirostris caribaeus Eidgw.
CLAPPER RAIL.

Under parts grayish, striped with darker ; throat whitish ; breast brown j
sides and flanks barred with brown or dusky and whitish. Wing : 5.76,
bill 2.38, tarsus 2.02, middle toe 1.85.

Distribution. — Lesser Antilles, Jamaica, and coast of southern Texas
(Corpus Christi and Galveston).

Nest. — A platform-like structure of dried grasses, sedges, etc., in tufts
of grass or sedges, in marshes or ponds. Eggs : 6 to 15, white, buffy white,
or brownish buff, sparingly spotted with rusty brown and purplish gray.

212. Rallus virginianus Linn. VIRGINIA RAIL.

Adults. — Upper parts olive brown, streaked
with black; wing with a large chest-
nut patch ; sides of head slaty gray,
lores blackish, and chin white ; throat
and breast cinnamon brown ; flanks
black, barred with white. Young :
plumage much mottled with black,
but chestnut wing patch always pre-
sent. Length : 8.12-10.50, wing 3.90-
4.25, bill 1.45-1.60, tarsus 1.30-1.40.
Distribution. — Temperate North

Fig. 90.

America,
from Hudson Bay and* British Columbia south

Like obsoletus, but smaller, bill more slender, and coloration

1 Rallus levipes Bangs.
darker.
Distribution. — Southern California. Bull. N. Eng. Zool. Club, i. 1899, 45.

RAILS, GALLINULES, AND COOTS 81

to Guatemala and Cuba, breeding- over most of the United States and
southern Canada.

Nest. - - In marsh, under shelter of tall grass, composed of dry grass.
Eggs : G to 10, creamy white, spotted with brown and lilac.

The Virginia rail is common in almost all suitable marshes, whether
salt or fresh, throughout the United States, but like all of its short-
winged kind it prefers a game of hide and seek to laborious flight,
and is more often heaid than seen. If you try to tramp one out of
the marsh it will cackle and laugh on the right and then on the left
of you, without ever showing itself ; but if you sit quietly on the
bank of a grassy, reedy pond or stream where one lives, it will soon
come peeking and peering at you bet\veen the stems.

YKRNON BAILEY.

GENUS POFvZANA.
General Characters. — Bill decidedly shorter than tarsus ; sexes similar.

KEY TO SPECIES.

1. Back with narrow white streaks.

2. Back streaked longitudinally with white . . . Carolina, p. 81.

2'. Back cross-lined with white iioveboraceiisis, p. 82.

1'. Back without white streaks.

2. Back finely dotted with white jamaiceiisis, p. 82.

2'. Back without white marking's coturniculus, p. 82.

Subgenus Porzana.

214. Porzana Carolina (Linn.). CAROLINA RAIL: SORA.

Adults. — Upper parts olive brown, spotted with black and finely lined
with white ; middle of crown, face, and throat black ; breast
and cheeks bluish gray, sides barred black and white ; belly
whitish; middle of lower tail coverts buff. Immature: simi-
lar to adult but without black face or bluish gray breast.
Length: 7-85-9.75, wing- 4.15-430, bill .75-.(,:0, tarsus 1.25-
1.35.

Distribution. — Temperate North America from Hudson
Bay and British Columbia south to northern South America,
„. «. breeding1 over most of its United States and Canadian range.

Xest. — Usually on tnssock in marsh, made of dry grasses
or sedg-es. Eggs : usually 7 to 10 but sometimes 14 to 10, grayish olive,
spotted with reddish brown and purplish.

Carolina rails arc the commonest of their family over the eastern
and middle United States, or at least, being more commonly meadow
birds, are oftcner seen than the other species ; but in the west they
are less common than the Virginia rail. To avoid flying, when their
field is being mowed they will often stay in the fast narrowing strip
of grass until they must go or meet the sharp teeth of the sickle,
when perhaps a dozen will rise one after another and fly to fresh
cover.

82 RAILS, GALLINULES, AND COOTS

In the wild rice fields, I have frequently watched them walking
daintily over the leaves and floating stems, swimming across the nar-
row channels where they could not wacle, and running in and out of
the thousand little trails that lead about under the grass ; and have
often clapped my hands to hear them answer back with their mock-
ing, cackling laugh. VERXON BAILEY.

Subgenus Coturnicops.

215. Porzana noveboracensis (GmeL). YELLOW RAIL.

Upper parts dark buff, mottled with brown and black, feathers of back

narrowly tipped with white in wavy
cross - lines ; wing dusky, with large
white patch on secondaries ; throat and
breast plain buff or brownish ; middle of
Fig. 9ii. belly whitish. Length : 6.00-7.75, wing

3.00-3.60. bill .50-.00, tarsus .80-100.

Distribution. — North America from Hudson Bay and Nova Scotia south
to Cuba, and west to Nevada and California.

Nest . — In marsh, made of dry grass. Eggs : 6 to 10, creamy buff, finely
specked with rusty brown.

In habits the yellow rail is much like the Carolina, but may readily
be distinguished from it even on the wing by its smaller size and
white wing patch. It is never a common bird.

Subgenus Creciscus.

216. Porzana jamaicensis (GmeL). BLACK RAIL.

Adults. — Back and wings brownish black, finely dotted with white ;
shoulders dark rich chestnut ; breast, throat,
and sides of head deep plumbeous, shading to
black on crown ; flanks and ventral region
specked and barred with white. Young : simi-
lar to adults but with grayish breast, whitish

throat, and brownish crown. Length : 5-6, wing 2.50-3.20, bill .50-.60,
tarsus .85-.90.

Distribution. — From Oregon, Nebraska, and Massachusetts south through
the West Indies and the greater part of South America.

216.1. Porzana coturniculus (EUlgw.). FAKALLONE RAIL.

Size and general characters of jamaicensis, but back without white mark-
ings.

Known only from the type specimen from the Farallone Islands.

GENUS GALLINULA.

219. Gallinula galeata (Licht.). FLORIDA GALLINULE.

Toes long and slender, not lobed ; bill slender and sharp, nearly as long

as head ; frontal shield extend-
ing from bill to crown, widest
posteriorly ; bill and shield
bright red. Adults in summer:
<Ji- dark slaty or plumbeous, washed

RAILS, GALLINULES, AND COOTS 83

with brownish on back, and shading1 through darker on
neck to blackish on head ; edge of wings, lateral under
tail coverts, and streaks on flanks white. Adults in irin-
ter : frontal plate smaller and belly suffused with white.
Young : under parts, throat, and sides of head, whitish ;
frontal plate rudimentary. Length : 12.00-14.50, wing-
6.85-7.25, bill (including- shield) 1.70-1.80.

Distribution. - - Whole of tropical and temperate Fig. 'J5.

America, from Brazil north to California and eastern Canada.

Nest. — In tules or grass on edge of pond or wet marsh ; made of dry
grass and tules. Eggs: 8 to 11, buffy white, thinly spotted with brown.

The Florida galliuule is easily mistaken for a coot (Fulica), which
it resembles in size and general appearance, but like the rails it is a
bird of the shores and marshes, and although a good swimmer prefers
to keep mainly out of sight in the grass and tules.

GENUS FULICA.

221. Fulica americana Gmel. AMERICAN COOT: MUD HEN.
Toes lobed or scalloped along- edg-es ; bill stout, nearly as long- as

head ; frontal shield narrow, end-
ing- in a point on crown. Breeding
plumage: bill white, with brown
sl)ot near end. frontal shield

j.-iir ,M brown; whole head and neck

blackish ; rest of body plum-
beous except for white under tail coverts, edg-e of wing1,
and tips of middle wing- feathers. IVinter plumage :
belly whitish ; frontal shield smaller than in summer.
Young : like winter adults, but with white of belly ex-
tending- onto throat ; bill dull flesh color, frontal shield
rudimentary. Length : 13-16, wing- 7.25-7.60, bill (to
base of shield) 1.25-1.60.

Distribution. — Whole of North America from Alaska

and Greenland south to northern South America, West Indies, and Ber-
mudas ; breeding- from Texas northward.

Nest. — Usually placed among- tule stems on the water and built of dry
tule and grass stems. Eggs : 8 to 12, creamy or buffy, finely specked with
brown.

The omnipresent coots are among the most social and garrulous of
our inland water birds. They are good swimmers and often gather
in large flocks in open water, but their preference is always for the
grassy shores of shallow lakes, or open ponds surrounded by wild
rice, tules, or flags. Here they dive in the shallow water, paddle
along shore, or run over the rafts of floating plant stems in little
chattering, laughing groups. When forced to fly they make a long
run on the water and after much kicking and spattering finally get
launched on the wing.

Fortunately for them they are of little account as game birds and
their plumage has no commercial value, so they will probably con-
tinue abundant and tame.

84 PHALAROPES

According to Goss they feed on aquatic insects, snails, tender water
plants, buds, blossoms, and seeds. Mr. Evermaim has found them
feeding largely on wild celery. In the north they gather by thou-
sands in the rice lakes in fall and stay until driven south by cold
Aveather, feeding on the rich grain as it falls, or is scattered out by
their wings, and becoming excessively fat. VERNON BAILEY.

ORDER LIMICOL^E : SHORE BIRDS.

(FAMILIES PHALAROPODID.E, RECURVIROSTRID.E, SCOLOPA-
CID.E, CHARADRIIMC, APHRIZID^E, PLEMATOPODID.E, AND
JAGAXID.E.)

FAMILY FHALAROPODIDJE : PHALAROPES.

KEY TO GENERA.

1. Bill wide and flattened, toes half webbed and with scalloped
margins Crymophilus, p. 84.

1'. Bill slender and approximately cylindrical.

2. Bill much longer than head, toes webbed at base, with

straight margins Stegaiiopus, p. S5.

2'. Bill not longer than head, toes nearly half webbed, and with

slig'htly scalloped margins ... Phalaropus, p. 84.

GENUS CRYMOPHILUS.

222. Crymophilus fulicarius (Linn.). RED PHALAROPE.

Bill about as long- as head. flat, widest toward end. Adult male in sum-
mer : back streaked with black and buff ;
wing bluish and dusky, crossed by a white
band ; side of head whitish ; under parts
dark cinnamon brown. Adult f<-male in
summer: crown and face plumbeous or
blackish, sides of head pure white. Adults

in winter : head. neck, and under parts pure white, except for plumbeous
on back of head and around eyes ; upper parts plain blue gray. Young :
upper parts blackish, the feathers edged with yellowish ; under parts
whitish, with dusky brown across breast. Length : 7.50-8.75, wing 5.25-
5.50, bill .SO-.(.»5.

Distribution. '-- Northern part of northern hemisphere, breeding in arctic

regions. In America south in winter to the middle of the United States

and along the Pacific coast to Cape St. Lucas ; straggling to the Carolinas.

Nest. — A slight depression in damp ground, usually without lining-.

Eggs : 3 to 4, heavily spotted with brown.

GENUS PHALAROPUS.
Subgenus Phalaropus.

223. Phalaropus lobatus (Linn.). NORTHERN PHALAROPE.

Bill about as long- as head, very slender and sharp ; margins of toes

a
a,

O

(*

3

fc

O
en

PIIALAROPES 85

scalloped ; wing' with white bar in all plumages. Male in breeding plumage :

upper parts dark plumbeous, striped on
l>;u-k with butt' and black ; sides of neck
rufous ; chest gray ; upper throat and
belly white. Ft male in breeding plum-
Fig. 100. Northern Phalarope. aye: brighter colored, rufous extending
across throat as well as on sides of neck. Fall and ic inter plumage : face,
line over eye, and under parts white ; line under eye, and back of head,
dusky ; upper parts mainly gray. Young : like winter adults, but upper
parts darker, striped with buff and black. Length : 7-8, wing 4.00-4.45,
bill .80-.90.

Distribution. — Northern part of northern hemisphere ; in America,
breedin<>- from Alaska to Labrador and Greenland ; south in winter to

^

Guatemala.

Xcst. — A slight depression in the ground near Avater; lined with leaves
and grass. Eggs : 4, buffy or olive, irregularly spotted with dark browns.

GENUS STEGANOPTJS.

224. Steganopus tricolor Vieill. WILSON PHALAROPE.

Bill slender, longer than head ; toes with straight-edged marginal mem-
branes ; wing without white bar ; female larger and handsomer than male.
Male in breeding plumage : crown and upper parts dusky, touched with
brown ; sides of neck with a chestnut stripe ; throat and chest buffy ;
stripe over eye, chin, and belly white. Female in breeding plumage : crown
and back bluish gray ; black stripe along sides of head and neck shading
into rich chestnut along lower neck and shoulders ; chest and lower part of
throat delicate cinnamon buff ; upper part of throat, belly, and line over
eye white. Adults in winter plumage : upper parts plain gray, chest and
sides of breast grayish ; rest of under parts white. Young : upper parts
dusky, streaked with light cinnamon ; under parts white, with tinge of
cinnamon across breast. Female : length 9.40-10.00, wing 5.20-5.30, bill
1.30-1.35, tarsus 1.30-1.35. Male : length 8.25-9.00, wing 4.75-4.80, bill
1.25, tarsus 1.20-1.25.

Distribution. — From British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and Quebec ;
south in winter to Brazil and Patagonia ; breeding from Illinois, Colorado,
and Kansas northward, mainly in the interior.

Nest. — On ground, in slight excavation ; lined with grass. Eggs : 3 or
4, creamy, buff or drab, spotted with dark brown.

There is not among all our waders a more dainty, exquisitely
colored bird than the Wilson phalarope, with its warm, richly blended
tints, trim form, and soft plumage. You find it in small flocks,
swimming on the ponds like tiny ducks, or sandpiper-like picking
about on the muddy shores. Should you enter its marshy breeding
grounds it will fly anxiously about your head with a low ' croaking '
note, threatening and coaxing to get you away from its nest and
young.

Like the other phalaropes the female is larger and brighter colored
than the male and is said to leave most of the incubation and care of
the young to her more protectively colored mate.

VERNON BAILEY.

86 AVOCETS AND STILTS

FAMILY RECURVIROSTRIDJE : AVOCETS AND

STILTS.

KEY TO GENERA.

1. Bill strongly curved upward toward end, hind toe present but minute ;

front toes half webbed Recurvirostra, p. 86.

1'. Bill scarcely or not at all curved upwards, hind toe wanting, only a

small web between outer and middle toes . Himaiitopus, p. 86.

GENUS RECUR VIROSTRA .

225. Recurvirostra americana Gmel. AVOCET.

Bill black, feet and legs bluish. Adults in summer plumage : head, neck,

chest, and shoulders light
cinnamon, shading into
whitish around base of
bill ; under parts, rump,
and large patches on
wing white ; primaries,
base of wing, and half of
scapulars black. Adults

1 in winter plumage : cinna-

mon of head, neck, and chest replaced by grayish white. Young : like
winter adults, but quills and scapulars tipped with whitish, and back of
neck tinged with buffy. Length : 15.50-18.75, wing 8.50-9.00, bill 3.40-
3.65, tarsus 3.70-3.80.

Distribution. - - Temperate North America, breeding from Texas to
Saskatchewan ; south in winter to Guatemala and West Indies. Not com-
mon east of the plains.

Nest . — In grass near water, made of grass stems. Eggs : 3 or 4, pale
olive or buffy, thickly spotted with varying shades of brown.

Whether flying, walking, or swimming, the avocet is one of the
most conspicuous of our waders. Its long legs and neck, and strong
black and white markings distinguish it from all others even when
its turned-up bill is invisible. Its favorite haunts are the shores of
shallow alkaline lakes and ponds on the plains and in the western
valleys. Small flocks are often seen wading in water nearly up to
their feathers, rapidly picking up the small insects that gather on
the surface. When the water becomes too deep for wading they
swim freely, but do not usually go far from shore. They are seen
occasionally feeding in a marsh or irrigated meadow, and in July
I have found downy young hiding in the short grass just back from
the lake shore. VEIINON BAILEY.

GENUS HIMANTOPUS.

226. Himantopus mexicanus (Mall.). BLACK-NECKED STILT.

Bill black, feet and legs pinkish. Adult male : back of head and neck,
shoulders, and wings greenish black ; tail gray ; rest of plumage white,
breast tinged with dull pinkish in breeding plumage. Adult female : like

BLACK-NECKED STILT

SNIPES, SANDPIPERS, ETC. 87

male, but black duller, or slaty. Youny : similar to adult female, but
feathers of back bordered with buffy, and blackish of head and neck mot-
tled with buffy. Ltmjth : 13.50-15.50, wing S.50-0.00, bill 2.50, tarsus 4.

Distribution. - - The United States, mainly in the western interior, and
southward to Brazil and Peru ; north casually to Minnesota and New
Brunswick. Breeds from southern Texas to Oregon.

Nest. — A slight depression in the sand or on wet ground ; or eggs laid
in a bunch of dry grass. Eggs : 3 to 4, buff or olive brown, thickly spotted
with dark brown.

Iii spite of its apparently extravagant length of legs the black-
necked stilt is a graceful, well-balanced bird, whether stepping
daintily over the grass tops, wading in half a foot of water, swim-
ming when beyond its depth, or flying with head drawn back and
legs straight out behind. As the birds alight they raise their black
pointed wings over their white body a moment, assuming a pose
that is not only strikingly beautiful but doubtless an important
directive and recognition signal. Sometimes when quietly feeding
one will lift its wings in this way, without apparent reason.

Much of the stilt's food is gleaned from the surface of the shallow
water or from plant stems rising from it, and its reason for prefer-
iug the flooded marsh to the open pond is presumably the greater
abundance of minute insect life found among the aquatic plants.

VERXON BAILEY.

FAMILY SCOLOPACIDJE : SNIPES, SANDPIPERS, ETC.

KEY TO GENERA.

1. Back of tarsus covered with hexagonal scales . Numenius. p. 101.
1'. Back of tarsus with a row of transverse scutellae.

2. Ears anterior to eyes, thighs wholly feathered . Philohela, p. 88.
2'. Ears posterior to eyes or directly under them.

3. Ears directly under eyes, lower part of thighs naked.

4. Crown and back broadly striped .... G-allinago, p. 88.
4'. Crown and back mottled, not striped.

Macrorhamphus, p. 89.
3 . Ears posterior to eyes.

4. Hind toe wanting Calidris, p. 94.

4 . Hind toe present.

5. No trace of web between toes.

G. Bill longer than middle toe and claw . . Tringa, p. 90.
G'. Bill shorter than middle toe and claw . Tryngites, p. 100.
5'. A distinct web between middle and one or both lateral toes.
6. Tail much graduated, about half as long as wing.

Bartramia, p. 99.
6'. Tail not much graduated, not nearly half as long as wing.

7. Bill longer than tail Limosa, p. 95.

7'. Bill shorter than tail.

8. Bill distinctly widened and roughened at tip.

Micropalama, p. 90.

88 SNIPES, SANDPIPERS, ETC.

8'. Bill not distinctly widened and roughened at tip.

9. Wing less than 4 Ereunetes, p. 93.

9'. Wing over 4.

10. Tarsus equal to middle toe and claw.

11. Wing under 4.00 .... Actitis, p. 100.
11'. Wing over 6.50 . . . Heteractitis, p. 98.
10'. Tarsus much longer than middle toe and claw.
11. Wing with large white patch.

Symphemia, p. 98.
11'. Wing without white patch.

12. Upper tail coverts white . Totaiius, p. 96.
12'. Upper tail coverts dusky.

Helodromas, p. 97.

GENUS PHILOHELA.

228. Philohela minor (GmeL). AMERICAN WOODCOCK.

Bill long and slender, mandibles grooved and roughened toward end,
tip of upper overlapping the under ; nostril small at edge of feathers ;
three outer quills abruptly narrowed.

Upper parts grayish brown, mottled with black ; back of head black,
with narrow cross-bars of buffy ; under parts rich buff, darker on throat.
Length: 10.50-11.75, wing 4.80-5.70, bill 2.50-2.75, tarsus 1.25.

Distribution. — Eastern United States north to Canada, west to Rocky
Mountains in Colorado ; breeds throughout its range.

Nest. — On ground in wooded bottoms, usually by a log or stump, made
of leaves and grass. Eggs : 3 or 4, grayish to buffy white, spotted with
reddish brown.

Dr. A. K. Fisher says : " This much sought game bird is in dan-
ger of extermination from the barbarous custom of hunting it in
spring and summer, just before and during the breeding season."

GENUS GALLINAGO.

230. Gallinago delicata (Ord). WILSON SNIPE: JACK SNIPE.

Bill long and slender, mandibles grooved, roughened, and widened

toward end ; tip of upper overreaching the
lower mandible ; nostril small and at edge
of feathers.

Crown buff, with side stripes of black ;
back mainly black with stripes falling into
two middle lines of buff and two outer lines
of whitish ; neck and breast spotted and
streaked with buff, brown, and dusky ; sides
barred with black and white ; belly white.
Lnuith: 10.50-1 l.i:>, wing 4.90-5.60, bill
2.50-2.70, tarsus 1.20-1.80.

Distribution. - - North America, and south
in winter to northern South America, breed-
Fig. 102. ing from Colorado and Utah to north of the

Arctic Circle.

Nest. -- A grass-lined cavity in marshy ground. Eggs : 3 or 4, grayish
olive, spotted and streaked with brown and black.

The plump j.-ick snipe with the striped back is a prober rather
than a wader, as his short legs and long bill attest. He pokes about

SNIPES, SANDPIPERS, ETC. 89

in the muddy bottoms, under grass, Hags, aiid tules, fisliin.tr up his
food from the soft mud, the sensitive tip of his long bill enabling
him to select the choicest worms and other dainty morsels.

He is a common bird wherever there are marshes to his taste, and
most country folk are familiar with his song. On warm summer
evenings or cloudy days before a storm he mounts high in air and
with rapidly vibrating wings produces a prolonged whirr that in-
creases to a diminutive roar, and repeats it every minute or two for
sometimes half an hour. At other times he flies low over the grass,
uttering a guttural chuck-chuck-chuck-chucfa-ch/uck, and then drops
out of sight. His common, all-the-year-rouud note is a nasal squank,
uttered as he springs from the ground at your feet and makes off in
quick zigzags.

The only excuse for considering so small a bird game is his swift
irregular flight, which saves him from all but the expert wing shot.

VERNON BAILEY.

GENUS MACRORHAMPHUS.

General Characters. --Bill similar to that of Gallinago; lower part of
back white, rump spotted black and white ; tail finely cross-barred with
black, buff, and white.

KEY TO SUMMER ADULTS.

1. Belly rich cinnamon brown ....... scolopaceus, p. 89.

1 '.Belly white or buff y ............ griseus, p. 89.

231. Macrorhamphus griseus (Gmel.) DOWITCHER.

Similar to scolopaceus but smaller and adults in summer distinguished
by whitish belly and dusky specking1 of sides and breast. Length : 10-11,
wing 5.25-5.90, bill 2.00-2.55, tarsus 1.20-1.50. Female decidedly larger
than male.

Distribution. — Eastern North America, breeding- far north ; south in
winter to Brazil ; west as stragglers (?) to Idaho and Oregon.

232. Macrorhamphus scolopaceus (>>'«</)• LONG-BILLED DOW-

ITCHER.

Adults in summer. — A light stripe over eye and dusky stripe from eye
to bill ; upper parts, except rump and
lower back, specked and mottled with
black, brown, and btiff ; rump white,
spotted with black, tail feathers barred
black and white ; entire under parts

bright cinnamon specked on throat and barred on sides and lower tail cov-
erts with dusky. Adults in winter : belly and line over eye white ; rest
of plumage gray. Young : similar to adults but back and crown mottled
with black and ochraceous ; belly and chest suffused with light cinnamon.
Length : 11.00-12.50, wing 5.40-6.00, bill 2.10-3.00, tarsus 1.35-1.75.

Distribution. — Western Xorth America, breeding in British Columbia
and Alaska ; migrating south through western United States and Missis-
sippi valley to northern South America ; Ie33 common in eastern United
States.

90 SNIPES, SANDPIPERS, ETC.

Nest. — A depression in the moss or grass, sometimes at considerable
distance from water. Eygs : 4, greenish olive to light clay color, spotted
with dark umber brown.

By some ornithologists scolopaceus is considered merely a western
subspecies of griseits, with intergrades between and probably a con-
tinuous breeding range across the arctic regions. In winter plum-
age the main difference is one of size, but as the females of both
species are larger than the males only birds of the same sex should
be compared.

In their migrations over the United States the long-billed dow-
i tchers are usually found in little flocks along the coasts or among
the prairie sloughs or marshes, flying swiftly low over the ground,
or feeding in close bunches. Unfortunately they are considered
legitimate game, and although wild and ever on the alert fall an easy
prey to the pot-hunter.

For an interesting account of their habits on their breeding
grounds, see Nelson's Birds of Alaska. VERNON BAILEY.

GENUS MICROPALAMA.

233. Micropalama himantopus (Bonap.). STILT SANDPIPER.
Bill long and slender, conspicuously widened and roughened at tip ; toes

webbed at base, legs long and slender.
Adults in summer : upper parts mottled
with dusky, black, buff, and brown ; up-
per tail coverts white, barred with dusky ;
ear coverts and stripe along side of crown
rusty brown ; under parts thickly barred

and mottled with dusky, buff, and white. Adults in winter: upper parts
plain ashy gray, under parts including tail coverts white, specked on
sides ; throat and tail coverts marked with gray. Young : back browner,
belly plain buffy, tail coverts nearly pure white. Length : 7.50-9.25, wing
5.00-5.30, bill 1.55-1.75, tarsus 1.55-1.70.

Distribution. — Eastern North America, breeding north of the United
States ; south in winter to Central and South America ; west to Colorado
and Wyoming.

Goss, in his Birds of Kansas, says: "I have. met with this rare
species in the state on several occasions, at all times in small flocks
and along the edges of old channels of rivers or muddy pools of
water in which it wades while feeding."

GENUS TRINGA.

General Characters. — Toes slender, without webs at base ; bill slender
and narrow, tip hard and smooth.

KEY TO SPECIES.

1. Middle pair of tail feathers not longer than others . canutus, p. 91.
1'. Middle pair of tail feathers sharp and longer than the others.

SNIPES, SANDPIPERS, ETC. 91

2. Bill nearly twice as long1 as middle toe and claw . pacifica, p. 93.
2'. Bill shorter or but little longer than middle toe and claw.

3. Upper tail coverts white, slightly streaked . fuscicollis, p. V°2.
3'. Upper tail coverts blackish.

4. Wing over 5 maculata, p. 91.

4'. Wing under '5.

5. Wing 4.80-4.90 bairdii, p. <)±

5'. Wing 3.50-3.75 . minutilla, p. <>:.'.

Subgenus Tringa.

234. Tringa canutus Linn. KNOT.

The only species of Tringa in which the middle pair of tail feathers are
not decidedly longer than the rest. Adults
in summer : upper parts grayish and
dusky, tinged with buff ; rump and up-
per tail coverts white, barred and spotted

with dusky ; line over eye and most of fia. 105.

under parts pale cinnamon ; flanks and

under tail coverts white. Adults in winter : upper parts plain gray ; under
parts, rump, and tail coverts white, barred or streaked with dusky except
on belly and under tail coverts. Young : like adults in winter but gray
feathers of back edged with whitish and dusky, and breast often suffused
with buffy. Length: 10-11, wing 6.50, tail ±50, bill 1.40.

Distribution. — Northern hemisphere, chiefly on the seacoasts ; south in
winter nearly through the southern hemisphere ; breeding far north.

Eggs. — Deposited in a tuft of grass ; 4, light pea green specked with
brown.

The knot is rare inland and apparently less common along the
Pacific than on the Atlantic coast. It is a beach bird, getting its
food from the wash of the waves.

Subgenus Actodromas.

239. Tringa maculata Vieill. PECTORAL SANDPIPER.

Bill longer than tarsus ; middle pair of tail feathers pointed and longer
than the rest ; shaft of outer quill only,
pure white ; rump, upper coverts, and mid-
dle tail feathers, black. Adults : upper
parts mottled dusky, black, and buffy ;
chest dark gray, finely streaked with

dusky ; chin and belly white. Young : similar to adults, but upper parts
striped with ochraceous, brightest on edges of tertials and tail feathers ;
chest buffy, finely streaked with dusky. Length : 8.00-9.50, wing 5.00-
5.50, bill 1.10-1.20, tarsus 1.00-1.10.

Distribution. — Whole of North America, the West Indies, and most of
South America, breeding in arctic regions. Occasional in Europe.

Nest . — On dry ground, in the grass. Eggs : 4, greenish drab, spotted
with brown.

The pectoral sandpiper is a common migrant in the eastern United
States and the Mississippi valley, but less common westward. It is
found in flocks, on the marshes and muddy flats rather than along
the -beaches.

92 SNIPES, SANDPIPERS, ETC.

240. Tringa f USCicollis Vieill. BONAPARTE SANDPIPER : WHITE-

RUMPED SANDPIPER.

Rump dusky, the feathers tipped with buffy ; upper tail coverts pure
white or slightly streaked with dusky. Adults in summer: upper parts

buffjT and gray, broadly streaked on crown and
back with black ; chest and sides ashy gray,
streaked with dusky ; faint line over eye, chin,
and belly white. Adults in winter: upper parts,
sides, and chest dark gray, obscurely streaked
with dusky. Young : similar to adults, but feathers of upper parts exten-
sively margined with rusty, and chest tinged with buffv. Lenyth : 0.75-
8.00, wing 4.90-5.00, bill .90-1.00, tarsus .95-1.00.

Distribution. — Breeding in the far north and migrating south over
eastern North America and South America to Falkland Islands ; west to
Colorado. Casual in Europe.

241. Tringa bairdii (Cones). BAIRD SANDPIPER.

Middle upper tail coverts plain dusky. Adults in summer : upper parts
spotted and streaked with black, grayish, and buffy ; chest buffy, streaked

with dusky ; line over eye, chin, and belly whitish.
Adults in winter : plain grayish brown, obscurely
streaked with dusky ; under parts whitish, chest
Fig. 108. suffused with buffy. Young : feathers of back

tipped with whitish, and chest less sharply streaked

with dusky than in summer adult. Length : 7.00-7.00, wing 4.00-4.85, bill
.90-1.00, tarsus 1.00.

Distribution. — Most of North and South America. In North America,
chiefly the interior, breeding in Alaska and on the Barren Grounds. Rare
on the Atlantic, and apparently not recorded from the Pacific coast.

Nest. — A depression in the ground, lined with leaves. Eggs : 4, light
drab, specked and spotted with brown.

During migrations Baird sandpipers are common usually in small
flocks along the shores of lakes and ponds over the western prairie
country.

242. Tringa minutilla Vieill. LEAST SANDPIPER.

Size very small, wing less than 4. Adults in summer: median parts of
tail, upper coverts, and rump black ; sides of coverts white, streaked

with dusky ; rest of upper parts mainly blackish,
specked and spotted with brown and buff ; chest

buffy gray, specked with dusky ; belly and flanks

Fig. in1.!. white. Adults in irintcr : upper parts dark gray,

obscurely spotted and streaked with dusky : chest

light gray, finely streaked. Young : crown and back heavily streaked with
rusty, and back spotted with white ; chest buffy gray, faintly streaked.
Length : 5.00-0.75, wing 8.50-3.75, bill .75-.'.)'J. tarsus .'75.

Distribution. - - The whole of North and South America, wintering from
the Gulf of Mexico south, breeding mainly north of the United States.
Accidental in Europe.

Nest. — On the ground, a slight depression lined with leaves and grass.
Eggs : 3 or 4, creamy buff to drab, irregularly spotted with brown.

The least sandpipers are common, especially during migrations,
over a great part of the United States. A few remain in Dakota

SNIPES, SANDPIPERS, ETC. 93

through the summer, probably breeding, and in winter the birds are
not uncommon on the coast prairies of Texas. They go in close
flocks, whether feeding among the larger waders on the shores and
mud flats, or wheeling and circling in air on fast buzzing wings.
They are nervous, active little birds, always on the move and quick
to take alarm. VERNON BAILEY.

Subgenus Pelidna.

243a. Tringa alpina pacifica (Coues). RED-BACKED SANDPIPER.

Tarsus longer than middle toe and claw ; bill longer than tarsus, slightly
curved; middle of wing with a large white patch. Adults in summer:
crown, back, and upper tail coverts bright rusty _

ochraceoiis. more or less spotted or streaked J^H^^f^^ N.

with black ; middle of belly black ; chest gray- *=™"— ^^^ HB^- ^£~*
ish white, thickly streaked with dusky ; sides
and back part of belly white. Adults in winter :

upper parts plain ashy gray, obscurely streaked with dusky ; chest light
gray, more or less streaked with dusky ; rest of under parts, sides of rump,
and upper tail coverts white. Young : like adults in winter but upper
parts spotted and streaked with black and ochraceous, and breast coarsely
spotted with black. Length: 7.00-8.75, wing 4.60-4.95, bill 1.40-1.75,
tarsus 1.00-1.15.

Distribution. — North America and eastern Asia, breeding far north and
wintering in California, the Gulf States, and southward.

Nest. — A bed of dry grass. Eggs : o or 4, pale greenish to pale brown-
ish clay color, spotted with dull chocolate and dark brown.

The red-backed sandpiper is common in migrations or in winter
along the coasts of the United States, but is rarely seen in the inte-
rior. The breeding plumage marked b}r rusty back and black belly
is sometimes acquired before the birds leave the United States for
their northern breeding grounds, but the winter plumage is the more
common dress up to the first of May.

GENUS EREUNETES.

General Characters. — Toes distinctly webbed at base ; bill slightly
widened and flattened at tip.

KEY TO SPECIES.

1. Bill shorter than tarsus pusillus, p. 93.

1'. Bill as long as or longer than tarsus .... occidentalis. p. 94.

246. Ereunetes pusillus (Lin».). SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER.

Adults in summer. — Upper parts dusky and black, streaked witb gray
and pale buff ; chest light gray, finely streaked ; chin,
belly, and sides white. Adults in winter : upper parts
dull gray, obscurely streaked with dusky ; under
parts white tinged with gray across chest. Young: Fig. 111.

back spotted with black, and scalloped and streaked
with buff and white; chest tinged with gray ; rest of under parts whitish.

94 SNIPES, SANDPIPERS, ETC.

Male : length G, wing- 3.05-3.90, bill .6S-.75, tarsus .SO-.90. Female : length
6.40, wing 3.85-4.0U, bill .80-.92, tarsus .S5-.95.

Distribution. — Breeding from Labrador to Alaska, migrating through
the eastern and middle United. States as far west as the Rocky Mountains
and Utah ; south to the West Indies and northern South America.

Nest. — A slight depression in the ground, lined with grass and leaves.
Eggs : usually 4, light drab, spotted with brown.

The semipalmatecl sandpiper is generally less common than the
least, which it resembles in habits, general appearance, and small
size, but from which it can always be distinguished by the webbed
base of its toes.

247- Ereunetes OCCidentalis Lawr. WESTERN SANDPIPER.

Adults in summer. - - Ear coverts, back of head, back, and rump bright
chestnut, mottled with black and buffy gray ; breast thickly spotted with
dusky on gray, and sides with a few dusky spots ; rest of under parts

white. Adults in winter : upper parts dull gray, ob-
scurely streaked with dusky ; under parts white, with
a few scattered triangular spots of dusky on breast
and sides. Young: back spotted with black and

scalloped with dark chestnut and white ; chest tinged with pinkish buff ;
rest of under parts white. Male : wing 3.GO-3.75, bill .S5-.95, tarsus .85"
.90. Female: wing 3.70-3.90, bill 1.00-1.15, tarsus .90-95.

Distribution. — Breeding in Alaska and British America, migrating
through western North America . to Central and South America. Occa-
sional on the Atlantic coast in migrations.

Nest. — A slight depression in bare or grassy ground. Eggs : usually 4,
deep cinnamon buff, spotted with rusty brown or chestnut.

The western sandpiper is common along the Pacific coast during
migration, but scarce and irregular in the interior.

GENUS CALIDRIS.

248. Calidris arenaria (Linn.). SANDERLING.

Toes only 3, short and flattened ; bill slender, about as long as tarsus ;

feet and legs black. Adults in summer : upper parts specked and

spotted with black, gray, and
whitish, darkest on crown
and back ; whole under parts

and bar on wing white. Adults T
n M*. no. . . . Fis 114

in winter : upper parts hoary

gray, except blackish quills and bend of wing ; under parts snowy white.
Ynnnrj: upper parts coarsely spotted with dusky and gray above; under
parts white, sparsely marked with dusky and buffy on chest. Length :
7.00-8.75, wing 4.70-5.00. lull .95-1.00, tarsus .90-1.05.

Remarks.-- In having but three toes the sanderling resembles the plov-
ers, but may be distinguished from them by its slender bill and trans-
versely scaled tarsus.

Distribution.- -Nearly cosmopolitan, but breeding only in arctic and
subarctic regions ; in America wintering from Texas and California south
to Chili and Patagonia.

Nest. — A depression in the ground lined with grass and leaves. Eggs :
usually 4, light olive brown, spotted with various shades of brown.

SNIPES, SANDPIPERS, ETC. 95

The sanclerlings are sometimes t'ouiul on the inland lake shores and
during migrations are abundant on the eoasts, picking along the
sandy beaehes, chasing the retreating waves, and catching their food
from the squirming life left on the sandy shore.

GENUS LIMOSA.

General Characters. — Bill long- and slender, straight, or slightly inclined
upwards, whole front and back of tarsus covered with transverse scutellae.

KEY TO SPECIES.

1. Tail finely barred with cinnamon and dusky .... fedoa, p. (.)5.
1'. Tail black, tip and base white haemastica, p. 95.

249. Limosa fedoa (Linn.). MARBLED GODWIT.

Adults. — Plumage mainly light cinnamon brown, heavily mottled with
black on upper parts,
and finely barred with
blackish on chest, sides,
and tail; throat streaked
and chin whitish ; edge

of wing1 black. Young : „ ...._

similar to adults but

more ochraceoiis brown, and breast and sides unmarked. Length : 10.50-
20.50, wing- 8.50-0.00, bill 3.50-5.06.

Distribution. — Nearly the whole of North America, breeding- in Tran-
sition zone from Iowa and Nebraska north to Manitoba, Saskatchewan,
and British Columbia ; migrating to Guatemala, Trinidad, Yucatan, and
Cuba.

Nest. — A slight depression in grassy ground, lined with a little dry
grass. Eggs : usually 4.

On the prairies, Colonel Goss says, the marbled godwits are found
in flocks on moist ground and freshwater marshes. Although widely
distributed they are not generally common birds in the United
States.

251. Limosa hsemastica (Linn.). HUDSONIAN GODWIT.

Tail black, tipped with white ; upper coverts crossed by a wide white
baud. Adults in summer : back black, spotted with buff ; under parts
light chestnut, barred with dusky ; head and neck speckled and streaked
with buff and dusky ; chin and line over eye whitish. Adults in ivinter :
head, neck, and under parts buffy gray ; upper parts plain grayish brown.
Young : similar to winter adults but feathers of back scalloped with
dusky and buff. Length : 14.00-16.75, wing 8.10-8.60, bill 2.85-3.45.

Distribution. -- Breeding- far north, and migrating through the United
States east of the Rocky Mountains ; south to southern South America.

Nest. — A depression in the ground lined with a few leaves. Eggs :
usually 4, deep olive or light brown, spotted with darker brown.

The Hudsonian godwit has not been taken west of the Rocky
Mountains.

96 SNIPES, SANDPIPERS, ETC.

GENUS TOTANUS.

General Characters. — Bill longer than head, very slender ; leg's and
toes long-, slender, and yellow. Tarsus one and a half times as long' as
middle toe and claw.

KEY TO SPECIES.

1. Bill nearly as long- as tarsus, grooved for less than half its length.

melanoleucus, p. 96.
1'. Bill much shorter than tarsus, grooved for more than half its length.

flavipes, p. 97.

Subgenus Glottis.

254. Totanus melanoleucus (Gmel.). GREATER YELLOW-LEGS.

Adults in summer. -- Upper parts heavily mottled with black, gray, and

white ; quills black ; upper tail
coverts white, tail white barred
with gray ; under parts white,
spotted on chest and barred on
sides with black; throat gray,
streaked with dusky. Adults in winter: upper parts dark gray, finely
spotted with white ; under parts mainly white, with fine spotting of gray
on chest and throat. Young : like adults in winter, but darker above and
with buffy instead of white spotting. Length: 12.15-15.00, wing 7.50-
7.75, bill 2.20-2.30, tarsus 2.50-2.75.

Remarks. — In flight the whole tail and rump appear white, and are
very conspicuous.

Distribution. — Nearly the whole of America, breeding from Nebraska
and northern Illinois northward, and wintering from southern California
and the Gulf states southward to South America.

Nest. — A slight depression in the ground lined with grass. Eggs : 3
or 4, grayish or brownish buff, irregularly spotted with dark brown. Few
nests have been recorded.

Over most of the United States the greater yellow-legs are con-
spicuous in spring and fall among the flocks of migrating snipes and
sandpipers, not only about marshes and ponds, but on irrigated
fields where silvery minnows have been washed over the land. As
they walk about, the long bill and neck, slender gray body, and
white breast are not markedly different from those of other sand-
pipers around them, nor is there much that is individual in the dove-
like motion of their heads and the occasional tilting of the tail ; but
wrhen disturbed by your approach they rise in a close flock with
their liquid tweep, tu-ioeep, and the white rump and tail, together with
their large size, mark them unmistakably. Like others of their
kind, unless too thoroughly alarmed they fly only a short distance
before wheeling and circling back. As they wheel and circle the
shifting whiteness of the flocks against the blue of the sky is enough
to rouse one's enthusiasm. As they get ready to alight they lean
over and look down, set their wings, and then come to ground, rais-
ing their wings gracefully over their backs for a moment after their

SNIPES, SANDPIPERS, ETC. 97

feet touch the earth. But though last-mating to watch at their
feeding grounds, they are seen at their best when they come in high
from a distance on angular tern-like wings and sweep swiftly down
through the sky.

255. Totanus flavipes (Gmel.). LESSER YELLOW-LEGS.

Smaller than melanoleucus. Plumage similar in all its stages, but with
finer marking's. Length : I). 50-1 1.00, wing
0.10-6.65. bill 1.30-1.55, tarsus 2.00-2.15.

Distribution. — Nearly the whole of
America, breeding mainly north of the p.

United States ; migrating to southern
South America. Less common west of the Rocky Mountains ; accidental
in Europe.

Xest. — A mere depression in the ground, sometimes lined with leaves
or grass. Eggs : usually 4, of varying shades of buff , spotted with dark
browns.

In habits as well as general appearance the lesser yellow -legs
resembles its larger relative, with which it is often found, sometimes
in the same flock but more often in separate flocks on the same
feeding ground. When seen together the difference in size is most
noticeable, though the birds are otherwise counterparts.

GENUS HELODROMAS.

General Characters. — Bill very slender, a little longer than head ; legs
and toes olive green, long, and slender ; tarsus scarcely longer than middle
toe and claw.

KEY TO ADULTS.

1. Specking of back white or creamy solitarius, p. 97.

1'. Specking of back cinnamon brown .... cimiamomeus. p. 98.

256. Helodromas solitarius (Wils.). SOLITARY SANDPIPER.
Adults in summer. — Upper parts, including upper tail coverts and two

middle tail feathers, dark olive gray, finely

specked with whitish ; rest of tail barred

with white ; outer quills and edge of wing

deep black ; under parts white, streaked

with dusky on chest and throat. Adults

in winter : upper parts more dusky and less olive, chest less streaked.

Young : specking of back buffy, and dusky of chest and sides tinged with

buff. Wing: 4.83-5.19, tail 2.05-2.28, bill 1.03-1.20.

Remarks. — The solitary is distinguished from the other sandpipers in
the field by its dark color and black wings, and by its shrill note as it takes
wing.

Distribution. — North America east of the Rocky Mountains, breeding
from the northern United States northward, and migrating to Argentina
and Peru.

Nest. — A slight depression in the ground lined with leaves and grass.
Eggs : said to be 2 to 4, dull buffy, spotted with rich brown and purplish
gray. Few nests have ever been found or well identified eggs collected.

98 SNIPES, SANDPIPERS, ETC.

A little grass-fringed pond in the half open woods is a favorite
wading-grouud of the solitary sandpiper's, but the birds are often
seen singly or in pairs by wayside puddles or meadow creeks, pick-
ing their food from the shallow water with easy graceful motions,
pausing now and then with head erect to make a teetering bow.
They are quiet, shy birds, but not unapproachable, 'and they show
an interested curiosity in strangers. VEKNOX BAELEY.

25 6 a. H. S. cinnamomeus (Brewst.). WESTERN SOLITARY SAND-
PIPER.

Slightly larger than solitarius, with the spotting' of back in typical
specimens cinnamon brown instead of white or creamy, and with sides of
face lighter colored. Wing: 5.10-5.49, tail 2.18-2.30, bill 1.15-1.30.

Distribution. -- Western North America, migrating south through the
Great Basin and Pacific coast region to Lower California and southward.

In general appearance and habits the western is the counterpart
of the eastern solitary.

GENUS SYMPHEMIA.

258a. Symphemia semipalmata inornata Brewst. WEST-
ERN WlLLET.

Size large, bill slender, straight, about as long as tarsus ; base of toes
webbed ; base of tail and large patch on wing always white. Adults in
summer : upper parts mottled gray and dusky ; end of tail gray ; belly
white ; chest and sides buff y, barred with dusky, and throat streaked with
dusky. Adults in winter : upper parts plain ashy gray ; under parts white,
grayish on sides of throat and breast. Young : like adults, but upper
parts and sides more buffy or ochraceous. Wing : 7.8S-8.26, bill 2.28-2.70,
tarsus 2.45-2.95.

Distribution. - - North America, west of the Mississippi valley, and north
to about 56°, breeding from the Gulf coast of Texas north to Manitoba ;
south in winter to Mexico. Casual along the Atlantic states in migration.

Nest. — In a tussock of grass, rather bulky, and composed of grass and
various plant stems. Eggs : 4, grayish buffy or olive, heavily spotted
with dark brown and purplish gray.

The western willet differs from the eastern in slightly larger si/e
and in shades of color, but not in general appearance or habits
The shores of lakes and ponds are its favorite feeding grounds, but
it is sometimes found on the meadows or prairies not far from water.

After seeing the inconspicuous ashy gray birds feeding quietly
along a sandy beach, there is something startling in the flash of
strongly contrasted white and dark gray markings and the boisterous
laugh as they take to wing. Once seen and heard, they can be con-
fused with no other waders. VERNON BAILEY.

GENUS HETERACTITIS.

259. Heteractitis incanus (GmeL). WANDERING TATLER.

Web between middle and outer toes, but not between middle and inner ;

SNIPES, SANDPIPERS, ETC. 99

bill straight and slender, longer than tarsus ; tarsus equal to length of mid-
dle toe and claw. Adult* in summer : upper parts plain slaty or plumbeous
gray ; under parts thickly barred with white and dusky, becoming more
spotted on throat and pure white on anal region. Adults in winter : middle
of belly and chin white ; chest, sides, and upper parts gray. Young : like
winter adults but with fine specks and narrow scallops of white on wings
and back. Length: 10.50-11.30, wing 0.50-7.30, bill 1.50-1.60, tarsus
1.25-1.35.

Distribution. — Pacific coast of America, from Norton Sound to Lower
California and Galapagos Islands ; west to Kamschatka and the Hawaiian
and Polynesian Islands ; breeding from Vancouver Island northward.

Nest and eggs apparently not recorded, but young birds taken by
Macoun on the west coast of Vancouver Island.

GENUS BARTRAMIA.

261. Bartramia longicauda (Bechst.). BARTRAMIAN SANDPIPER:
UPLAND PLOVER.

Tail long and graduated, the end reaching well beyond tips of folded
wings ; base of toes webbed only between outer and middle. Adults :
rump black, rest of upper parts dusky, or greenish black, scalloped and
streaked with buff ; crown blackish, with a median line of light buff ;
sides and lower surface of wing barred with black and white ; throat
streaked and chest marked with dusky; chin and belly white. Length:
11.00-12.75, wing 6.50-7.00, bill 1.10-1.15, tarsus 1.90-2.05, tail 3.40-3.50.

Distribution. — Most of North America, but mainly the plains and prairie
region east of the Rocky Mountains ; north to Nova Scotia and Alaska ;
west to Utah and Oregon ; breeding from southern Kansas and Utah north-
ward ; migrating to Brazil and Peru. Accidental in Europe and Australia.

Nest. — A slight depression, usually in bare ground, sometimes with a
little grass lining. Eggs : 4, creamy or buffy, spotted with dark brown
and purplish gray.

While in habits more plover than sandpiper, Bartramia combines
even more the characteristics of the curlew and the god wit. It is
rarely found near water, being preeminently a bird of the prairie.
Sometimes during migrations it gathers in large flocks but is usually
found in pairs catching insects in the prairie grass and flowers or
following the plough picking up worms from the fresh earth. To the
plough-boy of the plains it is a confiding companion, trusting him at
a friendly distance and confidently answering his low whistles, while
he in turn marks its nests, leaving many a bit of unploughed ground
for its home. The soft bubbling whistle of the old birds as they
come over the prairie to meet you, and with curved trembling wings
circle about, trying to coax you away from their nests or young, is
one of the sweetest, most characteristic sounds of the prairie.

But, for the morsel of meat on their breasts, these beautiful,
friendly birds are counted game, even on their breeding grounds,
and in migration they are slaughtered by thousands on the southern
prairies. VERNON BAILEY.

100 SNIPES, SANDPIPERS, ETC.

GENUS TRYNGITES.

262. Tryngites SUbruficollis (VieilL). BUFF-BREASTED SAND-

PIPER.

Toes not webbed ; bill slender, straight, and about as long- as middle
toe without claw ; under surface of wing- beautifully mottled and marbled
with black on white and creamy. Adults : upper parts dull brownish
buff, the feathers with black or dusky centers ; under parts plain rich
buff. Young : like adults, but feathers of back edged with whitish.
Length: 7.00-8.90. wing 5.10-5.50, bill .75-80, tarsus 1.15-1.30.

Distribution. — North America in general, especially the interior, breed-
ing from the interior of British America and the Yukon district to the
arctic coast ; south in winter to Uruguay and Peru. Occasional in
Europe.

Nest. — A depression in the ground lined with a little moss or grass.
Eggs : visually 4, grayish or pale olive buff, spotted with dark brown and
purplish gray.

Although so widely distributed, the buff-breasted sandpipers do
not seem to be common except on their northern breeding grounds,
and in some of their southern stopping places. In the spring migra-
tion they are abundant on the coast prairies of Texas and Louisiana
and are favorite game birds of the pot-hunters because they go in
dense flocks on the open prairie and yield many birds to few shots.

GENUS ACTITIS.

263. Actitis macularia (Linn.). SPOTTED SANDPIPER.

Small and slender, bill approximately the length of tarsus, or of middle
toe and claw. Adults in summer : entire upper parts bronzy or greenish
olive, faintly marked with dusky ; under parts white, marked, except on
middle of belly, with round spots of dusky ; quills dusky, secondaries
tipped with white, with a conspicuous white line along the middle of open
wing. Adults in winter : white of under parts unspotted. Young : like
winter adults but finely barred on wings and back with dusky and buff.
Length : 7-8, wing 4.05-4.GO, bill .90-1.05, tarsus .90-1.05.

Remarks. — In the field the spotted sandpiper can always be recognized
by its small size, plain gray color, and the conspicuous white bar along the
middle of the wing in flight.

Distribution. — Whole of North America, breeding throughout most of
its range ; south in winter to Brazil and Uruguay.

Nest. — On dry ground in tuft of grass or under low bush, lined with
leaves and grass. Eggs : 4, huffy, spotted with lilac, dark brown, and
black.

Although never numerous or in flocks, the spotted sandpiper or
river sand peep is the commonest and best known of our sandpipers
over the country at large. There is hardly a patch of water from
the brooks in the mountain meadows to the rivers in the lowlands
which has not one or more pairs of these little quaker gray birds
picking along their shores with teetering gait, and with shrill peet-
weet, buzzing from stone to stone so fast that their wing tips seem

LONG-BILLED CURLEW

SNIPES, SANDPIPERS, ETC. 101

always to be pointing- down as they fly, their whole bodies tipping
violently when they alight. This teetering motion, which becomes
ridiculously rapid under excitement or alarm, has given the bird its
familiar names of tip-up and teeter-tail.

GENUS NUMENIUS.

General Characters. — Bill curved and slender, longer than tarsus ; front
of tarsus with transverse scutelLe ; toes webbed at base.

KEY TO SPECIES.

1. Bill of adult longer than tarsus and middle toe ; crown not striped.

longirostris, p. 101.
1'. Bill not longer than tarsus and middle toe.

2. Crown black with middle line of buff . . . hudsonicus, p. 102.

2'. Crown specked, without middle line of buff . . borealis, p. 102.

264. Numenius longirostris Wils. LONG-BILLED CURLEW.

Plumage light cinnamon, barred and mottled on upper parts with dusky
and black : outer webs of outer quills wholly black ; head, neck, throat,
and chest streaked with dusky ; crown mainly dusky ; belly plain cinna-
mon ; chin whitish. Length : 20-26, wing 10-11, bill 2.30 in young of
year to 8.50 in old birds ; tarsus 3.00-3.50.

Distribution. - - Whole of temperate North America, breeding from
Texas to Canada, migrating to Guatemala, Cuba, and Jamaica.

Nest. — A depression in the ground lined with grass. Eggs : 3 or 4,
grayish buff to pale buffy brown, spotted with dark brown and lilac.

On the prairies in migration you sometimes see a flock of a
hundred curlew flying high overhead in long shifting lines of form-
ing and dissolving wedges; and on the irrigated fields of the in-
terior, in marked contrast to the white moving throng of small bob-
bing snipe and sandpipers, you often find a small company of the
big, brown, round-backed Numenius writh their long, curved bills
down before them, stalking along with dignified demeanor. As
they rise and fly you get a flash of rich, warm color, and your ear is
startled by their stirring clarion call. When they come to earth,
like other waders they raise their wings over the back for an instant
with most striking effect.

When an intruder approaches their breeding grounds they often
come over the prairie to meet him and circle around with wild cries
and shrill laughter.

There is little excuse for killing these splendid birds for game, as
they make too easy a mark for any true sportsman, and when taken
are of little use, as their flesh is tough and dry.

Colonel Goss gives their food as worms, crickets, beetles, grass-
hoppers, small snails, crabs, and crawfish, and says that they reach
for the crabs wTith their long bills and pull them out of their holes,
and probe for larva? that come near the surface in spring.

102

PLOVERS

265. Numenius hudsonicus Lath. HUDSONIAN CURLEW.

Smaller than longirostris, with shorter bill and duller coloration ; quills
plain dusky. Upper parts specked, mottled, and barred with dusky and
buff ; crown black with middle and side lines of buff ; a dusky stripe
through eye ; under parts huffy, barred and streaked on sides, chest, and
neck with dusky. Length : 16.50-18.00, wing- 9.00-10.25, bill 3-4, tarsus
2.25-2.30.

Distribution. — Nearly the whole of North and South America and the
West Indies, breeding in the far north and wintering in the southern
United States and southward.

Nest. — A depression in the ground lined with grass and leaves. Eggs :
usually 4, creamy to pale olive, spotted with dull brown.

The Hudsonian curlew is common on the coasts but rare in the
interior. In habits as well as general appearance it is similar to the
long-billed curlew.

266. Numenius borealis (Forst.). ESKIMO CURLEW.

Similar to hudsonicus but smaller, with slenderer bill ; crown faintly
specked with buffy on black, and without a distinct median line of buff.
Length : 12.60-14.50, wing 8.00-8.50, bill 2.25-2.50, tarsus 1.70-1.80.

Distribution. — Eastern North America, breeding in arctic regions and
migrating to southern South America ; west to Kansas and Nebraska.
Recorded from San Diego, California (The Auk, i. 393).

Nest and eggs. — Similar to those of hudsonicus.

The Eskimo curlew is said to be an abundant migrant on the
plains east of the Rocky Mountains.

FAMILY CHARADRIIDJE : PLOVERS.

KEY TO GENERA.

1. Hind toe present but small ........ Squatarola, p. 102.

1'. Hind toe wanting.

2. Upper parts spotted, belly black in summer, grayish in winter.

Charadrius, p. 103.

2'. Upper parts plain, belly always white .... .ffigialitis, p. 103.

GENUS SQUATAKOLA.

270. Squatarola squatarola (Linn.).
BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER.

Fig. ll'j.

Hind toe minute ; bill rather short,
in summer : face, throat, and belly black, bor-
dered with white ; upper parts spotted with
black and white ; upper tail coverts white at
base ; outer half of tail barred with dusky.
Adults in winter : under parts white, overlaid,
streaked, and mottled with dusky and gray,
becoming creamy or white on anal region ;
upper parts spotted with gray and diisky.
Young : like winter adults, but spotted above
with light yellow, gray, and black. Length :
10.50-12.00, wing 7.50, bill 1.10, tarsus 1*1)5.

Distribut ion. -- Nearly cosmopolitan, but

PLOVERS 103

chiefly in the northern hemisphere, breeding- far north ; south in winter in
America to Brazil.

Nest. — A depression in the ground lined with old grass. Eygs : 4, light
huffy olive, spotted with dark brown or black.

" I have found this species quite common upon both coasts but
rare inland, where it seldom stops except to rest on its migratory
flights to and from its breeding-grounds. ... In habits it is similar
to the golden plover." (Goss.)

GENUS CHARADBIUS.

272. Char adr his dominions Mail. GOLDEN PLOVER.

Hind toe wanting-, bill small and slender. Adults in snitinifr : upper
parts black or dusky, spotted with bright yellow and Avhite ; face, throat,
and belly black, bordered with a line of white ; tail dusky, barred with
gray or yellow. Adults in winter : under parts mottled dusky gray ; back
less golden than in summer. Young : like winter adults, but with upper
parts more golden, and yellow wash over neck and breast. Length : U.50-
10.80, wing 0.80-7.40, bill .80-1.00, tarsus 1.55-1.82.

Distribution. — North and South America^ breeding in arctic regions,
and migrating to Patagonia.

N<jst. — A slight depression in the moss or dry grass. Eggs: 4, pale
grayish or olive buff to buffy brown, spotted with dark brown or black.

In the United States the golden plover is a common migrant east
of the Rocky Mountains, but less frequently seen toward the Pacific
coast.

For an interesting account of its breeding habits see Nelson's
Birds of Alaska.

GENUS ^EGIALITIS.

General Characters. — Hind toe wanting ; bill much shorter than head ;
colors plain, with or without black bands.

KEY TO SPECIES.

]. Chest without trace of black bars montaiia, p. 105.

1'. Chest with complete or interrupted bar of black or dusky in adults.

2. Chest with two black bars vocifera. p. 103.

2'. Chest with one complete or interrupted bar of black or dusky.
3. Chest with complete bar.
4. Bill not over .55.

5. Front toes connected by web at base . semipalmata. p. 104.
5'. Middle and inner toe not connected by web at base.

circumciiicta, p. 104.

4'. Bill about .80 wilsonia, p. 105.

3'. Chest with only a black spot on each side . . . nivosa, p. 105.

Subgenus Oxyechus.

273. JEgialitis VOCifera (Linn.). KILLDEER.

Adults. — Chest crossed by two black bands, the upper encircling the

104 PLOVERS

neck ; forehead, collar, and under parts white ;
front of crown black ; rump and sides of tail bright
ochraceous yellow ; rest of upper parts dull olive
brown. Young : similar to adults but duller, with
much rusty on back. Length: 10.00-11.25, wing
6.20-6.75, bill .70-.90, tarsus 1.40-1.55.

Distribution. — Whole of temperate North Amer-
ica, breeding throughout its range, wintering from
California and the Gulf coast of the United
Fi 1"0 Kil deer States and West Indies south to northern South

America.

Nest. — A slight depression in bare ground. Eggs : 4, dull buff y,
spotted with dark brown and black.

The killdeer is everywhere too common to need description, and
even its name, dinned in our ears from morning till night from
roadside puddles, barnyard, and meadow in the shrill kill-dee', kill-
dee', kill-dee', kill-dee', becomes almost tiresomely familiar. Vocifer-
ous at all times, the plover becomes doubly so when the little downy
striped young are trotting about in the short grass. Then the cries
and frantic endeavors of the old birds to lead the intruder another
way by running ahead, limping, falling over, fluttering the spread
wings and tail, and uttering low notes of pain, would be ludicrous
if not done in tragic earnest. VERNON BAILEY.

Subgenus ^gialitis.

274. -33gialitis semipalmata Bonap. SEMIPALMATED PLOVER.
Size small ; distinct basal webs between front toes ; bill very small and

short, less than middle toe without claw, the basal half yellow in adults.

Adults in summer : throat encircled by a black collar,
bordered above on back of neck with a white band ;
face black, with a white bar across forehead ; upper
parts brownish gray, under parts white. Adults in
(jointer : black of summer plumage replaced by dark
gray. Young : like winter adults, but with feathers
of upper parts edged with buffy. Length : 6.50-7.50,
wing 4.65-5.00, bill .4S-.55, tarsus .95-1.05.

Distribution. • In North America, breeding far
north, wintering from Texas to Brazil, Peru, and the
Galapagos Islands.
Nest. — A depression in the ground, sometimes lined with grass and

leaves. Eggs : 4, dull buffy or olive buff, spotted with dark brown and

black.

" This species is quite common in suitable localities throughout
the continent. They are often met with upon low, marshy ground,
but seem to prefer the sandy shores to barren lands." (Goss.)

277a. .^Egialitis meloda circumcincta llidyw. BELTED PIP-
ING PLOVER.

Middle and inner toes without basal web. Adult male in summer : upper
parts buffy gray, a black bar across chest and one across front of crown ;

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PLOVERS 105

forehead, collar, and under parts white. Adult female in summer : duller
black. Adults in winter: black replaced by buffy g'ray. Young: like
winter adult, but with buffy edging's to feathers of back. Length : (5.25-
7.50, wing- 4.50-4.80, bill .45-.50.

Distribution. — Mississippi valley and north to Lake Winnipeg", west to
Cheyenne, Wyoming-, east occasionally to the Atlantic ; breeding from
Illinois and Nebraska northward, and wintering- on the Gulf coast and
southward.

278. JEgialitis nivosa Cass. SNOWY PLOVER.

Bill longer than middle toe without claw, slender, and entirely black.
Chest band reduced to a spot at each side of breast. Adults in summer :
crown and back pale buffy gray ; face and under parts white ; wide bar
across front of crown, ear patch, and spot at side of chest black. Adults
in ivinter : black replaced by dusky gray. Young : similar to winter
adults, but with feathers of back tipped with white. Length : 0.25-7.00,
wing 4.20-4.30, bill about .00, tarsus .90-1.05.

Distribution. — Western United States, east to western Nebraska, Kan-
sas, and Texas ; south in winter to Chili ; breeding over most of its United
States range.

Nest. — A slight depression in the sand. Eggs : 3, dull light buff,
spotted with dark brown and black.

On the shores of Salt Lake while the great white gulls disport
themselves in the air and on the water, the plump little snowy plover
is trotting along the beach gathering his food as he goes. If fright-
ened, he drops into the deep footprint of a horse and is lost to view,
so well does his back match the dull gray surface. Though so small,
he is one of the most attractive bits of life in his big landscapes.

Subgenus Ochthodromus.

280. -33gialitis wilsonia (Orel). WILSON PLOVER.

Much smaller than the killdeer, with but one black band across chest
and without yellow on rump or upper tail coverts. Adult male : upper
parts brownish gray, with black across front of crown, lores, and chest ;
forehead, superciliary line, collar, and rest of under parts white. Adult
female : black of male replaced by brownish gray, more or less tinged
with rusty. Young : similar to female, but feathers of upper parts mar-
gined with grayish. Length: 7.50-7.90. wing 4.50, bill .80, tarsus 1.25.

Remarks. - - The Wilson plover may be distinguished from the other
small plovers by its much longer bill.

Distribution. — Coasts and islands from southern California and Long
Island south to Brazil and Peru. Casual to Nova Scotia.

Subgenus Podasocys.

281. -ZEgialitis montana (Towns.). MOUNTAIN PLOVER.

Bill slender ; tail less than half as long as wing ; chest without band ;
middle and inner toes not connected by basal web. Adults in summer:

upper parts plain grayish or buffy brown ;
under parts white or buffy ; forehead and
line over eye white ; front edge of crown
and streak in front of eye, black. Adults
Fig. 122. in winter : without pure white or black

106 SURF BIRDS AND TURNSTONES

markings, and with more of buff y. Young : like winter adults but still
more buffy ; feathers of upper parts strongly tinged with buff. Length :
8.00-9.10, wing 6, bill .80-90, tarsus 1.50-1.60.

Distribution. -- Western United States, breeding from Texas to Dakota
and Montana ; west, mainly in winter, to California and south to Lower
California and San Luis Potosi, Mexico ; accidental in Florida.

Nest. — A slight depression in the prairie lined sparingly with leaves and
grass. Eggs : 3 or 4, cream color to light olive, spotted with purplish
gray, dark brown, and black.

Totally disregarding its name, the mountain plover inhabits the
high arid plains, breeding in considerable abundance from the Staked
Plains of Texas to Montana, and in Colorado up to 8000 feet. It is a
quiet bird, lacking the sharp markings and vociferousness of the kill-
deer. Instead of haunting the ponds and meadows, it spends its time
picking up grasshoppers and other small insects from the short prairie
grass.

Grinnell reports it a common winter visitor in Los Angeles County,
California. VERNON BAILEY.

FAMILY APHRIZIDJE: SURF BIRDS AND TURN-
STONES.

KEY TO GENERA.

1. Bill stout, with rounded tip ; tail slightly emarginate. Aphriza, p. 106.
1'. Bill with sharp tip inclined upward ; tail slightly rounded.

Arenaria, p. 106.

GENUS APHRIZA.

282. Aphriza virgata (GmeL). SURF BIRD.

Base of tail, upper coverts, and a hroad bar on wing white. Adults in
summer: upper parts, head, neck, and chest, slaty gray, specked and streaked

with whitish, and spotted on scapulars
with rufous ; belly white, specked with
dusky. Adults in winter: like summer
adults, but with upper parts, head, and
neck plain dusky or slaty gray. Young :

back brownish gray, feathers edged with white ; throat and breast white,
streaked with dusky. Length : 10, wing 7, bill .95-1.00, tarsus 1.20-1.25.
Distribution. — Pacific coast of America from Alaska to Chili.

The surf bird has never been found in abundance, and its breeding
grounds are unknown.

GENUS ARENARIA.

General Characters. — Bill short and sharp, with the tip inclined up-
wards ; toes unwebbed ; lower back and base of tail white ; rump white,
with black patch.

KEY TO SPECIES.

1. Throat white morinella, 107.

1'. Throat black melanocephala, 107.

OYSTER-CATCHERS

107

Fig. 124. Summer Plumage.

283.1. Arenaria morinella (Linn.). RUDDY TURNSTONE.

Adults. — Throat and belly white, chest crossed by a broad black band ;
back coarsely mottled with rufous and black; head variously streaked.
Young : similar to adult but duller, without rufous on back, and with the
chest band mottled dusky gray. Length : 9.00-9.90, wing- 0.00, bill .80-.OU,
tarsus 1.

Distribution. — Arctic America, breeding- from the Mackenzie River east-
ward ; south in migration, chiefly coastwise, to Patagonia and the Falkland
Islands. Rare in the interior and on the Pacific coast.

Nest. — A slight depression in ground lined with grass and leaves.
Eggs : usually 4, grayish olive, spotted with dark brown.

284. Arenaria melanocephala (Vig.). BLACK TURNSTONE.

Adults in summer. — Crown and upper back black, with greenish bronzy

g-loss ; rest of head, neck, throat, and chest
black, spotted on forehead and sides with
white ; a white spot in front of eye ; belly and
sides white. Adults in winter : similar, but with
head, neck, and chest unspotted, sooty black.
Young : head more grayish than in winter adults
and feathers of back edged with buffy. Length :
9, wing 5.80-6.10, bill .85-1.00, tarsus 1.00-1.10.

Distribution. — Pacific coast of North America
from Point Barrow to Santa Margarita Island,
Fig. 125. Winter Plumage. Lower California ; breeding- from British Colum-
bia northward.
Nest and eggs as in morinella.

FAMILY H JEM ATOP O DID JE : OYSTER-CATCHERS.

GENUS HJEMATOPUS.

General Characters. — Bill straight and flattened, chisel-shaped ; bright
red in adult, brownish in young- ; feet and legs short and stout, red ; tail
square across end.

KEY TO SPECIES.

1. Belly and base of tail white frazari, p. 107.

1 . Belly and whole plumage blackish bachmaiii, p. 107.

286.1. Hsematopus frazari Brewst. FRAZAR OYSTER-CATCHER.

Adults. — Head and neck greenish black ; back rich dark brown ; tail and
wing quills brownish black ; under parts, base of tail, and patch on wing,
white. Length: 17-21, wing- 9.75-10.27. bill 2.99-3.05, tarsus 2.18-2.30.

Distribution. — Coasts of southern and Lower California, north to Ven-
tura County.

The white-bellied oyster-catchers reported from southern Califor-
nia are assumed to \)e frazari instead oipalliatus of the Atlantic coast.

287. Haematopus bachmani Aud. BLACK OYSTER-CATCHER.
Adults. — Head and neck dull bluish black ; rest of plumage brown-
ish black. Young : duller,
more brownish. Length :
17.00-17.50, wing-
9.60-10.75, bill
2.50-2.95, tarsus
Fig. 126. 1.85-2.25. Fig. 127.

108 JACANAS

Distribution. — Pacific coast of North America from the Aleutian Islands
to La Paz, Lower California, and the Kurile Islands ; breeding- throughout
most of its range.

Eggs. — 1 to 3, laid on the bare rock, sand, or gravel ; light buff or olive,
spotted with brownish black and purplish gray.

Mr. Loomis has taken black oyster-catchers on the Seal Rocks at
Monterey in July. They are said to be strictly littoral in their habits,
always flying over the sea when moving from point to point.

FAMILY JACANIDJE: JACANAS.

GENUS JACANA.

[288.] Jacana spinosa (Linn.}. MEXICAN JACANA.

Toes very long and slender, hind claw straight and longer than toe ;
bend of wing armed with a sharp spur ; forehead covered by a leaf -like
scale from base of bill. Adults : head and neck greenish black ; wing
quills yellowish green edged or tipped with dusky ; rest of plumage rich
purplish chestnut. Young : with only a rudiment of frontal leaf ; back
olive gray, back of neck black ; rump brown ; under parts and stripe on
side of head white. Length : 8.50, wing 4.50-5.40, bill 1.15-1.40, tarsus
1.90-2.35.

Distribution. — Middle America from southern Texas to Colombia ;
Cuba ; Hayti.

LAND BIRDS.
KEY TO FAMILIES.

ORDER GALLING : GROUSE, QUAIL, TURKEYS,

PHEASANTS, ETC.

1. Hind toe short, raised above level of front ones.

2. Leg with spur, head naked or tail vaulted, plumage
largely metallic ....... Phasianidae :

Turkeys and Pheasants, p. 134.

2.' Leg without spur, head feathered, tail not vaulted,
plumage not metallic ...... Tetraonidae :

Grouse, Partridges, Quails, etc., p. 113.

Fig. 128.

1 . Hind toe long, on a level with front ones ...... Cracidce :

Currassows and Guans, p. 137.

ORDER COLUMB^E: PIGEONS OR DOVES.

Bill slender, nostril opening in soft fleshy skin or membrane.
3 Columbidae : Pigeons, p. loS.

KEY TO FAMILIES OF LAND BIRDS

109

ORDER RAPTORES: VULTURES, EAGLES,
HAWKS, OWLS, ETC.

1. Head naked, feet not suited for

grasping-. . . Cathartidae :

Vultures, p. 144.

1'. Head feathered, feet especially
adapted for grasping-.

Fig. 130.

Fig. 131.

Fig. 132.

Fig. 135.

2. EjTes not surrounded by striking
discs of radiating feathers.

Falconidae : Falcons,
Kites, Hawks, Eagles,

etc., p. 146. Fig. 133.

2'. Eyes surrounded by striking discs
of radiating feathers.

3. Inner edge of middle claw

toothed . . . Strigidee :

Barn Owls. p. 173.

3'. Inner edge of middle claw not

toothed . . Bubonidae :

Horned Owls, etc.,

p. 175.

Fig. 136.

ORDER PSITTACI: PARROTS.

Toes 4, 2 in front, 2 behind ; outer toe perma-
nently reversed Psittacidae :

Parrots, p. 192.

ORDER COCCYGES : CUCKOOS,
TROGONS, KINGFISHERS,

ETC.

Fig. 137.

1. Toes 4, 3 pointing forward, 1 back Alcedinidae :

Kingfishers, p. 198.

1'. Toes 4, 2 pointing forward, 2 back.
Fig. 139.

110

KEY TO FAMILIES OF LAND BIRDS

Fig. 140.

2. Bill long-, cutting- edges smooth . Cuculidae :
3 Road-rumiers, Cuckoos, etc., p. 193.

2.' Bill short, cutting- edge toothed. Trogoiiidae :

Trogons, p. 197.

Fig. 141.

ORDER PICI: WOODPECKERS.

Toes 3 or 4, only 2 in front ;
bill chisel-like ; tail fea-
thers stiff and pointed.

Picidae :
Woodpeckers, p. 200.

Fig. 143.

Fig. 144.

Fig. 142.

Fig

ORDER MACROCHIRES: GOATSUCKERS,
SWIFTS, AND HUMMINGBIRDS.

1. Bill long and slender, gape not deeply cleft. Trochilidae :

Hummingbirds, p. 232.

1'. Bill short, wide at base, gape deeply cleft.

2. Plumage moth-like, lax ; middle toe long, and
inner edge toothed . Caprimulgidae :

Goatsuckers, p. 222. Fig. 147.

2'. Plumage compact, middle toe normal, not

toothed Micropodidae :

Swifts, p. 229.

Fig. 148.

Fig. 14G.

ORDER PASSERES: PERCHING BIRDS.

Toes 4, 3 pointing forward, 1 back ; ^ all on the same level and

never united for half their length.

Fig. 149.

1. Inner toe with basal phalanx united to that of middle toe.

Cotiiigidae : Cotingas, p. 245.

1'. Inner toe with basal phalanx not united to that of middle toe.
2. Back of tarsus rounded.

.'). Hind claw longer than its toe and straight ;
bill rounded, not hooked at tip.

Alaudidae : Larks, p. 265.

Fig. 150.

Fig. 151.

KEY TO FAMILIES OF LAND BIRDS

111

Fig. 153.

Fig. 154.

Fig. 155.

^^£ O 3 . Hind claw shorter than its toe and curved ; bill
^^ flat, wider than high, slightly hooked at tip.

Tyraunidae : Flycatchers, p. 245.
Fig. 152.

2'. Back of tarsus sharp-edged.

3. Primaries apparently only 9, the 10th being
only a rudiment.

4. Outer primary twice as long as innermost.
Hirundinidee : Swallows, p. 382.

4'. Outer primary not twice as long as inner-
most.
5. Bill slender and thin at base.

6. Hind claw as long as or longer than
its toe .... Motacillidae :
Wagtails and Pipits, p. 431.

6'. Hind claw shorter than its toe.

7. Head crested . Ampelidee :
Waxwings and
Phainopeplas, p. 387.

I 7'. Head not crested.

Mniotiltidae :
Wood Warblers, p. 401.
Fig. 157.

5. Bill short and thick or long and thick

at base.

6. Bill notched at tip and with bristles
at gape.

^S.

O
i

7. Nostril concealed or overhung,
or else cutting edge of lower
mandible forming a distinct
angle . . . Friiigillidae :
Finches, Sparrows,
etc., p. 303.

Nostril exposed, cutting edges of
lower mandible without dis-
tinct angle ; males with more or
less red, females greenish and
yelloAvish . . Taiiagridae :
Tanagers, p. 379.

G'. Bill without notch at tip and with-
out bristles at base.
7. Bill wider than high at base ;
plumage greenish, speckled.

Sturiiidae :
Starlings, p. 285.

Fig. 1G3.

Fig. 164.

112

KEY TO FAMILIES OF LAND BIRDS

Fig. 1G7.

7'. Bill not wider than high at

base ; plumage largely black

or yellow . . . Icteridae :

Blackbirds, Orioles,

etc., p. 285.

Fig. 1G6.

3'. Primaries obviously 10.

4. First primary more than half i
as long as second.

5. Bill hooked at tip

Fig. 168.

. . Laiiiidae :
Shrikes, p. 391.

Fig. 169.

Fig. 170.

5'. Bill not hooked at tip.
0. Nasal feathers erect or inclined back-
ward (except genus Oroscaptes, in
which the first primary is not half as
long as second) Troglodytidce :
Wrens, Thrashers, Mocking-
birds, and Catbirds, p. 433.
6'. Nasal feathers pointing forward over
bill.

7. Large ; wing more than 4.

Corvidee: Crows, Jays,
Magpies, etc., p. 269.

Fig. 171.

Fig. 173.

7'. Small, wing less than 2. Paridae :
Nuthatches and Tits (Genus
Chamcea: Wren-tits), p. 452.
Fig. 172.

4'. First primary not
more than half \?
as long as sec- A
ond.

5. Tarsus not divided into
plates except near
toes. Fig. 174.

6. Tail abnormally short ; plumage slate
gray. Cinclidce : Dippers, p. 4:J2.
G'.Tail normally long; plumage green

or brown.

7. Small, wing less than 2.50; plum-
age greenish. Sylviidee : King-
lets. Gnatcatchers, etc.
(Genus Reyulus : AV»///e/.s), p. 46:5.
7'. Large : wing more than 3 ; plum-
age brown or grayish.
Turdidae : Thrushes, p. 467.

GROUSE, PARTRIDGES, QUAILS, ETC.

113

Fig. 176.

Fig. 180.

5'. Tarsus divided into
plates.

Fig. 175.

G. Bill slightly hooked or notched at tip.
7. Small; wing 1.90-2.20.

8. Upper parts greenish or grayish ;

tail even. Vireonidse :

Vireos, p. 3U4.

8'. Upper parts bluish ; tail gradu-

ated Sylviidae : Kinglets,

Gnatcatchers. etc.

(Genus Polioptila : Gnat-

catchers), p. 463.

Fig. 177.

Fig. 178.

Fig. 182.

7'. Large : length 8 to 9.

Troglody tidee : Wrens,
Thrashers, etc.
(Genus Oroscoptes : Sage

Fig. 179. Thrashers), p. 433.

6'. Bill not hooked at tip.

7. Tail feathers stiff, pointed at tip.
Certhiidae : Creepers, p. 451.

Fig. 181.

7'. Tail feathers normal (except genus
O Chamcea, in which the first pri-

mary is more than half as long as
second) .... ParidcB :
Fig. 183. Nuthatches and Tits, p. 452.

ORDER GALLING : GALLINACEOUS BIRDS.
(FAMILIES TETRAONID.E, PHASIANID^E, AXD CRACID.E.)

FAMILY TETRAONIDJE : GROUSE, PARTRIDGES,

QUAILS, ETC.

KEY TO GENERA.

1. Legs feathered down to base of toes.

8^%

' • , • ~

2. Tail feathers narrow and pointed,

Centrocercus, p. 133.

/•^ ^ .

2.' Tail feathers broad and rounded.
3. Sides of neck with tuft of feathers.

Tympanuchus, p. 129.

Fig. 184.

114

GROUSE, PARTRIDGES, QUAILS, ETC.

3'. Sides of neck without tuft of feathers.

4. Tail strikingly graduated, middle feathers
much the longest.

Fedicecetes, p. 131.

4'. Tail not strikingly graduated, middle feath-
ers not much the longest.

5. Toes feathered

Lagopus, p. 128.

Fig. 186.

5'. Toes naked.

6. Tail of 20 feathers.

Fig. 187. Dendragapus, p. 124.

6.' Tail of 1(3 feathers.

Caiiachites, 12G.
1'. Leg's not feathered down to base of toes.

2. Neck with two blackish or brownish ruffs.

Bonasa, p. 127.

2'. Neck without ruffs.

3. Tail much less than half as long as wing ;
claws long .... Cyrtonyx, p. 122.

Fig. 189.

Fig. 190.

3'. Tail more than half as long as wing ; claws
moderate.

4. Head not crested . . . Colinus, p. 114.
4'. Head with crest.

5. Crest blended with feathers of crown.

Callipepla, p. 118.

5'. Crest distinct from feathei-s of crown.
6. Crest long and straight (2-3 inches).

Oreortyx, p. 117.

C'. Crest upright, recurved and club-
shaped (about 1 inch).

Lophortyx, p. 119.

GENUS COLINUS.

(i» neral Characters. -- Feathers of crown lengthened and erectile, but
not forming a distinct crest ; tail about three fifths as long as wing ; wing
less than five inches ; plumage of upper parts spotted and barred.

KEY TO ADULT MALES.

1. Throat black ridgwayi, p. 116.

1 . Throat white.

2. Under parts lightly and irregularly barred . virgimanus, p. 115.

2'. Under parts heavily and closely barred .... texanus, p. 116.

GROUSE, PARTRIDGES, QUAILS, ETC. 115

KEY TO ADULT FEMALE COLINUS.

1. Under parts narrowly barred with black . . . virgiiiianus, p. 115.
1'. Under parts broadly barred with black.

2. Belly more heavily barred, cinnamon chest band usually more

marked. . ridgwayi, p. 110.

2'. Belly less heavily barred ; cinnamon chest band usually less marked.

texaiius, p. 11(5.

289. Colinus virginianus (Linn.). BOB-WHITE.

Adult male. — Line through eye white ; throat white, bordered below
by black ; rest of under parts buffy or brown- ati^^^-'Wivvr-r-.

ish — reddish brown on sides — narrowly barred ^f •
with black; upper parts reddish brown and - -^jL. |&/>£Jjj
black ; scapulars, tertials, and lower back strik-
ingly blotched with black. Adult female : like

male, but black of head replaced by brown, and white by buffy. Young :
upper parts rusty, more or less spotted with black, and feathers with white
shaft streaks widening- at tip ; breast grayish or brownish, streaked with
white ; throat and belly whitish. Length : 9.50-10.75. wing 4.55, tail 2.70,
bill .59.

Distribution. — Resident in Transition and Upper Sonoran zones in east-
ern United States, and spreading from Nebraska and Texas westward ;
also since introduction, in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Idaho, California,
Oregon, and Washington.

Nest. — A saucer-shaped excavation in the ground, sometimes domed,
but usually sheltered by bushes or weeds, and lined with dry grass or stub-
ble. Eggs : 12 to IS, dull white.

Food. — Insects, grain, wreed seed, beechnuts, and wild berries.

No picture of early spring among the farms, with the fields of dry
cornstalks and the smoky, budding wood-lots, marked off by rail
fences, is complete without an occasional stiff wThirr of wings in the
brush, a scudding of quick feet in the rustling leaves, and the distant
clear whistle, bob-white.

The quail are in pairs now, and unless near enough together for
their low conversational quit, quirk, queet, are sure to be calling back
and forth in loud whistles from the fence tops, the stone piles, or
low branches of trees. A little later the calling is hushed and the
male may be seen hurrying about alone, or the two running mys-
teriously under the bushes ; and still later there is a flock of little
brown fluffy chicks to be led and guarded. By themselves they
are a quiet, happy family, but when an intruder appears, all is excite-
ment and confusion. There are two sputtering, fluttering, scolding
old birds trying to lure or scare you away in several directions at
once, and there is a scurrying flock of chicks, under your feet one
moment, gone the next. They take to their heels now. but in a
short time their quills sprout, and then when disturbed they take to
wing like a lot of bumblebees.

As the summer passes the broods often join in larger flocks, and
they get scattered the call -whistle, bob-white, is heard again

116 GROUSE, PARTRIDGES, QUAILS, ETC.

about the farm. But dog and hunter are now abroad, and the quiet,
happy days of the quail are over. VERXOX BAILEY.

289b. C. V. texanus (Lau-r.). TEXAN BOB-WHITE.

Adult male. — Similar to C. virginianus, but upper parts mainly brown

rather than reddish brown, with distinct
whitish barring-s and with less striking- black
blotches on scapulars, tertials, and lower
back ; under parts more heavily and thickly
barred with brown, and usually with broader
and more distinct band of pinkish brown

below black collar. Adult female : like male, but without striking- black
or white marking's ; upper parts mixed black, white, and brown, from
buff y brown to rufous ; throat patch and superciliary tawny ; flanks less
deeply rufous ; median under parts less heavily barred than in male, but
more heavily barred than in the female virginianus. Young : browner
than in virginianus. Wing : 4.39, tail 2.44, bill ..">',).

Distribution. - - Resident in Upper and Lower Sonoran zones, from west-
ern Kansas south through Texas to eastern Nuevo Leon and Central
Tamaulipas, Mexico.

Nest, egg's, and food like those of the bob-white.

The Texan bob-white is equally at home in the thorny thickets of
southern Texas and in the brushy creek bottoms of western Kansas.
At San Antonio, Texas, Mr. Atwater says the quail often come close
to his ranch and lay eggs in hens' nests, perhaps on account of the
protection afforded against snakes.

Except for the paler coloration so common in the more open and
arid regions, the Texan is a true bob-white, and for habits and voice
might have been bred in Ohio.

291. Colinus ridgwayi Breicst. MASKED BOB-WHITE.

Adult male. -- Face and throat black, under parts reddish brown ; upper

parts finely mottled with cinnamon brown, black,
and buff ; back of neck finely streaked with white,
Adult female : like the female of C. v. texanus, but
usually with a more marked chest band and
p- ,00 heavier barring on bellv. 117/K/: 4.41), tail 2.81,

bill .60.

Distribution. — Southwestern Arizona and northwestern Sonora.
Nest..--]\\ one record, a shallow excavation beside a tuft of grass.
' (>. white, unspotted.

Food. -- lii-d ants, grasshoppers, beetles, seeds, leaves, and berries.

The masked bob-white, iirst discovered in southern Arizona by
.Mr. Herbert Brown, finds congenial cover in the high grass of the
mesas and valleys, disappearing when stock destroy the grass. Mr.
Brown describes the male as strikingly handsome when the sun red-
dens the deep chestnut of his breast. His two characteristic notes
arc the family 1<>1, //•////,, n-iven in bold full tones from the top of
a n>ek or bush, and a ' /trw-we,' used when the birds are scattered,
especially toward nightfall.

GROUSE, PARTRIDGES, QUAILS, ETC. 117

GENUS OREORTYX.

General Characters. — Crest of two long slender plumes ; bill and feet
stout, tarsus equal to middle tor and claw; tail about three fifths the
length of wing1, broad, rounded, with long coverts ; wing' five inches or
more.

KEY TO ADULTS.

I. Upper parts olive brown from tail to crest .... pictus, p. 117.
1'. Upper parts grayish olive, bluish g'ray on nape . plumiferus, p. 117.

292. Oreortyx pictus (Douyl.). MOUNTAIN PARTKIDCK.

Adult nude. — Crest black ; upper parts ilet^p olive broirn, usually to crest,
top of head bluish gray, stripes on sides of back buffy or yellowish brown,
throat and flanks dtej> chestnut, flanks broadly banded with black and
white; breast plain bluish slate. (See Fig. 194.) Adult female : crest
usually shorter. Young : crest blackish, barred at end with pale brown,
breast gray, marked with triangular spots, throat and belly whitish ; upper
parts gravish brown, specked with white. Lenyth : 10.50-11.50, wing 5.^5-
5.40.

Distribution. — Resident mainly in humid Transition zone of Pacific
coast region, from Santa Barbara, California, north to Washington.

Nest. — On the ground, alongside or under an old log, bush, or other
shelter. Eygs : usually 8 to 1'2, creamy or creamy buff, unspotted.

Food. — Grasshoppers, beetles, ants, and other insects, berries, seeds,
buds, and leaves.

Though 0. p. plumiferus has been given the name plumed par-
tridge to distinguish it from 0. p ictus of the humid belt, both birds
are known locally as mountain quail, and their habits are practically
identical.

292a. O. p. plumiferus (Gould). PLUMED PARTRIDGE.

Like O. pictus. but upper parts olive, the hind neck usually partly or
wholly bluish slate like the breast ;
forehead generally paler, often whitish,
inner edge of tertials lighter buff or
buffy whitish.

Distribution. — Resident in arid Tran-
sition zone from the west side of the Fig. 194.
Cascades in northern Oregon, -- except

near the coast, — south along both sides of the Sierra Nevada, and in the
southern coast ranges to northern Lower California.

Y,sZ. -- A slight, hollow in the ground lined with a few dry leaves, pine
needles, and grasses, under shelter of thickets, bushes, weeds, or fallen
treetops. Eggs : 8 to 14, cream to reddish buff.

In winter when there are heavy snows on the mountains, the
quail come down to the foothills, and have even been seen in Pasa-
dena, three miles from the base of the mountains. In summer they
are most abundant in the dense chaparral of Transition zone,
though they go much higher.

Only once during two months spent in the Sierra, in the heart
of the plumed quail country, did I come face to face with one of

118 GROUSE, PARTRIDGES, QUAILS, ETC.

these handsome birds. It stood, marvelous to relate, upon a fence-
post by the road, and, as we passed, its long plume and rich banded
sides stood out more clearly than in a museum show-case. Even
that exhibition, though it had such a casual air, we more than sus-
pected was to hold our attention while a surprised family got to
cover. But though -plumiferus vouchsafed us so little of its society,
the mountains seemed alive with its fleeing broods. In July the
young changed from balls of down with brown stripes along their
backs to well-feathered chicks, who essayed to fly with the best of
their elders. Twenty-one of these stubby-crested fledgelings started
up and trained across the road almost under our horses' noses one
day by Donner Lake, with only two old birds in evidence, but these
were probably joint mothers of the flock. From Donner to the
Yosemite a glimpse of dark whirring forms vanishing through the
trees was so common that at night we often asked ourselves, "How
many broods have we seen to-day ? " The clear pipe, and the hur-
ried warning of the old guardian, kali, kali, kah, there's danger near,
there 's danger ne'ar, the low conversational notes of a family when
undisturbed, and the motherly cluck and soft quieting talk of the
old bird to her brood were so often in our ears that now, as we look
back, they give life and richness to the memory of the majestic
Sierra forest.

GENUS CALLIPEPLA.

General Characters. — Tail more than two thirds as long1 as wing1 ; bill
small and weak ; crest short and not distinctly separated from feathering1
of crown ; sexes essentially alike.

KEY TO ADULT MALES.

1. Belly buffy squamata, p. 118.

1'. Belly with chestnut patch castanogastris, p. 119.

293. Callipepla squamata (Vig.). SCALED PARTRIDGE.

Adults.-- Plumage pale, bluish gray and dull brownish; head and
short, full crest fawn-colored, crest tipped with white ; most of under parts
and fore parts of back appearing scaled ; bluish gray of anterior under parts
changing- to buffy on belly, sides dark gray streaked with white ; posterior
upper parts plain bluish gray, witli conspicuous white stripe on each side
of back. Youny : upper parts marked with black bars and white mesial
streaks ending- in triangular spots at tips of feathers ; breast brownish,
with white triangular streaks, sides barred with brown. Length : 9.50-
12.00, wing 4.50-5.00, tail about 4.10-4.50.

Distribution. -Resident in Upper and Lower Sonoran zones from Ari-
zona to western Texas and south to valley of Mexico.

Nest. — ( )n the ground, often under shelter of a yucca or low bush, some-
times in grain-field or meadow. Egys : 9 to 10, white to buff, uniformly
spotted witli buffy to reddish brown.

Fnixl . - - Small beetles, ants, grasshoppers, and small seeds, grain, ber-
ries, and plant tops.

SCALED PARTRIDGE

GROUSE, PARTKIIHiKS, (jl'AILs, ETC. ll'.i

The scaled quail live; in the arid licit of scrub oak, chaparral.
and mesqtiite extending from western Tr\;i-. and New Mexico across
southern Arizona. Dry washes and gulches in the foothills seem
to be their favorite haunts, but they may be found alim»t an v where
not too far from water, even in valleys and out on open plains with
only scattered brush and cactus for cover.

As the bluish gray birds run from 3*011 over the -ray ground.
dodging this AY ay and that among the bushes, the most conspicuous
thing about them is the AYhite tuft of their crest, and from its su-
gestion of the cottontail they have been well dubbed coitontops.
Perhaps because the}* are so protectively colored they usually tru-t
to their feet to carry them out of harm's way, rarely taking flight
unless hard pressed. But when a flqck does scatter, the birds an-
astonishingly hard to rind, though but a few yards away.

While shy in some places, they seem to be naturally rather trust-
ful, and one of the most vivid mental pictures one carries away
from their country is of a flock of the trim, delicately tinted quail
standing together among the bushes, "looking 14) out of their mild
brown eyes with quiet interest and curiosity.

Though met with so commonly, the quail are more often heard
than seen. In the Pecos River country, Avhere the rare blue sky
comes low to the chaparral on the level plain, from the sun-tilled
brush day after day rings their companionable pe-co* < //r-mv'. The
note, though sadly nasal, soon falls on the ear as one of the most
musical of desert sounds, for like the, smell of the sagebrush and
larrea it carries the charm of the big open plains.

293a. C. S. castanogastris Brewst. CHESTNUT-BELLIED SCALE n
PARTRIDGE.

Like the scaled partridge, but upper parts browner, under parts deeper
buffy or more rusty brown, belly with a brown patch in the male, some-
times indicated in the female.

Distribution. — Resident in Lower Sonoran zone from Eagle Pass tliroii^h
the lower Rio Grande valley in Texas to Coahnila and Xuevo Leon.
Mexico.

Nest. — Usually a hollow in the sand, under shelter of a clump of
weeds, grass, or prickly pear, slightly lined with dry grass. A'v/.s : about
15, white to buffy, distinctly and uniformly spotted.

GENUS LOPHORTYX.

General Characters. — Crest distinct from feathers of crown, narrow at
base, and recurved, tbe feathers inclosed between the more m- less rip
pressed webs of tbe anterior plume ; tarsus slightly shorter than middle
toe; wing four inches or more : tail about four fifths as Ion- as win-,
sexes different.

120 GROUSE, PARTRIDGES, QUAILS, ETC.

KEY TO ADULT MALE LOPHORTYX.

1. Back of head and flanks rufous gambelii, p. 121.

1'. Back of head and flanks olive brown or gray.

2. Upper parts smoke brown, inner webs of tertials deep buffy or ochra-

ceous calif ornicus, p. 120.

2'. Upper parts bluish gray, inner webs of tertials buffy or whitish.

vallicola, p. 120.

KEY TO ADULT FEMALE LOPHORTYX.

•

1. Belly buffy, not scaled gambelii, p. 121.

1'. Belly not buffy, scaled.

2. Darker californicus, p. 120.

2'. Lighter vallicola, p. 120.

294. Lophortyx californicus (Shaw). CALIFORNIA PARTRIDGE.

Adult male. — Crest black ; patch on back of head olive or dark brown,
bordered front and sides by black and white lines ; upper parts deep smoky
brown, with deep buffy or reddish brown stripes along sides of back ;
throat black, bordered by white, breast bluish gray ; belly scaled except for
central deep chestnut patch ; flanks dark olivaceous or smoky brown, streaked
with white. Adult female: head without black or white markings; gen-
eral color deep smoky brown ; belly scaled, without chestnut patch or
chestnut on sides ; sides streaked with white. Young : upper parts grayish
brown, feathers of back and wing coverts with dusky and whitish edgings ;
feathers of nape with faint white shaft streaks and dusky borders ; under
parts gray, barred with whitish. Length : 9.50, wing 4.35-4.70, tail 4.10-
4.70. (See Fig. 196, p. 121.)

Distribution. - - Resident in humid Transition and Upper Sonoran zones
along Pacific coast region from Monterey County, California, to southern
Oregon and northward. Introduced in Washington and British Columbia.

Nest. — Usually a hollow lightly lined with grass beside a rock, under a
brush pile or other shelter. Eggs: generally 12 to 10, white or buffy,
irregularly spotted over the entire surface.

Food. — Largely insects and weed seed.

The California partridge is the counterpart of the valley quail in
habits (see 294a).

294a. L. c. vallicola (Ridgw.). VALLEY PARTRIDGE.

Adults. - - Like californicus, but lighter colored, upper parts grayish

brown, edgings of tertials buffy or whitish ;
flanks olive grayish or grayish brown. Young :
chest gray, marked with triangular Avhite

spots, belly faintly barred with grayish ;

Fig 195 Female upper parts brownish, streaked and spotted

with whitish.

Distribution. — Resident in arid Upper and Lower Sonoran zones from
Oregon south through California and western Nevada to Cape St. Lucas,
Lower California.

When you come down the sides of the Sierra from the yellow
pines into the digger pines and oaks of the Sonoran zones in the
breeding season, the quail that fly before you are smaller and bluer
than the mountain quail above, and the flat tone of their quick who-

GROUSE, PARTKllXJKS, (QUAILS, KTC.

1-J1

' -,'•

Fig. 1'Jli. Valley Partridge.

<irc-i/<»t-ah? who-are-you-ah? strikes the car as a subtle expression of
the difference between the hot low
lands and the cool mountains. The
lowland bird has two forms di lie-r-
ing slightly in color, the valley quail
occupying the arid sections and the
California the humid.

The brushy parts of Golden Gate
Park in San Francisco abound with
quail, and from the benches one can
watch the squads of plump hen-like
little creatures as they move about
with stately tread or stand talking
sociably in low monosyllables. If
they hear a footstep on the walk they
start up and hurry across the path
like hens before a wagon, top-
knots dropped over their bills, necks
craned forward, and legs stretched as they patter along in double
quick time. AVhen less in a hurry they run in a stiff, prim way, the
cocks with a dignified gait, the hens with a demure feminine air.

Outside the parks, when the flocks are feeding the old quail act
as sentries, to the wrath of young hunters, who complain that the
cocks ' tell on them ' !

As the country becomes settled, the former hordes of quail dis-
appear, but they are still the game-birds of southern California, the
roads are still patterned with their footprints, and through the val-
leys they are closely associated with the charm of the mellow Cali-
fornia days, their melodious icho-arc-ji»i.i.-<th? coming from the hill-
sides in the cool mornings when the high fog is dissolving into blue
sky, coming from the chaparral in the warm noonday hours, and
echoing softly from the vineyards through the quiet golden sunsets.

295. Lophortyx gambelii Gamb. GAMBEL PARTRIDGE.

Adult male. — Crest black, forehead and throat black, bordered by white,
crown reddish brown ; rest of upper parts
plain bluish gray, tertials edg-ed with
white ; breast gray, belli/ with buff'y and
black patches, flanks reddish brown streaked
with white. Adult female : similar, but

without striking1 marking's ; head plain
brownish gray above, buffy streaked with
darker on throat ; belli/ uniform buffy, flanks
chestnut. Young : chest brownish gray,
streaked with white ; upper parts grayish
brown, minutely mottled, feathers with

Fig. 197. Male.

Fig. 198. Female.

white shaft streaks widening- at tip and with black spot on either side;

122 GROUSE, PARTRIDGES, QUAILS, ETC.

feathers of nape without dusky borders ; belly ivhite, unmarked. Length :
9.50-10.00, wing 4.45-4.70, tail 4.10-4.70.

Remarks. — The Gambel partridge may be distinguished in nearly all
plumages by its belly markings — the male by the black patch and ab-
sence of scaling ; the female by chestnut flanks and absence of scales ;
and the young by the white, wholly unmarked belly.

Distribution. — Resident in Lower Sonoran zone from western Texas to
southeastern California, and from southern Utah and Nevada south through
central Sonora, Mexico.

Nest. — A slightly lined hollow often beside a bunch of tall grass, in
freshet drift, or occasionally under a yucca. Eggs : usually 10 to 12,
white to buff, irregularly spotted, blotched, and clouded with brown, the
blotches with a pinkish or purplish bloom.

Food. — Insects, especially grasshoppers and ants ; also seeds, grain,
mesquite beans, berries, and tender leaves and buds.

The breeding season comes early in the valleys of the Gila and
lower Colorado rivers. By February the deserts bloom, the aromatic
creosote bush puts on its yellow robe, the big crimson and yellow
cactus flowers, the fragrant evening primroses open wide, and yel-
low tassels dangle from the mesquite. In the balmy spring morning
the first sound to greet your ears is the shrill clia chad, cha chad , of
the cock quail from his perch on the blooming mesquite, and answer-
ing calls follow from up and down the valley. When the sun has
risen higher you find the quail in pairs, hunting among the bushes
for nesting-sites, talking in low, soft tones, the cock often bowing
and strutting with important airs and crest low over his bill. When,
after much careful prospecting, a nest spot is found safe from floods,
hidden from enemies, and within daily reach of water, the birds
settle down to home duties ; and before the flowers are gone may be
found leading about families of striped-backed chicks. The chicks
must be guarded from a host of enemies, but the old birds are wise
guardians, and early autumn shows large flocks of plump, nearly
full-grown quail, always on the alert, quick to scatter, but sure to
reassemble, calling back and forth in small piping voices till the last
of the brood is in. Later in the season the families collect in large
flocks, often of fifty or a hundred, and scatter in the daytime to
feed in the open, returning at night with a roar of wings to roost in
some dense thicket or brushy bottom-land, huddled together in a
snug, feathery mass.

To the pot-hunter and trapper the birds are easy prey, but with
proper protection they increase so rapidly as to be in no danger of
extermination. VERNON BAILEY.

GENUS CYRTONYX.

296.1. Cyrtonyx montezumae mearnsi Nelson. MEARNS
QUAIL.

Bill very stout ; head with a full crest of soft, blended, depressed feath-

MEARNS QUAIL

GROUSE, PARTRIDGES, QUAILS, ETC. 123

ers ; tail much less than half as long- as wing-, its feathers soft, narrow at
tips, and hardly distinguishable from coverts; win-; coverts and inner
quills highly developed, folding- entirely over the primaries ; tarsus and
feet heavy, with long- powerful claws ; sexes very different. Adult tiialr :
head markings black and white ; tip of crest fawn color ; hack pale
brown, barred, vermiculated, and streaked with white ; under parts with
median line dark brown and sides slaty g-ray spotted with white. Adult
female : head without stripes, prevailing- color pale pinkish cinnamon ; upper
parts coarsely mottled and finely barred with black, brown, and lavender,
and feathers with coarse white shaft streaks ; chin whitish ; neck with
lavender cape specked and bordered with black ; rest of under parts light
cinnamon or lavender, breast and sides with black specks and shaft
streaks. Young : similar to female, but under parts thickly spotted.
Wing : 6.70, tail 2.28, bill .M.

Distribution. — Resident in arid Upper Sonoran and Transition zones of
western Texas, southern parts of New Mexico, Arizona, and northern
Mexico.

Nest. — On the ground, partly concealed by grass. Egys : white.

Food. — Grasshoppers, weevils, caterpillars, larvae, small beans, prickly
pear and other seeds, and great numbers of small bulbs.

In the rugged little ranges rising from the deserts of western
Texas, southern New Mexico, and Arizona, you find the Mearns
quail, the United States form of the Massena quail, from the zone
of junipers, oaks, and nut pines extending up among the big yellow
pines, but always where there is plenty of grass or scattered brush
for cover. When camping in its country we would often hear a
soft chr-r-r-r-r from the grass, and after locating it start for the
spot, only to hear the quavering notes repeated just as far beyond.
After another attempt the voice would be still across the gulch —
then back of us — till finally we gave up in despair, for at all times
the ventriloquial call deceived us. Fruitless hours may be spent
trying to tramp up the birds, and when you do find them you are
looking for something else, and they burst from the grass at your feet
with a stiff-winged roar and are around the hill out of sight or have
dropped into a thicket before you have recovered from your surprise.

While we were in the Chisos Mountains, Texas, Mr. Fuertes made
the interesting discovery that the quail under excitement spread
their crest laterally, as he has depicted it in the plate. In describ-
ing it he says : "Just after sunrise, while I was getting ready for
the day's work, a cock Massena quail ran up beside the little knoll
where I had placed my bed. He ran by me within fifteen or twenty
feet, at first apparently not noticing me. When I turned to watch
him he seemed to become more alert, quickened his trot, compressed
his plumage, and raised his head to its highest, as a guinea hen will
do when slightly alarmed. But accompanying this action he dis-
played his curious crest in a peculiar and striking way. Instead of
raising it as a bob-white would have done, he spread it out laterally.

124 GROUSE, PARTRIDGES, QUAILS, ETC.

like half a mushroom. This curious feature combined with the
compact neck and body feathers and striking facial markings gave
him as unique an appearance as could well be imagined."

VERXON BAILEY.

GENUS DENDRAGAPUS.

General Characters. — Head not crested ; tail about length of wing-, fan-
shaped, with twenty stiffish broad, obtuse feathers ; tarsus feathered to
toes.

KEY TO SPECIES.

1. Tail without distinct terminal band .... richardsonii, p. 126.
1'. Tail with bluish gray terminal band.

'2. Tail band wide (.50-.80 on outermost feather) . obscurus, p. 124.

2 . Tail band narrow (not over .40 on outermost feather).

fuligiiiosus, p. 125.

297. Dendragapus obscurus (Say}. DUSKY- GROUSE.

Adult male. — Upper parts dusky or bluish slate, finely mottled with

gray and brown, buff y brown
on wings ; hinder scapulars
usually with distinct shaft
streaks and terminal spots
of white ; tail blackish,
with wide bluish gray band

__ ___ — 1.00-1.50 wide ; under

F- 19g parts slaty, marked with

white on sides of neck and

flanks. • Adult female : similar to male, but decidedly smaller, and upper
parts, chest, and sides barred and mottled with dark brown and huffy.
YOIUUJ : upper parts yellowish brown, with irregular barring or mottling,
and black spots and white or buff shaft streaks widening at tip ; under
parts dull whitish, chest and sides spotted with black. Male : length 20-
^•'i. wing 9.40-10.00, tail 8, weight about 2± to oi pounds. Female: length
17.50-19.00, wing about 8.70, tail 6.

Distribution. -- Rocky Mountains, from Idaho and Montana south to
Arizona and New Mexico, and from the East Humboldt Mountains, Nevada,
east to the Black Hills, Dakota.

Nest. — A slight depression alongside a log or under grass or bushes,
lightly lined with pine needles and grass. Eygs : 7 to 10, cream or cream
buff, spotted over entire surface with brown.

Food. — Grasshoppers, worms, grubs, and wild berries such as bearber-
ries, raspberries, gooseberries, and currants, plant leaves and flowers, buds,
and fir needles.

Among the randies the dusky grouse is commonly known as the
' fool-hen,' on account of its natural tamcness and its unsuspicious
nature. Back in the mountain ranges where hunters are scarce and
usually in quest of bigger game, the grouse are almost as fearless
as barnyard poultry, walking out of your patli with stately delib-
eration, or slopping In watch you near the trail. But after a little
experience with hunters and dogs they become as wild as deer and
almost as dillicult to approach.

GROUSE, PARTRIDGES, QUAILS, ETC.

With the Indian as well as the white hunter they are favorite
game birds, both because of their large si/e and the delicate flavor of
their meat, VKKNON BAII.KY.

297a. D. o. fuliginosus lii<l<jw. SOOTY GROUSE.

Adult male. — Similar to D. obscurus, but darker, sooty blackish with
narrower tail band — usually about .60 on middle feathers and not more
than .40 on outer pair — and without white on sides of neck. At/n/t
female: similar to female obscurus, but upper parts darker, sometimes
washed with dark rusty. Youny : darker and more rusty. Lai'/tft : 1 ">..">< I-
19.00, wino- 7.00-7.50, tail 5.50-7.00.

Distribution. — Northwest coast mountains, from Alaska south to Cali-
fornia and Nevada.

Xtst. — .Similar to that of the dusky grouse. Eyys : 8 to 15.

The sooty grouse, like the wild turkey, is a bird of distinction and
peculiar interest wherever found. Climb a mountain ridge toward
sunset as the birds are going high to roost, and just before you reach
the top, with a cluck and a whirr, down sails a great dark bird with
widespread wings and banded tail; and as you climb on, a banded
feather under a low fir bough discloses the hollow where it had
been scratching in the soft woods earth. Ride along a trail and as
you scan the trees beside you, though your horse hears no sound
and detects no motion, your eye may distinguish a statue-like figure
close to the tree trunk so like the bark in color that only its form
reveals it, Explore a wind-swept granite crag at sunset and in one
of its protected wooded niches warm in the evening light a mother
grouse whirrs up into a tree and walks up and down a branch, cran-
ing her long neck with its small pointed head, clucking anxiously
as she goes, and at the turns bobbing her tail and wobbling hard to
keep her balance. As she calls, one after another her invisible
young burst from the brushy thicket at your feet and on stiff convex
wing whirl away over the rocks out of sight. Go to a canyon
where the male is hooting and nearly a mile away you will hear his
loud ventriloquial irltoo, whoo, irJioo. Followed up, he proves to be
near the top of a tall pine fifty to seventy-five feet above your head,
sitting close to the trunk, concealed by the branches. Through tin-
glass he is seen to sit with spread tail and hanging wings, filling his
yellow pouches till his neck looks almost as big as his body, when
with a pumping motion of the head he gives his hollow muffled
hoot. If you stay to listen you may hear the booming at short
intervals for hours.

In winter. Major Bcndire says, the grouse spend most of their
time in the tops of tall firs and pines, coming down only in the
middle of the day to get water from a mountain spring, for the
treetops supply buds and needles for their food.

126

GROUSE, PARTRIDGES, QUAILS, ETC.

297b. D. o. richardsonii (DougL}. RICHARDSON GROUSE.

Similar to D. obscurus. but tail without distinct terminal gray band, and

tail feathers more trun-
cated at tip.

Distribution. — Resi-
dent in Canadian zone of
the Rocky Mountains
from northern Wyoming1,
Montana, and Idaho,
north to British Provinces.

Nest and eggs similar to those of the dusky grouse,

Richardson grouse is said to remain in the mountains except in
the breeding season, when it descends to the valleys.

201<

GENUS CANACHITES.

299. Canachites franklinii (DougL). FRANKLIN GROUSE.

Similar to Dendragapus, but tail with sixteen feathers, which are more

truncated at tip. Adult male :
orange comb over eye ; upper parts
dark, broadly marked with black
bands and narrower bars of gray
and brown ; tail feathers black to
tip, or narrowly edged with white ;
upper tail coverts mottled and strik-
ingly banded with, white ; throat and chest black, with white band between ;
belly banded with white ; flanks mottled and banded with brown and
streaked with white. Adult female : upper parts blackish, irregularly
banded, barred, and mottled with rusty brown and ash ; white bands of
tail narrower than in male ; under parts uniformly banded with black,
white, and rusty brown. Length : 14.70-16.20, wing about 6.50-7.35, tail
5.00-5.75.

Distribution. — Resident in the mountains of western Montana and
Idaho ; westward to the coast ranges of Oregon and Washington ; and
northward through British Provinces to southern Alaska.

Nest. — On ground in woods. Eggs: 8 to 15, buffy or pale brownish,
more or less spotted with deep brown.

Food. — Grasshoppers, wild berries, and buds and leaves of spruces and
tamaracks.

No bird is more characteristic of the deep fir forests of the north-
ern Rockies and Cascades than the Franklin grouse. It is known
locally as the ' fool-hen ' from its misplaced confidence in man, its
attitude toward him being one of mild curiosity and indifference
rather than alarm. A grouse will sometimes walk slowly out of the
way to avoid being stepped on, and will often sit quietly beside the
trail as you pass. The danger the birds run in keeping quiet is
not as great as it appears, however, for in the dark forest their
dusky mottling renders them almost invisible. VERNON BAILEY.

GROUSE, PARTRIDGES, QUAILS, ETC. 127

GENUS BONASA.

General Characters. — Head with a short crest ; sides of neck with a
black or brown ruff of soft, broad-webbed feathers ; tail nearly as long- as
wing1, fan-shaped.

KEY TO SPECIES.

1. Upper parts dark rusty brown sabini, p. 128.

1'. Upper parts not dark rusty brown.

2. Upper parts, including- tail, gray .... umbelloides, p. 128.

2'. Upper parts gray and brown, tail sometimes ochraceous.

togata, p. 127.

300a. Bonasa umbellus togata (Linn.). CANADIAN RUFFED

GROUSE.

Similar to B. u. umbelloides, but darker ; upper parts mixed with gray,
sometimes mostly gray ; under parts more heavily marked with brown, flanks
barred with dark brown or black ; tail brown or gray.

Distribution. — Resident in the Canadian zone forests of the northeastern
United States, British Provinces, and eastern parts of Oregxm and Wash-
ington.

Nest and eggs similar to those of umbelloides.

Food. — Largely buds, leaves, berries, fungus, seeds, and nuts.

• While common in its various forms over much of the northwestern
United States and the Rocky Mountain region, the ruffed grouse -is
less famed as a game bird in the west than in the east, probably
because other and larger grouse claim more attention. Wherever
flushed its quick flight and long, black-banded tail distinguish it
from all others of the family, while a strutting old male, stepping
daintily along a trail in the shady forest with black epaulettes
slightly lifted and tail half spread, has a grace and elegance found
in no other North American grouse.

Purely a bird of the forest, it relies largely upon cover and its
mottled coat for protection, and when flushed, if possible puts a
tree between itself and the hunter as it whirrs away to light out of
sight on the far side of a gray trunk. There it draws itself up and
stands as rigid as a branch. How well it knows how far to trust
itself, breaking away at the first intelligent gleam from the pur-
suer's eye! But with all the skill and untamable wildness of the
grouse, it needs rigid protection from the day it leaves the eggshell.
A brood of bob-tailed young buzzing from the grass up on to the
branches are easily potted, and in winter a flock noisily picking
birch and alder-buds in the treetops are sadly exposed to the con-
scienceless hunter below.

While the snow is on the ground the birds feed mainly on buds,
and usually have a warm bed under the snow. Before the snow is
all gone in spring, each male selects his drumming ground, — a log,
a rock, or merely an open spot of ground, — and begins his drum-

128

GROUSE, PARTRIDGES, QUAILS, ETC.

ming. The muffled wing-beats suggest distant thunder, though the
sound is much the same at twenty feet or forty rods. I have often
crept up within twenty or thirty feet of an old cock and watched
him. Standing in a perfectly natural position, he begins without
any warning. The wings are slightly raised and brought quickly
down to the sides, one, two, three, four, five, six times, — you can
count no farther, - - the buzzing wings are lost in a blur, and the
sounds blend in a crescendo roar. For hours at a time through the
breeding season the drumming is kept up at intervals of from one
to several minutes. It is heard mainly in the morning and evening,
but irregularly at all times of day and night, though always from
the same spot. VERNON BAILEY.

300b. B. U. umbelloides (Dougl.). GRAY RUFFED GROUSE.
Adult male. - - Ruffs black, with bluish green gloss to tips ; upper parts

, gray, whole surface finely

mottled gray and black, more
or less washed with rufous,
blotched with black, and
streaked with white ; tail al-
ways gray, with broad black
subterminal band ; under
parts white and buffy, barred
with brown. Adult female :
similar but smaller, with neck tufts rudimentary or obsolete. Young :
similar to adult female, but browner, barring paler, less distinct, dim
white, and neck tufts wanting. Length : 15.50-19.00, wing 7.00-7.50, tail
5.50-7.00.

Distribution. -- Breeds in Canadian and Hudsonian zones, in the central
Rocky Mountain system of the United States, British America, and
Alaska.

Nest. — A hollow at base of tree or rock, or by a fallen treetop or
brush pile. Eggs : S to 14, varying from white to pinkish buff, stained
with brown.

Food. — Wild fruit and berries, seeds, buds, and green leaves.

300c. B. u. sabini (Dougl.). OREGON RUFFED GROUSE.

Like B. u. uninclloides, but much darker ; upper parts black and dark
rusty or reddish brown, rarely with any gray; tail usually deep' rusty,
rarely grayish ; under parts heavily marked with blackish and washed
with buffy brown.

Distribution. -- Resident in humid Transition and Canadian zones in
const ranges from British Columbia south to Ilumboldt County, Cali-
I'oniia.

AY.sY. -- As described by Bendire, a hollow under fallen branches lined
with dead leaves, spruce needles, and a few feathers. Eggs: 7 to 13.

Food. — Similar to that of other grouse.

GENUS LAGOPUS.

Fig. '202.

Characters. - -Toes and tarsus densely feathered, tail less than
t\\o thirds as long as wing, with long coverts reaching to tip.

WHITE-TAILED PTARMIGAN

I'AKTKIDCKS, ^r.MLS. ETC.

KI:V TO sri . ii s OF LA(;ori -.
1. General color of upper parts gray, iu fall plumage.

leucurus. p. iir.t.
1'. General color of upper parts buffy, in fall phnna-f.

altipetens. p. 1 •_".'.

304. Lagopus leucurus Swain*. «\- /,'/>//. WHITK-TAM. i:i> PTAK-
MIQAN.

Adults in /rinter. - Pure white. Aiinlfs in smiiiinr: plumage spotted.
barred, or mottled with black and rich buffy brown t'xc.-pt for \vliit.
wing's, tail, legs, and belly; the white tail hidden from above l>\ Uno-

mottled coverts. Adults in fall : similar to summer, but dark parts mm.-
uniformly gray, with finer markings and only a trace of bull'v . Y<mny :
tail gray. Winy : 0.:J7-0.7o, tail :].si-4.07. bill .:5T, tarsus l.i:J-l.'JL>.

Distribution. — Above timber line in Alaska, mountains of British
Columbia, and higher peaks of Cascades, south to Hood and Jefferson.

Xest. — On ground in open situations, a depression in the grass, or an
actual nest of interlaced grass stems, weed tops, and feathers. Eyy* : Id i..
1(5, more or less heavily spotted or marbled with dark brown or black on a
buffy or light rusty ground.

Food. — Grasshoppers, caterpillars, beetles, and other insects, as well as
young foliage, buds, flowers, and catkins.

Well above timber line along tin- crests of the higher mountain
ranges these hardy furry-footed little grouse live among the rocks
and heather beds, where, although the food supply is small, they
find an abundance, there being little or no competition from birds of
like habits.

In summer they keep close to the retreating sn<>\\ banks and oi't.-n
make their nests beside permanent glaciers. Their landscape is al-
ways patched with snow as their plumage is with white. But though
they are colored for safety among the glaciers, the dark parts of their
plumage make them blend in with the rocks so perfectly that they
are almost invisible when not moving — a fact they seem to appre-
ciate, for they sit still until you almost step on them.

YKKNON BAII.KY.

304a. L. 1. altipetens Osgood. SOUTHERN WHITE-TAILED PTAR-

MIGAN.

Slightly larger than Ifucurus and similar

to it in winter and summer plumages, luit r^§9fjj^&^'^fv
in fall plumage more brownish, the upper
parts pale cinnamon rufous. Wing 7.10-
7.44, tail 4. 30— 4.72. bill about .37, tarsus
1.13^1.28.

Distribution. — Colorado.

In Colorado the local name for the ptarmigan is • white quail. '

GENUS TYMPANUCHUS.

General Characters. — Sides of neck with a conspicuous tuft of stiff.
pointed feathers and an inflatable air sac ; head with a slight soft crest ;

130 GROUSE, PARTRIDGES, QUAILS, ETC.

tail short, rounded ; tarsus scantily feathered to toes ; toes extensively
webbed at base.

KEY TO SPECIES OF TYMPANUCHUS.

1. Bars of back and rump single, broad and solid black.

2. Larger americanus. p. 130.

2'. Smaller. Coast of Texas attwateri, p. 131.

1'. Bars of back and rump treble, a brown bar inclosed between two nar-
row black bars . . pallidicinctus, p. 131.

305. Tympanuchus americanus (Reich.). PKAIRIE HEN.

Adult male. — Upper parts yellowish brown and white, crossed by single
black bars ; under parts white, barred with brown ; head deep buff except

for blackish brown stripes and
blotches ; neck with tufts above
inflatable air sac, feathers of
tufts 2.50 or more in length
with broad rounded tips.
Adult female: similar, but
with neck tufts rudimentary.

Fi .2U4 ToMH0 : upper parts light

brownish, feathers with con-
spicuous white mesial streaks and large black blotches. Male: length
18-19, wing 8.60-9.40, tail 4.00-1.30. Female: length 17.50, wing 8.05,
tail 3.80.

Distribution. --Prairies of the Mississippi valley from Manitoba south
to Texas and Louisiana, and west to Colorado, with a general tendency
toward extension of range westward and contraction eastward. Migrates
locally north and south.

Nest. — A slight excavation in the ground among grass and weeds on
open prairie, sometimes lined with matted grass and a few- feathers. Eggs:
usually 11 to 14, cream, olive, or huffy, sometimes slightly specked with
darker.

Food. — Grasshoppers, potato bugs, and various other beetles and in-
sects, besides berries, grain, small seeds, green leaves, and buds.

The few seared, hunted prairie chickens that remain scattered here
and there over our great middle prairies are but a poor remnant of
the abundant flocks that only a few years back feasted through the
summer on grasshoppers and boomed loudly in spring from every
lonely hilltop and wide expanse of open country. Perhaps no bird
offers such tempting sport to hunters as these quick but straight-
flying grouse of the open country, ranging as they do in flocks of
ten or twelve, lying close for the dogs, scattering as they fly, and
lighting again on all sides to be worked up and shot by ones and
twos. When besides their character as game birds their goodly si/e
and delicious flavor are considered, it seems little wonder that they
have been rapidly destroyed. In places they are still fairly common,
and by wise protection could no doubt be kept from extermination.

Through the summer months they are quiet birds, nesting in the
grass and keeping their }roung well out of sight in grainfields or

CKOUSK, PARTRIDGES, QUAILS, ETC. 131

berry patches. In winter, flocks of sometimes ;i hundred or more
wary old birds gather together, but they light in the treetops to
inspect the horizon for danger before settling down to breakfast in
the cornfield, or else fly from their soft beds of snow to some big-
open field where there is not so much as a bush or stick to hide a
lurking enemy. As the snow gets deeper it only brings them up
nearer the berries, haws, and buds, which furnish the bulk of their
winter food. AYhen the snow hardens to a rigid crust and a few
patches of bare ground appear you hear just at sunrise a low boom-
ing sound, perhaps a mile away, answered by one after another of
the awakened cocks. This will be heard for hours every morning
from the last of February till the first of May in the grouse country,
for then the birds are having their famous dances. A few cocks and
hens gather on a frozen lake or the open prairie, and the males fight
and strut and boom in ardent rivalry before the apparently uncon-
cerned females. They inflate the orange air sacs on each side of the
neck, spread the yellow fringe over the eyes, and with widespread
tail, drooping wings, erect neck tufts, and lowered head emit the air
with the low booming sound. The booming is kept up throughout
the breeding season. It is a most deceptive sound, at twenty feet
often seeming far away, and at a long distance sounding close by.

VERXON BAILEY.

•

305a. T. a. attwateri (Bend.). ATTWATER PRAIRIE HEN.

Similar to T. americanus, but smaller and darker ; usually more chestnut
on the neck ; wing1 coverts with smaller, more tawny spots ; tarsus more
scantily feathered, feathers never reaching base of toes ; in summer, greater
part of tarsus naked ; in winter, stripe of bare skin on back of tarsus.

Distribution. — Coast districts of southwestern Louisiana and Texas.

307. Tympanuchus pallidicinctus Ridgw. LESSER PRAIRIE
HEN.

Like the prairie hen but paler, and bars of back in threes, a wide brown
bar inclosed by two narrow black bars. Male : wing 8.20-8.30, tail 4.00-
4.20. Female : wing- 8.00-8.20, tail 3.50-4.00.

Distribution. — Eastern edge of the plains, from Kansas south to
western Texas.

Nest. — On ground in meadows or other open situations. Eggs : 8 to 1 2
or more, grayish, olive, or buffy, usually plain, but sometimes spotted with
darker.

GENUS PEDICECETES.

General Characters. — Head lightly crested, a naked patch over each
eye ; neck without obviously peculiar feathers, but with a hidden patch of
distensible skin, reddish in the breeding season, over which lies a series of
slightly enlarged feathers ; feet feathered to the toes ; toes with a con-
spicuous fringe of horny processes in winter ; tail much shorter than wings,
graduated, feathers square at tips, the middle pair projecting much beyond
the rest.

132 GROUSE, PARTRIDGES, QUAILS, ETC.

KEY TO SPECIES OF PEDICECETES.

1. Ground color buffy grayish columbiaiius, p. 132.

1'. Ground color rusty or yellowish brown .... campestris, p. 132.

308a. Pedicecetes phasianellus columbianus (Ord). CO-
LUMBIAN SHARP-TAILED GROUSE.

Adults. — Upper parts grayish brown, with black and buffy markings ;
under parts buffy or clear whitish, white or buffy prevailing in feathers
with Y-shaped markings. Young : similar to adult female but grayer, and
throat white. Length : 15-19, wing 8.50-9.00, tail 4.00-5.50.

Distribution. — Breeds in northern part of Great Basin region, east to
Montana and Wyoming, and north from Utah, Nevada, and northeastern
California to central portion of Alaska.

Nest. — A hollow in the ground, lined with dried grass and feathers.
Eggs: 11 to 14, creamy buff to olive brown, usually lightly spotted with
reddish brown.

Nowhere so abundant as the pinnated grouse, the sharp-tailed has
a wider range over more unsettled country and will probably last
longer, especially in the northern part of its range. While a prairie
or plains bird, it is usually flushed from a berry patch, low bushes
beside a creek, a stubble field, or sagebrush. Its finely mottled
plumage makes it very inconspicuous, and its tendency is to lie low
and be flushed at fatally close quarters.

Though the grouse usually keep well hidden in summer, in winter
when their plumage has become dense and their feet and legs rabbit-
like, they may be seen crossing the fields on top of the snow or get-
ting their breakfast of buds from the tops of trees and tall bushes.
When the weather is cold and the snow deep and soft they often
roost under the snow like the ruffed grouse, and come out in the
morning fifteen or twenty feet from where they entered the white
surface at night.

In spring the males have a loud cackling note, besides a scraping
sound produced apparently by opening and closing their rigid tail
feathers. VERNON BAILEY.

308b. P. p. campestris Ridgw. PRAIRIE SHARP-TAILED GROUSE.
Similar to columbianus, but ground color much lighter, prevailing shade

rusty or yellowish brown ; under
parts mainly whitish, and dark
_ breast washed with whitish.

Distribution. — Breeds on
plains and prairies in Transi-
tion and Upper Sonoran zones
from Manitoba south to New
Mexico, and from Wisconsin
and Illinois west to the Rocky
Mountains.

Nest. — A slight hollow in the ground, arched over by grass. Eggs:
usually 14, bluish green with a purplish bloom when first laid, afterwards
changing to dark chocolate with a few dark spots, and fading to white.

GROUSE, PARTKIIXiKS, QUAILS, ETC.

Food. — Grasshoppers and other insects, fruit, berries. grain, buds, and
leaves.

GENUS CENTROCERCUS.

General Characters. — Tail longer than wings, graduated, feathers
pointed; neck with distensible air sacs surmounted by hair-like filaments
and erect feathers ; tarsus feathered to toes.

309. Centrocercus urophasianus (Bonajj.). SACK GROUSK.

Adult male. — Upper parts mottled gray or buft'y. irregularly spotted or
barred with black or brownish; in breeding season tufts of white do \vny
feathers, mixed with black egret-
like wiry plumes on shoulders ;
yellow air sacs on side of throat ;
chest blackish before the breed-
ing season, with black wiry
feathers depending from the
chest band ; chest white after
the breeding season, during
which time the blackish tips
are worn off by rubbing on the
ground. Adult female : similar
to male but smaller and without
ruffs, air sacs, or nuptial plumes ;
throat white, chest band spec-
kled grayish. Young : some-
what like adult female but
brownish above, markings on
under parts, including black of
belly, less distinct. Male: length
26-30, wing 12-13, tail 11-13,
weight 4-J-8 pounds. Female :
length 21.50-23.00, wing about
10.50-11.00, tail 8-9.

Distribution. — Breeds in sage-
brush plains of the interior in
TT o iT1 From Bond, in Ihe Auk.

Upper Sonoran and transition

zones from Assiniboia and Brit-
ish Columbia to Utah, Nevada, and California, from the Sierra Nevada and
Cascades east to the Black Hills, Nebraska, and Colorado.

Nest. — A slight hollow, with or without lining, usually under the shelter
of a sage bush, but sometimes near a creek sheltered by a bunch of high
grass. Eggs: Usually 7 to 9, olive buff to greenish brown, marked with
round spots of dark brown.

Food. — Grasshoppers, ants, and other insects, with tender plants, leaves,
buds, and flowers.

Throughout the Great Basin and arid plains country, where the
most abundant and characteristic plant is the silvery-leaved aromatic
sagebrush, we find this largest, stateliest of North American Tt-tra-
onida?, the sage grouse. It is a bird of the open country, seeking no
heavier cover than the low sagebrush and often wandering over bar-
ren slopes or short grass meadows, or in large flocks late in summer
mounting above the timber belt of the mountains, to find new pas-

^j

tures in the stunted growth of sage close to perpetual snow.

134 PHEASANTS AND TURKEYS

When much hunted the grouse become as wary as any game birds,
but in a few far-away corners of their range they are still numer-
ous. To the sportsman used to the quick whirr of the pinnated and
sharp-tailed grouse the heavy roar and steady flight of a magnificent
black-breasted long-tailed old sage cock offers far too easy a target,
and the birds soon become scarce when the country is settled.

Considering their quiet dispositions and large size it seems strange
that they have never been domesticated. The young birds are as
delicious as any grouse, and while the old ones are often flavored
with sage, a wholesome wormwood bitter, they can usually be cooked
so that the flavor will not be noticed. VERNON BAILEY.

Mr. Frank Bond explains the fact that the chest feathers of the
grouse become worn off during the breeding season. He says :
"During the months of April and May the sage cocks are usually
found in small flocks of a half dozen or more, stalking about with
tails erect and spread after the manner of the strutting turkey cock.
. . . Instead of dragging its wings upon the ground the sage cock
will enormously inflate the air sacs of the neck until the whole neck
and breast is balloon-like in appearance, then stooping forward almost
the entire weight of the body is thrown upon the distended portion
and the bird slides along on the bare ground or short grass for some
distance, the performance being concluded by the expulsion of the
air from the sacs, with a variety of chuckling, cackling, or rum-
bling sounds. This performance is continued probably daily during
the pairing and nesting season, and of course the feathers are worn
away by the constant friction." (The Auk, xvii. 325.)

FAMILY PHASIANIDJE: PHEASANTS AND

TURKEYS.

KEY TO GENERA.

1. Head naked, skin wrinkled and warted .... Meleagris, p. 13f>.
1'. Head feathered, except sometimes around eye.

2. Head not crested . Phasianus, p. 134.

2'. Head conspicuously crested.

3. Neck with conspicuous erectile ruff . Chrysolophus, p. 135.
3'. Neck without ruff Gennaeus, p. 135.

GENUS PHASIANUS.

General Characters. — Head not crested ; male with brilliant metallic
colors and handsome marking's, tail lengthened, graduated, and vaulted,
the feathers usually tapering to a point. Female much smaller and
brownish, with upper parts more or less mottled, spotted, and marked with
dusky.

A dozen or more pheasants have been introduced into the United
States, but the ring-necked is the only one that h:is thus far gained
a foothold in the west.

PHEASANTS AND TURKEYS \:\:>

KKY TO ADULT MALE I'HASIANt S.

1. Xeck metallic greenish or bluish.

2. Ureast coppery chestnut torquatus, p. I. '15.

2. Breast dark green versicolor. j». i:!5.

1'. Neck chestnut, with coppery and purple reflections.

soemmerringii. p. i:;5.

Phasianus torquatus Gmel. RING-NECKED PHEASANT.

Adult male. --Neck metallic greenish or bluish, back of head tut't.-.l :
breast rich coppery chestnut, with metallic purple and coppery reflections :
neck wholly or partly encircled by white collar. Adult ft-ntult : tail
brown, barred with black and white. Male : length 24 feet, wiijg 9.50-
10.50, tail 17.50-20.00. Female : length 20-24. wing S.50, tail 1 1-12.

Distribution. --Southern Siberia, Corea, and northeastern China. Intro-
duced into twenty-five states.

Phasianus versicolor Vieill. GREEN PHEASANT.

Adult male. — Neck metallic green or blue, back of head tufted ; breast,
sides, and flanks dark green. Adult female : tail barred over reddish or
purplish ground. Male: length 24-27, wing 9.60, tail 1(5. Female:
length 20, wing 8.25. tail 10.50.

Distribution. — Japan, except Yezo. Introduced, but apparently with
little success, in western Oregon.

Phasianus soemmerringii Temm. COPPER PHEASANT.

Adult male. — Chestnut and rufous, glossed with coppery red and pur-
plish ; rump broadly streaked with white, tail broadly banded. Adult
female : tail, except four middle feathers, brown, with subterminal black
bar and white tip. Male : length 80. wing 9, tail 28. Female : length
18-20, wing 8.25, tail 8.5: ).

Distribution. — Niphon and Kuisui. Japan. Introduced, but without
apparent success, in western Oregon.

GENUS CHRYSOLOPHUS.
General Characters. — Head crested, neck with conspicuous erectile ruff.

Chrysolophus pictus. GOLDEN PHEASANT.

Adult male. — Ruff or cape golden orange, barred with black ; entire
under parts, except chin and throat, bright red ; tail brown, barred, and
reticulated with black. Adult female : upper parts mottled brown, heavily
barred with dusky on top and back of head, wings, neck, chest, sides.juid
flanks ; rest of under parts plain light buff. Male : length 40, wing 7.70.
tail 27. Female: length 24. wing 7. tail J4.

Distribution. — Mountains of southern China. Introduced in western
Oregon, and Protection Island. Washington, and recently in New Mexico.

GENUS GENN^EUS.

Gennseus nycthemerus Linn. SILVER PHEASANT.

Adult male. — Crest and under parts glossy blue black ; face, legs, and
feet bright red ; rest of upper parts pure white, marked with V-shaped
pencilings of black. Adult female : brown, under parts with paler shaft
streaks, posterior parts and thighs irregularly mottled with zigzag lines of
dusky ; tail, except middle feathers, irregularly barred with black and

13G PHEASANTS AND TURKEYS

white ; face, leg's, and feet dull red. Male : length 40, wing- 10.50, tail
24. Female : length 20.50, wing 9.10, tail 9.80.

Distribution. — Southern China. Introduced into western Oregon and
Protection Island, Washington.

GENUS MELEAGRIS.

General Characters. — Head and upper neck naked ; the skin wrinkled
or warted, the forehead with extensile appendage, smaller in females ;
tail rounded, tarsus naked, spurred in male ; sexes similar, but females
duller.

KEY TO SPECIES.

1. Tail coverts tipped with buffy whitish .... merriami, p. 136.
1'. Tail coverts tipped with brown.

2. Tail coverts tipped with dark chestnut fera, p. 136.

2'. Tail coverts tipped with cinnamon or cinnamon buff.

intermedia, p. 136.

310. Meleagris gallopavo merriami Nelson. MERRIAM TUR-
KEY.

Adult male. — Head and neck bare, dull bluish, strip of skin hanging
from above bill ; chest with bristly tuft of beard ; feathers of tinder parts
metallic bronzy green and reddish, tipped with velvet black ; feathers of
lower back and rump metallic, tipped with black; tail, tail coverts, and
feathers of lower rump tipped u-ith buffy whitish. Adult female: similar, but
smaller, and colors duller. Male : length 48-50, wing 21, tail 18.50.

Distribution. — Mountains of southern Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona,
western Texas, and northern Chihuahua and Sonora, Mexico.

Nest. — A hollow lined with leaves, weeds, and grass, sometimes under
shelter of a yucca, grass, or bushes. Eggs : 8 to 14, white, dotted over
entire surface with reddish brown.

Food. -- Insects, seeds, berries, plant tops, and cactus fruit.

In the mountains of New Mexico and Arizona one may occasion-
ally find wild turkeys. In Arizona they have been seeii by shep-
herds in the notches between the highest peaks of San Francisco
Mountain.

310a. M. g. fera (VieilL). WILD TURKEY.

Like M. g. merriami, but tail tipped with deep rusty, coverts and feathers
of lower rump rich dark chestnut.

Distribution. — Eastern United States from southwestern Pennsylvania
to the Gulf coast, and west to southwestern Kansas along wooded river
valleys.

Nest. — On the ground, sometimes lined with leaves and pine needles.
Eggs: 8 to 13, creamy to buffy, marked with brown.

Food. -- Grasshoppers, crickets, and other insects; acorns, nuts, seeds,
grain, berries, and plant tops.

310c. M. g. intermedia Bennett. Rio GRANDE TURKEY.

Similar to M. g. nuTrianii, but lower back and rump jet black — feathers
showing steel gray bars in certain lights — and tail and lower coverts
tipped with cinnamon or cinnamon buff.

Distribution. — Lowlands of southern Texas and northeastern Mexico.

CURRASSOWS AND (Jt'ANS 137

Over most of the country where the wild turkeys were once plentv
they have now become scarce or extinct, but in a few plaees may
still be found in something like their original abundance, living-
much as their ancestors lived, breeding unmolested, strolling -through
the woods in flocks, and gathering at night in goodly numbers in
their fa vorite roosting-places. Perhaps the best of these undevastated
regions are on the big stock ranches of southern Texas, where the
birds are protected not by loosely formed and unen forced game laws.
but by the care of owners of large ranches, who would as soon
think of exterminating their herds of cattle as of shooting more than
the normal increase of game under their control. Here, at least
through the breeding season, the turkeys are not more wary than
many of the other large birds, and as we surprised them in the half
open mesquite woods along the Nueces River would rarely fly.
merely sneaking into the thickets, or at most running from us.

The ranchmen say that the turkeys always select trees over water
to roost in when possible, and no doubt they do it for protection in
this region where foxes, coyotes, and wildcats abound. On the
edge of the flooded bottoms of the Nueces River they roosted in the
partially submerged huisache trees. A loud gobble just at dusk led
us to their cover, and crouching lo\v to get the sky for a background
we could see the big forms coming in singly or in twos or threes,
and hear the strong wing beats as they passed on to alight in the
huisaches out in the water. AVhen the noise of their wings and the
rattling of branches had subsided, with a few gobbles from different
quarters they settled down for the night. The next morning, as
the darkness began to thin and a light streak appeared in the east, a
long loud gobble broke the stillness, followed by gobble after gob-
ble from awakening birds in different parts of the bottoms, and
before it was half daylight the heavy irhixh trhixh of big wings
passed overhead, as the turkeys with strong, rapid flight took their
way back to the higher ridges. VERXOX BAILKY.

FAMILY CRACIDJE: CURRASSOWS AND GUANS

GENUS ORTALIS.

311. Ortalis vetula maccalli Baird. CHACHALACA.

Adults. — Upper parts plain olive, slightly glossed with bronzy green ;
head and neck tinged with dull slaty ; tail fan-shaped, from dusky bronzy
green to blue black, fan, except for middle feathers, broadly bordered
with white ; bare skin on throat orange ; chest dull grayish green : rest of
under parts dingy buffy brownish, deepening on under tail coverts
Length : 19.75-24.00, wing 7.50-8.50, tail 9.00-10.50.

Distribution. -- Resident in northeastern Mexico, from Vera Cruz north
to lower Rio Grande valley in Texas.

Nest. — Usually in a twig-and-leaf -filled cavity of a mestiuite-tree.
Eyys : 3 or 4. white, rough, and strongly granulated.

138 PIGEONS

The chachalaca comes into the lower Rio Grande valley of Texas,
but probably does not range more than fifty miles north of the
Mexican line. It keeps within the mesquite and chaparral, where
it calls from the treetops at sunrise and sunset, pronouncing its
local name, cliaehuldc, in loud tones. Dr. Merrill says that it is
much hunted for the Brownsville market.

ORDER COLUMB^l: PIGEONS.
FAMILY COLUMBIDJE: PIGEONS.

KEY TO GENERA.

1. Tarsus shorter than side toes.

2. Tail slig-htly rounded, feathers broad at tips . Columba, p. 138.
2'. Tail graduated, feathers narrow and pointed at tips.

Ectopistes, p. 140.
1 ' . Tarsus long-er than side toes.
2. Wing less than 4.

3. Tail equal to or longer than wing, narrowing to a point.

Scardafella, p. 14:'..

3'. Tail shorter than wing, wide at end . Columbigalliiia, p. 14:!.
2'. Wing more than 5.

3. Tip of outer quill abruptly narrowed . . . Leptotila, p. 141.
3'. Tip of outer quill not abruptly narrowed.

4. Tail feathers 12, tail rounded ..... Melopelia. p. 142.
4'. Tail feathers 14, tail graduated .... Zenaidtira, p. 140.

GENUS COLTJMBA.

General Characters. — Tail much shorter than wing, slightly rounded,
the feathers broad and rounded or nearly square at tip ; wings pointed ;
side toes of about equal length.

KEY TO SPECIES.

1. Tail banded .............. fasciata. p. 13s.

1'. Tail uniform slaty black ......... flavirostris. p. 140.

312. Columba fasciata »/.(/. BAND-TAILED PIGEON.

Adult male. --End of tail with broad — tiro inch -- band, pale gray, bor-

dered above by black : back of neck
irith irliiti collar adjoined by iridescent
bronzy patch spreading back as a
greenish wash ; bead and under parts
purplish pink, fading to whitish on
belly; fort- part of back tinged with

brownish, hinder part, bluish gray; wing quills blackish, coverts bluish
gray, faintly edged with white. Adult female : like male but duller and
much graver: white nuchal band often obsolete, iridescent patch restricted.
head gr:i\ish instead of pink, under parts largely grayish. } oiiny : with-
out white on nape, under parts dull grayish, tinged with brown on breast;
upper parts with feathers more or less lightly bordered with paler; head
and neck dull bluish gray in male, light grayish brown in female. length '

l.Vld. wing 8.00-8.80 tail 6.00-6.50.

PIGEONS i;v.»

Distribution. -- Transition /one, from IJritish Columbia south through
M.-xieo to Guatemala, eastward to Colorado and to western Tf.xas.

Next. - - When eggs are not laid on (he ground or in the n.^i ol 'some
other bird, a slight platform of twigs on the flat limb of a tree, /v/r/v .- 1
or 2, white.

Food. — Mainly acorns, but also young s\cannuv balls, grain, wild ber-
ries, such as elder, salmon, pigeon, mulberry, and man/anita ; and honey
from the century plant flowers.

Though the band-tailed pigeons are sometimes common in the
large river-bottoms where cottonwood balls, alder seeds, and b.- pries
abound, they live mainly on mast and breed principally on the edge
of Upper Sonoran zone where the oaks and pines intermingle. The
acorn crop of the year apparently governs their movements. In
good acorn winters, Mr. Grinnell says, they sometimes appear in
flocks of hundreds in the oak regions of southern California. Near
Seattle, Mr. Kathbon reports, they are in need of protection, as they
are hunted so continuously that they are in danger of becoming rape
birds.

At Beaverton, Oregon, Mr. Anthony has found them abundant
around a mineral spring, and in the arid mountains of the southwest
they gather, often in large numbers, at the springs and water holes.
When they come flying in to water the noise of their wings is star-
tling. It is a loud flapping, as different from the musical whirr of
the mourning dove as their heavy flight is from the light swerving
flight of the dove, and as the square tail is from 'the long pointed
one of the dove. Though the noise made by the wings of fnxcinftt
is striking at all times, when one of the birds projects himself down
a mountain-side on his way to water, the sound produced has been
compared to the escape of steam from an engine.

The band on their tails shows sometimes at a turn in flight, but
most conspicuously on alighting, for then they spread their tails.
and at a distance the band looks almost white.

If you follow the pigeons to their breeding-grounds in some re-
mote canyon you will be struck by the owl-like hooting that fills the
place, and you will locate the sound here and there along the sides
of the canyon at dead treetops, in each of which a solitary male is
sunning himself, at intervals puffing out his breast and hooting.
The hooting varies considerably. Sometimes it is a calm ir1i<,it'-Jmn-
hoo, whoo'-hoo-hoo, at others a spirited hoop' -<///- /r// <»>', and airain a two
syllabled irhoo'-nyh, made up of a short hard hoot and a long coo. as
if the breath was sharply expelled for the first note and drawn in for
the second.

The breeding season has been said to cover nearly every month of
the year in Arizona, and in the Guadalupe Mountains, Texas, we
found nests with eggs the latter part of August.

140 PIGEONS

313. Columba flavirostris Wagl RED-BILLED PIGEON.

Adult male. — Head, neck, and under parts dull pinkish purple, except
for tawny chin, slaty belly and under tail coverts ; wing coverts with red-
dish brown patch, fore part of neck brownish, hinder part, wings, and tail
bluish gray, blackish on quills and end of tail. Adult female : similar but
smaller and duller. Young : colors dull, tinged with ashy. Length : lo.75-
14.(iO. wing about 7.50-7.80, tail 5.40-5.50.

Distribution. -- From southern parts of Texas and Lower California,
south through Mexico and Central America.

ypst. — A platform of twigs, in thickets or groves of ash-trees. Egg :
white.

The red-billed pigeon was found by Mr. Sennett in the timber of
the lower Rio Grande. He says it is a secluded bird, and that its
cooing is clear, short, and rather high-pitched.

GENUS ECTOPISTES.

315. Ectopistes migratorius (Linn.). PASSENGER PIGEON.
Tail nearly as long as wing, graduated, the feathers narrow and pointed

at tips ; tarsus short, feathered part way down in front ; side toes unequal.

Adult male. — Head and neck bluish gray ; under parts deep pinkish
brown, becoming pinkish on sides and white on belly ; nape and sides of
head glossed with metallic reddish purple ; wings and back brown, wings
spotted with black ; rump bluish gray, tail changing from blackish on
middle feathers to white on outer webs of outer feathers ; inner webs with
black and rufous spots. Adult female : similar but head brownish, pink
of under parts replaced by brown ; metallic gloss less distinct. Young :
feathers of fore parts tipped with white, giving a mottled appearance,
quills edged with rusty. Length : 15.00-17.25, wing 8.00-8.50, tail 8.20-
s.75. Female somewhat smaller.

Distribution. — Formerly eastern North America from Hudson Bay
southward, and west to the plains ; accidental in Nevada and Washington.
Now nearly extinct. A few pairs supposed to be left in Canada, Manitoba,
Wisconsin, and Michigan.

GENUS ZENAIDURA.

316. Zenaidura macroura (Linn.}. MOURNING DOVE.

Tail of fourteen feathers, graduated, more than two thirds as long as

wing ; feathers more or less narrowed
at tips : wings pointed ; tarsus naked ;
side toes of unequal length, the outer
shortest ; space around the eye bare.
.,(IS Adult male: tail bordered with white

and with subterminal black spots ; back
and wings with a few roundish black spots ; rest of upper parts brown : top
of head washed with bluish gray, sides of head with blue black spot and
pink iridescence ; under pans brownish, tinged with pink on breast. Adult
ft mnli : similar but paler throughout, with little if any bluish gray on head,
black e;ir spot smaller, and metallic gloss less distinct. Young: duller
than female, without metallic gloss or distinct ear spot . ; feathers of upper
parts and breast with ".ravish tips. Length: 11-1.'), wing 5.70-0. 10, tail
5.70-15.50, bill .50-.55.

Distribution. - - Ureeds in Transition and Upper and Lower Sonoran /ones

I'KiKOXS 111

throughout the United States, and southern parts of Ontario. Manitoba.
:ind British Columbia. migrating to Panama and the West Indies. Mi^i.i
torv in the northern part of its ran",-'.

Nest.- A frail platform of t \vigs usually on a flat branch 10 to L'O
feet from the ground, but also on the ground, on dirt's, in cactus, bushes,
and trees as high as 50 feet from the ground. AV///\ : usually 2, white.

Food. — Snails and other mollusks, millepeds, cicadas and other insects,
grain, weed seeds, acorns, berries, and plant tops.

The free, swift flight of the mourning dove and the skill with
which he manages his airship proclaim him a traveler. A.S he
shoots by overhead he cuts the air with the hiss of a bullet, his
plumage almost as compact and smooth as the nose of a mauser,
his long tail narrowed to a frictiouless knife-blade. As his powerful
wings bear him swiftly on, their least turn swerves his course, but
he never lessens speed till the goal is reached. After watching him
it seems small wonder that he should be a cosmopolitan, bound to
no one migration route, but as much at home in Xew England as
Oregon, in Canada as southern California.

In the dry part of Arizona the doves often nest a long distance
from water, but fly back and forth to it in pairs or small companies
twice a day. The old mountaineers, knowing their habits, follow
them when in search of the rare water-holes.

Although the doves abound in remote mountains and desert
lands, they are also much given to human society, and often nest
around barnyards and buildings, where they pick up grain that has
fallen to the ground.

As many of the doves are seen in pairs during the winter, Major
Beudire infers that a number remain mated throughout the year.
He renders their love-notes as coo, C66, rod; moo. oa, 666, 666, 666.

GENUS LEPTOTILA.

318. Leptotila fulviventris brachyptera (Safnul.). WHITE-
FRONTED DOVE.

First primary abruptly cut out near end ; tail much shorter than wings,
rounded, feathers twelve ; tarsus naked ; side toes nearly equal. Adult
male : forehead and throat whitish, breast pale pinkish ; rest of under
parts whitish ; back of head and fore part of back iridescent ; rest of
upper parts dark brown ; tail becoming- blackish, tipped with white ;
under wing coverts and axillars deep reddish brown. Adult female :
similar to the male but duller colored, and metallic gloss less distinct.
Length: 11.50-12.50. wings li.00-(j.50, tail 4.25-4.50.

Distribution. — Valley of the Lower Rio Grande in Texas and south-
ward to Mexico and Guatemala.

Nest. — Rather bulky for a dove, made of branches and straw, and
placed usually in thorny bushes. Eggs : 2, cream buff.

Food. — Said to be principally fruit.

The white-fronted dove frequents the timber of the lower Rio

142 PIGEONS

Grande valley, where it may be found, Mr. Seuuett says, by the
peculiar note which distinguishes it from all other pigeons.

GENUS MELOPELIA.

319. Melopelia leucoptera (Linn.). WHITE-WINGED DOVE.

Tail rounded, shorter than wing-, of twelve broad, rounded feathers ;

wings pointed ; bill slender and length-
ened, equaling1 tarsus ; a large bare
space around eye. Adult mate: icing
irith large white patch on coverts,
conspicuous against black quills ; tail

bluish gray, broadly tipped with white preceded by black, two middle
feathers brown ; sides of head with bluish black spot next to bronzy iri-
descent patch ; top of head and neck dull pinkish ; rest of upper parts
brownish, except for bluish gray of lower back ; under parts soft fawn
color, fading' to whitish. Adult female : similar but smaller and duller.
Young : like female but still duller, feathers of upper parts tipped with
paler and breast with rusty tinge. Length : 11.00-12.25, wing 6.30-6.80,
tail 4.80-5.25.

Distribution. — Resident in Lower Sonoran and Tropical zones from
Florida and Texas to Arizona, and south through Lower California and
Mexico to Costa Rica, Cuba, and Jamaica. Casual in Colorado.

Nest. — A frail platform of interlaced sticks, lined with weeds, dry
grass, and often mesquite leaf stems, placed in mesquite, walnut, willow,
or cactus, from 6 to 30 feet from the groiind. Eggs : 2, white.

Food. — Insects, small seeds, grain, berries, mesquite beans, and cactus
fruit.

As the jay seems a part of the mountain forest, the horned lark
of the prairie, and the sage thrasher inseparable from the sagebrush
plains, so the white-winged dove belongs to the hot cactus and
mesquite valleys of the lower Colorado, Gila, and Rio Grande.
Though often seen perching on a giant cactus, its life is largely
spent in the mesquite, and its plump form is so constantly seen
through the thin mesquite foliage that it comes to seem almost like
a fruit of the tree. Now the dove is only perching there, beside a
water-pool, now on a branch acting as sentinel while a hungry flock
is down in a patch of wild sunflower or the wheatfield of the
rancheria ; but in the nesting season it has taken up its abode in
the tree and is building its nest and rearing its young in the protec-
tion of the thorny branches.

So closely is it associated with the mesquite country that even its
monotonous wJioo-hoo' -hoo-hoo calls up pictures of desert thorn-brush
and 'dobe walls, over which the large, handsome bird is flying with
white bands outspread on wings and tail. Its note is an exaggerated
form of the coo common to the family. To make it the dove puffs
out his throat like a pouter pigeon, emitting the curious hollow
sound which is more suggestive of the hooting of an owl than the
languid cooing of a dove. YKHXOX BAILEY.

PKiKOXS 11:;

GENUS COLUMBIGALL1NA.

320a. Columbigallina passerina pallescens dinird). MKX-
ICAN GROUND DOVE.

Wings short and broad, with elongated inner secondaries nearlv over-

O T ~ J

reaching primaries in the folded wing ; tail shorter than wing, nearly even.
of twelve broad feathers ; tarsus as long as middle toe without claw.
Adult male: back of head and ntck bluish, feathers __

suggest in;/ scales ; forehead, sides of head, and \djfb -»«u_k»
under parrs pinkish ; breast feathers bnurn cen- vJPthtat.!SBB90^>
t rally ; upper parts grayish, wings with inner webs Fig. "Jin.

of quills bright reddish brown, coverts with blue

black spots ; tail nearly even, blackish, except for middle feathers and
white corners. Adult female : similar but much duller, pink replaced by
pale brownish, blue by brownish gray ; spots on wing coverts brown.
Young : like female but duller, more grayish ; feathers, especially on upper
parts, tipped with whitish. Winy: 3. 30-3.1 >(.). exposed culmen .42-. 47.

Distribution. — Breeds in Lower Sonoran and Tropical /.ones from Texas
to Arizona and south through Lower California and other parts of Mexico
to Central America.

^Xest. — Small and sometimes compact, of twigs or plant stalks, some-
times lined with a few straws, placed in a bush or tree 3 to 20 feet from
the ground. Eggs : 2, usually white.

Food. — Small seeds, grain, and berries.

The ground dove is a friendly little bird, staying wherever it can
find seeds or refuse grain, whether it be in town streets, horse cor-
rals, or on the picket line of an army post, In the fall, when weed
seeds are abundant. Mr. Herbert Brown has seen flocks of fifty about
Tucson, Arizona, but ordinarily they are in pairs or small flocks.

GENUS SCARDAFELLA.

321. Scardafella inca {Less.). INCA DOVE.

Tail double rounded, middle and outside feathers both shorter than
those between, twelve in number, all narrow and tapering ; tarsus very
short, slightly feathered above. Adults : whole
body apparently scaled ; upper parts brownish ;
inner webs of wing quills mainly reddish brown :
tail brown and black, two outer feathers largely
w hite ; under parts pale grayish pink, changing to buff on belly : under
wing coverts partly black. Young : similar but duller, and upper parts
somewhat mottled by occasional whitish tips to feathers. Length : S.OO,
wing 3.70-3.75, tail 4.00-4.40.

Distribution. — Breeds in Lower Sonoran zone from the Rio Grande
valley of Texas and southern Arizona ; south through Lower California
and other parts of Mexico to Nicaragua.

\f-.fit. — In cactus, mesquite, acacias, or small oaks. 5 to 10 feet from
the ground, made of twigs and grasses. Eggs : '2. white.

These dainty little doves are more than half civilized. You find
them on the roads, in the barnyard, the orchard, and the villa ir<-
street — rarely away from ground trampled by man. They join
the poultry at breakfast, and pick the grain that is scattered along

144 VULTURES

the roads, gathering the weed seeds by the way. From their quick
motions and constant haste oiie might think they were catching
fleeing grasshoppers rather than stationary seeds. They go patter-
ing about, bobbing their heads and keeping up a rapid, hard little
cooing that has scarcely a suggestion of the soft dove tones. In the
breeding season this is the first thing heard in the morning, and it
is kept up well into the glowing heat of the day, usually given
from the ground, but sometimes from the branches of trees.

VERNON BAILEY.

ORDER RAPTORES: BIRDS OP PREY.

(FAMILIES CATHARTID.E, FALCONID^:, STRIGID^:, BUBONUXE.)

FAMILY CATHARTIDJE: VULTURES.

KEY TO GENERA

1. Wing- 30 or more Gymnogyps, p. 144.

1'. Wing- less than 25.

2. Head red Cathartes, p. 145.

2'. Head black . . Catharista, p. 146.

GENUS GYMNOGYPS.

324. Gymnogyps californianus (Shaw). CALIFORNIA VUL-
TURE : CONDOR. .

Wing1 30 or more ; head and entire neck bare, skin smooth ; plumage of
under parts lanceolate or pencillate ; head much elongated, forehead flat-
tened ; nostril small, its anterior end acute ; bill small, mandibles broader
than deep ; wing's folding- to or beyond end of square tail. Adults : head
and neck bare, yellow, or orange in life ; bill whitish or pale yellowish ;
plumage sooty blackish ; outer webs of greater wing- coverts and second-
aries grayish, wing coverts tipped with white and outer secondaries edged
with white ; axillars and under wing coverts pure white. Young : like
adults, but neck more or less covered with sooty grayish down, bill and
naked skin blackish ; brown edgings of feathers of upper parts producing
a scaled effect ; white of under wings and gray webbing of coverts and
secondaries wanting. Length : 44-55, extent 8i to nearly 11 feet; weight
20-25 pounds, wing 30-35, tail 15-18, bill 1.50.

Itrmtirkx. - -The vulture can be distinguished in the field by its great
size and its white under wing coverts.

Distribution. — Coast ranges of southern California from Monterey Bay
south to Lower California, and east to Arizona.

Nest. -- A cavity or recess among rocks, or hollow in a stump, log, or
tree trunk. Eyys : 1 or 2, plain grayish green, or greenish white.

Food. — Carrion.

To come upon the California vulture alive and free is like sud-
denly coming to a giant sequoia towering above the forest. The
sequoia a\\vs you with the feeling of immensity, and the forest

VULTURES 145

trees that you had looked up to as very large are suddenly dwarfed.
The same thrill strikes you when overhead the great wings of the
vulture spread out and with mighty strokes carry the huge bird in
wide circles up through the sky; and, as you look down, the turkey
buzzards sailing below seem little more than circling swallows.

VERNON BAILEY.

The sight of a single California vulture is more than is vouch-
safed to most naturalists, but in 1894 Mr. Stephens actually en-
countered a flock of twenty-six of these magnificent birds.

The condor is certainly one of the glories of the splendid state of
California, and every patriotic naturalist should do his part to enforce
the law for its protection.

GENUS CATHARTES.

325. Cathartes aura (Linn.). TURKEY VULTURE.

Whole head and upper part of neck naked, the skin corrugated and
sparingly bristled ; nostrils large, elliptical ; wings
long, pointed, folding to or beyond the short round tail.
Adults: head bare and crimson in life, bill white;
lores and top of head sometimes with wart-like papil-
lae ; neck and under parts dull black ; upper parts
blackish glossed with green and purple, feathers
broadly edged with grayish brown, secondaries edged
with gray ; shafts of quills and tail feathers varying
from pale brown to yellowish white. Young : like
adults, but bill and naked skin blackish, brownish margins to wing cov-
erts less distinct. Length : 26-32, extent about 6 feet, wing 20-2o, tail
11-12, bill 1.

Distribution. — Breeds throughout most of temperate and tropical Amer-
ica, from the Saskatchewan south to Patagonia.

Eggs. — Laid in a cavern, a cavity between rocks, or a hollow in a log,
stump, or tree trunk ; 2, white, buffy, or greenish white, more or less
spotted or blotched with rich brown and purplish gray.

Food. — Carrion.

One of the most familiar sights in southern and western skies is
the dark form of the turkey buzzard circling and soaring on out-
spread wings, its black body figure, as seen from below, set in a
bordering of gray wing. As the birds float in the sky apparently
wafted by every passing breeze they are keeping a sharp lookout
over the land outspread beneath them, and so quickly discover any
carrion that the ranchmen, who are numbered among their con-
stituents, find it quite unnecessary to bury their offal, depending
entirely upon the good offices of this self-constituted garbage com-
mittee of Nature's Board of Health. Along the Columbia River the
buzzards dispose of the dead fish on the shores.

From the character of their food and their habit of eating on the
ground instead of carrying their quarry to a tree, the bills and feet

146 FALCONS, HAWKS, EAGLES, ETC.

of the vultures are modified from the hawk types. The bill is less
sharply pointed and powerful, while the feet instead of having
curved talons have an elongated middle toe well adapted to walking
on the ground, or steadying the large body as the bird stands on the
carrion it is devouring.

When walking, the vultures often hold their wings out at their
sides, harpy fashion ; and sometimes as they rise they fly so low over
your head that you hear a loud puff, puff, puff, puff, as they flap past.

While usually solitary or in scattered companies they gather
quickly at a carcass, and at night often assemble in large flocks to
roost in a favorite grove of cottonwoods. Mr. Evermaun reports over
a hundred roosting in a eucalyptus grove.

GENUS CATHARISTA.

326. Catharista urubu (Vie ill.). BLACK VULTURE.

Head naked, but feathers of neck running' up behind to a point on the
back of the head ; nostrils narrow ; wings not folding" to the end of the
short, even, or emarginate tail. Adults : head bare, blackish, bill blackish,
with yellowish or whitish tip ; whole body dull black ; wing1 quills with
white shafts, and webbing on under side hoary whitish. Length : 23-27,
extent about 54, wing- 10.50-17.50, tail 7.50-8.50, bill .90-.(,)~>.

Distribution. — Breeds in Lower Sonoran and Tropical zones from the
Atlantic to western Texas, and from North Carolina, Indiana, and Kansas
south over most of South America. Straggles to New England and South
Dakota.

Eggs. — Laid on the ground under bushes or logs, or on rocks ; 1 to o,
pale grayish green, irregularly marked around the larger end with brown
and sometimes lavender.

Food. — Carrion.

Although the turkey buzzard and black vultures resemble each
other in general, you can recognize the black vulture in the sky at
a glance b}r the shortness of its square tail. You also come to dis-
tinguish its flight, for while a turkey buzzard sails around smoothly
on a level, the black vulture's short wings and abbreviated tail often
give its body a peculiar tilt and a bat-like effect of climbing up the
air. In flying to the ground, its whitish under wing tips are a
striking character.

FAMILY FALCONIDJE: FALCONS. HAWKS, EAGLES,

ETC.

KEY TO GENERA.

1. Wing 17-21.

2. Claws all the same length, rounded on underside.

Paiidion, p. 172.

FALCONS, HAWKS, EAGLES, ETC.

147

2'. Claws not all the same length, grooved on under side.

3. Tarsus feathered to base of toes Aquila. p. 163.

3 . Tarsus not feathered to base of toes .... Haliaeetus, p. 165.

1'. Wing less than 17. \r\r\r\r\r nrir^- ^~^^

'2. Wing with only one or two quills cut out on llA_L!k.OL&£:i' i
inner webs. Fig. 214.

3. Nostril circular, with conspicuous bony tubercle.
... Falco, p. 165.

3

Fig. 215. 3 . Nostril not circular, without bony tubercle.

4. Tail deeply forked.

Elanoides, p. 148.

4'. Tail not deeply forked.

Fig. 217.

5. Tarsus minutely scaled in front
5'. Tarsus coarsely scaled in front.

Ictinia. p. 149.
2'. Wing with three to five quills cut out on inner

webs.
3. Face with owl-like ruff of stiff feathers.

Circus, p. 150.
3'. Face without owl-like ruff of stiff feathers.

Fig. 21G.
. Elanus, p. 148.

Fig. 218.

Fig. 219.

4. Legs feathered to toes Archibuteo, p. 162.

4'. Legs not feathered to toes.

5. Nostrils oblique and linear, slanting forward to cut-
ting edge of bill Polyborus, p. 171.

5'. Nostrils not oblique or linear.

6. Tail decidedly more than two thirds as long as

wing.

7. Lores nearly naked . . . Farabuteo. p. 154.

7'. Lores densely feathered . Accipiter. p. 151.

6 . Tail not more than two thirds as long as wing.

7. Primaries exceeding secondaries by less than

naked front of tarsus . Urubitillga. p. ICO

7'. Primaries exceeding secondaries by much more

than naked front of tarsus.

8. Adults with under parts barred gray and
white ; wing less than four times as long as

tarsus Asturina, p. 161.

8'. Adults with under parts not barred gray and
white ; wing more than four times as long as
tarsus Buteo. p. 155.

148

FALCONS, HAWKS, EAGLES, ETC.

GENUS ELANOIDES.

327. Elanoides forficatus (Linn.). SWALLOW-TAILED KITE.
Wings long1, slender, acute ; tail forked, and nearly as long as wing ;

feet short but stout; tarsus feathered
about half way down in front ; bill rather
weak. Adults : pure white except for
back, wings, and tail, which are blackish,
glossed with bronzy purple. Young : head
and neck streaked, back brownish, with
greenish instead of purple gloss ; wings
and tail feathers narrowly tipped with
white. Length : 19.50-25.50, wing 15.40-
17-70, outer tail feathers 12.50-14.50, bill
.70-.80.

Distribution. — From Assiniboia south
to South America, and, in the United
States, from the Carolinas west to the
Plains ; casually to Colorado and south-
ern Xew England. Breeds irregularly
throughout its United States range.

Nest. --In tops of tall trees, usually
near watercourses, made of dry twigs and
sometimes of gray moss. Eggs : 1 to 4,
white or buff y, boldly spotted or blotched,
chiefly around larger end, with browns.

Food. — Mainly reptiles and insects.

From Biological Survey, U. S. Dept. of
Agriculture.

Fig. 220.

The swallow-tailed kite li\7es mainly on the wing and by virtue of
its long tail has a remarkably graceful flight. When hunting it
flies close to the ground like a marsh hawk, but at other times sails
above the treetops, sometimes so far above that it takes a good eye
to see it. The kite picks up both food and nesting materials while
on the wing, carrying its food in its talons and eating as it goes.
Its call-notes have been given as a shrill, keene-e-e or ice-ice-we, uttered
in a high key which carries a long distance.

GENUS ELANUS.

328. Elanus leucurus (Vieill.). WHITE-TAILED KITE.

Bill rather weak and compressed; feet very small; tarsus feathered
half way down in front, and below covered with minute roundish scales;
claws not grooved beneath ; hind toe very short, claws all small and little
curved ; wings nearly or about twice as long as tail, pointed, first and
second quills emarginate, the feathers broad, obtuse at tips. Adults:
under parts white, upper parts plain bluish gray, except for white top of
head and tail, and black patches around eye and on shoulders. Young: re-
sembling adults, but tinged with rusty, extensively on under parts ; upper
parts indistinctly streaked; wing feathers tipped with white; tail with an
indistinct subterminal dusky hand. Length: 15.15-16.75, wing 11.50-
K5.: ;<>. tail 5.1 10-7.40, bill .65-.80.

Distribution. - • Tropical America, except the West Indies ; north in the
United States to about the latitude of San Francisco on the Pacific coast,
St. Louis in the interior, and Soiith Carolina in the east.

FALCONS, HAWKS, EAGLES, ETC/

149

Nest. — Generally in live oaks, made of twigs, lined with stubble and
grasses. Eggs : '•> to 5, ground color white, heavily marked over entire
surface with blotches of red and brown.

Food. — Small snakes, lizards, frogs, and insects such as grasshoppers
and beetles.

The white-tailed kites frequent lowland valleys, breeding when
possible near streams or marshes, where they hide their nests in the
tops of oaks or willows.

Their flight, Mr. Chester Barlow says, is graceful and often quite
rapid, though it lacks the dash of the falcons. When hunting early
in the morning, both birds often go together, when they may be
seen hovering motionless in the air like sparrow hawks. Their
principal call-note Mr. Barlow gives as a plaintive musical whistle.

The kites are resident in the oak groves of Santa Clara Valley, and
frequent the marshes about San Francisco Bay, where Mr. W. K.
Fisher has found them catching large numbers of the California
meadow mouse.

GENUS ICTINIA.

329. Ictinia mississippiensis (Wils.). MISSISSIPPI KITE.

Bill small but robust, cutting edge of upper mandible scalloped ; wings
and tail moderate, two outer primaries
emarginate on inner web, and next two
sinuate ; feet short and stout ; tarsus scan-
tily feathered about half way down in
front, then crossed by large scales ; outer
and middle toes connected by web for whole
length of basal joint of middle toe ; claws
stout, much curved. Adults : head and
band across wing grayish white ; under
parts dark gray ; upper parts bluish slate, u-ith
black tail and long black wing quills ; quills
with dull reddish brown webbing. Young:
head streaked black and white, whiter
on throat ; under parts whitish, heavily
streaked with dark brown and buffy ; upper
parts blackish, feathers with convex edges
brown, gray, or white ; tail and wing quills
black tipped with white, and without rufous
webbing. Length : lo.00-15.oO, wing 10.00-
12.30, tail 6-7.

Distribution. — Breeds chiefly in Lower From Biological Survey, LT. S. Dept.
Sonoran zone of the southeastern United t^S?***'

States, westward to western Texas, south

to Guatemala ; casually in Upper Sonoran zone to Pennsylvania, Wiscon-
sin, and Dakota.

Nest. — Usually an old one of its own or some other bird, in a high tree-
top ; remodeled by patching up the sides with a few sticks and lining
with Spanish moss or green leaves. Eggs : 2 or 3, pale bluish green,
unspotted.

Food. -- Lizards, small snakes, and frogs, together with insects, such as
the larger beetles, grasshoppers, and locusts.

150 FALCONS, HAWKS, EAGLES, ETC.

This sturdy little kite, with its quick flight and graceful form and
motions, has much the appearance of a falcon, but its weak bill and
talons give it an un-falcon-like character and mode of life. Its prey,
instead of being birds and mammals, is mainly of such low order as
insects, snakes, and frogs, and its hunting consequently lacks the
excitement of the chase. It is seen flying low over the prairies
among the brush patches, or going from tree to tree along the
streams. VERNON BAILEY.

GENUS CIRCUS.

331. Circus hudsonius (Linn.). MARSH HAWK.

Bill with conspicuous bristles ; face encircled by an owl-like ruff of short
feathers ; tarsus slender, much longer than middle toe and claw ; a basal
web between middle and outer toes ; claws large and sharp, much curved ;
four outer primaries cut out on inner webs, second to fifth on outer webs.
Adult male : body bluish slate, streaked with white and becoming pure
white on rw/«p and belly ; under parts lightly specked with reddish brown ;
tail with 6 or 8 bands, one nearest end widest and blackest ; tips of wing
black. Adult female and young: brown or rusty, more or less streaked.
Length: 19.50-24.00. wing 1 2.4)0-10.00, tail 8.80-10.50.

Remarks. — The facial ruff and large white rump patch are enough to
distinguish the marsh hawk in any phimage.

Distribution. — Breeds from Alaska and Hudson Bay to the southern
border of the United States and winters from about latitude 40° southward
to Panama and Cuba.

Nest. — Usually in a marsh or prairie on the ground among rushes, grass,
or bushes, made of dry grass strengthened with sticks and lined sparsely
with feathers. Eggs : generally 4 to 6, pale greenish or bluish white, plain.
or blotched and spotted with pale buff and brownish.

Food. — Largely meadow mice, young squirrels, rabbits, and ground
squirrels ; also lizards, frogs, snakes, birds, and insects.

Marsh hawk and mouse hawk are both appropriate names for these
soft-winged still-hunters. Fields, marshes, and prairies are their
hunting grounds, and you may see them sailing slowly and smoothly
just above the surface of the grass tops, with round owl-like face
and large eyes turned to the ground beneath, and wings ready for a
quick dive. Woe to the mouse or gopher that moves in the grass
under those eyes ! Birds are not such easy prey, and few are cap-
tured except wounded game birds. Broken-winged quail, grouse,
or ducks are not left to suffer long. They are quickly discovered
and eaten.

The intelligent farmer usually recognizes the value of this hawk
and the fact that it almost never touches his poultry. He sees it
skimming over his meadows and diving into the grass for mice, and
wisely lets it live ; but nevertheless he would be surprised if he
could figure out how many dollars it saves him during the year.

VERNON BAILEY.

MARSH HAWK

FALCONS, HAWKS, KA(iLKS, I-:TC.

151

GENUS ACCIPITER.

/ ('/Kti'ddirs. -- Head small. wings short, tail and legs long; three
to five outer primaries cut out on inner webs; tail square or rounded,
about equal to length of wing.

KKY TO ADULT MALKS.

1. Under parts gray, finely barred with zig/.ag lines.

2. Upp;jr parts clear bluish gray atricapillus, p. 15:!.

. Upper parts slaty blue inclining to sooty . . . Striatulus. p. 1 .">;;.
1'. Under parts white, coarsely barred with reddish brown.

Tail rounded cooperii. p. 15±

2'. Tail even or emarginate velox, p. 151.

Subgenus Accipiter.

t

Length 20 or less ; tarsus feathered for one third or less of its length.

332. Accipiter velox (in'/.s.). SHARP-SHINNED HAWK.

Adult male. — - Under parts white, heavily barred and spotted with reddish
brown; itjijirr parts nearly uniform bluish gray; tail even or sliylttly notched.

with three or four narrow blackish bands,

and narrow white tip. Adult female : similar,
but duller, less blue above, less reddish below.
Youny : upper parts dark brown, edged with
rusty and with hints of white spotting ; under
parts white, often tinged with buffy, streaked
vertically with brown ; sides and flanks barred
with reddish brown. Male : length 10.00-11.50.
wing li. 10-7. 10. tail 5.80-15.10. Ft- male : length
12.50-14.00, wing 7.80-8.80. tail O.no-s.:i0.

Remarks. — The young are decidedly larger
than the adults, and the breast markings are
vertical instead of horizontal.

Diytrilmtion. — Breeds throughout the United
States, and in the British provinces as far north
as the Arctic circle ; winters from 40° north :
southward to Guatemala.

Xest. — A remodeled one of crow, magpie,
or squirrel, or if new. made of dry sticks sparsely
lined with inner bark or green leaves ; placed
usually in a densj conifer, about twenty feet
from the ground. E'jgs : 4 or 5, pale bluish or greenish white, fading to
dull grayish whire. most irregularly and heavily blotched, spotted, and
marbled with brown ; in some specimens ground color almost hidden by
confluent brown markings.

Food. — Chiefly birds and young poultry, with a few mice, reptiles,
batrachians. and insects.

From Biological Survey, U. S.
Dept. of Agriculture.

Fig. 222.

Among the hawks the sharp shinned is a veritable bushwhacker.

«

His light body, short wings, and long tail enable him to double and
turn among the brush and branches, and in a noiseless, fox-like way
pounce over a hedgerow or brush heap into the midst of a flock of
sparrows, swoop under the low branches and pick his bird from the
ground, or dart through the treetops and snatch one in mid air from
the midst of a startled nock.

152

FALCONS, HAWKS, EAGLES, ETC.

His small size is so much more than compensated by his audacity
that one bird often becomes the terror of a poultry yard, taking the
small and half-grown chickens regularly and sometimes killing and
eating a full-grown hen of many times its own weight.

VEKNON BAILEY.

333. Accipiter cooperii (Bonap.). COOPER HAWK.

Adult male. — Under parts white, heavily spotted and barred with red-
dish brown; lop of head black contrasted with
bluish gray of back ; tail rounded, with 3 or 4
black bands and narrow white tip. Adult
female : upper parts duller and less bluish
than in male ; top of head more brown-
ish black ; hind neck and sides of head
washed with dull rusty. Young : upper
parts dark brown, with rusty edgings and
suggestion of white spotting ; under parts
streaked vertically. Male : length 14-17,
wing 8.85-9.40, tail 7.80-8.30. Female:
length 18-20, wing 10.10-11.00, tail 9.00-
10.50.

Distribution. — Breeds throughout the
United States and southern British Pro-
vinces, wintering regularly from about lati-
tude 40° southward to southern Mexico,
though occasionally staying in southern
Canada.

Nest. — In trees, 20 to 50 feet from the
ground, often a remodeled one of other
hawks, crows, or squirrels, bulky, made of
large sticks and lined with rough outer
bark. Eggs : usually 4 or 5, pale bluish

white to greenish white, unspotted or faintly and irregularly scrawled

with brown or pale buffy.

Food. — Almost entirely wild birds and poultry, but occasionally small

mammals, reptiles, batrachians, and insects.

"Cooper's hawk, which resembles the sharp-shinned hawk closely in
everything except size, is less northern in its distribution. . . . The
food of this hawk, like that of its smaller congener, consists almost
entirely of wild birds and poultry, though from its superior size and
strength it is able to cope successfully with much larger birds, and
hence is much more to be dreaded. . . . The flight of this species
is very rapid, irregular, and usually is carried at no great height
from the ground, in all these particulars closely resembling that of
the sharp -shinned hawk." (Fisher.)

Subgenus Astur.
Length over 20 ; tarsus feathered for about one half its length.

334. Accipiter atricapillus (inv.s.). AMERICAN GOSHAWK.

Bare portion of leg in front shorter than middle toe ; wing more than

From Biological Survey, U. S. Dept.
of Agriculture.

Fig. 223.

FALCONS, HAWKS, EAGLES, ETC.

153

From Biological Survey, U. S. Dept. of
Agriculture.

Fig. 224. Goshawk.

12 inches. Adults: under parts with
whitish ground uniformly covered with
finely penciled gray zigzags, touched up
with dark shaft streaks ; upper parts
dark bluish gray, with black shaft streaks,
and becoming- black on head ; tail bluish
gray, more or less tipped with white and
crossed by about four dusky bands,
sometimes obsolete on the upper sur-
face. Young: upper parts dull brown,
head and neck streaked with buffy sal-
mon, and rest of upper parts spotted and
edged with pale buft'y and whitish ;
under parts bright buffy, broadly
streaked with dark brown. Male :
length 22.00. wing- 12.00-13.25, tail 9.50-
10.50. Female : length 24.50, wing 13.50-
14.25, tail 11.50-12.75.

Distribution. — Breeds in northern and
eastern North America, chiefly north of
the United States but west to eastern
parts of Washington and Oregon, and
south in the Rocky Mountains as far as
central New Mexico.

Nest, — Placed high up in a larg-e
tree, generally an evergreen, a bulky compact mass of twigs, lined with
soft inner bark, weed stalks, or leaves, surrounded by loosely arranged
sticks. Eggs : 2 to 5, pale bluish white, vinspotted.

Food. — Rabbits and other rodents, but mainly poultry, ducks, grouse.
and smaller birds.

As the goshawk breeds in the mountains or in the far north it is
little in evidence except in winter, but then it comes down into the
valleys and even out over the deep snow of the middle prairies.

Game birds and poultry suffer more from it than from any hawk,
and its rapid flight, size, strength, and daring combine to make it
the most destructive of the American birds of prey.

334a. A. a. striatulus Ridgw. WESTERN GOSHAWK.

Like A. atricapillus but darker ; upper parts from dark bluish gray to
sooty black ; under parts dark gray, more heavily mottled, and marked
with dark shaft streaks ; belly and thighs barred. Young : upper parts
brownish black, with buffy and rusty streakings and edgings ; stripes on
lower parts broader than in A. atricapillus, and deep black ; tail with four
blackish bands.

Distribution. — From Sitka south to California and Idaho, and east to
Colorado.

Nest. — In tall trees, made of sticks lined with juniper or other bark,
grass, tree moss, weed stalks, and pine needles. Eggs : 3 to 5, indistin-
guishable from those of A. atricapillus.

Food. — Especially game birds, such as sooty, ruffed, and sharp-tailed
grouse.

' ' According to my observations, the general habits of the western

154 FALCONS, HAWKS, EAGLES, ETC.

goshawk are very similar to those of its eastern relative. It is
equally destructive to small game of all kinds . . . as well as to
the fowls of the poultiy yard. While nowhere abundant, it seems
to be pretty generally distributed throughout the Blue Mountain
region of Oregon and Washington, and breeds in suitable localities
where food is plenty. During spring and summer it is seldom seen
in the more open districts, though it is abundant enough later on,
when the heavy snows drive the game into the foothills and lower
valleys. . . . Besides a shrill scream of anger, they have a call-note
resembling the word ' kceak, kcuih,' or ' kree-ah,' frequently re-
peated, this note being often uttered in the early spring." (Bendire.)

GENUS PARABUTEO.

335. Parabuteo unicinctus harrisi (And.). HARRIS HAWK.

Lores nearly naked and bristled ; middle toe much shorter than naked
front of tarsus ; inner webs of five outer quills cut out. Adults : upper
parts dark brown, reddish brown on shoulders, under winy coverts and
thighs ; tail black with white base, white coverts, and broad white band at
tip. Young : under parts broadly streaked with dark brown on 4>«ffy and
whitish ground ; upper parts dark brown, streaked on head and neck with
yellowish brown ; back marked with rufous, scapulars deep rufous ; rump
white ; tail like adult, but with white terminal band narrower, and inner
webs of feathers barred. Male : length IT. 50-21.00, wing 12.85-lo.75,
tail 9.80-10.20, bill .90-.95. Female: length 21-24, wing 14.25-14.50, tail
10.80^11.00, bill 1.08-1.10.

Distribution. --From Mississippi to southern California, and south
through Lower California and other parts of Mexico to Panama.

Nest. — A platform of sticks, lined with grass, bark, moss, and roots
placed in cactus, Spanish bayonet, mesquite, or other trees. Eggs : 2 to 4.
soiled white, occasionally greenish, unmarked, or spotted lightly with pale
brown or lavender.

Food. — Largely offal, mammals, small reptiles, and occasionally birds.

In southern Texas the rich rufous marks and swift, clear-cut flight
of the Harris hawk soon become pleasantly familiar, for he is one of
the hawks that are both common and tame on the coast prairies. He
is so tame that as you drive by a telegraph pole on which he is perch-
ing he will sometimes stand calmly on one foot looking down upon
you with statue-like indifference. In the mesquite thickets you
may meet one at close quarters as he dashes under the thorny bushes
in quest of wood rats, ground squirrels, and the small game that
abounds in these dwarf forests; and sometimes, as happened one
day when we drove along the Nueces River, you will see him sit-
ting on a low branch feasting on a wood rat captured at the door of
its stick house close by. If you chance near the hawks' nest a long
harsh Buteo-like scream may make you look up to rind one or both
anxious birds circling overhead. A nest that was pointed out to
me by the (mners in Texas was in the top of a moss-hung hack-

FALCONS, HAWKS, EAGLES, ETC.

155

berry, and on climbing the tree I found a heavy platform of sticks
three feet wide lined with Spanish moss. The young blundered out
on my approach, showing the nest to be fairly covered with bones
of wood rats. There were a do/en skulls, and bones, legs, skin,
and fur were strewn over the nest. YKKNOX BAILEY.

GENUS BUTEO.

General Characters. — Size medium and large, form heavy ; wings longer
than tail ; emarginate primaries 3 or 4 ; sexes alike or similar ; female
larger than male ; melanism frequent.

KEY TO ADULT MALES.

1. Three outer primaries with inner
webs distinctly cut out

2. Primaries exceeding secondaries

by nearly length of tail. Fig. 2-25.

semietti, p. 158.
2'. Primaries exceeding secondaries by much less than length of tail.

3. Wing over 14 swaiiisoili, p. 159.

3'. Wing under 11.50 platypterus, p. 160.

1'. Four outer primaries with inner webs cut out.

'2. Outer webs of primaries spotted with white, buffy,

or brownish elegans. p. 157.

2'. Outer webs of primaries without white, buffy, or fig. 226.

brownish spots, but with quadrate bands.

3. Tail black or blackish, crossed by white zones.

abbreviates, p. 157.

-HO

'•} . Tail with more or less

of reddish brown. Fig. 227.

4. Upper parts strikingly marked and
spotted with white.

kriderii. p. 156.
4 . Upper parts not strikingly spotted

with white.
5. Tail dark rufous.

borealis, p. 155.
5'. Tail pale rufous, calurus, p. 156.

337.

From Biological Survey, U. S. Dept. of
Agriculture.

Fig. 228.

Buteo borealis (Gmel.}.
RED-TAILED HAWK.

Adults. - - Upper parts blackish brown,
with white and gray markings ; tail red-
dixh brown, usually with black subter-
minal band ; under parts white to black-
ish, with or without rusty on breast.
Young : tail gray, crossed by 6 to 10
dark bands ; belly crossed by blackish
zone. Male: length 19.00-22.50, wing
13.50-16.50, tail 8.50-10.00, bill .95-

156 FALCONS, HAWKS, EAGLES, ETC.

1.08. Female: length 23-25, wing- 15.25-17.75, tail 9.50-10.50, bill 1.00-
1.15.

Distribution. — Eastern North America, west to the Black Hills and
Colorado, and south to northeastern Mexico. Breeds nearly throughout
its range.

Nest. — Usually in tall trees. Eggs : 2 to 4, white or bluish white,
more or less spotted or blotched with brown.

Food. — Mainly mice, ground squirrels, and other injurious mammals.

The eastern red-tail goes as far west as Colorado.

337a. B. b. kriderii Hoopes. KKIDER HAWK.

Adults. — Under parts entirely irhite or pale buffy; upper parts brown,
largely marked with white ; tail pale rufous, usually without subterminal
band. Young : similar, but tail tipped with white and with about ten
dark brown bands, feathers more or less tinged with reddish brown and
with inner webs largely Avhite between bands. Size of B. borealis.

Distribution. — Great Plains, from Minnesota to Texas, and from Wyo-
ming east casually to Illinois.

Nest and eggs similar to those of the red-tail.

337b. B. b. calurus (Cass.). WESTERN KED-TAIL.

Adults. -- Varying greatly in plumage — Light extreme: under parts
white or buffy, with broad reddish brown streakings on throat, belly, and
sides; tail bright reddish brown, with one or more subterminal blackish
bars ; rest of upper parts dark brown, more or less marked with yellowish
brown and whitish. Dark extreme : uniform dark sooty brown except for
rufous tail. Intermediates : reddish brown underneath, and with more or less
reddish brown wash on upper parts. There are also all grades of plumage
in this form between the light and dark extremes. Young : tail grayish
brown varying to dull yellowish brown, crossed by 9 to 10 blackish bands ;
rest of plumage dark brown heavily spotted beneath, sometimes wholly
dusky. Male : length 19.00-22.50, extent of wings 49-53, wing 13.50-10.50,
tail 8.50-10.00, bill .95-1.08. Female: length 23-25, extent 54.00-57.50,
wing 15.25-17.75, tail 9.50-10.50, bill 1.00-1.15.

Distribution. --Western North America, from the Mississippi valley,
casually east to Illinois, west to the Pacific, and south to Guatemala.

Nest. --Sometimes used a number of years, made of sticks and lined
with roots or inner bark, placed usually 30 to 50 feet from the ground,
generally in deciduous trees, but also in evergreens and giant cactus, and
occasionally on cliffs. Eggs : usually 2 or 3, cream}' white or bluish
white, unspotted or irregularly blotched with yellowish and reddish brown.

Food. - - Rabbits, ground squirrels, chipmunks, mice, snakes, lizards,
frogs, grasshoppers, and other insects.

"The western red-tail, though nowhere very abundant, is pretty
generally distributed over western North America at large, and is,
next to Swainsoii's hawk, the commonest of the larger raptores found
in these regions. . . . It is fond of the tall timber bordering the banks
of streams, and is as often found far in the mountain passes and
dee]) canyons as in ihe more open country in the foothills and the
adjacent plains, but seems to shun the dense and extensive forests,
and is rarely seen except on the borders of these. In some of the

FALCONS, HAWKS, EAGLES, ETC. 157

desert regions of western Texas, southern New Mexico, and Arizona,
it is not infrequently met with at long distances from water, and
has even been found breeding in such localities. . . . It is one of the
earliest migrants to return to its breeding grounds, arriving about
the latter part of February or the first week in March, and is readily
noticed then, both on account of its size and its shrill squeals,
uttered during the greater part of the day while circling high in the
air, in proximity to its future summer home. They appear to be
very much attached to certain localities and return to them froni
year to year. ... In Washington, Idaho, Oregon, and California it
lives principally on the different species of ground squirrels so com-
mon and destructive in these states." (Bendire.)

Mr. Grinuell says that this hawk, in common with other species, is
popularly known as heuhawk or chickenhawk and is relentlessly
killed wherever chance is offered, and he adds that he attributes the
great local increase in ground squirrels in part at least to the destruc-
tion of hawks and owls.

339b. Buteo lineatus elegans (Cass.). RED-BELLIED HAWK.

Adults. — Under parts bright reddish brown, usually plain across breast,
lightly barred with white below ; upper parts dark brown, streaked with
white or rusty yellowish brown ; shoulders reddish brown ; wings and tail
banded with white. Young : spots of buffy or yellowish brown on outer
webs of wing quills. Male : wing 12.00-12.50, tail 8-9, bill .78. Female :
wing 13, tail 9.50, bill .90.

Distribution. — From British Columbia south to Lower California and
northern Mexico ; and from western Texas to the Pacific.

Nest. — Of twigs or sagebrush lined with leaves, pine needles, inner
bark, and feathers ; placed in trees and giant cactus. Eggs : '2 to 5, white,
marked lightly with lavender and brown.

Food. — Lizards, frogs, grubs, and insects ; and sometimes small birds.

The red-bellied hawk usually makes its home in trees along river
banks, especially in oak* and willow regions, where it may be seen
moving with a heavy flight suggestive of the owls.

In speaking of its food habits, Mr. Lyman Belding says that he
once shot one of a pair that had for three years nested less than two
hundred yards from a poultry yard, and on examination of its
stomach found only small lizards, tree-frogs, grubs, and insects.

When disturbed at its nest, Major Bendire says, the red-bellied
gives a shrill yee-ak, yee-ak, repeated rapidly in a high key.

340. Buteo abbreviatus Cab. ZONE-TAILED HAWK.

Adults. — Whole bird uniform black or blackish brown, feathers pure
white at bases ; tail crossed by three broad lighter zones, which are gray on
outer and white on inner webs of feathers. Young : tail dark grayish
brown instead of black, inner webs sometimes entirely white ; crossed by
numerous black narrow oblique lines. Male : length 18.50-19.60, extent
49.50, wing 15.00-15.60, tail 8.50-9.15. Female : length 20.85-21.50, extent
53.10, wing 16.50-17.40, tail 9.00-10.75, bill .90-1.00.

158 FALCONS, HAWKS, EAGLES, ETC.

Distribution. — From Southern California to Texas,
and south to northern South America.

Xest. — On rock cliffs or in cottonwoods near
streams, made of twigs lined with Spanish moss,
green leaves, or inner bark of the cottonwood. Eggs :
1 to 3, pale bluish white, mostly unspotted.

Pood. — Small mammals, lizards, frog's, and fishes.

Major Beudire states that one or two pairs of
the zone-tailed hawks may usually be found liv-
Fig. "J2ii. Tail of Zone- |ni,. jn eac\l of the larger cottonwood proves of

tailed Hawk. °. * * *

Arizona, but that few are ever found far from the
banks of streams. In southern Texas and New Mexico the hawks
frequent canyons, where they circle about scouring the cliffs, or,
mounting high in the air, dive screaming almost to the water in the
bottom. Their cry, which is loud and piercing, is said to resound
commandingly through the canyons.

Fifty miles south of the Arizona line Mr. Price encountered a fire
in the marsh-lands and cauebrakes which brought hundreds of the
zone-tails to feed on the cotton rats and other rodents driven out by
the heat. Some of the hawks circled high in the air over the flames,
while others wheeled and plunged into the dense black smoke for
their prey.

Subgenus Tachytriorchis.
Three outer primaries cut out.

341. Buteo albicaudatus sennetti Allen. SENNETT WHITE-
TAILED HAWK.

Adult male. — Pure white on under parts, rump, and tail, except for black
subterminal tail band, the white in places lightly scored with narrow dusky
bars ; upper parts dull bluish gray, iring coverts marked irit/t rufous, quills
blackish; three outer quills cut out on inner web. Adult female : similar,
but rufous patch on wing coverts more extended, and colors generally
darker. Young : brownish black, shoulders marked with reddish brown ;
under parts marked with whitish buffy and yellowish brown ; thighs buffy
brown ; tail gray, darkening toward end, and becoming rusty at tip,
scored faintly with narrow dusky bars, becoming obsolete toward base of
tail. Male: \ving 14.50-16.75, tail 7.50-9.00. Female: wing 17.00-17.75,
tail S.-J5-10.30, bill .05-1.05.

Distribution. -- From southern Texas and Arizona south to Mexico.

Nest. -- A platform of twigs almost without lining : placed in yucca
tops, chaparral, or small trees on the prairie. Eggs : '2 or •'», dingy white,
lightly marked with spots of pale brown.

In driving over the treeless prairie of southern Texas day after
day, one of your keenest pleasures is to sight, across a long level
foreground, the shining white breast of a stately white-tailed hawk,
lie stands on Ili<- -round, perches on a low bush, or perhaps on a
fence post, if anything so high offers. Strikingly handsome in re-
po>e. when lie Hies up MS you drive near, his white tail with its black
terminal band adds unique distinction to his appearance.

FALCONS, HAWKS, EAGLES, ETC.

159

342. Buteo swainsoni Bonap. SWAINSON HAWK.

Adult mult- in normal //,'t///i<i</i< : throat and belly white, ichite of throat

sharply contrasted u-ith

JTroin Biological Survey, U. S.
Dept. of Agriculture.

Fig. '230.

brotni clitst band; upper parts nearly uni-
form dark grayish brown ; tail crossed by
about 0 or 1C narrow blackish bands. Adult
ti/iiii/f in normal plumage: like male, but
chest patch grayish brown instead of rufous.
Melanistic phase, both sexes: whole plumage
uniform sooty brown, under tail coverts some-
times spotted or barred with rusty or whitish.
Every possible gradation is shown by different
individuals between this black phase and the
light colored normal plumage. Young : upper
parts blackish brown varied with buff y or yel-
lowish brown ; head. neck, and under parts
buffy brown, head and neck streaked with
blackish ; under parts usually more or less
blotched with blackish. Male: length 10.50-
20.00. extent 48.00-50.50. wing- 14.40-16.00,
tail 8-0, bill .SO-.90. Female : length 21-22,
extent 50.50-56.00, wins? 14.75-17.25, tail 0-10,
bill .80-.05.

Distribution. - - From the arctic regions
south to Argentina ; in the United States
from the Pacific to Wisconsin, Illinois, and

Arkansas ; casually to Massachusetts. Migratory north of South Dakota
and Nebraska.

Nest. — In cottonwoods and other trees, and also in bushes and on rocks,
made of sagebrush, willow, or other sticks, lined largely with green leaves
and bark. Eggs : I to 4. greenish white, fading to yellowish, spotted in-
conspicuously with different shades of brown.

Food. — Almost entirely small rodents, principally striped gophers and
mice, together with grasshoppers and crickets.

" On the arid wastes and tablelands of southern Arizona, as well
as in the sage and bunch grass districts of Nevada, Oregon, Washing-
ton, and Idaho, Swainson's hawk is especially abundant, outnumber-
ing, perhaps, all the other Raptores of these regions combined. It is
eminently a prairie bird, shunning the densely timbered mountain
regions, and being more at home in the sparing!}' wooded localities
usually found along the watercourses of the lowlands.

• Compared with the majority of our hawks it is gentle and un-
suspicious in disposition, living in perfect harmony with its smaller
neighbors. It is no unusual sight to find other birds, . . . nesting
in the same tree ; and the Arkansas kingbird goes even farther than
this, sometimes constructing its home . . . under the nest of these
hawks or in the sides of it. . . .

"The food of Swainson's hawk consists almost entirely of the
smaller rodents, principally striped gophers and mice, as well as grass-
hoppers and the large black cricket, which is very common as well as
destructive in certain seasons, and the bane of the farmers in eastern

160 FALCONS, HAWKS, EAGLES, ETC.

Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Nevada, and other localities in the Great
Basin, destroying and eating up every green thing as they move
along. . . .

"I cannot recall a single instance where one of these birds visited
a poultry yard. . . . From an economic point of view I consider it
by far the most useful and beneficial of all our hawks." (Bendire.)

During the migrations flocks of one or two hundred Swainson
hawks are sometimes seen on the ground catching grasshoppers.

Subgenus Buteola.

343. Buteo platypterus (Vieill.). BROAD-WINGED HAWK.

Adults. — Upper parts dark brown, wing' quills and tail blackish, tail
narrowly tipped with white, and with 2 to 4 broad grayish bands ; under
parts from dark brown to rusty or rufous. Young : tail narrowly tipped
with white and crossed by 5 to 7 blackish bands ; sides of head and under
parts dull white or buffy, marked with long- dark streaks, cordate spots on
sides, and barring1 on thighs. Male : length lo. 25-15. 00, wing- 9.85-10.70,
tail 6.50-7.00, bill .70. Female : length 10-18, wing- 11.00-11.40, tail 7-8,
bill .70-.80.

Remarks. — In normal plumage the broad-winged and the Swainson sug-
gest each other, but differ in the much smaller size of the broad-wing-, as
well as the white belly and thighs, and 9 or 10 tail bands of the Swainson.

Distribution. — Breeds in eastern North America from New Brunswick
and Saskatchewan south — mainly east of tbe Mississippi — to Mexico;
migrating through Central America and the West Indies to northern South
America. Recorded from 101° in Texas.

Nest. - - In trees, generally not more than 25 feet from the ground ; of
sticks, lined largely with strips of bark or leaves. Eggs : usually 2 or 3,
grayish or pale greenish, marked irregularly with lavender, pearl gray,
ami sometimes brown.

Food. — Ground squirrels, wood mice, field mice, shrews, moths, grass-
hoppers, crickets, and beetles.

The eastern broad-wing has been found along wooded rivers in
western Texas.

GENUS URUBITINGA.

345. Urubitinga anthracina (Licht.). MEXICAN BLACK HAWK.

Tail about two thirds as long as wing, emarginate or nearly even ; 4
outer primaries sinuate on inner webs ; primaries exceeding secondaries by
less than length of naked front of tarsus; tarsus much longer than mid-
dle toe and elaw, only feathered for a short distance.

Adults. -- Whole bird black except for tail, which has a white base, tip,
and medium cross band. Young : under parts buffy, streaked with black-
ish ; thighs heavily barred with blackish ; upper parts blackish, streaked
with whitish, buffy, and rufous; tail banded obliquely with black and
white. Male : length iM. ."><), wing 1:5.15-14.90, tail 7.90-9.75, bill 1.00-1.0.").
F.mal,-: length 20.00-22.50, wing 14.25-1(5.00, tail 9.25-11.00, bill 1.05-
1.10.

Distribution. - -From. Arizona and the Lower Rio Grande Valley in
Texas south to northern South America.

Nest. -- Bulky, of sticks and herbage, lined with dry leaves, and placed

FALCONS, HAWKS, EAGLES, ETC. 161

in a large tree near the border of a stream. Eggs : usually 2, white, irregu-
larly blotched with brown, chiefly around the larger end.

Food. — Small mammals, reptiles, Crustacea, insects, and rarely birds.

In Arizona Dr. Mearus usually found the anthracite or Mexican
black hawk hidden in the foliage near water. Occasionally he saw
one eating fish on the sandy margin of a river. They are very shy,
he says, and their flight is swrift and powerful.

GENUS ASTURINA.

346. Asturina plagiata Schlegel. MEXICAN GOSHAWK.

Proportions of Buteo but coloration of Astur ; wings less than 4 times
as long as tarsus : four outer primaries cut out on inner webs, second to
fifth cut out on outer webs ; tail even, long ; about three fourths wing ;
legs long, as in Accipiter ; feet stout.

Adults. — Under parts, except for white under tail coverts, everywhere
barred gray and ichite : upper parts plain ash gray or very faintly barred ;
top of head and back of neck withjiwe blackish shaft streaks ; wing quills
and upper tail coverts white, tail blackish, tipped with white, and crossed
by 2 or 3 white bands. Young: under parts white, broadly streaked ex-
cept on throat, and tinged with pinkish buff on sides and under wings ;
upper parts sooty brown, head and neck streaked, and wings spotted with
buffy ; upper tail coverts white ; tail grayish brown, tipped with whitish,
and crossed by 6 or 7 black bands. Length: 16-18, wing 9.50-11.70, tail
6.70-8.20. bill ".75-1. 00.

Distribution. — From southwestern border of United States to Panama.

Nest. — Of fresh cottonwood twigs writh leaves attached, lined with
dry leaves and strips of bark. Eggs : usually 2, pale bluish white,
unspotted.

Food. — Ground squirrels, mice, birds, small reptiles, and insects.

The Mexican goshawk frequents open groves and the edges of
timber, especially near watercourses.

Near Tucson, Arizona, Major Bendire had a good opportunity to
study its habits. From the middle of April, he says, "not a day
passed without my seeing two or three pairs of these handsome lit-
tle goshawks (which were readil}' recognized by their light color)
engaged in sailing gracefully over the treetops, nowT sportively chas-
ing each other, or again circling around, the female closely followed
by the male, uttering at the same time a very peculiar piping note,
which reminded me of that given by the long-billed curlew in the
early spring (while hovering in the air in the manner of a sparrow
hawk), rather than the shrill cries or screams usually uttered by birds
of prey. To my ear, there was something decidedly flute-like about
these notes. . . . When in search of food, their flight is powerful,
active, and easily controlled. I have seen one of them dart to the
ground with arrow-like swiftness to pick up some bird, lizard, or
rodent, continuing its flight without any stop whatever."

162 FALCONS, HAWKS, EAGLES, ETC.

Beetles and grasshoppers are caught by them on the wing, and
twigs for their nests are broken off as they fly rapidly by.

GENUS ARCHIBUTEO.

General Characters. — Like Buteo, but tarsus feathered in front and on
sides down to base of toes ; wings long-, four or five quills emarginate on
inner webs.

KKY TO SPECIES.

1. Bill small and weak, gape across corners of bill only 1.35-1.45.

sancti-johannis. p. 162.
1'. Bill larger and stronger, gape across corners of bill 1.70-1.90.

ferrugiiieus. p. 163.

347a. Archibuteo lagopus sancti-johannis (GmeL). ROUGH-
LEGGED HAWK.

Adults, normal phase. — Under parts varying from whitish to yellowish
brown, more or less spotted with blackish, most heavily on breast ; upper
.,-^ parts grayish brown or dark brown, streaked

with white and reddish brown; tail with base
and upper coverts ichite and end with subter-
minal dusky band ; wing quills with outer webs
silvery gray. Young, normal plumage : similar
to adults, but end of tail plain grayish brown,
the basal part plain whitish ; under parts whit-
ish or huffy, crossed on belly by a broad belt
of uniform dark brown. Melanistic phase in
both young and old — connected with normal
plumage by every variety of intermediate char-
acter — entirely deep black except for white
forehead, white on inner webs of quills above
emargination. and narrow broken bauds across
base of tail. Male : length 19.50-22.00, wing
15.75-1(5.80, tail 9-10. Female : length 21.50-
2:5.50, wing 1(5.15-18.00. tail 9-11.

Remarks. - - The white upper tail coverts
and large size are good field characters.

Distribution. - - Whole of North America north of Mexico, but breeding
almost wholly north of the United States.

Nest. — Made of large sticks lined with grass, leaves, or feathers, in trees
or on cliffs. Eyy* : - to 5, greenish white, fading to dingy white, irregu-
larly marked with blotches of brown and sometimes lavender.
Food. --Principally small rodents, such as mice and lemmings.

The rough-logged hawk is known mainly as a winter bird in the
United States, coining down with the fall migrants and spreading
over the count. ry where he can rind food to suit his taste, often
remaining all winter in the northern states where the deep snow and
intense cold drive less hardy species away. AVhere trappers are at
work he rinds plenty of food in the freshly skinned or fro/en bodies
of muskrats and other fur mammals left lying by the streams and
lakes ; but he is not dependent upon such supplies. He keeps

FALCONS, HAWKS, EAGLES, ETC.

1G3

mainly within the country inhabited by meadow mice, and at the
season when they are at their worst eating the roots of the crops
and gnawing the bark of fruit-trees under the snow he devotes
himself to their destruction.

Dr. Fisher says that the rough-leg is one of the most nocturnal of
our hawks, and that it %> may be seen in the fading twilight watch-
ing from some low perch, or beating with measured, noiseless flight,
over its hunting ground."

Subgenus Brewsteria.

FERRUGINOUS ROUGH-

348. Archibuteo ferrugineus (Licht.}.
LEG : SQUIRREL HAAVK.

Adults, normal phase : under parts white, sometimes slightly streaked
with brown; upper part* and flanks reddish
brown ; tail white, more or less stained with
reddish brown, and sometimes marked with
a subterminal band. Adults, melamstic phase :
tail normal; upper parts chocolate brown,
marked with rusty ; under parts rust}' and
chocolate. Young : upper parts grayish
brown, feathers edged with rusty or yellow-
ish brown ; flanks white, more or less spotted
with dusky ; tail whitish for basal third, the
rest brownish gray, usually with several
more or less distinct dark bands. Male :
length 22.50. wing 15.90-17.00, tail 9.50-
10.50. Female : length 24. wing 17.00-18.80,
tail 10.50-11.00.

Distribution. — From the eastern Dakotas
and Texas to the Pacific, and from the Sas-
katchewan to northern Mexico ; casually to
Illinois.

Nest. — Of sticks and herbage, lined with
softer materials. Eggs : 2 to 5, creamy or
pale greenish, irregularly blotched with dif-
ferent shades of brown and lavender.

Food. — Almost exclusively small
mals and reptiles, but also crickets.

mam-

From Biological Survey, U. S. Dept.
of Agriculture.

Fig. 232.

"The squirrel hawk is preeminently a bird of the prairie, and,
unlike the common rough-leg, shows little partiality to the vicinity
of water, though in other respects it closely resembles the latter
bird in habits. When this hawk is hunting its flight appears la-
bored and heavy, but when circling high in the air its flight is
graceful, and resembles closely that of the golden eagle. In fact, in
parts of the west it is known by the name eagle." (Fisher.)

GENUS AQUILA.

349. Aquila chrysaetos (Linn.). GOLDEN EAGLE.

A bird of great size, robust form, and powerful physique. Tarsus closely

164 FALCONS, HAWKS, EAGLES, ETC.

feathered all around to the toes, outer and middle toes webbed at base ;
t,, --~-7^ bill large, long1 ; wings long, pointed; tail mod-

erate, rounded, or graduated ; feathers of occiput
and nape lanceolate. Sexes alike. Adults : whole
bird dark brown, lanceolate feathers of hind
neck and those on legs lighter brown ; wing
quills black ; tail blackish, more or less clouded
or irregularly banded with grayish. Young : like
adult, but basal part of tail plain white, under
parts white beneath the surface. Male : length
30-35, extent about 6£ to 7 feet, wing 23.00-24.70,
tail 14-15, bill 1.50-1.62. Female : length 35-40,
extent about 7 to 7f feet, wing 25-27, tail 15-16,
bill 1.68-1.85.

Distribution. — Northern portion of northern
hemisphere, chiefly in mountainous regions ; south
in North America to central Mexico. Breeds
From Biological Survey, U. S. throughout its range.

^ Dept. of Agriculture. Nest. — A platform of sticks lined with straw,

Fig. 233. Golden Eagle. g-rass, moss, leaves, fur, or feathers, placed in
high trees or on a ledge of a cliff. Eggs : usually 2, white, irregularly
marked, some almost immaculate, others thickly blotched with brown.

Food. -- Mainly mammals and birds, including squirrels, prairie dogs,
spermophiles, rabbits, fawns, lambs, turkeys, grouse, and waterfowl.

In his mountain home the golden eagle scours the ridges and sides
of precipices for grouse and marmots, and when these become scarce
or too wary from long acquaintance with his raids, he descends like
a meteor on half folded wings to the valley, where he beats the
sagebrush for jack rabbits, sage grouse, or any game worthy of his
royal quest.

The eagles are often seen hunting in pairs, and doubtless find
mutual advantage other than companionship in the method. In
Salt Lake Valley, at the foot of the Wasatch Mountains, a pair
were once found eating a full grown gray fox they had just killed,
which it is doubtful if either could have caught or overpowered
alone. Under stress of hunger or when game is scarce, the birds are
said to take young lambs or kids, and even to eat animals found
dead on the prairie, in this way getting the poison put out for
coyotes. But only extreme necessity could make them stoop to
such ignominious quarry, as nothing short of the extermination of
the buffalo and other legitimate game could have brought the
haughty chiefs adorned with their regal feathers to beg alms.

The eagles sweep over the plains and valleys, but the mountains
are their natural homes. On San Francisco Mountain in Ari/ona I
found a pair coming every morning to drink and bathe in a pool of
clear snow water above the timber at 11,000 feet.

VEKNON BAILEY.

FALCONS, HAWKS, EAGLES, ETC.

1G5

From Biological Survey, U. S. Dept.
of Agriculture.

Fig. 234.

GENUS HALIJEETUS.

352. Haliseetus leucocephalus (Linn.). BALD EAGLE.

Tarsus feathered only half way down, middle and outer toes without
web ; wing1 pointed, secondaries much shorter
than primaries ; tail less than two thirds as
long' as wing', rounded. Adults. — Head,
neck, tail, and tail coverts snowy white ; rest
of plumage blackish or dark brownish,
feathers edged with brown. Young : first
year wholly black except for white bases of
feathers showing' through ; second or third
year under parts mixed black and white ;
head and neck black, rest of upper parts
mixed gray, brown, black, and white. Male :
length 30-35, extent about 7 feet, wing
20.00-25.90, tail 11.00-15.20, bill 1.85-2.25.
Female : length 34-43, extent about T-S feet,
wing 23.50-28.00, tail 12.50-10.00, bill l.'JO-
2.35.

Distribution. — Mainly in the United States
and Mexico. Breeds in suitable localities
throughout its range.

Nest. — A bulky mass of sticks, sea-
weed, rushes, turf, vines, or plant stalks,
on cliffs or in tall trees. Eggs : usually 2,
white.

Food. -- Mainly fish, but also squirrels, rabbits, prairie dogs, lambs,
carrion, and waterfowl.

The bald eagle was unfortunately selected as our national emblem
instead of the nobler golden eagle, as it is at times both a scavenger
and a robber. It lives largely on fish, diving for them and taking
them itself, stealing them from a fish hawk, or, in company with
ravens and vultures, feeding on dead fish cast up by the waves along
river banks.

It must be acknowledged, however, that the eagles show great
skill in their piratical exploits and courage in defense of their nests,
and that they have a noble, commanding bearing which is not alto-
gether belied by their daily deeds.

GENUS FALCO.

General Characters. — Cutting edge of upper mandible with a tooth-like
projection separated by notch from hooked tip ; nostril small, circular,
with a conspicuous bony tubercle ; wings long and pointed.

KEY TO ADULTS.

1. One primary with inner web cut out.

2. Back of tarsus almost covered by feathers from sides.

rusticolus, p. 166.
2'. Back of tarsus broadly bare.

3. Grayish brown above ........ mexicanus, p. 166.

166 FALCONS, HAWKS, EAGLES, ETC.

:V. Slaty bluish above.

4. Top of head darker than back anatum, p. 167.

4 '. Top of head and back uniform pealei, p. 168.

1 . Two primaries with inner webs cut out.

'1. Tarsus not decided ly longer than middle toe.

3. Middle tail feathers crossed by not more than four narrow blackish

or six light bands.
4. Inner webs of quills distinctly barred or spotted.

columbarius, p. 168.
4'. Inner webs of quills not distinctly barred or spotted.

suckleyi, p. l(i(,).
3'. Middle tail feathers crossed by 5 darker and 6 lighter bands.

richardsonii, p. 169.

2 . Tarsus decidedly longer than middle toe.
3. Side of head with one horizontal stripe.

fusco-coerulescens. p. 170.
3'. Side of head with two black vertical stripes.

4. Darker. Eastern United States .... sparverius, p. 170.
4. Paler. Western United States . . . . deserticola, p. 171.

Subgenus Hierofalco.

Tarsus feathered two thirds of the way down in front and on sides, the
edges of the feathering meeting on the posterior side.

354. Falco rusticolus Linn. GRAY GYRFALCON.

Adults. — Top of head largely streaked with white ; anterior upper parts
barred with grayish or whitish and darker ; tail strongly banded ; flanks
and thighs more or less marked with slaty. Young : upper parts much
spotted with white or buffy ; under parts with dark stripes usually nar-
rower than white interspaces. Male : length 20-21, wing 14.10, tail 8.51,
bill .90, tarsus 2.40. Female : length 22.00-24.50, wing 15.76, tail 9.72,
bill 1.01, tarsus 2.46.

Distribution. — Extreme northern portions of Europe (except Scandi-
navia), Asia, and North America, including Iceland and southern Green-
land ; south in winter to northern border of United States.

The gyrfalcons are so rare in the United States that, as Dr. Fisher
says, a man may consider himself fortunate if he sees one in a life-
time.

355. Falco mexicanus Schlegel. PRAIRIE FALCON.

Adult male. -- Under parts and nuchal collar irhite, sides of head with
dark patches ; median under parts lightly streaked or spotted, and flanks
heavily spotted or blotched with dusky ; upper parts pale clay brown,
usually tinged with rusty and indistinctly but broadly barred with pale
clay color or dull buffy anteriorly, and with pale bluish gray posteriorly.
Adult female: upper parts dull clay brown, feathers edged with rusty
brown or dull whitish, paler toward tail ; tail tipped with whitish and
lighter on outer edges of feathers. Young: upper parts grayish brown,
feathers edged with light rusty; under parts buffy with broader dusky
streaks ; dark flank patch larger and more uniform than in the adult, and
axillars unbroken dusky. Mali': length 17- IS, \ving 11.60— 12.50, tail
0.40-7.50, bill .70-. 7:». 'Female: length 18.50-20.00, wing 13.25-14.30,
tail s-'.».bill .X5-.90.

Distribution. I 'nited States, from 1 he eastern border of the Plains to

FALCONS, HAWKS, EAGLES, ETC.

lf>7

the Pacific, and from the Dakotas south to Mexico; casually to Illinois.
Breeds throughout its United .States range.

Nest. — Usually on ledges of rocky cliffs. Eggs : o to 5, usually creamy
white, blotched and spotted with reddish brown, spots sometimes covering
whole surface.

Food. — Birds, mammals, reptiles, and the larger insects.

Over the western plains and sagebrush desert country one often
sees a small, trinity-built, sharp-winged hawk dashing about in the
air, and on scanning the rugged cliffs discerns a white streak high
on the rock wall and with a field glass a niche above in which per-
haps the edge of a nest or the heads of young may be seen. Some-
times you will hear the high-pitched call, kee, kee, kee, as the old
birds circle around above their aerie. As they hover about the cliffs
their neat forms and quick, hard wing beats are so characteristic
that they could be mistaken for no other bird, unless perhaps the
duck hawk. Their nests are usually placed in the most inaccessible
parts of high cliffs, and the birds are closely associated with many of
the grandest western landscapes.

The falcons are bold freebooters when a farmyard happens to lie
in the valley below and their hungry young are calling, but ordi-
narily ground squirrels and other small rodents supply most of their
food. The few birds they get are mostly caught on the wing. One
that shot past me in pursuit of a flock of Ganibel quails in southern
Utah struck a quail from the flock with such force as to knock it
to the ground amid a cloud of feathers, but fortunately for the
quail it landed in the brush, where it escaped. VEKNOX BAILEY.

Subgenus Rhynchodon.

Tarsus only slightly feathered in front,
broadly bare behind ; not longer than
middle toe without claw.

356. Falco peregrinus anatum

(Bonap.). DUCK HAWK.
Adults. — Sides of head and neck black.
in striking contrast to white or buffy of
throat and breast ; rest of under parts
deeper colored and spotted or barred
with blackish : top of head sooty black,
rest of upper parts slaty blue, lighter on
rump, indistinctly barred with dusky :
wing quills blackish, inner webs of quills
spotted regularly with buffy or yellow-
ish brown ; tail blackish, crossed by 8 to
10 light grayish bars, and with narrow-
white tip. Young : under parts yellowish

brown or reddish brown, heavily streaked From Biol(Jglcal Survev r s I)ept. ft£
with dark brown ; upper parts blackish. Agriculture,

feathers edged with rusty ; tail spotted Fig. 235.

168 FALCONS, HAWKS, EAGLES, ETC.

Distribution. — America, north of Chili ; migratory in the northern part
of its range ; breeding locally throughout most of its United States range.

Eggs. — Usually laid on bare ground or rock, on a ledge or crag, or
sometimes in hollows in trees or old nests of other hawks, generally 4,
creamy or yellowish white, overlaid with brown or brick red.

Food. — Almost exclusively water birds.

As the duck hawk lives mainly on waterfowl and shore birds it
follows them from the north on their migrations. Its flight is so
rapid that it easily overtakes the swift-winged ducks, and it is so
bold as to attack and kill birds twice its weight. It ranks next to
the goshawk as a fierce bird of prey.

356a. Palco peregrinus pealei Eidgw. PEALE FALCON.

Adults. — Like F. p. anatum, but head and upper ports uniform dark
slate blue ; barred on back of wings and tail ; chest marked with tear-
shaped blackish spots, and rest of under parts broadly barred with black-
ish. Young : under parts sooty black, streaked with huffy or buffy white ;
upper parts with only faint traces of rusty feather margins. Male : wing
12.95, tail 6.75, bill .84. Female : wing 14.66, tail 7.84, bill .96.

Remarks. - - The adult Peale falcon can be distinguished from the duck
hawk by the uniform coloration of head and back, and the young by the
black under parts.

Distribution. — Pacific coast region of North America from Oregon
north to the Aleutian and west to the Commander Islands, breeding
throughout its range.

Nest. — On ledges of high cliffs.

The Peale falcon is said to live largely on auklets and murrelets in

Alaska.

Subgenus JEsalon.

Tarsus scarcely feathered above, longer than middle toe without claw.
357. Falco columbarius Linn. PIGEON HAWK.

Middle tail feathers crossed by not more than four blackish or five

lighter bands. Adult male: under parts heavily
striped on whitish, buffy, or rusty ground, strip-
ing lightest or wanting on throat ; upper parts
bluish gray, with black shaft streaks, hind neck
mixed with whitish, buffy, or yellowish brown ;
wing quills blackish, inner webs distinctly barred
or spotted. Adult female : upper parts brownish,
top and sides of head streaked with blackish ;
under parts whitish or buffy, without rusty tinge.
Young : like female but darker, or tinged with
rusty or yellowish brown above, and whitish or
buffy below. Mule: length 10-11, wing 7.40-7.SO,
tail 4.65-5.20, bill .4X-.50. Female : length 12.50-
lo.iVi. wing S.:;:>-S.GO, tail 5.:50-:>.5<). bill .55-.GO.

Hi-iiHirkti. -- In the field the pigeon hawk might
From Biological survey, U. *>e mistaken for the young sharp-shinned, but

8. Dept. of Agriculture! can readily be distinguished by the tail, that of
Fig. 23G. the sharp-shin being grayish brown, with half inch

FALCONS, HAWKS, EAGLES, ETC. 169

black bands, that of the pigeon hawk being brown, with quarter inch
whitish bands.

Distribution. — North America from the Arctic Ocean south in winter to
the West Indies, and from the southern states to northern South America ;
breeding- mainly north of parallel 43°, except in the mountains, where it
extends farther south.

Nest. — On ledges of cliffs and sometimes in trees or hollows of trees.
The cliff nests have little material, the tree nests are bulky, made of
sticks, grass, or moss, and lined with feathers, inner bark, and other soft
material. Eggs : 4 or 5, ground color white, usually hidden by blotched
reddish brown suffusion.

Food. — Mainly birds and insects ; occasionally small mammals.

' ' This spirited little hawk is one of the most common birds of prey
within its northern range. It feeds chiefly upon small birds, but
often attacks birds much larger than itself. ... It seldom watches
from a perch, or hovers in the air as it sights its prey, but as a rule
darts rapidly through the thickets and over the open grounds, giving
chase to the birds startled in its course. ... In flight, like others
of the falcon family, it strikes rapidly with its wings, never sailing
except for a short distance." (Goss.)

357a. F. C. suckleyi Ridgiv. BLACK MERLIN.

Adult male. — Upper parts blackish brown, wing coverts and tertials
slaty, tail coverts bluish slate ; tail black, with three slaty whitish bars,
and tip marked with whitish ; throat white streaked with black ; rest of
under parts blackish brown with whitish and tawny markings. Adult
female and young : under parts heavily marked with dusky ; iipper parts
blackish brown, wing coverts and tertials slaty ; tail coverts bluish slate ;
inner webs of quills not distinctly spotted or barred ; tail bands, except
for whitish tip, indistinct or obsolete. Male : wing 8, tail 4.90, tarsus
1.40, bill .70. Female : wing 8.25-8.50, tail 5.70-5.80, bill .55-.60.

Distribution. — Northwest coast from northern California to Sitka.

Singularly enough the adult male black merlin had never been
described till Mrs. Fannie Hardy Eckstorm published a description
in The Auk, October, 1902, from a bird given Mr. Manly Hardy by
Major Bendire, who shot it at Fort Klamath, Oregon.

The hawk is by no means as rare as this oversight would indicate.
Mr. Rathbun has even seen one in Seattle, near the business part of
the city, and noted the bird a number of times along Lake Washington.

358. Falco richardsonii Ridgic. RICHARDSON MERLIN.

Coloration much like that of the pigeon hawk, but averaging lighter ;
middle tail feathers crossed by 5 dark and 6 light bands.

Distribution. — Interior and western plains of North America, from the
Mississippi to the Pacific ; breeding from Saskatchewan south to Colorado ;
wintering in Texas. Arizona, and probably Mexico.

Nest, eggs, and food as in jP. columbarius, p. 168.

Male: wing 7.70-8.05, tail 4.90-5.30, bill .50-.60. Female: length
12.00-13.50, wing 8.80-9.10, tail 5.70-6.30, bill .55-.60,

The habits of the Richardson merlin so far as known are the same
as those of the pigeon hawk.

170

FALCONS, HAWKS, EAGLES, ETC.

Subgenus Rhynchofalco.

Tarsus scarcely feathered above, little longer than middle toe without
claw.

359. Falco fusco-COSrulescens Vieill. APLOMADO FALCON.
Adults. — Sides of head black, with white central blotch ; throat and

chest white ; sides and flanks slaty blackish, narrowly barred with white ;
upper parts plain bluish gray ; wide stripe from eye becoming yellowish
brown in encircling back of head ; icing more than 9 inches, with one white
bar ; tail tipped with white and crossed by about eight narrow white
bands. Young : similar to adult but colors duller, the upper parts less
bluish, white of breast buffy, more or less marked with dusky, belly and
thighs paler. Male : length 15, wing 9.20-10.70, tail 6.30-8.00, bill .00-
.68. Female : length 17-18, wing 11.00-11.60, tail 7.80-8.80, bill .71-80.

Distribution. --From southern Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona, south
to Patagonia.

Nest. — A platform of twigs and plant stalks, generally lined with grass ;
placed in mesquite, yucca, or cactus. Eggs : usually 3, yellowish white,
almost obscured by varying shades of brown.

Food. — Probably largely small mammals, birds, and insects.

The Aplomado falcon is a bird of the mesquite, cactus, and yucca
plains, where it finds a goodly supply of its favorite foods. When
hunting it often hovers in the air like a sparrow hawk, but unlike
most hawks rests mainly on the ground. For a falcon it is said to
be rather a quiet, spiritless bird.

Subgenus Tinnunculus.
Tarsus scarcely feathered above, longer than middle toe with claw.

360. Falco sparverius Linn. SPARROW HAWK.

Adult male. — Top of head bluish or
slaty, with or without rufous crown
patch ; cheeks with two black stripes ;
back rufous, with or without black
bars or spots ; wings bluish gray ; tail
rufous, with black subterminal band ;
under parts varying from white to
rufous, with or without black spots.
Ad tilt female: similar, but back,
wings, and tail barred with dusky.
Young: similar to adults, but colors
more blended and — in male — feath-
ers of upper parts edged with whitish.
Male: length 8.75-10.60, wing 7.16,
tail 4.73. bill .50. Female: length
!).50-1±(M). wing 7.57, tail 5.14, bill
.50-55.

Distribution. — North America from
Great Slave Lake south, east of the
Kocky Mountains, to northern South
America.

Nest. --In holes, usually in dead
Fig. i':;7. trees. Ey<j* : 2 to 5, varying from

From Biological Simey, U. Si. Dept. of
Agriculture.

AUDUBON CARACARA

FALCONS. HAWKS, EAGLES, ETC. 171

pure white with few markings to deep cinnamon buff, more or less sprin-
kled or blotched with darker brown.

Food. - - Mainly grasshoppers and crickets ; also other insects, snails,
small injurious mammals, and sometimes birds.

The habits of the eastern sparrow hawk are the same as those of
the western.

360a. F. s. deserticola Meamn. DESERT SPARROW HAWK.

Similar to F. sparverius but larger, with relatively longer tail and paler,
more rufous coloration.

Distribution. — Western United States and British Columbia ; south to
Guatemala.

Food. — Small mammals such as mice and gophers, with grasshoppers
and other insects.

The marsh hawk and the sparrow hawk are the two most familiar
members of the hawk family. Instead of spending their time soaring
high in the sky or darting back and forth through the treetops,
Circus beats slowly low over our meadows for mice, while the spar-
row hawk builds his nest in a knot-hole of a tree by the roadside
and sits on a fence post when not hovering over the meadow looking
for grasshoppers. His handsome, trim little person is familiar to
passers by, while his shrill killy-killy -kitty, given as he hovers, is one
of the pleasant well-known sounds of the open country.

In the mountains the sparrow hawks often affect the high places.
On Mount Shasta they have been seen at about 13,000 feet. On Las-
sen Peak, Mr. W. K. Fisher saw one in such hot pursuit of a Clarke
crow that it took refuge in a clump of hemlocks. In the Wind
River Mountains they have been seen hovering over large tracts of
slide rock as if in search of conies and chipmunks.

GENUS POLYBORUS.

362. Polyborus cheriway (Jacq.). AUDUBON CAKACARA.

Bill long, compressed, only slightly hooked ; nostrils linear, oblique,
slanting down toward cutting edge of bill ; upper mandible scalloped on
cutting edge ; tarsus nearly twice as long as middle toe without claw,
almost wholly naked.

^[dults. — Skin of face nearly bare : horizontal crest and body blackish
brown except for white collar and white on wings and tail, the white col-
lar widening to a cape on back, grading from pure white through spotted
and barred black and white to black ; wings with white shaft streaks and
grayish white patch on quills ; tail white, with broad black terminal band
and about 13 or 14 narrow dusky bars. Young : black of adults replaced by
brown, mixed black and white cape of adult dingy whitish, striped with
dark brown. Length: 20.50-25.00. wing 14.60-16.50, tail 8.80-10.1 '-0. bill
1.20-1.48.

Distribution. — Resident along the southern border of the United States
(Florida, Texas, and Arizona) and Lower California ; extending south to
South America. Ecuador, and Guiana.

172 FALCONS, HAWKS, EAGLES, ETC.

Nest. — A bulky mass of twigs, flags, weeds, coarse grass, leaves, cot-
ton, or Spanish moss ; placed according to the locality in low bushes or in
high trees. Eggs : "2 or o, ground color brown or white, generally entirely
hidden by spots of darker brown.

Food. — Carrion, mice, rabbits, fish, and snakes.

The caracara or Mexican buzzard is the oddest looking bird found
in that most interesting belt of strange Mexican types, the southern
border line of the United States. In flight it has a wooden look,
given probably by its curious color pattern and long neck. Head
and neck appear like one stiff round-headed stick. Its wings look
stiff and angular too, and as it flaps along their white tips add to
the singular effect. On your first view of the bird you exclaim in-
voluntarily, "What a queer looking creature !"

In driving from Corpus Christi to Brownsville, while we found the
Swaiuson, Harris, and white-tailed hawks common on the open
prairie, we saw caracaras only on the mesquite or shin oak prairie.
In the mesquite one day we came to two of the birds standing in the
road beside a dead snake. As they stood with heads raised, they
had a proud, hawk-like bearing.

South of San Ignatius, in driving through the low shin oak, we
found two caracaras perched on an isolated little round-topped oak.
They were so big and the tree was so small that they more than
filled it, looking like huge stuffed birds on meagre standards. They
were so evidently at home, sitting pluming themselves calmly
while we stared, that we looked about for a nest and soon discov-
ered it, a mass of sticks, holding a fuzzy-headed nestling, on the top
of another small round oak.

On the coast of southern Texas, Colonel Goss found the caracara
playing the part the eagles do with fish hawks. When the brown
pelicans were coming to shore with their pouches full of fish, the
caracaras would dart down screaming and strike at them with their
talons till the pelicans disgorged their fish, when the robbers would
calmly take possession of the quarry.

GENUS PANDION.

364. Pandion haliaetus carolinensis (GW.). FISH HAWK.

Plumage close, firm, imbricated, oily ; feet large and strong, roughly
granular ; toes all free to the base, outer toe reversible ; claws all the
same length ; wings long, pointed ; tail short. Adult male : Head, neck
and tinder parts white, head more or less streaked with blackish, broad
dark streak on side of head ; breast sometimes slightly blotched with
brown ; tail narrowly tipped with white and crossed by C or 7 narrow
blackish bands. Adult female: similar, but chest heavily spotted with
brown. Young : sexes similar to adults, but upper parts blackish brown,
feathers tipped with white or buffy. Length : 20.75-25.00, extent about
05, wing 17-21, tail 7-10, bill 1.20-1.45.

IJAHN OWLS

17.°,

From Biological Survey, U. S. Dept.
of Agriculture.

Fig. 238. Fish Hawk.

Distrilnttinn. — Breeds from Hudson
Bay and Alaska south throughout the
United .States and Mexico ; migrates to
the West Indies and northern South
America.

Nest. — On the ground, in trees, on
telegraph poles, cliffs, or deserted build-
ings, made of large sticks, brush, and
rubbish, such as weeds and cornstalks,
lined with softer materials like seaweed,
cedar bark, and corn leaves. Eggs : usu-
ally o, varying greatly in size, color, and
markings. Ground color generally white,
sometimes so evenly overlaid as to ap-
pear buffy or vinaceous. and usually heav-
ily blotched with brown and wine red.

Food. — Fish.

With almost g.ull-like persistenc}r
the fish hawk follows the rivers and
lakes, circling on crooked wings above
the surface of the^ water or perching
near the shore on the top of some old
dead tree overlooking the rippling
surface. When a fish is sighted below the long wings are folded
and with a meteor-like plunge the bird sinks into the water, imbed-
ding the long hooked talons in the back of the fish. With a few
powerful strokes of the wings it is up again, carrying the fish with
talons planted one ahead of the other in its back, to make it go head
first instead of sidewise, so that it will cut the air. With its prey
the osprey makes for its nest, or if it has no nest flies to a branch
where it can devour its quarry at leisure.

Every spring the fish hawks add a new layer to the old nest, and
if undisturbed will use the same structure as long as the sticks hold
together. The nests are generally scattered and by no means com-
mon, but in places where suckers and other fish are abundant and
easily caught, the ospreys sometimes live in large colonies, coming
back year after year to the same nests. VERNON BAILEY.

FAMILY STRIGIDJE BARN OWLS.

GENUS STRIX.

365. Strix pratincola Bonap. BARN OWL.

Wings long, pointed, folding beyond tail ; tail short, about half as long
as wing ; tarsus nearly twice as long as middle toe
without claw, closely feathered above, slightly feath-
ered and bristly below, as on toes ; feathers of back of
tarsus pointing upward ; inner toe as long as middle
toe ; inner edge of middle claw pectinated.

Facial disk pure white to tawny ; under parts pure Fig. 239.,

174

BARN OWLS

white to yellowish brown, dotted with triangular brown or blackish spots ;

upper parts yellowish brown, more or
less overlaid with mottled gray, finely
streaked with black and white ; wings
and tail with a few cluskv bands. Length :
14.75-18.00. wing 12.50-14.00, tail 5.50-
7.50, bill .90-1 .00.

Distribution. — Breeds in Upper and
Lower Sonoran zones of the United
States, from about latitude 41° (Ne-
braska), and southward through Mexico.
Migrates more or less in the northern
part of its range.

Nest. - - In hollow trees, holes in cliffs,
barns, old houses, and bell towers.

Food. — In California, principally go-
phers and ground squirrels, together
with rabbits, birds, and insects.

The barn owl, or more appropri-
ately golden owl, spends its days in
any dark crevice that it finds con-
venient, from the hollow branch of a
tQ bam loftSj garrets, wells,

From Biological Survey, U. S. Dept.
of Agriculture.

Fig. '240. Barn Owl.

windmill tanks, and mining shafts. When driven out of its hiding
place in the daytime, an old owl will draw itself up, snap its bill,
and hiss at one in a way that might well terrify a nervous enemy.
At twilight it leaves its cover and with noiseless flight hurries to
some low meadow or marsh to hunt.

In California it preys mainly on gophers and ground squirrels,
both of which rank among the worst pests in the country. The
ejected pellets found around the owls' nests often contain nothing
but gopher hair and bones, and in a number of instances Mr. Clark
P. Streator has found an accumulation of two or three cubic feet of
pellets in the trees in which the owls lived. Wherever the owls are
found they rank among the most beneficial of rapacious birds, for
they not on\y live on gophers and ground squirrels in the west, but
cotton rats in the south, and rats and mice in the north.

When hunting, the owl's 'peevish scream' may often be heard,
and sometimes also a note that Major Bendire compares to the call
of the niglitlmwk. But the hungry young make the most noise.
When camped beside an oak containing a family. Dr. Palmer found
them a great nuisance from the hissing and shrieking which they
kept up all night.

In California in winter Mr. Evermaun has found as many as fitly
barn owls together in the oaks.

y

HORNED OWLS, ETC. 17 :>

FAMILY BUBONIDJE: HORNED OWLS, ETC.

I\KY TO GENERA.

1. Small, wing 3.40-7.50.

'2. With ear tufts (inconspicuous in young) . . Megascops. p. 181.
2'. Without ear tufts.

3. Tarsus more than twice as long" as middle toe. Speotyto, p. 181*.
3 . Tarsus less than twice as long as middle toe.

4. Tarsus scantily haired Micropallas. p. 191.

4'. Tarsus densely feathered.

5. Ear openings very large, the two unlike.

Nyctala. p. 1711

Fig. 241.

5'. Ear openings small, the two alike.

Glaucidium. p. Kin.
1'. Large, wing ll.5U-iy.UO.

_v

'2. With ear tufts.

3. Ear openings small Bubo. p. 185.

3'. Ear openings large, reaching almost to top of skull.

Asio. p. 175.
. Without ear tufts.

3. Wing 9 inches Surma, p. 18S.

3'. Wing 12 to 10.

4. Ear openings small, the two ears not distinctly dif-
ferent Nyctea. p. 187.

4'. Ear openings very large, the two strikingly dif-
ferent.

5. Toes feathered to claws. . Scotiaptex. p. 170.
5'. Tips of toes exposed . . . Syrnium, p. 177.

Fig. 24'J.

GENUS ASIO.

General Characters. — Ear openings immense, almost equal to height of
skull ; ear tufts more or less developed ; wings about twice as long as tail :
feet closely feathered to ends of toes.

KEY TO ADULTS.

J. Ear tufts short , . accipitrinus, p. 177.

1'. Ear tufts long . .* wilsoiiiaiius, p. 175.

366. Asio wilsonianus (Lens.). LONG-EARED OWL.

Ear tufts dark brown, conspicuous; face mainly yellowish brown ; under
parts whitish and yellowish, with dark brown shaft streaks and hori-
zontal bars on belly : flanks yellowish brown, unspotted ; upper parts

176

HORNED OWLS, ETC.

From Biological Survey, U. S.
Dept. of Agriculture.

mottled gray, tawny, and blackish ; wings and tail barred. Length .-

13-10, wing 11.50-12.00, tail 6.00-6.20, bill
.05.

Distribution. -- Temperate North America,
straggling south to Mexico in winter. Breeds
throughout its range.

Nest. — Usually an old crow's nest built up
on the sides and lined with grass, dead leaves,
and feathers ; generally 10 to oO feet from the
ground, in bushes or trees in swamps or on bor-
ders of streams. Eggs : o to 0, white.

Food. — Injurious rodents, which it destroys
in vast numbers.

The long-eared owl spends its days mostly
in the thickest cover it can find, but when
this is not dense enough to prevent discov-
ery it protects itself by many curious de-
vices. It affords one of the interesting
cases where ' unconscious protective color-
Fig. 243. Long-eared Owl. ation .g combined witll conscious protec-
tive attitudes.' When frightened, Dr. Fisher says, it rises up,
'draws the feathers close to the body and erects the ear tufts,
resembling in appearance a piece of weatherbeaten bark more than
a bird.'

Major Bendire surprised one while she was killing a ground
squirrel. To his astonishment, as he says : "All at once she seemed
to expand to several times her normal size, every feather raised and
standing at a right angle from the body ; the wings were fully
spread, thrown up and obliquely backward, their outer edges touch-
ing each other over and behind the head, which likewise looked
abnormally large." This remarkable performance was accompanied
by a loud hissing.

The owls, though sometimes seen abroad on cloudy days, usually
hunt at night. When in Sierra Valley, California, Mr. Walter K.
Fisher encountered them as rival mammalogists. He writes : "I
\vas out one bright moonlight night in the sage brush looking for
Pi'i'txli'i>n8 and observed about six of these owls flying swiftly and
noiselessl}' over the plain, evidently hunting mice. They were very
tame, and flew close about me, taking no notice of my presence.
They made no sound whatever."

They are generally rather quiet birds, Major Bendire says, with
low toned pleasing note's, one of which he describes as a low twit-
tered whistle. In the breeding season, however, they hoot some-
what like screech owls.

In summing up its food habits. Dr. Fisher declares it one of the
most beneficial species, as it destroys 'vast numbers of injurious

HORNED OWLS, ETC. 177

rodents aiid seldom touches insectivorous birds. ' As it is easily
destroyed, he says it is the owl that suffers most when short-sighted
legislators enact laws for the destruction of birds of prey.

367. Asio accipitrinus (Pall.). SHORT-EARED OWL.

Adults. -- Ear tufts inconspicuous ; eyes with black ring- and white eye-
brows ; body varying- from yellowish brown
to buffy white, conspicuously streaked with
dark brown ; wings and tail irregularly
banded with dark brown and buffy or yel-
lowish brown. Young : face brownish
black, under parts plain dull buffy, tinged
with gray in front ; upper parts dark
brown, the feathers tipped with yellowish
brown. Length: lo. 80-16.75, wing 11.80-
13.00, tail 5.80-6.10. bill .60-.65.

Distribution. — Entire western hemi-
sphere except Galapagos Islands and part
of the West Indies ; also nearly throughout
the eastern hemisphere, excepting Austra-
lia. Breeds in the United States irregu-
larly and locally from about latitude o9°

,-, , •* From Biological Survey, t. S. Dent.

northward. of Agriculture.

Nest. — Of coarse grass and sticks, loosely Fig. 244.

put together, and sparsely lined with fine
material and feathers of the bird. Eggs : 4 to 7, white.

Food. — Largely mice ; also gophers, shrews, rabbits, grasshoppers,
crickets, and beetles.

The habits of the short-eared owl are quite unique. While most
owls live in trees and woods this bird rarely lights in a tree, making
its home in the open country, coast marshes, and islands covered
with bushes and high grass. It hides in the grass on bright days,
but in cloudy weather often hunts in the morning and evening or
even the middle of the day, flying low over the ground in its search
for gophers, mice, and grasshoppers, when its long wings make it
seem very large. On the salt marshes of Gray's Harbor, where Mr.
Lawrence found the owls flying about commonly in misty weather,
he says they looked 'as big as eagles.' There, he says, they sat
on the edges of the sloughs watching for rats. When flying high,
sporting, or chasing some large bird, he heard them give a shrill
barking call like the ki-yi of a small dog.

GENUS SYRNILTM.

General Characters. — Wing 12-15. rounded ; no ear tufts ; ear opening-
large and with a distinct anterior flap, the two ears conspicuously differ-
ent ; tip of toe exposed.

KEY TO SPECIES.

1. Head and neck barred.

2. Upper parts dark brown nebulosum. p. 178.

2'. Upper parts pale yellowish brown .... helveolum, p. 178.

178

HORNED OWLS, ETC.

1'. Head and neck spotted.

"2. Wing- broadly tipped with whitish .... occidentals, p. 178.
_ . Wing- with white tips almost obsolete .... caurinum, p. 179.

368. Syrnium nebulosum (Forst.}. BARRED OWL.

Adults. -- Head, neck, and breast widely barred with dark brown and

white or buffy. belly streaked with dark brown on
whitish or buffy ground ; upper parts mixed dark
brown, irregularly barred and spotted with buffy,
whitish, and yellowish brown ; wings and tail
banded. Young : entire plumage barred except
tail and wing- quills, which are as in adult ; back
and wing coverts broadly barred, the end of each
feather white, giving a spotted effect. Length :
10.75-24.00, wing about 13-14, tail about 0.

Distribution. — Breeds in Transition and Upper
Sonoran zones from Nova Scotia south to Georgia
and northern Texas, and west to Colorado.

Nest. — In hollows of trees, or that of hawk or
crow. Eggs : 2 to 4, white.

Food. — Mainly mice and other small mam-
mals ; also crawfish and insects.

"In the central and southern parts of its

From Biological Survey, V. ...

s. Dept. of Agriculture. range it is quite common, frequenting mostly
Fig. 245. t]ie ]1GaVy timbered and, preferably, swampy

tracts near watercourses, and spending the days generally in natural
hollows of trees or in dense shrubbery. Like most of the birds of
this family, it is nocturnal in its habits, but nevertheless sees well
enough, and even occasionally hunts in the daytime, especially
during cloudy weather. . . .

"The flight of the barred owl ... is easy, and though quite
swift at times, it is perfectly noiseless. A rapidly passing shadow
distinctly cast on the snow-covered ground is often the sole cause
of its presence being betrayed as it glides silently by the hunter's
camp-fire in the still hours of a moonlight night. Far oftener,
however, it announces itself by the unearthly weird call-notes
peculiar to this species, which surpass in startling effect those of
all other owls with which I am familiar." (Bcndire.)

368b S. n. helveolum Bangs. TEXAS BARRED Owi,.

Pallid, back, wings, and tail pale yellowish brown or cinnamon, light
bars and spots on wings large and white ; light bars on tail wider and
paler than in .S. nebulosum ; under parts paler, dark striping and barring
browner, ground color whiter ; feathers of tarsus buffy. without dusky
markings. Ty/tr : female: \ving 18, tail 8.32. Topotype : male adult:
wing l:;.(!4, tail S.40.

Distribution. — Southern Texas (and northern Tamaulipas, Mexico ?).

369. Syrnium occidentale Xantus. SPOTTED OWL.

Upper parts brown, head and neck coarsely spotted (instead of barred)
with round white spots ; wing quills spotted with pale brown and whitish,

HORNED OWLS, ETC. 179

and broadly tipped it-it It /r/n't/sfi ; tail banded ; under parts whitish, barred and
spotted with brown. I. myth : ID, wing- 12.0U-13.5U, tail 8.50-9.00, bill .9U.
Distribution. --From southern Colorado and New Mexico to California
and south to Lower California and northwestern Mexico.

The spotted owl is the western representative of the barred owl,
and is so closely confined to the thinly settled mountain regions of
the west that little is known of its habits. Mr. Lyruau Belding
compares its call to the barking of a dog.

36 9a. S. O. caurinum Merriam. NORTHERN SPOTTED OWL.

Similar to the spotted owl, but darker, with white spots and markings
restricted, especially on head and back ; wing qiiills darker, the broad
white tip almost obsolete. Winy: 12. 1U; tail (middle feathers) 8.06.

Distribution. — Coast region of Washington and British Columbia.

GENUS SCOTIAPTEX.

370. Scotiaptex cinerea (Gmd.). GREAT GRAY OWL.

Ear tufts wanting ; ear openings large, with conspicuous anterior flap,
the two ears strikingly different; bill nearly hidden by feathers ; toes en-
tirely covered with feathers ; eyes yellow, eye ring black ; bill small, nearly
hidden by feathers ; face with concentric rings of gray and dark brown ;
upper parts sooty, mottled with gray and blackish ; Aving quills and tail
banded ; under parts mixed sooty and whitish, with irregular sooty streak-
ing ; flanks and legs barred. Length : 25-30. extent 54-00, wing about
10-18, tail 11.00-12.50.

Distribution. — Northern North America, south in winter to the northern
border of the United States.

Nest. — In evergreens, made of sticks, feathers, and sometimes mosses.
Eggs : 2 to 4, white.

Food. — Mainly rabbits, mice, and other small mammals, together with
birds.

" Its great predilection for thick woods, in which it dwells doubt-
less to the very limit of trees, prevents it from being an inhabitant
of the barren grounds or other open country in the north. It is
crepuscular or slightly nocturnal in the southern parts of its range,
but in the high north it pursues its prey in the daytime. In the
latter region, where the sun never passes below the horizon in sum-
mer, it is undoubtedly necessity and not choice that prompts it to be
abroad in the daylight. . . . The note of this owl is said to be a
tremulous, vibrating sound, somewhat resembling that of the screech
owl." (Fisher.)

GENUS NYCTALA.

General Characters. -- Wing 525-7.40; ear tufts wanting ; ear openings
nearly equal to height of skull, with anterior flap, the two ears conspic-
uously different ; feet thickly feathered to claws.

KEY TO SPECIES.

1. Wing 0.50 or more richardsoni. p. 180.

1'. Wing less than 0.

180

HORNED OWLS, ETC.

2. Lighter acadica, p. 180.

'2'. Darker scotaea, p. 181.

371. Nyctala tengmalmi richardsoni (Bonap.). RICHARD-

SON OWL.

Adults. — Eye ring1 black, face whitish ; under parts gray, heavily
blotched with dark brown across breast and streaked with dark brown on
belly ; upper parts dark brown, spotted with white ; flanks and feet
usually bujf'y, more or less spotted with brown ; under tail coverts striped
with brown. Young : face blackish, eyebrows and malar streak white in
sharp contrast ; wings and tail like adult ; body plain seal brown except
for yellowish brown on belly and flanks ; flanks more or less spotted with
brown. Length : 9-12, wing 6.60-7.40, tail 4.10-4.70.

Distribution. — Northern North America from the limit of trees south
in winter to Oregon and Colorado.

Nest. — Probably in holes in trees and, in absence of trees, in bushes.
Eggs : probably 3 to 7, white.

Food. — Mice, small birds, and insects.

" Richardson's owl is a boreal species inhabiting North America
from the limit of trees south to the northern tier of states. ... It is
common throughout northern Alaska, wherever trees or large bushes
occur to afford it shelter. ... It is nocturnal in its habits, remain-
ing quiet during the day in the thick foliage of the trees or bushes.
In fact, its vision is apparently so affected by bright light that many
specimens have been captured alive by persons walking up and
taking them in their hands. On this account the Eskimo in Alaska
have given it the name of 'blind one.' (Fisher.)

372. Nyctala acadica (GmeL). SAW-WHET OWL.

Adults. -- Eye ring whitish, face streaked with dark brown ; under parts

white, streaked vertically with reddish
brown, most thickly on breast ; upper
parts olive brown, marked with white,
finely streaked on head, and coarsely
streaked or spotted on back, wings, and
Tail ; feet plain white or bujfy. Young :
face blackish, in sharp contrast to
white eyebrows and white malar
streak ; upper parts and breast plain
dark seal brown ; wings and tail as in
adult ; belly yellowish brown. Length :
7.25-8.50. wing 5.25-5.00, tail 2.80-
3.25.

Distribution. -- From about latitude
50° to southern United States, breed-
Fig. 24(;. ing south to Pennsylvania, New Mex-
ico, and California.

/. -- A deserted woodpecker hole, hollow of a tree, or old squirrel's
nest. Eggs : ?> to 7. white.

Food. — Almost wholly mice, but also other small mammals and insects.

The deeper and darker the forest the bettor it suits this little

HORNED OWLS, ETC. 181

gray-coated night woodsman. In the daytime he snuggles up to
sonic gray trunk under the thick branches of a dark spruce, or hides
in the leafy canopy of a forest tree. At night he floats on noiseless
wings along the edges of the open parks and meadows, passing
from tree to tree and bush to bush, dropping on unsuspecting mice
that rustle the grass or venture into the open spaces under the trees,
rinding an abundance of food even when the snow is deep and the
nights crisp and cold.

With the first thaws of early spring his love-song is heard, --a
soft scraping note repeated monotonously in quick succession for
half an hour at a time. It usually conies first from the woodpecker
hole where he has been spending the day, but later in the evening
is repeated from the branches in different parts of the woods. Before
the snow has all gone the eggs are laid, sometimes in the woodpecker
hole where his voice was first heard, sometimes in another near by.
By the time the first really warm spring weather has come the young-
have hatched. Then the old birds are too busy catching mice for
their large family to give much time to music, and they are not
heard again regularly until the next spring. But they have many
soft little talking notes that you can hear by sleeping in their woods
on still summer nights. VERNON BAILEY.

37 2a. N. a. scotsea Osgood. NORTHWEST SAW-WHET OWL,.

Similar to N. acadica, but darker, dark marking's everywhere heavier ;
flanks, leg's, and feet more rufescent. Wing : 3.33, tail 2.<>6. tarsus 1.03.

Distribution. — Puget Sound region, north to Queen Charlotte Islands.
B. C.

GENUS MEGASCOPS.

General Characters. - • Wing : 5.40-7.80 ; ear tufts more or less con-
spicuous ; ear opening's small, the two ears alike ; wing's rounded, about
twice the length of the short rounded tail ; tarsus feathered.

KEY TO SPECIES.

1. Toes feathered or bristly.

2. Size large, wing averaging about 7 or more.
3. Plumage dark and heavily mottled.

4. Dichromatic ; brown form with back deep sooty brown. Oregon

to Sitka kemiicottii. p. 183.

4'. Monochromatic ; back grayish brown. East of Cascades.

macfarlanei. p. 184.
3'. Plumage pale ashy gray, lightly streaked. Rocky Mountains.

maxwelliae, p. 183.
2'. Size smaller, wing averaging (>.60 or less.

3. Wing averaging less than 0 ; plumage dichromatic.

4. Throat without fulvous collar. Southwestern Texas and Mexico.

mccalli, p. 183.

4'. Throat with pai'tial collar of mottled fulvoiis in gray phase.
Mexico and southern Arizona .... trichopsis, p. 184.

182

HORNED OWLS, ETC.

3'. Wing averaging over 0.40.

4. Dichromatic, red or brownish gray. Eastern United States.

asio. p. 182.
4'. Not dichromatic, always gray.

5. Back brownish gray. Coast region of California.

bendirei, p. 183.
5'. Back clearer gray.

Plumage light gray, narrowly and sharply streaked below
with black. Mexico to southern Arizona and New Mexico.

cineraceus, p. 183.

6'. Plumage dark gray, heavily streaked with black. South-
ern Colorado, northern Arizona, and New Mexico.

aikeni. p. 184.
1'. Toes entirely naked to base.

2. Throat with conspicuous band of ochraceous, lower parts lightly

mottled idahoensis, p. 185.

2'. Throat without distinct band of ochraceous, lower parts more heavily
mottled flammeola, p. 184.

373. Megascops asio (Linn.). SCREECH OWL.

Dichromatic ; gray or reddish brown, without regard to age, sex, or

season ; ear tufts conspicuous ; toes thinly
feathered or bristly on top. Adults: gray
phase : upper parts dull brownish gray, with
shaft streaks and fine mottlings of dusky ;
edge of scapulars and row of spots on edge
of wing white or creamy ; lower parts gray-
ish white, with heavy shaft streaks and
light cross - lines of black. Red phase :
upper parts clear rich rufous, with a trace
of black shaft lines and with white scap-
ular streaks and spots on edge of wing ;
lower parts streaked and mottled with ru-
fous and white, and with faint black shaft
streaks. Young : plumage barred or banded
with grayish or whitish, without longitu-
dinal markings. Length : 7.i">0-10.00, wing
(5.00-7.10, tail 3.05-3.50.

Distribution. - - Temperate eastern North
America, south to Georgia ; west to about
the 100° meridian.

Nest. -- A hollow in a tree or old wood-
pecker hole, 3 to 40 feet from the ground.
Eggs : usually 4 or 5, white.
Food. — Mammals, birds, reptiles, batrachians, fish, crustaceans, and

insects.

i'roin Biological Survey, U. S. Dept. of
Agriculture.

Fig. 247.

"The common screech owl is distributed throughout the whole of
the United States and the southern portions of the British Provinces.
It is separable into several geographic races as is usual in species
having such an extensive distribution. . . . Their food consists of
a great variety of animal life. ... At nightfall tliej- begin their
rounds, inspecting the vicinity of farmhouses, barns, and corncribs,
making trips through the orchards and nurseries, gliding silently

HORNED OWLS, ETC. 183

across the meadows, or encircling the stacks of grain in search of
mice and insects. Thousands upon thousands of mice of different
kinds thus fall victims to their industry. Their economic relations,
therefore, are of the greatest importance, particularly on account of
the abundance of the species in many farming districts ; and who-
ever destroys them through ignorance or prejudice should be se-
verely condemned." (Fisher.)

373b. M. a. mccalli (Cass.}. TEXAS SCREECH OWL.

Dichromatic ; gray or rufous. Gray phase : smaller and darker than asz'o,
with more conspicuous dusky shaft streaks above and heavier shaft streaks
and cross-lines of black below. Rufous phase: much as in asio, the rufous
predominating1 on lower parts. Young : whole plumage, except wing-
quills and tail feathers, barred or banded with grayish or whitish ; the
black streaks wholly wanting. Length: 6.50-9.00, wing 5.60-6.30, tail
3.10-3.40.

Distribution. — From western and southern Texas across eastern border
of tablelands of Mexico.

Nest. -- In cavities of trees. Eggs : 2 to 5.

373c. M. a. bendirei (Breu-st.). CALIFORNIA SCREECH OWL.

Not dichromatic ; gray only. Slightly larger than asio, with heavier,
more marked shaft streaks of black both above and below, and less con-
spicuous cross-lining below. Smaller and lighter than kennicottii to the
north.

Distribution. — California.

Nest. — Usually in oaks or cottonwoods.

373d. M. a. kennicottii (Elliot). KENNICOTT SCREECH OWL.

Conspicuously larger and darker colored than asio or bendirei ; upper
parts dark sooty brown, mottled and streaked with black ; scapular
streaks and spots on edge of wings rich buff ; lower parts heavily mottled,
lined, and cross-lined with black ; legs and feet rich buffy brown, finely
mottled with buffy. Specimens from the southern and eastern part of the
range lighter and grayer.

Distribution. — Northwest coast region from Oregon to Sitka.

373e. M. a. maxwelliae (Ridgw.). ROCKY MOI-NTAIN SCREECH
OWL.

Large and very pale ; white predominating on lower parts ; upper parts
light ashy or buffy gray, with narrow streaks and faint mottlings of black-
ish ; white streaks on scapulars and on edge of wings, large ; lower parts
white, with narrow shaft streaks of black, and fine cross-lines of brown.

Distribution. - - Foothills and adjacent plains of the eastern Rocky
Mountains from Colorado north to Montana.

373f. M. a. cineraceus Ridgw. MEXICAN SCREECH OWL.

Small and very gray ; upper parts clear ashy gray, with numerous
blackish shaft streaks ; lower parts with narrow black shaft streaks and
fine vermiculations and cross-lines of black, without clear white inter-
spaces ; feet and legs finely and thickly mottled with dusky ; little trace
of brown anywhere in plumage. Length: 6.50-8.00, wing 6.10-7.00, tail
3.44.

184 HORNED OWLS, ETC.

Distribution. — Resident in Transition zone of New Mexico, Arizona,
Lower California, and northwestern Mexico.

373g. M. a. aikeni Brewst. AIKEN SCREECH OWL.

About the size of the California screech owl but more ashy, the dark
marking's coarser and more numerous both above and below. Wing : 6.56,
tail 8.80, bill from nostril .47.

Distribution. — Plains, El Paso County, Colorado, and south probably to
central New Mexico and northeastern Arizona.

373h. M. a. macfarlanei Brewst. MACFAKLANE SCREECH OWL.

Size large and colors dark, but lighter than kennicottii ; upper parts
brownish or sooty gray with black shaft streaks and creamy stripes on
scapulars and edge of wing ; lower parts with heavy shaft streaks and
numerous fine cross-lines of black ; legs and feet buffy, slightly mottled
with dusky. Male : wing1 0.96, tail 3.80, bill from nostril .53. Female :
wing1 7.23, tail 3.85, bill from nostril .57.

Remarks. — Macfarlanei is the size of kennicottii but with color and
marking's more as in bendirei.

Distribution. — Eastern Washington and Oregon to western Montana,
and probably intermediate region, and north to the interior of British
Columbia.

373.1. M. trichopsis (Wagl). SPOTTED SCREECH OWL.

A small dichromatic species. Gray j)hase : upper parts brownish gray,
heavily lined with dusky ; lower parts grayish white, with broad shaft
streaks and cross-lines of blackish ; a partial collar of mottled fulvous
across throat and sides of neck. Red phase : mainly light rufous, obscurely
streaked and barred with dusky. Length : 7.50, wing 5.66, tail 2.89,
tarsus 1.17.

Distribution. — From southern Arizona to Guatemala.

374. Megascops flammeola (Kaup). FLAMMULATED SCREECH
OWL.

Adults. — Toes entirely naked to extreme base ; ear tufts small ; upper parts
grayish, finely mottled and marked with blackish ; stripes on sides of back
yellowish brown or orange, white beneath the surface ; under parts whitish,
marked with broad mesial streaks and narrow cross-bars ; face, throat,
and upper parts sometimes washed with orange brown. Young : upper
parts mottled transversely with gray and white, but without black streak-
ing ; under parts similarly but coarsely and regularly barred. Winy :
5.10-5.00, tail 2.00-3.00.

Distribution. — From northern California and Colorado south to the high-
lands of Guatemala.

Nest. -- In old woodpecker holes. Eggs : 8 or 4, white.

Food. — Small mammals, scorpions, and beetles, and other insects.

" From what we know of the habits of the flammulated owl they
seem to vary but little from the other races of the screech owl fam-
ily. They are apparently strictly nocturnal, and their food consists
of the smaller mammals, as well as beetles and other insects." (Ben-
dire.)

HORNED OWLS, ETC.

185

374a. M. f. idahoensis M< /•/•/«///. DWARF

SCREECH OWL.

Similar to the flammulated but smaller and
paler, especially on under parts in which the
ground is white, and the marking's restricted ;
facial ring bright tawny brown. Winq: 4.S6.
tail 2.4i'.

Distribution. — Idaho and eastern Washing--
ton.

GENUS BUBO.

18-23

General Characters. -- Length : IJS-LIo : ear
tufts conspicno'ds ; ear opening's small, without
anterior flap, the two ears not distinctly differ-
ent ; wing with '2 or o quills cut out : toes cov-
ered with short but dense feathers ; claws
wholly exposed.

KEY TO SPECIES.

From Biological MH-V.-V. I". S.
Dept. of Agriculture.

1. Upper parts dark colored. Fig. 2-18. Dwarf Screech Owl.

2. Feet barred with black and buffy pacificus, p. 186.

2'. Feet barred with black and rusty brown . . . saturatus. p. 186.
1'. Upper parts light colored.

2. Upper parts largely gray and buffy .... pallesceiis. p. 185.

2'. Upper parts largely white arc tic us. p. 186.

3 75 a. Bubo virginianus pallescens Stone. WESTERN HORNED
OWL.

Adults. — Ear tufts blackish ; iris bright yellow ; ring around face black ;
throat white ; rest of under parts white or buffy, mottled and barred with
brownish ; flanks buffy ; upper parts mottled dark brown, light grayish,
and buffy, lighter colors prevailing ; wing quills and tail banded with dull
brown ; whole plumage irregularly varied with buffy. tawny, whitish, and
dusky. Young : wing quills and tail feathers as in adult, rest of plumage
dull buffy or ochraceous, everywhere barred with dusky. Male : length
18-23, extent about 49-52, wing about 14.50-15.25, tail 8.25. Female :
length 22-25, extent about 57, wing 16, tail 9.

Distribution. — Western United States, east through the Plains, casually
to Wisconsin and Illinois ; and from British Columbia and Manitoba south
over the Mexican tablelands.

Nest. — A hole in a hollow tree, cliff, bank, or cave, or an old nest of a
crow or hawk. Eggs : usually 2 or 3, white.

Food. — Largely mammals such as rabbits, prairie dogs, ground squir-
rels, skunks, and wood rats, game birds, waterfowl, smaller land birds,
and, in settled regions, poultry.

The eyesight of the horned owls seems to be better than that of
most owls, and Dr. Fisher thinks that in the breeding season they
hunt indifferently night or day. In disposition, be says, they are
"fierce and untamable, and in point of strength and courage infe-
rior to none of our rapacious birds." Speaking of their food habits,
the doctor says that ''a bird so powerful and voracious may at times
be a source of great benefit, while at other times it may be the cause

186

HORNED OWLS, ETC.

Fig. 249. Western Horned Owl.

of great damage. Now.
the serious inroads it
makes on the tenants
of the poultry yard, as
well as the destruction
of many 2;ame and soner

* cr O

birds, would seem to
call for the total sup-
pression of the species.
Again, when engaged
chiefly in the capture of
inj urious rodents, which
threaten the very exist-

•/

cnce of the crops, it is
the farmer's most valu-
able ally, and conse-

•/ •

quently should be most
carefully protected."

The horned owl is one
of the earliest breeders
of the birds of prey.
In the southern part of
its range, eggs are laid
in December and January, and in Alaska they have been found in
April when it was so cold that they froze on being taken from the
nest.

375b. B. V. arcticUS (Swains.). ARCTIC HORNED OWL.

Similar to the western horned owl, but ground color white and dark
markings usually much restricted ; under parts pure white, or only slightly
barred.

Distribution. — Arctic America, south in winter to Nebraska, and from
Dakota to Idaho.

Nest. — In trees, often a deserted hawk's or crow's nest. Eggs : - or '•}.
white.

Food. — Largely waterfowl, ptarmigan, and arctic hares.

375c. B. v. saturatus Ridgw. DUSKY HORNED OWL.

Like 72. v. pfillesrens, but plumage extremely dark, face generally sooty
brownish mixed with grayish white ; plumage usually without excess of
yellowish brown, sometimes with none.

Distribution. - - West coast region from Monterey County, California, to
Alaska, and eastward to northern Rocky Mountains.

Xcst. — As described by Kennicott, in the top of a spruce, made of dry
branches, lined with feathers. Egys : probably 2 to 4, white.

375d. B. V. pacificus Cassin. PACIFIC HORNED OWL.

Small, strongly mottled, upper parts grayish, with more or less buffy
admixture ; dark markings of under parts distinct ; tarsus strongly mottled.
\Viny: i:J.

HORNED OWLS, ETC.

187

Distribution. — Valleys and southern coast of California, and east to San
Francisco Mountain. Arizona.
Egg*. — Usually •">.

GENUS NYCTEA.

376. Nyctea nyctea (Linn.). SNOWY OWL.

Ear tufts rudimentary ; ear openings small, without anterior flap, the
two ears not distinctly different ; tail not reaching beyond tips of longest
under coverts ; four outer quills emarginate ; toes covered with long

From The Osprey.
Fig. 250.

hair -like feathers, partly or wholly concealing the claws ; bill nearly
concealed by loral feathers. Adult male : body pure white, sometimes
almost unspotted, but usually marked more or less with transverse spots
or bars of slaty brown. Adult female : nmch darker, pure white only on
face, throat, middle of breast and feet, the head spotted, and the rest
of the body barred with dark brown. Male : length 20-2:), wing 15.50-
17.30, tail 9.00-9.70, bill 1. Female : length 23-27, wing 17.30-18.70, tail
9.70-10.30, bill 1.10.

188 HORNED OWLS, ETC.

Distribution. — Breeds in arctic portions of -the northern hemisphere,
migrating- south in North America almost across the United States and
even reaching-, accidentally, the Bermudas.

Nest. - - In a slight depression of the ground, on a knoll, made of a few
feathers, lichens, or moss. Eggs : usually 5 to 7, white.

Food. — In summer, lemmings and meadow mice ; in winter, fish, hares,
muskrats, squirrels, rats, ptarmigans, ducks, and even offal.

The snowy owl is a bireumpolar species, breeding in the arctic
parts of the northern hemisphere and corning south in winter.

3Ir. Nelson, while traveling south of the Yukon in December, shot
an owl whose nearly immaculate milky white plumage was suffused
with ' a rich and extremely beautiful shade of clear lemon yellow,
exactly as the rose blush clothes the entire plumage of some gulls in
spring. The morning after the bird was killed the color wras gone,
the plumage being dead white.'

GENUS SURNIA.

377a. Surnia ulula caparoch (Mull.). AMERICAN HAWK OWL.

Head without ear tufts ; ear openings small like Bubo and Nyctea ; tail long,
more than two thirds length of wing, graduated; tarsus scarcely or not longer

than middle toe; feet thickly
feathered to claws. Adults : face
grayish white, encircled by heavy
black ring ; patches on throat,

. 0_ sides of head, and back of neck

black ; chest band whitish ; rest

of under parts closely and regularly barred with brown and white ; top
of head and hind neck blackish or brownish, dotted with white ; rest of
upper parts dark brown, mainly spotted or barred with white. Young :
upper parts dark brown, feathers of top of head and hind neck tipped
with grayish buff, those of back with indistinctly lighter tips ; lores and
ear coverts brownish black ; rest of face whitish ; under parts whitish,
washed with sooty on chest, barred below. Length: 14.75-17.50. wing
about 9, tail 0.80-7.00.

Distribution. - - Northern North America, south in winter to the north-
ern United States, casually to Massachusetts, and rarely to the British Isles.
Recorded from northern Montana and Newfoundland in the breeding season.
Nest. — Old woodpecker holes, natural cavities in trees, and old nests of
other species relined with moss and feathers. Eyg* : ;< to 7, white.

Food. — Small mammals, such as mice, lemmings, and ground squirrels ;
also ptarmigans and insects.

"The hawk owl is strictly diurnal, as much so as any of the hawks,
and like some of them often selects a tall stub or dead-topped tree in
a comparatively open place for a perch, where it sits in the bright
sunlight watching for its prey. Although the flight is swift and
liawk-like, it has nevertheless the soft, noiseless -character common
to the other owls. AVhen starting from any high place, such as the
top of a tree, it usually pitches down nearly to the ground, and flics
otY rapidly above the tops of the bushes or high grass, abruptly ris-

HORNED OWLS, ETC.

181)

ing again as it seeks another perch. The note is a shrill cry which
is uttered generally while the bird is on the wing." (Fisher.)

lU'RKOWJNG

GENUS SPEOTYTO.

378. Speotyto cunicularia hypogeea (Bonap.).
OWL.

Tail only about half as long- as wing ; tarsus more than twice as long as
middle toe, scantily feathered in front, bare
behind ; toes bristly.

Adults. — Upper parts dull earth brown,
spotted and barred with white and buffy ;
under parts mainly buffy barred with brown.
Young : under parts mainly buffy. unmarked ;
upper parts plain brown except wing's and
tail, which are as in adults. Length: 9-11,
wing- 5.80-7.20. tail 3.15-3.50, bill .55-.60.

Distribution. — Plains region from the
Pacific east to Dakota and Texas, and from
British Columbia and eastern slope of Rocky
Mountains south to Guatemala.

AV.sf. — At the end of an old burrow of
prairie dog', badg'er, or ground squirrel, or in
a similar cavity. Eggs: 0 to 11. white.

Food. — Ground squirrels, young- prairie
dog's, mice, gophers, small birds, frogs, liz-
ards, horned toads, and even fish, together with crickets, grasshoppers,
beetles, scorpions, and centipeds.

i'roni Biological Survey, U. S. LK-pt.
oi Agriculture.

Fig. 252.

When you are living in the owls' country, they, like the ground
squirrels and prairie dogs, come to seem a part of the landscape, and
as you ride over the great brown stretches you find yourself looking-
for the quaint little 'Billy owls' for life and interest on the mono-
tonous way. In a region where there are only scattered holes suit-
able for their nests, solitary owls or families are most often seen, and
sometimes there wrill be as many as nine around one burrow. But
where a ground squirrel colony or prairie dog town offers good nest
holes the little owls gather in companies.

In dog towns they often find spacious old badger holes to occupy.
As you walk about one of the towrns and the dogs lope off to their
holes shaking their little yellow tails as they disappear, the owls
stand statue-like around their burrows with their eyes upon you. If
you are bent on getting wnthin good photographing range the young
ones will go backing down their holes, their solemn round yellow
eyes fixed on yours till they drop below the earth line. Their elders
will probably fly before you get your focus, though it is only a low
short flight to a neighboring mound. It rarely seems to occur to
them to leave the town.

The association of owls, dogs, badgers, and rattlesnakes is far from
being that of the happy family circle it was formerly supposed. The

190 HORNED OWLS, ETC.

rattlesnakes are evidently attracted to the towns by the supply of
tender spring dogs, and it has been suspected that the badgers relish
a young owl for breakfast. The owrls have been accused of joining
in the neighborly round-robin feast aud partaking of the young
dogs, but, although they eat squirrels and mice in spring and fall,
they live for the most part on grasshoppers and crickets. They
hunt mainly in the evening aud at night, but are often seen catching
grasshoppers in the daytime.

GENUS GLAUCIDITJM.

General Characters. — Wing- 0.50-4.40 ; head without ear tufts ; ear
openings small, without anterior flap, the two ears alike ; nostril small, cir-
cular, opening- near the middle of the inflated cere ; tarsus not longer than
middle toe, densely feathered ; tail more than half as long as wing,
rounded.

KEY TO SPECIES.

1. Sides plain brown, unspotted phaleenoides, p. 191.

1 . Sides more or less spotted.

2. Back grayer gnoma, p. 190.

•2'. Back browner . . . californicum. p. 191.

379. Glaucidium gnoma Wagl. PYGMY OWL.

Adults. — Very small, under parts white, thickly streaked with dark
brown ; sides brownish, indistinctly spotted with lighter ; upper parts dark

slaty gray, olive broivn, or dark rusty brown ;
head specked with white ; tail blackish or
brownish, barred with u'hite. Young: like adult,
but top of head plain gray. Length : 0.50-7.50,
wing 3.40-4.00. tail 2.40-2.80.

Distribution. — Timbered mountain regions

of western North America from British Columbia south through Sierra
Madre of Mexico, except along the humid Pacific coast region.

Nest. — As far as known, in old woodpecker holes and hollow stubs from
8 to '20 feet from the ground. Eggs : usually 4, white.

Food. — Mainly insects, especially grasshoppers ; but also mice and
lizards.

"This little owl is diurnal in its habits, feeding and flying about
in the bright sunshine, though it is more common in the early dusk
and morning. Mr. Henshaw says it is fond of taking its station
early in the morning on the top of an old stub, that it may enjoy
the warmth of the sun's rays. In most places it is more or less soli-
tary, though in New Mexico Mr. Henshaw found it extremely socia-
ble, and in the fall it was usually met with in companies.

" It is tame and unsuspicious and may be decoyed from a consid-
erable distance by imitating its call-note, to which it responds at
once. It is confined mostly to wooded districts, though occasion-
ally it is found some distance from timber. It hides in the pines or

HORNED OWLS, ETC. 101

other thick foliage, where it sits upright near the trunk and is prac-
tically invisible to the observer.

"The flight is not very much like that of other owls, but resem-
bles that of the sparrow hawk to some extent, and is not altogether
noiseless. The love-notes, according to Captain Bendire, are some-
what musical, although they resemble to some extent those of the
mourning dove." (Fisher.)

379a. G. g. californicum (ScL). CALIFORNIA PYGMY OWL.

Similar to G. gnouia but browner, chest heavily washed with reddish
brown. Yonny : ranch paler, ash gray on head and grayish brown on back,
unspotted.

Distribution. — Humid coast region from southern British Columbia
south to northern California.

Nest. - - In deserted woodpecker holes. Eggs : usually 4, white.

Food. — Largely mammals and small birds.

380. Glaucidium phalsenoides (Daud.). FERRUGINOUS PYGMY

OWL.

Adults. — Similar to the pygmy owl, but sides of breast plain brown or
rufous, upper parts varying from grayish brown to bright rufous; head
finely streaked with whitish ; tail banded, bars varying from white to ru-
fous and interspaces from grayish brown to blackish. Young : top of head
plain. Length : 6.50-7.00, wing 3.50-4.60, tail 2.20-3.50.

Distribution. — From Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona, south to south-
ern Brazil.

Nest. — As far as known, in hollow trees, or woodpecker holes. Eggs :
— taken by Sennett — 4, white.

The little ferruginous owl is diurnal like the other pygmies, flying
about hunting in bright sunlight. His note, as given by Mr. F.
Stephens, is a " loud cnck repeated several times, as rapidly as twice
each second," given with a jerk of the tail and a toss of the head.

GENUS MICROPALLAS.

381. Micropallas whitneyi (Cooper}. ELF OWL.

Head without ear tufts ; ear openings small ; nostril small, circular, open-
ing near the middle of the inflated cere : tarsus
longer than middle toe. scantily haired ; claws small
and weak ; tail even, less than one half as long as
wing; smallest United States owl. Adults: face with
white eyebrows ; lores and throat band white, encir-
cled by brownish ring ; under parts whitish, with vertical blotches of dark
brown and rusty, finely mottled irith darker ; upper parts grayish or gray-
ish brown, finely mottled with darker and rusty, and indistinctly specked
with rusty ; tail brownish, crossed by 5 or 6 narrow pale brownish or rusty
bands, usually interrupted on middle feathers. Length : 5.50-6.25, win01
4.00-4.40, tail 1.90-2.30.

Distribution. — From southern Texas to southern California, and south
through Lower California and tablelands of Mexico.

Nest. — In old woodpecker holes in giant cacti or hollow trees. Eggs : -
to 5, white.

Food. — As far as known, small mammals, grasshoppers, and beetles.

192 PARROTS AND PAROQUETS

Unlike the pygmy owls the elf owls are nocturnal, spending the
day either in thickets or old woodpecker holes. Major Bendire says
they become active soon after sundown. He has had them come to
his camp, attracted probably by the insects which gathered about
the guard fire through the night.

When resting in the daytime the little owls are not too stupid to
protect themselves, as is shown by a curious experience Mr. F.
Stephens had with one. He startled the owl in a willow thicket, and
when he found it in the dense tangle, as he says, it was "sitting on
a branch with its face toward me and its wing held up, shield fash-
ion, before its face. I could just see its eyes over the wing, and
had it kept them shut I might have overlooked it, as they first
attracted my attention. It had drawn itself into the smallest possi-
ble compass so that its head formed the widest part of its outline.
I moved around a little to get a better chance to shoot, as the bush
was very thick, but whichever way I went, the wing was always
interposed, and when I retreated far enough for a fair shot, I could
not tell the bird from the surrounding bunches of leaves. At length,
losing patience, I fired at random and it fell. Upon going to pick it
up I was surprised to find another which I had not seen before, and
which must have been struck by a stray shot." (Quoted by Bendire.)

ORDER PSITTACI: PARROTS, MACAWS,
PAROQUETS, ETC.

FAMILY FSITTACIDJE: PARROTS AND PAROQUETS.

GENUS RHYNCHOPSITTA.

382.1. Rhynchopsitta pachyrhyncha (Swains.). THICK-
BILLED PARROT.

Bill large, tip of lower mandible elongated, cut off, and flattened ; tail
graduated for about one third its length ; cere densely feathered, conceal-
ing the nostrils. Adults : bill blackish, body green except for poppy red on
forepart of head and wings, and lemon yellow under wing coverts. Young :
similar, but bill mainly whitish and red restricted. Length : 16.00-16.75,
winy S.iiO-lO.oO. tail 6.30-7.00, graduated for 2.25-2.35.

Distribution. — Mountains bordering tablelands of Mexico; northward
casually to the Cbiricab.ua Mountains, Arizona.

A Hock of nine or ten thick-billed parrots seen by Mr. Lusk in the
Chiricahua Mountains came, as he says, scolding, chattering, and
calling up a canyon to the edge of the piiion pine belt, where they
devoted themselves to getting the piiioues. " Investigation of their
stomachs," he says. " showed nothing but a plentiful quantity of
very immature pinones wrested from their cavities in the hearts of
the hard, green cones by their powerful beaks."

ANIS, ROAD-RUNNERS, AND CUCKOOS 193

ORDER COCCYGES: CUCKOOS, ETC.
(FAMILIES CUCULID.E, TROGOXIDJE, AND ALCEDIXIDJE.)

FAMILY CUCULIDJE : ANIS. ROAD-RUNNERS, AND

CUCKOOS

KEY TO GENERA.

1. Tail feathers 8 Crotophaga. p. 193.

1'. Tail feathers 10.

2. Bill longer than head Geococcyx. p. 193.

2'. Bill not longer thaii head Coccyzus, p. 195.

GENUS CROTOPHAGA.

384. Crotophaga sulcirostris Swains. GROOVE-BILLED ANI.
Bill thick, with a convex crest ; wings rounded ; tail feathers broad,

widening to very obtuse ends. Adults :

dull black, feathers of body with

metallic bluish, greenish, or bronzy

edgings ; wings and tail faintly glossed

with metallic bluish or violet ; upper part of bill with several distinct

grooves. Young: uniform sooty black. Length: 12.00-14.50, wing 5.50-

6.50, tail 7.30-8.30.

Distribution. - - In Lower Sonoran and Tropical zones from southern
Texas south to Peru. Casual in southern parts of California, Arizona,
Louisiana, and Florida.

Nest. -- - Bulky, made of twigs and lined with green leaves, placed often
in an orange or lemon tree. Eggs : 3 to 5, milky blue.

Food. — Grasshoppers, and parasites of cattle.

The groove-billed anis are residents of the lowlands, Major
Bendire says, rarely being found at an altitude of more than 700
feet.

They resemble the cowbirds in their habit of following cattle, and
not only catch the insects that the cows start up but do a great deal
of good by relieving the animals of the parasites which infest them.
When not disturbed the birds become very tame and roost in num-
bers about the houses. Their call-note. Dr. Ralph thinks, suggests
that of the flicker — a plee-co repeated rapidly.

GENUS GEOCOCCYX.

385. Geococcyx californianus (Less.). ROAD-RUNNER.

Bare space around eye, orange and blue ; feathers of head and neck
largely bristle-tipped ; whole plumage coarse and harsh ; eyelids lashed ;
wings short and concavo-convex, with long inner secondaries folded entirely
over primaries ; tail long and graduated ; upper parts conspicuously
streaked with brownish white, most heavily on wings ; crest and fore parts
of back glossed with bluish black, changing to bronzy g'reen or brown ;
tail long, plain bronzy, blue black, and green, graduated, tips with white

194

AXIS, ROAD-RUNNERS. AND CUCKOOS

Fig. 256. Road-runner. •

thumb marks except on middle feathers ; chest brownish white, streaked
with black ; throat and belly whitish. Length : '20-24. wing- (5.50-7.00.
tail 11.50-12.00.

Distribution. — Breeds in Upper and Lower Sonoran zones, from Browns-
ville, Texas, to San Diego, California, and from central California, Nevada,
and Kansas, south across tablelands of Mexico.

Nest. — Compactly built of sticks, lined variously with g-rass. manure
chips, feathers, inner bark, mesqnite pods, snakeskin, and roots ; placed
in cacti, bushes, or low trees. Eggs : usually 4 to 6, white or pale yel-
lowish.

Food. — Mice, snakes, lizards, crabs, snails, grasshoppers, centipeds.
caterpillars, beetles, and cactus fruit.

The road-runner is one of the most original and entertaining of
western birds. The newcomer is amazed when the long-tailed crea-
ture darts out of the brush and races the horses down the road,
easily keeping ahead as they trot, and when tired turns out into
the brush and throws his tail over his back to stop himself. Even
the oldest inhabitant likes to talk about the swift runner whom it
takes a 'right peart cur to catch,' and who eats horned toads, comes
to drink and feed with the bens in the dooryard one day, and tin-
next ma}' be hunted vainly in the dense chaparral or cactus where it
makes its home. They tell you how they have seen it mount the

ANIS, ROAD-RUNNERS, AND CUCKOOS

195

granite boulders on the hills, and after strutting about with wings
anil tail hanging, put its bill down on the rock and pump out loud
notes, which they interpret as love-calls for its mate in the brush
below. Many marvelous yarns are spun over the pipes about the
strange ways of this curious bird, especially about its deadly en-
counters with rattlesnakes.

The food of the road-runner may well make him of interest to
his neighbors. In southern California, where the passion vine is
used extensively for house decoration, it is infested by a pestiferous
caterpillar, which he eats with great avidity. He also affects other
pests. In the stomach of one bird, which we got in New Mexico,
there were a large black cricket, a number of big grasshoppers,
remains of a caterpillar and some beetles, a centiped six inches
long, and a garter snake a foot long ! Such an appetite surely de-
serves well at the hands of its friends.

GENUS COCCYZUS.

General Characters. — Bill not longer than head, and gently curved for
most of its length ; loral feathers and general plumage soft and blended ;
tarsus naked, shorter than outer anterior toe and claw.

KEY TO SPECIES.

1. Bill with basal part of lower mandible yellow.

2. Smaller, wing 5.61. with comparatively smaller and weaker bill.

americamis. p. 195.
2'. Larger, wing 5.S4, with comparatively larger and stouter bill.

occideiitalis, p. 190.
1'. Bill wholly black or bluish .... erythrophthalmus, p. 196.

387. Coccyzus americanus (Linn.). YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO.

Adults. — Lower half of bill plain yellow ; under parts white or ashy :
upper parts plain gravish broAvn.
faintly glossed with green; wings
with inner webs rufous ; tail
graduated, all but middle feath-
ers blue black, the outer ones
tipped with broad white thumb
marks. Young : tail feathers
duller and markings less dis-
tinct. Length: 11.00-12.7<>.
wins- 5.40-5.80, tail 6.00-6.15 ex-

posed culmen .97-1.01, depth of
bill at base .32-. 34.

Remarks. - - The smaller size
and smaller and weaker bill dis-
tinguish this species from the California cuckoo.

Distribution. — Eastern temperate North America, breeding from Flor-
ida north to New Brunswick, Canada, and Minnesota ; west to South
Dakota. Nebraska. Indian Territory, and Texas ; wintering south to Costa
Rica and the West Indies: casually to eastern Colorado. Wyoming, and
North Dakota

From Biol"-i<-al Survey, U. S. Dept of Agriculture.
Fig. '2.->7.

196 ANIS, ROAD-RUNNERS, AND CUCKOOS

Nest. — A slight platform of sticks in trees. Eggs : 2 to 4. bluish green.
Food. - - Largely caterpillars, but also grasshoppers, potato bugs, and
other insects.

Though an eastern bird, the yellow-billed cuckoo is sometimes
found in the cottonwoods bordering irrigation ditches in southern
New Mexico. As it moves about in a trcetop looking for caterpil-
lars, it shows the large white thumb-marks of the under side of its
tail, and as it flies down to a fence shows the striking reddish
brown of its wings. As a family the cuckoos are little in evidence,
being generally hidden in some thick leafy cover looking for cater-
pillars. When they do fly their long slender bodies pass swiftly by
in a straight line to disappear in other cover.

Their presence would often be wholly unknown but for their
notes, which, like the peacock's, are considered a sign of rain — rain
crows they are commonly called in consequence. They have a
variety of notes, the commonest being, as Major Bendire gives it,
noo-coo -coo-coo or cow-cow-cow. In the breeding season a number of
males sometimes get together and give a veritable cuckoo concert.

387 a,. C. a. OCCidentalis Eidgw. CALIFORNIA CUCKOO.

Adults. — Upper parts grayish brown, with faint green gloss ; under
parts white, grayish across chest ; lower half of bill mainly yellow ; side of
head with blackish streak ; tail graduated, middle feathers like back,
tipped with black, the rest blue black, with broad white thumb marks on
tips ; wing quills mainly rufous on inner webs. Young : like adults, but
tail duller, without blue, and white not strikingly contrasted witli brown.
Length: 12.30-13.50. wing 5.50-6.00, tail 6.10-6.90, bill 1.02-1.08, depth
of bill through base .37-.40.

Distribution. — Western temperate North America, breeding from south-
ern British Columbia south to central Tamaulipas and northern Chi-
huahua, Mexico ; from the Pacific east over the eastern slope of the Rocky
Mountains and western Texas ; migrating to northern Lower California
and tablelands of Mexico.

Nest. — A loose platform of twigs, sometimes lined with leaves, dry
grasses, and flower blossoms ; placed usually in willow or mesquite thick-
ets, 10 to 15 feet from the ground. Eggs : generally 3 or 4, light greenish
blue, unspotted.

Food. — Caterpillars, black crickets, grasshoppers, and other insects.

The California cuckoo is in all respects the western counterpart of
the yellow-billed, from which it can be told only by size.

388. Coccyzus erythrophthalmus (TT7/.s.). BLACK-BILLED
CUCKOO.

Adults. --Upper parts grayish brown, faintly glossed with green, tail

feathers narrowly I/'/I/H </ with dull irhite, preceded
by blackish bar; under parts grayish, fading to
white on belly ; bill blackish, naked eyelids
bright red in life. Young : above dull brown,
with coppery bronzy luster, becoming dull rusty

TROGONS 197

on wings and greenish on tail ; naked eyelids plain yellowish in life.
Length : 11.00-12.70, wing 5.12-5.05, tail 0.25-7.00.

Remarks. — The black bill, absence of rufous on wings, and of blue and
wide white thumb marks on tail distinguish this from the yellow-billed
forms.

Distribution., — Eastern North America, west to the eastern foothills of
the Rocky Mountains, and from Labrador, Manitoba, and Assiniboia
south in winter to the West Indies and the valley of the Amazon. Breeds
mainly in Transition zone.

Nest. - - Better built than that of the other species, its platform of
twigs being mixed with inner bark, rootlets, and weed stems, lined often
with catkins ; placed usually not over 6 feet from the ground in trees or
bushes, on logs, or even on the ground. Eggs ; 2 to 5, bluish green.

Food. — Largely caterpillars.

The black-billed cuckoo closely resembles the yellow -billed in
general habits. Both birds have a trace of the parasitism of the old
world species, sometimes laying in each other's nests, and on rare
occasions depositing their eggs in nests of other species. This is
done more frequently by the black-billed, Major Bendire thinks.
He holds that the real cause for such unnatural behavior on their
part is not yet understood, as the cuckoos are most devoted parents.

FAMILY TROGONIDJE : TROGONS.

GENUS TROGON.

389. Trogon ambiguus Gould. COPPERY-TAILED TROGON.

Bill short and thick, edges serrated, gape bristled ; eyelids lashed ;
wings short and rounded ; tail long with broad feathers : feet small and
weak ; plumage soft and lax. Adult male :
face and throat black, bordered on breast

by white crescent ; rest of under parts rose

pink ; upper parts metallic bronzy green ; p^ 059

wings mainly grayish ; tail with middle
feathers shading from bronzy to rich copper color, broadly tipped with
black, outer feathers white, finely zigzagged with black. Adult female :
similar, but black of male replaced by gray, and metallic colors replaced
by grayish brown, becoming reddish brown on middle tail feathers.
Young • head, neck, and chest dull brownish gray, most of under parts
grayish ; eye ring and bar across ear coverts white ; rest of upper parts
brown ; wings with large spots of buffy and black ; tail much like adult
female. Length: 11.25-12.00, wing 5.10-5.50, tail 6.50-7.20.

J'ifftribution. --From southern Texas and Arizona south to Mexico.

Food. — Fruit and grasshoppers and other insects.

The trogon lives in pines in the mountains of southern Arizona.
Its note is described by Dr. Fisher as similar to that tff a hen turkey.
The bird the doctor saw calling sat upright on a pine branch with
tail hanging, and at each note threw back its Lead and pointed its
bill to the sky like a peacock.

198 KINGFISHERS

FAMILY ALCEDINIDJE : KINGFISHERS.

GENUS CERYLE.

General Characters. — Head with occipital crest ; bill longer than head,
stout, acute ; wings long and pointed ; tail much shorter than wing : tarsus
only about half as long as middle toe.

KEY TO SPECIES.

1. Upper parts bluish gray.

2. Belly white alcyon, p. 198.

2'. Belly rufous torquata, p. 191).

1'. Upper parts metallic bottle green .... septentrioiialis, p. 199.

390. Ceryle alcyon (Linn.}. BELTED KINGFISHER.

Adult male. — Under parts white, with blue gray belt across breast;
crest and upper parts bluish gray ; nuchal collar white ; wing quills black.

Fig. 2GO.

marked with white ; tail with middle feathers bluish gray, the rest black,
spotted with white. Adult female : similar, but belly partly banded and
sides heavily washed with rufous. Young : like adults, but male with
breast band and sides tinged with rusty. Length ; 11.00-14.50, wing 6.00-
0.50, tail :;.80-4.:)0, bill "1 or more.

Distribution. — North America from the Arctic Ocean south to Panama
and the West Indies. Breeds from the southern border of the United
States northward ; accidental at the Hawaiian Islands.

Mest.--A. burrow 4 to 15 feet long, in railroad cuts or perpendicular
banks over water. Eggs : usually 5 to 8, white.

Food. — Fish, and when not obtainable frogs, lizards, Crustacea, and
insects such as coleoptera, grasshoppers, and large black crickets.

So long as the fishing is good the kingfisher is equally at home in
Maine, southern Texas, or the Yosemite, but in the Sierra Nevada
mountains the brown streams polluted by placer mining have no
attraction for him, and when you hear his rattle as you ride through
the forest you may know that near by you \vill find a clear mountain
brook where you may quench your thirst.

\\lial rare spots the birds recall! They are associated with the

KINGFISHERS 199

quieter phases of nature, with slill woodland pools and smooth lakes,
where they uivc a vivifying touch of active wild life. In a remote
narrow canyon, how they thrill you as they dash by overhead — a
flash of blue and white !

When you are idling beside a pellucid stream like the Merced,
where each overhanging leafy branch is mirrored, each tiny fish seen
as it lies in the still water, sometimes a sudden plunge and splash
startles you from a diver who before has been watching from his
branch, as silent as the brook. He circles back to his perch, where
his fish glints in the sun as he shakes it, and throwing up his long
bill, swallows, cleans his beak on the branch, and with a satisfied
rattle turns to look about, blue crest raised, white collar shining,
and short tail tipped up in an animated way. Four plunges I
have seen him make in almost as many seconds, stopping to preen
himself only after the fourth wetting. Once when he dived in shal-
low water he did not take the trouble to fly up but stood on the sand
with tail at an angle till he had finished his fish. When watching
a pool he will sometimes stand in air hovering over the water a
moment, then rise and hover at a higher level.

Though generally found along woodland streams, the kingfishers
are seen sometimes perched on the rigging of vessels in the har-
bors.

[390.1.] Ceryle torquata (Linn.). GREAT RUFOUS-BELLIED KING-
FISHER.

Adult male. — Upper parts bluish gray, more or less streaked with black ;
tail spotted with white ; throat and nuchal collar white ; breast and belly
rufous; under tail coverts and anal region white. Adult female : similar,
but breast grayish blue, usually bordered behind by white, and lower tail
coverts and anal region rufous. Length : 15.50-17.00, wing about 7.50.

Distribution. — Tropical America (except West Indies). Casual on the
lower Rio Grande in Texas.

391. Ceryle americana septentrionalis Sharpe. TEXAS
KINGFISHER.

Small ; head not crested. Adult male : upper parts green, spotted on
wings with white ; cbest crossed by broad band of chestnut, bordered be-
low by green spots ; throat, collar, and belly
white. Adult female : similar to male but with-
out chestnut, and with two bands of green spots
across breast. Young male : like adult, but

breast more or less tinged with rusty. Length : 6.75-8.50, wing- 3.40-3.50.
tail -. 70-:?. 75, exposed culmen 1.65-1.85.

Distribution. - - From southern Texas and Sinaloa. Mexico, south to
Panama.

Nest. — A burrow in a bank. Eggs : 5 to 6. white.

Food. — Like that of Ceryle ale yon.

The habits of the little Texas kingfisher are said to be the same as

200

WOODPECKERS

those of its larger relative. In southern and western Texas many of
its nests are destroyed by the cloud-burst floods which annually
sweep the rivers there.

ORDER PICI: WOODPECKERS, ETC.
FAMILY PICIDJE: WOODPECKERS.

KEY TO GENERA.

1. Outside hind toe longer than outside front toe.
2. Toes 4, 2 pointing forward, 2 back.

Fig. 262.

"O — 3. Nasal groove extending only about half way to tip of
i bill Sphyrapicus. p. 210.

Fig. 263.

Fig. 264.

i 3'. Nasal groove extending nearly to tip of bill.

4. Plumage wholly black except for white head and
white patch on wings . . . Xeiiopicus, p. 207.

4'. Plumage mainly white below and spotted with white
above Dryobates, p. 201.

2'. Toes 3, 2 pointing forward, 1 back . Picoides, p. 208.

Fig. 265.

1'. Outside hind toe not longer than outside front toe.

2. Head with con-
spicuous crest.
Ceopliloeus,
p. 213.

2'. Head without
crest.

Fig. 266.

Pitt*

Fig. 267.

3. Under surface of wing and tail yellow or red.

Colaptes, p. 220.

3'. Under surface of wing and tail not yellow or red ; upper
mandible with a distinct lateral ridge and nasal groove.

Melanerpes. p. 215.

WOODPECKERS 201

GENUS DRYOBATES.

General Characters. - - Bill strain-lit, square at tip, beveled toward end,
with sharp cuhnen aiid distinct lateral ridges, and large nasal tufts hiding
the nostrils ; tongue greatly extensile ; feet with outer hind toe longer than
outer front toe ; wing long, pointed.

KEY TO SPECIES.

1. Upper parts brown arizonae, p. 200.

1'. Upper parts black, marked with white.
2. Outer tail feathers plain white.

3. Upper parts black, barred with white .... nuttallii, p. 205.
3'. Upper parts black, with a white stripe down back.

4. Wing coverts and tertials conspicuously spotted with white.

leucomelas. p. 201.
4'. Wing coverts and tertials plain black or lightly spotted with

white.

5. Under parts smoky gray . harrisii, p. 202.

5'. Under parts pure white.

6. Smaller hyloscopus, p. 202.

C'. Larger monticola, p. 203.

2'. Outer tail feathers white, barred with black.
3. Upper parts black, barred with white.

4. Outer web of outer tail feather barred for more than terminal

half bairdi, p. 204.

4 .Outer web of outer tail feather barred for only terminal half or

less lucasanus, 205.

3'. Upper parts black, with white stripe down back.

4. Wing coverts conspicuously spotted with white. Middle and

northern United States medianus, p. 204.

4'. Wing coverts not conspicuously spotted with white.
5. Under parts pure white. Rocky Mountain region.

homorus, p. 203.

5'. Under parts smok}* gray or brown. British Columbia to Cali-
fornia * gairdnerii, p. 203.

393a. Dryobates villosus leucomelas (Bodd.). NOKTHEKN
HAIRY WOODPECKER.

Adult male. — Upper parts black, with a scarlet band across back of
crown, white stripe down back and icing coverts
and tertials conspicuously spotted irith white ; outer
tail feathers plain white ; under parts pure clear
white. Adult female : similar, but without red
on head. Young : crown with red. Length : Fig. 268.

10-11, wing 5.02-5.40, tail 3.60-3.80, bill 1.40-1.62.

Distribution. — Northern North America, south to about the northern
border of the United States.

Nest. — In holes in trees. Eggs : white.

Food. — Larvae of wood-boring insects, ants, and a small amount of wild
fruit, berries, and beechnuts.

The hairy woodpecker, of whatever geographic race, is a quiet.
solitary bird of the timber, and you may ride through the forests
day after day without seeing it, as its surprising absence from your

202 WOODPECKERS

records on its breeding grounds attests. A sharp peek will sometimes
reveal its presence, and if you look quickly you may catch sight of a
vanishino; back marked with a white vertical line.

o

In working, the hairy woodpecker takes short hops up the tree
trunk, sidles around, or backs down with equal ease. It is a forest
preserver, spending its life in ridding the trees of wood-borers and
other insects that destroy them. When not engaged in getting food,
it entertains itself by drumming on a resonant branch.

The Harris woodpecker is the humid Pacific coast form of mllosus
while Cabanis is the interior form. As mllosus is a Transition zone
bird it affects yellow pines and aspens, and in the ponderosa forests
of Arizona I have seen it excavate in pine bark with wonderful dex-
terity. Instead of drilling straight down, with its head on one side,
it would fleck off and send flying the thin flakes of bark which char-
acterize the tree. In Arizona the young Cabanis woodpeckers leave
their nests about the middle of June, Dr. Mearns says, and soon after
make a partial vertical migration downward to the lower edge of the
pine belt in company with other birds that breed at the higher levels.
In winter when the timber gets icy the woodpeckers sometimes go
as low as the cottonwoods, where they are usually accompanied by
flocks of Cassin finches, red-backed j uncos, and their especial com-
panions, the slender-billed nuthatches.

393c. D. V. harrisii (And.). HARRIS WOODPECKER.

Adult male. — Upper parts black, with scarlet nape, white stripe down
back, wing coverts and tertials plain black or lightly spotted with white ;

outer primaries with white spots ; outer
tail feather plain white ; under parts smoky
gray or light smoky brown. Adult female :
similar, but without scarlet nape. Young :
similar, but forehead spotted with white and

scarlet of nape extending- partly or wholly over crown. Length : 9-10,
wing 4.70-5.30, tail 3.20-3.75, bill 1.12-1.40.

Remarks. - - The plain black or very lightly spotted wing1 coverts and
tertials of harrisii distinguish it from the northern and southern hairy
woodpeckers, while its smoky under parts distinguish it from hyloscopus.

Distribution. — Pacific coast in humid Transition and Canadian zones,
from Alaska south to northern California (Humboldt Bay).
Nest and eggs similar to that of the northern hairy.

Food. --Wood-boring larvae, wasps, weevils, beetles, ants, seeds, and wild
berries.

393d. D. V. hyloscopus (Cab.). CABANIS WOODPECKER.

Similar to D. v. harrisii, but white instead of smoky below, and some-
what smaller.

/Distribution. -- Resident in arid Transition zone of the southwestern
United States and south to mountains of Zacatecas, Mexico — replaced l>y
harrisii in the humid coast district.

Nest. — Usually 12 to IS feet from the ground in pines, aspens, and other
trees. Kyys : 3 i<> U. white.

WOODPECKERS 203

Food. — Mainly injurious larvse and insect egg's, with small berries and
seeds, pifiou imts. pine seeds, and acorns.

393e. D. V. monticola Anthony. ROCKY MOUNTAIN HAIRY
WOODPECKER.

Like hyloscopus, but larger, clearer white below, and with lores chiefly
or wholly bfcick. Male : wing 5.23, tail 4, bill from nostril 1.12. Female :
wing 5. 04, tail 3.80, bill from nostril ,l>5.

Remarks. - -The Rocky Mountain woodpecker is equal in size and inter-
grades with the northern hairy, but typical specimens of each can be dis-
tinguished by the unspotted wing coverts and tertials of the Rocky Moun-
tain bird.

Distribution. — Rocky Mountain region of the United States from New
Mexico to Montana ; west to Utah.

Food. — Moths, wood-boring beetles, ants, other insects, and spiders.

394a. Dryobates pubescens gairdnerii (And.). GAIRDXER

WOODPECKER.1

Adult male. — Upper parts black, with dingy whitish forehead, scarlet
nape, and white stripe down back ; middle and
greater icing coverts plain black, or only lightly
spotted with white ; outer tail feathers white, ^___^

barred with black ; under parts smoky gray or Fi 270.

light smoke brown. Adult female : similar, but

without scarlet on nape. Young : similar, but with red of nape extending
partly or wholly over crown. Length : 6.25-7-00, wing 3.55-4.15, tail
2.30-2.70, bill .70-.80.

Remarks. — The black barring on the outer tail feathers and the small
size of D. p. gairdnerii distinguish it from D. villosus harrisii. while its
smoky under parts and barred tail feathers distinguish it from D. p. ho-
morus, and its lack of conspicuous wing covert spotting from D. p. me-
dianus.

Distribution. — From British Columbia south to southern California;
east beyond the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada and Cascade ranges.-

Nest. — 4 to 20 feet from the ground in deciduous trees or old stumps.

Eggs : 4 or 5, white.

Food. — Noxious insects and larvae, ants, caterpillars, and scale insects.

The Gairdner woodpecker is the Pacific coast form of the downy,
and though smaller resembles the hairy in appearance and habits.
It is less solitary and less a bird of the forest than the hairy, being
found in willows and along streams in the foothills, and in settled
districts in orchards, where it does incalculable good by making way
with wood -borers that ruin the trees.

394b. D. p. homorus (Cab.). BATCHELDER WOODPECKER.

Like gairdnerii but larger, except for the feet, which are relatively

1 Dryobatfs pubescens turati (Malh.). WILLOW WOODPECKER.

Like gairdnerii but smaller, with lighter under parts and spotted tertials.

Distribution. — Upper Sonoran and Transition zones of California except: desert
ranges east of Sierra Nevada, including east slope of Sierra (?) coast region north of
Mendocino County aud region north of upper end of Sacramento valley. (Tfie Comlor,
iv. 68.)

2 A typical Dryobates pubescens has been taken by Mr. Rathbuu at Seattle.

204 WOODPECKERS

smaller; under parts pure white instead of smoky brown, and under tail
coverts immaculate instead of spotted or barred with black, and outer tail
feathers nearly pure white. Wing- 4, tail 2.02, bill .73.

Distribution. — Breeds in Transition and Canadian zones of the Rocky
Mountain region in British Columbia and the United States, and in south-
ern California.

Nest. — 5 to 50 feet from the ground. Eggs : 5 or 6, white.

In Arizona Dr. Mearns found the Batchelder woodpecker nesting
in the yellow pine belt, and going up into the spruces on the cone
of San Francisco Mountain. One of the birds picked out a dry
aspen, and drummed regularly about his camp.

394c. D. p. medianus (Swains.). DOWNY WOODPECKER.

Like D. p. gairdnerii, but wing coverts conspicuously spotted with white
and under parts soiled whitish. Wing : 3.72, tail 2.40, bill .60.

Distribution. — Middle and northern parts of eastern United States,
north to southern Kee\vatin.

The downy woodpecker is a quiet, friendly little bird who prefers
to hunt wood-borers in orchards rather than in deep forests, and
who will gladly coine to a tree beside the house if a bit of suet is
hung there for him. He is so absorbed in his good work that he
goes about his business with little fear of man, and his sharp peek,
peek, may often be heard even from city trees.

396. Dryobates scalaris bairdi (Malh.). TEXAN WOODPECKER.

Adult male : Upper parts, including entire outer tail feathers, barred

black and white, but middle tail feathers plain
black ; forehead smoky and crown red, crown
feathers with red preceded by specks of white ;
under parts smoky, lightly spotted with black.
Adult female : similar, but crown black. Young :
crown more or less extensively red. Length : 7.00-7.75, wing 3.90-4.25.
tail 2.45-2.75 exposed culmen .S3-.93.

Remarks. — See remarks under Dryobates nuttalhi.

Distribution. — Resident in Lower Sonoran zone from Texas to Califor-
nia, and from southern Colorado to Utah, Nevada, and south to northern
Mexico.

Nest. - - Usually 5 to 14 feet from the ground in pines, oaks, junipers,
mesquite, hackberry, agaves, yuccas, and other trees; also fence posts and
telegraph poles. Eggs : usually 4 or 5. white.

Food. — Wood-boring larva?, weevils, ants, and the ripe fruit of the giant
cactus.

The little Texan downy or ' speckle-check,' as it is called, is a
bird of the lowlands, rarely going above five thousand feet. In
western Texas it is more generally distributed than any other wood-
pecker, occurring alike in Upper and Lower Sonoran zones among
the junipers, oaks, and piiion pines of the Chisos, Davis, and
Guadalupe mountains, and among cottonwoods, willows, mcsquites,
and yuccas of the hot valleys. In the mountains it is found with

WOODPECKERS 205

the red-shafted llickcr and the ant-eating woodpecker, and in south-
ern Texas with the golden-fronted woodpecker. The thin voice of
bairdi betrays his presence when he is hidden, but he is often in
evidence, peeking around a post or tree trunk at you.

Where there are trees he nests in them, where there are none he
accommodates himself to circumstances and nests in yuccas, fence
posts, and telegraph poles. On throwing open a gate the traveler
is sometimes surprised by the screams of a brood in the gate post.

396a. D. S. lucasanus (Xantus). SAINT LUCAS WOODPECKER.

Similar to bairdi. but outer tail feather barred only on terminal half
or less, except sometimes on inner web, and primary coverts with at least
one row of small white spots. Length: 7.25-7.75, wing 3.95-4.10, tail
2.70-2.90, exposed culmen .91-.94.

Distribution. — From about latitude 34° in the Colorado Desert, Califor-
nia, south through Lower California.

397. Dryobates nuttallii (Gamb.). NCTTALL WOODPECKER.

Adult male. — Upper parts barred with black and white, but forehead
dingy ; crown black, sometimes streaked with
white ; back of head with red patch ; hind neck
white ; shoulders crossed by wide black band ;
middle tail feathers black, and outer feathers
with not more than two distinct black bars ;
under parts almost pure white ; sides spotted with black. Adult female :
similar, but without red on head. Young : similar, but top of crown red,
nape black, and under parts more thickly barred with black. Length :
7, wing 3.90-4.20, tail 2.60-3.05, exposed culmen .77-.S2.

Remarks. — The difference in color pattern of head and outer tail feath-
ers distinguish nuttallii from scalaris bairdi.

Distribution. -- Resident in Upper Sonoran (and Transition ?) zone, west
of the Cascade and Sierra Nevada Mountains, from southern Oregon south
to northern Lower California.

Nest. — In dead limbs or old stubs of oaks, sycamores, cottonwoods,
elders, and willows, at no great height from the ground. Eggs : 4 to 6, white.

Food. — Mainly insects and larvae, including caterpillars, ants, weevils,
seeds, and probably occasionally berries and fruit.

The cross-bars on the back and the white feathers on the sides of
the tail mark this little woodpecker as it clings to a tree trunk or
flies across to another bole. It has a nuthatch-like way of flying up
to light on the under side of a limb, and when hanging upside down
turns itself around with as much ease as a fly on a ceiling.

At times the small Nuttall waxes excited, and shakes his wings
as he gives his thin, rattling call. All his notes are thin, and his
quee-quee-quee-queep' has a sharp quality. His chit'tah is a dimin-
utive of the .ja'cob of the California woodpecker. He is a sturdy
little fellow, and in flight will sometimes rise high in air and fly
long and steadily, dipping only slightly over the brush. He has
the full strength of his convictions and will drive a big flicker from

206 WOODPECKERS

a sycamore and then stretch up on a branch and call out triumph-
antly. Two Nuttalls trying to decide whether to fight are an
amusing sight. They shake their feathers and scold and dance
about as if they were aching to fly at each other, but .couldn't
quite make up their minds to so grave a matter.

398. Dryobates arizonse (Hargitt). ARIZONA WOODPECKER.

Adult male. -- Upper parts plain brown, except for red nape bordered by
conspicuous white patches, white spotting- on wing' quills, and white bar-
ring- on outer tail feathers ; under parts, including- under tail coverts heav-
ily spotted with brown. Adult female : similar, but without red on head.
Young : like adults of respective sexes, but top of head brown like back,
and spotted with red. Length : 7.40-8.40, wing- 4.40-4.65, tail 2.55-2.95,
exposed culnien .9:1-1.05.

Distribution. — Kesident in Upper Sonoran zone, from the mountains of
southwestern Xew Mexico and southern Arizona south to northwestern
Mexico.

Nest. — 10 to 20 feet from the ground. Eggs: 3 or 4, white.

"This rare woodpecker is a common species on the foothills of
the Chiricahua Mountains, where it was one of the first birds that
met my eye when the section where it abounds was first entered. . . .
So far as I could ascertain, at this season at least, it is confined to
the region of the oaks, ranging from about 4000 to 7000 feet, thus
inhabiting a region about midway between the low valleys and the
mountain districts proper. Here they appeared to be perfectly at
home, climbing over the trunks of the oaks with the same ease and
rapidity of movement that distinguish the motions of the downy or
hairy woodpecker : though their habits, in so far as they are at all
peculiar, are, perhaps, best comparable to those of the red-cockaded
woodpecker of the south (Dryobates borealis), especially their custom
of moving about in small companies of from five to fifteen, though
they were occasionally found singly or in pairs.

" When in pursuit of food, they almost always alighted near the
base of the trees, gradually ascending, and making their wa}' along the
smaller limbs and even out among the foliage, appearing to prefer
to secure their food by a careful search than by the hard labor of
cutting into the wood in the way the hairy woodpecker employs its
strength. ... I found them at all times rather shy. and gifted with
very little of that prying curiosity which is seen in some of the
better known species of this family ; and if by chance I surprised a
band feeding among the low trees, a sharp warning note, from some
member more watchful than the rest, communicated alarm to the
whole assembly, when they took flight immediately, showing great
dexterity in dodging behind trunks and limbs, and making good
their retreat by short flights from one tree to another till they were
out of sight." (Ilcnshaw.)

WOODPECKERS L>()7

GENUS XENOPICUS.
399. Xenopicus albolarvatus (Cass.). WHITK-HKADKD WOOD-

PECKER.1

Outer hind toe longer than outer front toe ; bill with nasal groove ex-
tending nearly to tip ; terminal half of bill
not distinctly compressed ; tongue very
slightly extensile. Adult male: head and
neck white, whole body black except for white
patch on wings and red patch on back of head.

Adult female : similar, but without red on head. Young male: similar,
but back and red on crown duller. Length : 8.90-9.40, wing- 5.00-5.10,
tail 4.00-4.05.

Distribution. — Breeds in Transition and Canadian zones of the moun-
tains from southern British Columbia to southern California, east to the
Blue Mountains of Oregon, eastern Idaho, and along1 the eastern slope of
the Sierra Nevada.

Xest. — Usually 4 to 15 feet from the ground in stub of pine or fir.
Eggs : usually o to 7, white.

Food. — Insects and larvae which are found under the scales of pine bark.

In the Transition zone forests of Mount Shasta and the Sierra
Nevada, one of the most striking birds is the white-headed wood-
pecker. Impossible as it would seem at first sight, I have found
that the snow-white head often serves the bird as a disguise. It
is the disguise of color pattern, for the black body seen against
a tree trunk becomes one of the black streaks or shadows of the
bark, and the white head is cut off as a detached white spot with-
out bird-like suggestions. On the other hand, when the bird is ex-
ploring the light-barked young Shasta firs or gray, barkless tracts
of old trees, the white of the head tones in with the gray and is lost,
the headless back again becoming only a shadow or scar. But the
most surprising thing of all is to see the sun streaming full on the
white head and find that the bird form is lost. The white in this
case is so glaring that it fills the eye and carries it over to the light
streaks on the bark, making the black sink away as insignificant.
All this applies, however, only when the bird is quiet ; in motion he
is strikingly conspicuous, and in flight his white wing streak makes
another good recognition mark. Dr. Merrill noticed some interest-
ing phases of this disguise at Fort Klamath. There, he says, the
pines have stubs of branches projecting an inch or two from the
trunk which, lit by the sun, appear white themselves and cast a
black shadow.

Xenopicus works with apparent indifference on trunks or branches.
Like the Xuttall woodpecker he often lights upside down. In hunt-
ing over the bark he easily backs down the trunk, or if he takes the

1 Xenopicus ijrurirostris Grinnell. SOUTHERN WHITE-HEADED WOODPECKER.
Like A', albolarvatus, but bill much heavier, and size iu general slightly greater.
Distribution — Southern Sierra of California. (Tfir ComJor, iv. 89

208

WOODPECKERS

notion will fly, or perhaps drop backwards, a foot or so., He will
also light sidewise on a branch and grasp the lirnb with his tail as if
afraid of falling off. It is interesting to see him explore cracks in
the bark. Standing on the edge he pokes his head into the dark
cavern, turning it from one side to the other inquiringly. Dr.
Merrill has called attention to the fact that he uses his bill as a crow-
bar rather than a hammer or chisel as other woodpeckers do, prying
off the layers of bark so quietly that you rarely hear him at work.

The call -note of Xenopicus is much like that of a Dry abates,
though it seems duller and heavier.

GENUS PICOIDES.

General Characters. --Foot with 3 toes, 2 pointing1 forward and 1 back ;
bill broad and wide at base, straight, with bevsled end, lateral ridges,

and nasal tufts hiding- the nostrils.

KEY TO ADULT MALES.

Back wholly black arcticus, p.

. Back marked with white.

2. Median line of back continuously white . . . dorsalis, p.

2'. Median line of back not continuously white.

3. Median line of back black and white, black prevailing-.

americanus, p.

208.
209.

209.

'. Median line of back usually black and white, white prevailing-.

fasciatus, p. 209.

400. Picoides arcticus (Swains.).
ARCTIC THREE-TOED WOOD-

From Biological Survey, V. S.lK-pt. Of
Agriculture.

Fig. '274.

PECKER.1

Adult male. --Upper parts glossy blue
black except for squarish yellow crown
patch, fine white spotting- on wings, and
plain white outer tail feathers ; sides of
head black and white ; under parts white,
heavily barred with black on sides, Adult
female: similar, but without yellow on
head. Young male : like adult, but yel-
low crown patch more restricted, black
of upper parts duller, under parts tinged
with brown. Young female: crown black,
sometimes with trace of yellow. Length :
9.50-1 0.00, wing 4.S5-5.25, tail 3.60, bill
1.40-1.60.

Distribution. — Northern North Amer-
ica from the arctic regions to the north-
ern United States (New England, New
York, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota,

Montana, Edaho, California, and Nevada.)

1 Pwoides arcticus tenuirostris Bangs.
A slender-billed form of I1, nrr/ienx.

Disfrihittiiiti. — Cascades and Sierra Nevada in California, south to Lake Tahoe.
Auk, xvii. 131.)

(The

WOODPECKERS '20U

Nest. — Usually in dead trees or stumps rarely above 8 feet from the
ground. Eggs : generally 4, white.

Food. — Almost wholly wood-boring insects and larvae.

»

"The arctic three -toe^ woodpecker is essentially a bird of the
pine, spruce, fir, and tamarack forests, and is rarely seen in other
localities. It is generally a resident, rarely migrating to any distance.
. . . Like the hairy woodpecker, they are persistent drummers, rat-
tling away for minutes at a time on some dead limb, and are espe-
cially active during the mating season in April. I have located more
than one specimen by traveling in the direction of the sound when
it was fully half a mile away." (Beudire.)

401. Picoides americanus Brehm. AMERICAN THREE-TOED WOOD-
PECKER.

Adult male. — Upper parts mainly black, with whitish nuchal band and
light spotting or barring on head and back ; wing quills lightly barred with
white, outer tail feathers mainly plain white ; crown with yellow patch,
back of head glossed with blue ; under parts white, sides and flanks barred
with black. Adult female: similar, but without vellow on crown. Length:
9, wing 4.40-4.60, tail 8.10-3.75, bill 1.10-1.25.

Distribution. — Northern North America east of the Rocky Mountains ;
south to the northern border of the United States.

Nest. — In holes in coniferous trees, 4 to 12 feet from the ground. Eggs ;
usually 4, white.

Food. — Principally wood-boring insects and their larvae.

The habits of the American are similar to those of the arctic
three-toed woodpecker, though it is considered by Mr. Williams of
Montana a much more silent bird, its calls resembling those of
Dryobates rather than Picoides.

40 la. P. a. fasciatUS Baird. ALASKAN THREE-TOED WOODPECKER.

Similar to P. a. dorsal is, but back usually distinctly barred with black
(rarely continuously white along middle line), secondaries more distinctly
spotted with white (sometimes wing-coverts also spotted, more or less
numerously with white), white spots on quills larger, and female some-
times with white prevailing on top of head. Length : 9.50, wing 4.50-4.70,
tail 3.10-3.75, bill 1.10-1.25.

Distribution. — Alaska, south to northern Washington.

40 lb. P. a. dorsalis Baird. ALPINE THREE-TOED WOODPECKER.

Adult male. — Similar to americanus, but middle of back continuously
white, mostly streaked ; side of head with two
conspicuous white stripes. Adult female :
similar, but browner, and under parts dingy
white ; head without yellow patch, blue black,
lightly flecked with white. Young : like fe-
male, but with more or less yellow streaking on crown. Length : 9.50,
wing 4.65-5.00, tail 3.20-3.65, bill 1.15-1.30.

Distribution. — Breeds in Boreal zone from Arizona and New Mexico

210

WOODPECKERS

north through the Rocky Mountains region of the United States and
Canada to Fort Liard.

Nest. — Described by Dr. Mearns, in a pine oO feet from the ground,
containing 5 white eggs.

Food. — Largely wood-boring Iarva3.

The Alpine three-toed resembles the American, being found like it
largely in the fire-blackened timber.

GENUS SPHYRAPICUS.

General Characters. — Bill not so stout and chisel-like as in Drtjobates
and Picoides, wedge-shaped, pointed, nasal groove extending only about
half way to tip of bill ; tongue scarcely extensile, the tip brushy ; tail
feathers long, pointed ; feet with inner toe extremely short.

KEY TO ADULT MALES.

1. Head, neck, and chest red.

2. Belly yellow ruber. p. 211.

2'. Belly olive yellow. Northwest coast . . . notkensis, p. 212.
1'. Head, neck, and chest with black, white, and red.

2. Upper parts glossy black thyroideus, p. 212.

2'. Upper parts black, spotted with white.

o. Nape brownish white varius, p. 210.

'•}'. Nape more or less tinged with red iiuchalis, p. 211.

402 Sphyrapicus varius (Linn.). YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER.

Adult male. - - Similar to the red-naped sapsucker (402a), but nape

brownish white, and black malar
stripes sepai'ating red of throat
from white cheek stripes. Adult
female : throat entirely white, and
crown sometimes without red.
Young : head. neck, and chest
mottled brown, the color pattern
of adults only faintly indicated.
Length : 7.75-8.75, wing1 (male)
4. 80-5.00, tail 2.90-3.20, bill 1.00-
1.08.

Distribution. — Breeds in east-
ern North America, from north
of Fort Simpson to Massachu-
setts ; south in winter to West
Indies, Mexico, and Costa Rica.

Nest. — In dead or decaying
trees. 15 to 00 feet from the
ground. Eggs : 4 to 7. white.

Food. — Larg'e numbers of ants
and flies, also bugs, wasps, crick-
From Biological Survey, r. s. Dcpt. of Agriculture, ets. and other insects, wild fruits.
Fig. 276. seeds, nuts, inner bark, and sap.

The eastern sapsucker has been found Avest of the hundredth
meridian in Texas. Like the other sapsuckers it leaves a bla/.ed
trail behind it. --a girdle of squarish holes on its food trees. If

\ t^lMS^''

( , t,tfi: £•=&«« «v*. -

.

J'

WOODPECKERS 211

the trees are delicate birches they will probably be killed in time,
but the forest trees are too hardy to be affected by the loss of sap,
and as the sweet syrup attracts a host of insects, the sapsucker does
a good piece of work in destroying them. He ranks next to the
flicker as an ant-eater, one third of his solid food consisting of ants.
While watching his fly-trap he clings to the trunk as motionless as
if lued there.

402a. Sphyrapicus varius nuchalis Baird. RED-NAPED SAP-
SUCKER.

Adult male. — Upper parts black, thickly marked with white ; wing-
coverts plain black, with wide white outer
stripe ; head with red crown and red nuchal
patch separated by a plain black area : sides of
head with white stripes ; chest black between red
throat and pale yellow belly. Adult female •'
similar, but duller, and black chest patch mostly mottled gray. Young :
duller, red of head and throat wholly wanting or only suggested by pale
claret-colored tinge. Length : 8.00-8.75. wing (male) 4.92-5. 10, tail 3. 10-
3.40, bill .95-1.02.

Remarks. — In the field the black chest patch easily disting-uishes the
adult male nuchalis from ruber (403).

Distribution. — Transition and Canadian zones in the Rocky Mountain
region, from British Columbia to northwestern Mexico, and cape region
of Lower California, and from Colorado and Montana west to the eastern
slope of the Cascades and Sierra Nevada ; casual to western Kansas and
coast mountain region of California.

Nest. — Generally in aspens, 5 to 30 feet from the ground. Eggs :
usually 4 or 5, white.

Food. — Principally small beetles, spiders, grasshoppers, ants, and larvae
under the loose bark of trees ; also wild berries, and in fruit growing sec-
tions the sap of peach and apple trees, and willows.

The members of the genus Sphyrapicus form a marked group.
They are sapsuckers, girdling the trees with small holes, from which
they get a perennial supply of sap with a host of attracted insects to
vary the diet. Their tongues are only slightly extensile, and have
brushy tips in sharp contrast to the long barbed tongues of the
Dryobates group, which spear their food from the depths of the
wood.

In the nesting season, at least, the sapsuckers are extremely noisy,
active birds, striding up the tree trunks, calling loudly in tantalizing
tones, and chasing each other about in fine spirited fashion.

The red-naped breeds along the borders of streams in the moun-
tains of the interior.

403. Sphyrapicus ruber (Gmel.). RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER.

Adults. — Whole head, neck, and chest
plain red, or black and white markings of
nuchalis only suggested ; back, wings, and
tail black, heavily marked with white ; belly Fig. 278.

212 WOODPECKERS

dusky or yellowish. Young : duller, and color pattern less distinct, the red
replaced by claret brown. Length : 8.50-9.25, wing- (male) 4.70-5.05, tail
3.10-3.50, bill 1.00-1.08.

Remarks. — The young of ruber is similar to the same stage of nuchalis,
but can be distinguished usually by the dull reddish suffusion over its
head, neck, and chest ; while the adult may be recognized in the field by
the absence of black chest patch and white stripes on the sides of the
head.

Distribution. — Breeds in Transition and Canadian zone forests of the
Pacific coast region from southern Oregon to northern Lower California ;
east to the western slope of the Sierra Nevada and eastern slope of the
Cascades.

Nest. — In aspens, 15 to 25 feet from the ground. Eggs : 5 or 6, white.

Food. -- Beetles, spiders, ants, grasshoppers, centipeds, and larvae, wild
berries, sap, and inner bark.

In the Sierra Nevada the red-breasted sapsucker is one of the
common woodpeckers. When riding through the forests there we
often got a flash of color from its red head and neck as it flew before
our horses. On a fir slope above Donner one July day we discovered
chips at the foot of an old stub heavily covered with yellow lichen,
and rapping on it sent the mother flying and roused. a clamorous
family of young.

• The last week in July at Dormer Lake we found a family of dull
colored young going about with their mother, a handsome old bird
with dark red head and breast. They flew around in a poplar grove
for a while, and then gathered in a clump of willows, where four
young clung to the branches and devoted themselves to eating sap.
The old bird flew about among them and seemingly cut and scraped
off the bark for them, at the same time apparently trying to teach
them to eat the sap for themselves; for though she would feed them
at other times she refused to feed them there, and apparently watched
carefully to see if they knew enough to drink the sap. When the
meal was finalty over and the birds had flown, we examined the
branch and found that lengthwise strips of bark had been cut off,
leaving narrow strips like fiddle-strings between. At the freshly cut
places the sap exuded as sweet as sugar, ready for the birds to suck.

In winter the red-breasted visits the cities, being seen, Mr. Grin-
nell says, in pepper-trees even on noisy city streets. lie has found
it in Pasadena from October till the last of March.

403a. S. r. notkensis (Suckow\. NORTHERN RED-BREASTED SAP-
SUCKER.

Similar to S. ruber. but darker, and belly olive yellow.
Distribution. — Northwest coast region of North America, from Sitka
south in California through the Santa Cruz Mountains.

404. Sphyrapicus thyroideus (Cass.). WILLIAMSON SAPSUCKKI;.
Adult male. --Upper parts glossy black except white rump, large white

WOODPECKERS 213

patch on wing coverts, and fine white spots on quills ; sides of head with
two white stripes : throat and breast black,
with a median stripe of brig-lit red ; belly

bright yellow. Adult f> mn.t : entire body

barred with brown or black and white, except Fig 27<). Williamson Sapsucker.
for brown head and white rump and. rarely, a

red median stripe on throat ; chest usually with a black patch ; middle of
belly yellow. Young male : similar to adult male, but black duller, belly
paler, throat stripe white. Young female : similar to adult female, but
marking's and colors duller, belly whitish, and chest without black patch.
Length: 9.00-0.7"), wing- .VJ.~>-5.:iO. tail o.SO-;5.S«». bill 1.00-1.20.

Distribution. — Breeds in Transition and Canadian zones in the western
United States from the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains to the west-
ern spurs of the Sierra Nevada. Cascades, and northern coast ranges ; south
to New Mexico and Arizona ; winters in southern California, New Mexico,
western Texas, and Sierra Madre to Jalisco, Mexico.

Nest. - - In pines and aspens, 5 to (50 feet from the ground. Eggs : 3 to
7, white.

Food. — Mainly insects and their larva?.

The Williamson sapsucker is one of the handsomest birds one sees
in the forest, but ordinarily it flies from tree to tree before you and its
black back and white rump and wing patches are all that are seen.
After several weeks of such fleeting glimpses in the Sierra Nevada,
we were delighted by the discovery of a pair at home on their own
breeding grounds. The place, Lincoln Valley above Sierra Valley,
was close to the crest of the range, at an elevation of seven thousand
feet. The nest was in a stub in a group of huge Murray pines on
the edge of one of the most beautiful of the Sierra mountain meadows
-a forest-encircled meadow brilliant with golden buttercups. It
seemed a right royal home for such noble birds. While I wratched
the nest the male with his glossy coat, yellow belly, and red throat
came flying in, his bill bristling writh insects ; but feeling himself
observed, promptly sidled out of sight under the branches.

GENUS CEOPHLCEUS.

405a. Ceophloeus pileatus abieticola Bangs. NORTHERN
PILEATED WOODPECKER : COCK-OF-THE- WOODS.

Head conspicuously crested ; bill longer than head, straight, with wedge-
like tip, beveled sides, and strong ridges, broader than high at base ; nos-
trils concealed by large nasal tufts ; feet peculiar, outer hind toe shorter
than outer front toe ; tarsus shorter than inner front toe and claw.

Adult male. — Brownish or grayish black ; entire top of head, occipital
crest, and malar stripe bright red ; chin and wide stripe on side of head
white, or sulphur yellow ; patches on wings and under wing coverts white ;
feathers of belly tipped with whitish. Adult female : similar, but fore-
part of head and malar stripe brown instead of red. Young : similar to
female, but crest salmon. Male : wing 9, tail (131, exposed culmen 2.05.

Distribution. — Heavily wooded regions of North America from the
southern Alleghanies northward to about latitude 63° and westward to
Pacific coast.

214

WOODPECKERS

From Biological Survey, U. S. Dept. of
Agriculture.

Fig. 280. Northern Pileated Woodpecker.

Nest. — In aspens and coniferous
trees, 40 to 50 feet from the ground.
Eggs : usually 3 to 5, white.

Food. — Wood-boring- beetles and
larvae which infest timbered tracts ;
also ants, wild grapes, berries, black
gum, dogwood, pokeweed, and service
berries, acorns, beechnuts, and chest-
nuts.

The pileated woodpecker is not a
common bird in the western forests,
but is found in the Cascades and
Sierra Nevada, and when we were
camping on Mount Shasta we would
sometimes hear his slow deliberate
hammering and his ' bugle call ' at
sunrise. Though often heard he was seldom seen, but we were occa-
sionally fortunate enough to catch a glimpse of him with his con-
spicuous red crest winging his way with powerful bounding flight
through the forest and over the woodland meadows.

Stubs, torn and excavated by his ' borings' were found quite com-
monly in the Transition belt. In many of the excavations I no-
ticed that while the main cut might cover a section six inches long
and three wide, at the bottom of the big excavation would be a small
round hole that your thumb could fill, looking as if the worm were
finally found there. One of our party who wTas fortunate enough to
see the pileated at work described the process in detail. The bird
began by flying hastily from tree to tree, from tree to stunip, and
stump to ground, finally going to work on a log on the ground.
After some preliminary pecking he began chiseling near a branch.
A steady pounding followed and the chips flew. The arc through
which his head was swung was so wide it seemed as if his neck must
break, but the bill came down straight, with the blow of a sledge-
hammer. After pounding awhile the bird stopped and pecked at
the bark till a big slab slid off, suggesting that he had been digging
deep holes, and then had worried off the surrounding bark. After
this followed a long period of quiet when his head moved around
busily without noise, as if he were probing the holes writh his tongue
and enjoying his meal.

In the Yosemite National Park where shooting is forbidden the
pileated, instead of being one of the shyest of birds, is one of those
most in evidence, and as you drive by actually makes itself con-
spicuous by flying freely among the trees so near that you can see
his brilliant red head and the white spots on his wings, while he
utters his loud ringing chuck, chuck, rhuck, chuck, chuck, chuck, chuck.

WOODPECKERS

215

The nests of the cock-of-the-\vo<>ds show their power more than
their borings, for they are cut into the solid trunks of live trees.
Though well up out of reach they are made conspicuous by half a
bushel of fresh chips scattered over the ground around the tree.
The cavity goes back for about six inches and then down a foot and
a half, and the large white eggs rest on a soft bed of clean fresh
chips. The same tree is often used year after year, but never the
same hole. A fresh one is excavated each year and the old ones left
for occupation by saw-whet owls, wood ducks, and flying squirrels.

GENUS MELANERPES.

General Characters. — Bill about as long1 as head, distinctly curved ;
upper mandible with an evident though short lateral ridge and nasal
groove, tip of bill more or less wedge-shaped ; outer hind toe not longer
than outer front toe.

KEY TO ADULT MALES.

1

Back barred with black and white.

'2. Forehead yellow aurifroiis, p. 218.

- ' . Forehead not yellow.

3. Middle of belly yellowish uropygialis. 211).

3'. Middle of belly reddish carolinus, p. 218.

I'.Back not barred.

2. Belly rose color torquatus,

2'. Belly white.

3. Head and neck red erythrocephalus. p

3 . Head with black, red, and white or yello\v.

4. Chest band streaked with white . . formicivorus. p
4'. Chest band solid black bairdi. p

p. 217.
u. 215.

210.
217.

Subgenus Melanerpes.
Colors in large masses ; outer hind toe and outer front toe of equal lengths.

406. Melanerpes erythrocephalus (Linn.).
WOODPECKER.

Adult male. — Whole head and
neck deep crimson ; under parts, rump,
and patch on wings, white ; rest of
upper parts, glossy blue black. Adult
female : similar, but with more or less
transverse black spotting on inner sec-
ondaries, and black collar more con-
spicuous than in male. Young: red
and black of adults replaced by gray.
streaked \vith darker on bead and
neck, barred on rest of upper parts ;
secondaries crossed near ends by one
or more black bands. Length : 9.25-
9.75, wing 5.30-5.70. tail 3.60-3.75.

Distribution. — Breeding in Transi-
tion, Upper and Lower Sonoran zones
from Manitoba south to the Gulf of
Mexico, and from the Atlantic to the Fig. 281.

RED-HEADED

From Biological Survey, U. S. Dept. of
Agriculture.

216 WOODPECKERS

eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains ; casual in Utah and southern Ari-
zona.

Nest . — 8 to 80 feet from the ground in stumps, dead trunks or branches,
and on treeless prairies in fence posts and telegraph poles. Eggs : usually
4 to 7, white.

Food. — In summer, insects such as grasshoppers, ants, beetles, flies,
and larva?, fruits and berries ; in fall and winter, nuts, wild berries, and
small grains.

The red-headed woodpecker is one of our handsomest birds. Its
colors are all keen — the red, glowing red ; the white, snow white;
and the black, glossy black.

In its methods of hunting, like all the members of the genus
Melancrpes, it combines the ways of the flycatchers and the wood-
peckers that get their food almost wholly from tree trunks and
branches.

In the east, where it depends largely on beechnuts for its fall and
winter supplies, its movements are very erratic, its appearance de-
pending on the crop.

407. Melanerpes formicivorus (Swains.}. ANT-EATING WOOD-
PECKER.

Adult male. — Feathers around base of bill and chin black, bordered by

band of white or yellow ; crown red ;
sides of head, upper parts, and chest
band glossy greenish ; blue black chest
streaked with white ; rump, wing patch,
and belly, white. Adult female : similar,
but with a black band separating white
or yellow forehead from red crown.
Young : similar to adults and with same
sexual differences in crown, but colors
duller. Wing: 5.30-5.90, tail 3.10-3.60,
bill 1.10-1.22.

Remarks. - - The squarish white patch
on the forehead is enough to distinguish
the formicivorus group from all other
woodpeckers.

Fitr °82 Distribution. — Breeds in Lower Tran-

sition zone from Texas to Arizona, and
south to Isthmus of Telniantepec, Mexico.

Nest. --Usually in white oaks, but also in pines. Eggs: 4 or 5. white.

Food. - - Principally acorns, but also fruit, flies, ants, beetles, and
grasshoppers.

One of the most pleasantly familiar sounds in the live-oak belt in-
habited by formicivorus and its allies is the ja-cob, ja-cob, ja-cob,
ja-fob uttered by these handsome woodpeckers as they fly from tree
to tree, their white rump and wing patches showing as they go. In
coming down from the fir forests of the mountains where the only
visible woodpeckers have fled silently before }Tou, the soft cheery
voices of these birds have a friendly ring grateful to the ear. They

WOODPECKERS 217

always have a great deal to say, whether it be in a canyon of the
Guadalupe Mountains in New Mexico, where their chatter interrupts
the solemn hooting of the baud-tailed pigeon, or on the campus of a
California university, where much is to be learned by silent listeners.
But their small talk never seems to interfere with their work, and
the acorn-filled tree trunks and telegraph poles attest their industry.
Of all our woodpeckers they are the prime storers, and though they
do not live in a land of snow, ground squirrels infest most of their
territory and make it important to have secure cupboards. Dr.
Mearus says their stores are the source of unending quarrels between
them and their numerous pilfering enemies, and confesses that when
short of provisions in the mountains he himself has filled his saddle-
bags with acorns from under the bark of a pine. The birds are true to
their Melanerpes instincts, although they do spend so much of their
time storing acorns, and vault into the air after insects in regulation
flycatcher style.

407a. M. f. bairdi Eidgw. CALIFORNIAN WOODPECKER.

Like M.farmicivorus, but with heavier bill and chest band solid black.

Distribution. — Breeds in Upper Sonoran zone of the Pacific coast region
from Oregon south to northern Lower California.

Nest. - - 15 to 25 feet from the ground in oaks, sycamores, cottonwoods.
willows, and telegraph poles. Eggs : usually 4 or 5. white.

Food. — Acorns during- the greater part of the year ; also grasshoppers,
caterpillars, ants, beetles, flies, small fruits, berries, and green corn.

Subgenus Asyndesmus.

Bill combining- characters of Colaptes and Melanerpes : wing's long-, fold-
ing nearly to end of tail ; feathers of under parts and nuchal collar bristly.

408. Melanerpes torquatus (Wils.). LEWIS WOODPECKER.

Adults. — Upper parts iridescent greenish black except for -gray collar ;
face dull crimson ^ throat and chest
gray changing to soft rose on belly ;
plumage of lower parts harsh and hair-
like. Young : head without red. neck
without collar, under parts with less
red. Length : 10.50-11.50, wing 6.50-6.80. tail 4.40-4.70.

Distribution. — Breeds in Transition and Upper Sonoran zones from
Black Hills and eastern slope of Rocky Mountains to Pacific slope ; from
southern parts of British Columbia and Alberta to Arizona ; winters in
southern California and western Texas ; casual in western Kansas.

Nest. — 6 to 100 feet from the ground, usually high up in tall pines or
cottonwoods, or in decayed branches or stumps of oaks, sycamores, junipers,
and willows. Eggs : usually 6 or 7. white.

Food. — In summer mainly insects, such as grasshoppers, crickets, ants,
beetles, flies, larvae, acorns, pine seeds, wild berries, and in cultivated
districts fruit.

When you reach the mountains on the west-bound Overland, from
the car windows you recognize with delight the crow -like figure of

218 WOODPECKERS

your old friend flying with sweeping, powerful strokes straight over
the forest. You are in no danger of mistaking him, for his wide
wings and short tail distinguish him from all other birds as far as he
can be seen.

He is found high in the mountains mainly after the breeding sea-
sou, for he nests in the Transition zone orchard and yellow pine
country, but like the redhead is an erratic wanderer. At Fort
Klaniath flocks of two hundred have been reported coming from
the north in August, and from Klamath Falls to Susanville Mr.
Bailey found them the commonest woodpeckers, perching on the tall
stakes of rail fences along the roads, flying up into the air after
grasshoppers or other insects in true Melanerpes style. As it is said,
the ' acorn bird ' never comes in great numbers unless there is a good
crop of mast, for his movements depend on the food supply. In the
Black Hills Mr. Gary says the woodpecker is partial to burnt timber
on the sides of canyons.

Subgenus Centurus.
Upper parts barred ; outer hind toes shorter than outer front toe.

409. Melanerpes carolinus {Linn,). RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER.
Adult male. - - Top and back of head and neck bright red ; rest of apper

parts barred black and white ;
under parts gray except for red-
dish irash on middle of belly. Adult
female : similar, but red of head
interrupted by gray crown patch.
Young : duller, markings ob-
scured, red of head indistinct, that
of belly often replaced by dull
buffy. 'Length: 9.00-10.10, wing
4.85-5.50, tail M.50-:).95, bill 1.00-
1.20.

Distribution. — Breeds in Lower
and Upper Sonoran zones of enst-

-^- ern United States, from Ontario

to Florida, and west to the base of the Rocky Mountains.

Nest. — In tree trunks or branches, 15 to UO feet from the ground.
Eggs : o to ">, white.

Food. - - Beetles, ants, weevils, caterpillars, grasshoppers, flies, larvae,
wasps, and other insects, with acorns, nuts, seeds, grain, and berries.

In parts of Texas the red-bellied is the most common woodpecker.
and often nests in telegraph poles, but over most of its range it is
shy and retiring, living preferably in heavily timbered bottom lands
and swampy woods.

410. Melanerpes aurifrons (Wagl.). GOLDEN-FRONTKD WOOD-

PECKER.

Adult males. — Fon-ln-ad i/tUoir. rro/rn red. and nuchal patch y

WOODPECKERS 219

orange, or red; back finely
barred with black and white ;
rump plain white, tail black,
outer feathers barred with
white ; under parts lig-ht gray,
washed with yellowish on belly.
Adult female : similar, but with-
out red crown, and yellow of
plumage paler. Young : colors
duller, marking's less distinct.
Wing : 5.20-5.05, tail 3.40-
3.75, bill 1.20-1.40.

Distribution. — Central and
southern Texas, south to the
city of Mexico. g- Golden-fronted Woodpecker.

Nest. — 6 to 25 feet from the ground, g-enerally in mesquites, pecans,
oaks, or telegraph poles. Eggs : 4 to 7, white.

Food. — Insects of various kinds, such as beetles, ants, grasshoppers,
and larva? — among- them one injurious to corn ; also acorns, Indian corn,
wild berries, and fruit.

In San Antonio the golden -fronted woodpecker nests in telegraph
poles and bird boxes about houses as well as in pecans, oaks, and
mesquites. In Eastland County. Texas, Mr. Hasbrouck says it is
often seen in the same tree with the red-bellied. On the mesquite
prairie of southern Texas the little Texan woodpecker is the only
one occurring at all commonly with aurifrons and there is no dan-
ger of confusing them.

Aurifrons makes noise enough for a dozen, his loud penetrating
voice ringing across the road as you drive through the mesquites.
One of his common calls is a rattle like that of the California wood-
pecker. When he flies he shows his white rump and wing spots, and
on the rare occasions when you catch a glimpse of him you can see
the yellow of his neck above the black and white barring of his back.

411. Melanerpes uropygialis (Boird). GILA WOODPECKER.

Adult male. - - Hend and under parts grayish brown, crown red ; middle

of belly yellowish ; back and rump
finely barred with black and
white ; middle and outer tail feath-
ers marked with white. Adult
female : similar, but withotit red.
Young : similar, but colors duller,
and markings less distinct. Wing :
5.00-5.30. tail 3.50-3.90, bill .95-
1.25.

Remarks. — This species may
be distinguished from aurifrons
by its brownish ting-e, the absence
of yellow on its head, barred
rump, white markings on middle
tail feathers, and absence of
Fig. 1286. marks on those next the middle.

220

WOODPECKERS

Distribution. — Colorado River in southeastern California, southern Ari-
zona, and southwestern New Mexico ; south through Lower California to
Jalisco and western Mexico.

Sest. --Mainly in giant cactus, but also in cottonwoods, sycamores, and
mesquites. Eggs : o to 5, white.

Food. — Lizards, insects such as ants, beetles, grasshoppers, and larvre,
with giant cactus fruit and mistletoe berries.

Major Bendire-says that the general habits of the Gila woodpecker
are similar to those of the California woodpecker. Its ordinary call-
uote he gives as dcluirr dchilrr, and a flight note as knit Unit, which
he says resembles the call-note of the phainopepla. In Arizona in
October, Mr. Bailey found two of the birds roosting in a tank every
night.

GENUS COLAPTES.

General Characters. — Bill acute, curved ; slender and weak for a wood-
pecker ; without lateral ridges or beveling ; nostrils not concealed by
nasal tufts ; outer hind toe shorter than outer front toe ; wings and tail
lengthened.

KEY TO SPECIES.

1. Under sides of wings and tail red.

2. Darker. Sitka to northern California . . . saturatior, p. 221.

2'. Lighter. Western United States collaris, p. 221.

1'. Under side of wings and tail yellow.

2. Back of neck with red band. Eastern North America.

luteus, p. 220.
2'. Back of neck without red band. Arizona and southward.

chrysoides. p. 222.

41 2a. Colaptes auratus luteus Bangs. NORTHERN FLICKER.

Adult male .-- Upper parts brown, barred with black, except for red

nuchal band, white rump, and black
tail ; wings and tail with shafts and
under side of feathers bright yelloic ;
throat and sides of head pinkish
brown, with black malar stripe or
• mustache ' and black crescent on
chest ; rest of under parts brownish
white, washed with yellow and spotted
with black. Adult female : similar,
but without black mustache, though
sometimes with faint indications of
one. Young male : similar to adult
male, but crown marked with dull
red. nuchal band dull scarlet. Young
female: with dark mustache. Male:
wing 0.18, tail 4.09, exposed culmen
1 .:>-]. Female : wing (5.06, tail 4, ex-
posed culmen 1.2").
Distribution. — Eastern and northern North America, south to North

Carolina and west to the Rocky Mountains; occasional on the Pacific

slope from California northward.

I'roin Biulcr_nr:il Survey, I'. S. Dcpt. of
Agriculture.

Fig. 287.

WOODPECKERS

Nest. -- Isually 10 to 20 feet from the ground in stubs or trees. Eggs :
usually 5 to 0, white.

Food. — Largely ants; also beetles, bugs, grasshoppers, crickets, and
caterpillars, weed seeds and berries.

The flickers of whatever local name or race are striking, forceful
birds. Their clear ringing c/n/x: and pintc command attention, while
their rapidly tittered if -if -if -if- if -if -if is no less stirring. As they fly
in undulating line over a field there is a splendid flash of red or
golden from under their wings. At work or play they show the
same vigor and whole-souled absorption, and their courtship is
accordingly both ardent and amusing.

As a genus the flickers are the least woodpecker-like of the fam-
ily. Instead of getting their food from the tree trunks or in the air,
they live largely on ants which they get from the ground, which
accounts for the brown of their backs, the sleuderness of their bills,
and the character of their tongues. As they probe ant-hills to get
the ants their tongues are very long and provided with large sali-
vary glands whose sticky secretions hold the ants. As they do not
spear their food the tongue is freer from barbs than that of most
other woodpeckers.

413. Colaptes cafer collaris (Viyors). RED-SHAFTED FLICKER.

Adult male. — Ground color of head and body brownish, back barred
and lander parts spotted with black ; rump white and tail black ; nuchal
band and mustache red ; chest marked with black crescent; under side of
icings and tail red. Female: Similar, but usually with a buffy or brown
malar stripe. Young : similar, but without mustache. Length : 12.75-
14.00. wing 0.45-7.15. tail 4.40-5.20. exposed culmen 1.34-1.53.

Remarks. — Birds with varying combinations of the characters of C. col-
laris and C. luteus may be met with anywhere from the eastern border of
the plains to the Pacific.

Distribution. — Rocky Mountain region from British Columbia south to
northern border of Mexico ; Avest to the coast ranges in Oregon and
Washington, and to the Pacific coast from northern California southward
to Lower California.

Nest. — From 2 to 70 feet from the ground in rotten stubs or trees,
also in holes in banks, in sides of houses, and gate posts. Eggs : 5 to 10,
white.

Food. — Insects and larva?, especially ants, grasshoppers, and crickets,
acorns, seeds, and wild berries.

410a. Colaptes cafer saturatior (Ridgw.}. NORTHWESTERN
FLICKER.

Similar to coHaris. but darker. Winy : 6.35-7.00. tail 4.70-5.20, ex-
posed culmen 1.35-1.00.

Distribution. — Breeds in humid Transition and Canadian zones of the
northwest coast from Sitka to northern California.

Xest. eggs, and food same as in collaris.

222 GOATSUCKERS

414. Colaptes chrysoides (Mulh). GILDED FLICKER.

In general similar to collaris, but back of neck without red, and under
side of icings and tail yellow ; adult female with only occasional traces of
malar stripe, and young- without malar stripe.

Remarks. - - The combination of red mustache and yellow of under
wings and tail distinguish this species.

Distribution. - - Breeds in Lower Sonoran zone from Arizona south to
southern Sonora, and Lower California south of latitude 30°.

Nest. — (5 to 40 feet from the ground in giant cactus or cottonwoods.
Eggs : 2 to 5, white.

Food. — To a large extent fruit of the giant cactus and insects found on
its flowers.

The gilded flicker is largely a bird of the giant cactus belt, and
feeds to some extent upon the sweet fruit of the cactus.

ORDER MACROCHIRES: GOATSUCKERS,
SWIFTS, AND HUMMINGBIRDS.

(FAMILIES CAPRIMULGID^;, MICROPODID.E, AND TROCHI-

LIDJE.)

FAMILY CAPRIMULG-IDJE : GOATSUCKERS.

KEY TO GENERA.

1 . Gape without conspicuous bristles, tail emarginate.

Chordeiles, p. 226.

1'. Gape with conspicuous bristles, tail even or rounded.
2. Tarsus feathered in front almost to toes . Aiitrostomus. p. 222.
2'. Tarsus entirely naked in front.

:!. Tail even Phalaeiioptilus, p. 224.

•-I'. Tail much rounded Nyctidromus, p. 225.

GENUS ANTROSTOMUS.

General Characters. - - Bill short, gape wide ; nostrils oval with raised
rim not prolonged into a tube, opening upward and outward ; feet small,
hind toe short, front toes connected by webbing, middle toe much longer
than side toes, its claw pectinated (see Fig. 290) ; tarsus not longer than
middle toe without claw, feathered in front nearly to toes ; wing folding to
or beyond rounded tail ; plumage lax, primaries weak.

KEY TO ADULT MALES.

1. Bristles of gape with lateral filaments . . . caroliiiensis, p. 222.
1'. Bristles of gape without lateral filaments.

2. Throat bar chiefly or wholly white vociferus, p. 223.

2'. Throat bar chiefly or wholly yellowish . macromystax. p. 223.

416. Antrostomus carolinensis (GmeL). CHUCK-WILL'S-WIDOW.

Adult male. — General color dark brown or blackish brown, mottled,
barred, and spotted with tawny and blackish, reddish brown on wings and

GOATSUCKERS 223

tail ; tail with at least terminal third of outer feathers white or huffy ;
throat tawny, bristles of yape with lateral filaments. Adult female : similar,
but without white or huffy on tail. Young : similar, but much lighter, top
of head grayish and wings tawny. Length: 11-12, wing 8.70-8.90, tail
6.25-6.30.

Distribution. -- Breeds in Lower Sonoran zone in the southeastern United
States, from southern parts of Virginia. Illinois, Indiana, and Kansas
south to the Gulf of Mexico, and from the Atlantic west to Fort Clark,
Texas ; migrates to the West Indies, and through eastern Mexico to South
America.

Eggs. — Usually laid on dry leaves on the ground ; 2, creamy or pinkish
white, blotched, marbled, and spotted with browns and purples.

Food. — Moths, beetles, winged ants, other insects, and birds.

Like all the O//>n'///'/////VAt', the chuck- will's-widow is crepuscular,
flying about mainly in the dim morning or evening hours. Its call of
chuck trin's-icid"tr is markedly different from that of the whip-poor-
will.

417. Antrostomus vociferus (Wils.). WHIP-POOR-WILL.

Adult male. — Throat blackish, bordered by white band; rest of under
parts mixed tawny and black ; upper parts mottled
gray, streaked, spotted, and barred with blackish,
black streaks of crown wide medially ; wings much
marked with reddish brown; three outer tail feathers
white for more than terminal third. Adult female :
similar, but white of tail much restricted and ob-
scured. Young : top of head mottled gray, spotted
instead of streaked with black ; rest of upper parts
bright tawny, scapulars with large black spots ; pi<r. 288.

under parts almost plain huffy. Length: 11.50-10.00,
wing 5.SO-6.70, tail 5.10-6.50.

Distribution. - - Breeds from the Atlantic to the Plains, and from Mani-
toba south through western Nebraska to Texas ; migrates to Guatemala ;
casual to Porto Rico and the West Indies.

Eggs. — Deposited on dry leaves on the ground ; 2. white, with blotches,
spots, and tracings of brown and purple.

Food. — Night-flying insects, including Rocky Mountain locusts.

417a. A. V. macromystax (Wagler). STEPHENS WHIP-POOR-WILL.

Adult male. — Similar to A. vociferus, but slightly larger and more
tawny, throat band largely tawny in adult male, and white of tail re-
stricted to less than terminal third. Adult female : similar, but white of
tail tawny and restricted. Length : 0.60-10.20, wing 6.27-6.65. tail 4.03-
5.45.

Distribution. — Arizona. New Mexico, and southwestern Texas ; south
over mountains bordering tablelands of Mexico to Guatemala.

Xest. — A slight depression in the ground. Eggs : 1 or 2, white, or
with faint markings.

Food. — Among other things, large brown beetles.

When we were spending a night in the head of McKittrick canyon
in the Guadalupe Mountains, Stephens whip-poor-wills came close
enough to our camp-fire for us to hear distinctly the marked burr of

224 GOATSUCKERS

their whip-pur-' r'r-will. Sometimes the notes are repeated faster and
faster till they all run together.

In the Santa Catalina Mountains, Arizona, Mr. Bailey found one
sitting in the shade of a rock in the daytime. At his approach,
with a quick spring it would dart out of sight around the next rock
and drop into the darkest shade. Its flight was perfectly noiseless
and very swift.

GENUS PHAL^ENOPTILUS.

General Characters. — Bill short with wide gape, nostrils tubular, cylin-
drical, opening forward and outward ; rictal bristles conspicuous ; feet
small, hind toe short, middle toe long, its claw pectinated, front toes
webbed (see Fig. 290) ; tarsus as long as middle toe without claw, naked
except for joint ; tail square, much shorter than wings.

Fig. I'S'J.
KEY TO SPECIES.

1. Upper parts blackish or dark brown .... californicus, p. 225.
1'. Upper parts light brown or grayish.

2. Smaller and paler. Kansas to Texas and Arizona . nitidus, p. 225.

2'. Larger and not so pale. Nebraska to Cascades . iiuttallii, p. 224.

418. Phalsenoptilus nuttallii (Aud.}. POOR-WILL.

Adult male. — Plumage of upper parts moth-like, soft, and velvety,
finely mottled grayish broivn with sharply contrasting velvety black bars
and sagittate markings ; tail with all but middle feathers tipped with
white ; sides of head and chin black, white throat patch bordered by black
below ; rest of under parts barred except for plain buffy under tail cov-
erts. Adult female : similar, but with white tips to tail feathers nar-
rower. Young : upper parts more silvery gray mixed with rusty ; black
markings smaller and less distinct ; white of throat and tail restricted
and tinged with buffy. Wing : 5.78, tail 3.67.

Distribution. — Breeds in Upper Sonoran and Transition zone of British
Columbia and the western United States, from the Cascades and Sierra
Nevada east to central Nebraska ; winters from deserts along the southern
border south to Guatemala.

Eggs. — Usually laid on the bare ground ; 2, white, unspotted or lightly
marked.

Food. - - Night-flying moths, beetles, locusts, and other insects.

In southern California in the dim evening light I have often seen
poor-wills hunting insects along the roads and had them come close
to me in a ranch dooryard when they would make short sallies from
the ground, fluttering around with soft, noiseless flight, uttering a
low chuck, chncl-. In the d;iytime their eyes are of little use. A
pair of the birds th;it Mr. Bailey once came upon at Emigrant Gap
showed this sun blindness very strikingly. They had been sitting

(GOATSUCKERS

in the shade of a bush, and flew from his feet as he approached.
One of them lit again in a patch of bright sunlight, and, apparently
blinded by the light, sat there calmly until he walked up within a
few feet of it. lie experimented with the birds, flushing them a
number of times, and found that when they lit in the shade, as they
usually did, they Avere not only much less conspicuous than in the
sun, blending in with the leaves and rocks, but the shade enabled
them to see him clearly enough for them to recognize what he was
so that they would fly Avhile at a distance of four or five rods.

The poor-will himself is less known than his voice, which is insep-
arably associated with the warm still western evenings. Coming
from the canyons in the moonlight it is one of the softest, most
soothing sounds in nature.

418a. P. n. nitidus Breicst. FROSTED POOR-AVILL.

Similar to nuttallii. but smaller said. paler, prevailing color of upper parts
brownish gray inclining to silvery or hoary, with black markings smaller and
much restricted ; chin and sides of head mottled grayish brown ; chest Avith
little if any solid black. Wing : 5.44, tail 3.52.

Distribution. — Texas to Arizona and from western Kansas south to
northern Mexico.

Eggs. — Deposited on ground in open places, sometimes under a bush ;
2. white, usually faintly tinged with buffy.

418b. P. n. calif ornicus Eidgw. CALIFORNIA POOR-AVILL.

Similar to nuttallii, but much darker; middle of croAvn largely blackish ;
hind neck extensively marked with black, back dull blackish gray or wood
brown instead of light brown.

Distribution. — Coast region of California.

Eggs. — Similar to those of nuttallii.

m

GENUS NYCTIDROMUS.

Nostrils prolonged as cylindrical tubes opening forward and outward ;
rictal bristles' heavy ; tarsus lengthened, but not exceeding middle toe with-
out claAv ; Aving scarcely rounded ; plumage not so lax as in the Avhip-poor-
will.

419. Nyctidromus albicollis merrilli Senn. MERRILL PA-

RAUQUE.

Adult male. -- Upper parts finely mottled gray and brown, the crown
broadly streaked with velvety black, and scapulars strikingly patterned icith
triangular velvety black and buffy markings; wing quills crossed by white
band ; tail AA'ith second and third feathers largely Avhite, throat with wide
white band, rest of under parts buffy, barred. Adult female : similar, but
smaller. broAvner, duller, and Avhite of wings and tail restricted. Young :
similar to sexes of adults, but much paler, croAvn Avitli markings triangular
or tear-shaped Avith light border. Male : length 12.00-13.50, Aving 6.75-
7.50, tail 6,75-7.40. Female : length 10.50-11.50, wing 6.00-6.30, tail 5.80-
6.00.

Distribution. — From southern Texas south to the Isthmus of Tehuan-
tepec.

226

GOATSUCKERS

Eggs. — Placed on the ground, usually near a clump of bushes ; cream or
buff, spotted and splashed with browns, buff, pink, and lavender.
Food. — Moths, beetles, and other insects.

When in southern Texas near the Mexican line we were startled at
our camp-fire supper one evening by a strange new note, a hoarse
jm-i'au'-que, and hurrying out into the dusk found a large bird hunt-
ing insects on the road in poor-will fashion, flying from one bare
spot of ground to another among the mesquites. As we followed
him he repeated his call from each spot, and once gave it from the
top rail of a fence.

GENUS CHORDEILES.

General Characters. - - Bill short with wide gape ; bristles not decidedly
shorter than bill ; nostrils cylindrical and rimmed about,
hardly tubular, opening- outward and upward ; feet weak,
hind toe short, front toes connected by web, middle toe
long, its claw pectinated; tarsus feathered part way
down in front; tail lightly forked, much shorter than
Fi". 290. the lon& narrow wing.

KEY TO SPECIES.

1. Wing band back of tip of seventh quill (Figs. 292 and 293).

texensis, p. 228.

1'. Wing band mainly or wholly forward from tip of seventh quill.
2. Upper parts glossy black, mottled with lighter virgmiaiius, p. 226.
2'. Upper parts mainly grayish or brownish.

Paler. Plains sennetti, p. 228.

Darker. Western states henryi. p. 227.

o.

O'

420. Chordeiles virginianus (Gmel). NIGHTHAWK.

Adult male.-- White throat patch bordered below by blackish chest
patch ; belly
barred with
blackish and
white : upper
parts glossy
black mottled
with gray and

Fig. 292.

Fig. 291. lightly marked with buffy brown ; white or buffy irint/

band mainly or wholly forward from tip of seventh quill ;

space between white band and primary coverts plain blackish, secondaries
indistinctly if at all spotted with buffy or brownish ; tail except middle
feathers crossed with broad white band near tip. Adult female : white of
tail restricted or wanting. Young : more finely and profusely mottled
than adults. Wing : 7.30-8.25, tail 4.30-4.75.

Distribution. — Breeds from the Hudson Bay region and the Mackenzie
River at 05° south through the United States, east of the Plains, and in
wooded districts to Washington, Oregon, and northern California ; south
in winter to the Bahamas, Central America, and the greater part of South
America.

Eggs. — Laid on the bare ground in exposed situations ; 2, creamy, olive

GOATSUCKERS 227

buff, or gray, profusely blotched or speckled with blackish, brownish gray,
and lavender.

Food. — Insects, such as flies, ants, mosquitoes, small beetles, grasshop-
pers, crickets, and moths.

The three forms of nryiniinnis resemble each other so closely in
habit and appearance that they are difficult to distinguish except in
the hand. Their distribution is little help in determining them except
during the breeding season when sennetti retires to the Dakotas ; for
at other times henry i and wiuntti range together from Dakota to
Texas ; and even in the breeding season the eastern form makes irreg-
ular irruptions into the range of the western.

The nighthawks, while wholly absorbed in their own aerial pur-
suits, nevertheless beguile many an hour for the weary wayfarer in
the west. As the ambulance-like 'hack' or prairie schooner makes
its slow way over the hot bare plains, the traveler hails with delight
the sight of the little black stick lying on the ground in the midst
of the glaring flatness. The bird's eyes are shut and his long wings
folded close to his sides, but at the sound of horses' hoofs he is up in
the sky, sailing this way and that, a bit of active life in the lifeless
plain.

Then when nightfall approaches and camp is pitched by a water-
hole in the rocks, in the midst of the desolate expanse the traveler
feels a thrill of homelike companionship as the 'peent' of a night-
hawk makes him glance up and he finds a score of the old familiar
forms zigzagging about showing their white wing crescents at the
turns of their flight,

How wonderfully at home they seem in the sky ! Now they soar
with wings set at an angle, then flap along in a straight line, to dive
suddenly straight down almost into camp with a loud, whizzing
boom.

In the nesting season as the hunter crosses a bare space among
the rocks on the mountains, sometimes a nighthawk will start from
under his very feet and with wings outspread and tail hanging
trail lamely off till satisfied with her ruse, when with swift strong
flight she makes a wide circle and returns either to trail once more
before him or to settle down on a rock where she can watch to see
if he has discovered her almost invisible young.

420a. C. V. henryi (Cass.). WESTERN NIGHTHAWK.

Similar to virginianus, but paler; upper parts mainly light grayish
buffy or ochraceous ,- dark bars on under parts spaced with tawny white.

Remarks. - - Though lighter than virginianus, henryi is much darker
than sennetti, which is light brown, buffy, and on wing coverts mainly
whitish.

Distribution. — Breeds in Transition and Canadian zones of the western

228 GOATSUCKERS

United States from the plains to the Pacific, and to British Columbia west
of Cascades ; migrates to northern South America.

Eggs. — Laid on the ground in open situations ; 2. like those of virgin-
ianus.

420c. C. V. sennetti (Coues). SENNETT NIGHTHAWK.

Similar to henryi, but much paler; top of head brownish instead of
blackish ; wing- coverts largely whitish ; under parts with dark bars brown
instead of black, spaced with white instead of buffy.

Distribution. — Treeless region of the plains, from the Saskatchewan
south to Texas.

421. Chqrdeiles acutipennis texensis (Lau-r.). TEXAN
NIGHTHAWK.

Adult male. — White throat patch without adjoining- black chest patch,

belly barred with blackish and
buffy ; upper parts dull mottled
gray, streaked with blackish ;
white wing band back of tip of sev-
enth quill ; space between white

^^^^_ band and primary coverts spotted

Fi°-. 293. with brown. A dull female: sim-

ilar, but with white tail band

restricted or wanting and wing band buffy. Young : more finely mottled,
with less blackish above, less barring beneath, and upper parts often
suffused with cinnamon or rusty buff. Length : 8-9, wing 6.60-7t30, tail
4.10-4.75.

Distribution. — Breeds in Lower Sonoran zone from Texas to southern
California, and from Nevada and Utah south to Cape St. Lucas and Ve-

ragua.

Eggs. — Deposited on the bare ground ; 2, clay color to creamy, minutely
marbled with dots of grays, browns, and lilac.

Food. — Partly moths, cicadas, and beetles.

i

Mr. Anthony found the Texan nighthawks ' fairly swarming ' at
Derning, New Mexico; and in Phoenix and Yuma, Arizona, and in
the southwestern parts of Texas, Mr. Bailey found them abundant.
They sit in the shade during the day, but at night the air is filled
with their 'bubbling cry,' especially about water. At Yuma they
would come to the river just after sundown to drink. Hovering
close to the water with neck bent down they would take a sip, then
fly a little way and repeat it. After drinking they would circle
over the water till dark in pursuit of insects. At Owen Lake, Cali-
fornia, they were found skimming close to the water in pursuit of a
small fly which was swarming on and near the shore.

Mr. Anthony says they do not indulge in the aerial evolutions of
other nighthawks, but fly low, doing much of their hunting within
two feet of the ground, jumping up after passing insects much as
the poor-wills do.

On the wing they are easily told from other nighthawks by their
brownness and by the position of the wing bar near the tip of the

SWIFTS 229

wing. Their voice also marks them. They do not boom or give
the fjimuL -characteristic of other members of the family. Mr. Bai-
ley describes their notes as a low rapid chuc/,, ch >//•!,•, rA//r/, followed
by a soft j»/ r r'r'r'r'r r\ which, when several birds are about, be-
comes almost incessant.

In parts of southwestern Texas during the breeding season the
Texan is the only uighthawk, and Dr. M earns states that he has
never known /lettri/i to infringe on the territory of te.i'< it*i* in the
breeding season, Ticnryi nesting in the pines and spruces of Transi-
tion and Boreal zones; tt:.r< nxi* below the pines in Lower Souoran
zone. In California. Mr. Grinnell says, h.rensis nests in dry parts
of river-beds and sandy places among sagebrush.

FAMILY MICROPODIDJE : SWIFTS.

KEY TO GENEKA.

1. Tarsus and part of toes feathered Aeronautes. p. 232.

1 . Tarsus and toes naked.

2. Tail feathers tipped with spines . . Chaetura. p. 230. ^

Fig. 294.
2 . Tail feathers not tipped with spines . Cypseloides. p. 229.

GENUS CYPSELOIDES.

422. Cypseloides niger borealis (Kenn.). BLACK SWIFT.

Tail slightly forked ; tarsus and toes naked, the hind toe pointing- back-
ward. Adults: dusky or blackish,
lighter on head and neck, the forehead
hoary, a velvety black area in front of
eye. Young : similar, but feathers

tipped with whitish. Length : 7.00- Fif 295

7.50, wing- (UO-7.50. tail 2.30-3.00.

Distribution. — From the Rocky Mountain region west to the Pacific,
and from British Columbia south to Lower California and Costa Rica.

Nest. — On cliffs or about buildings. One described by M. H. Gorm-
ley, on the cornice of a building, made of straws, chips, and horsehair,
lined with green leaves and paper. Eggs : 5. white.

Food. — Insects.

j

The black swift has been found breeding on inaccessible cliffs in
various parts of the west, but little that is peculiar has been discov-
ered about its habits except that it is less noisy than most of the
swifts. A nest was accidentally discovered by Mr. Vrooman at
Santa Cruz when collecting cormorants' eo;s:s on the cliffs.

o o o

Mr. Rathbun says the swifts may be seen circling about above the
city of Seattle, rarely being seen, except wThen rain threatens, lower
than from 3000 to 5000 feet.

230

SWIFTS

GENUS CH^ETURA.

General Characters. — Tail less than half as long- as wing, rounded or
even, the feathers usually with distinct spines ; wing1 less than 5.50 ; tar-
sus and toes naked, hind toe directed backward.

KEY TO SPECIES.

1. Wing- 5 or more. Eastern pelagica, p. 230.

1 . Wing- decidedly less than 5. Pacific to Sierra Nevada.

vauxii, p. 231.

423. ChSBtura pelagica (Linn.). CHIMNEY SWIFT.

Sooty gray, the throat paler. Length : 4.75-5.50, wing- 5.00-5.25, tail,
including spines, 1.90-2.15.

Fig. '_".><;.

SWIFTS 231

J)istribntion. — Breeds in eastern North America from northern Mani-
toba and Labrador southward, west to the Great Plains ; migrates beyond
the United States as far as Yucatan and Jalapa, Mexico.

Nest. — A wall pocket of twigs, glued together with saliva and fas-
tened to inside of hollow tree or chimney. Eggs : 4 to 0, white.

Food. — Insects.

The eastern chimney swifts are said to be common in western
Kansas. " They are dark little birds who row through the air like
racers, twittering sociably as they go. Sometimes as you watch
them on a village street you will see them suddenly stop short and
pitch down the black mouth of a chimney, for it is now only the
most old-fashioned ones who nest in hollow trees. . . . There is
actually no record of their alighting anywhere except in a hollow
tree or a chimney. They even gather their nesting materials on the
wing, breaking off bits of twig in their feet, and it is said with their
bills, literally, in passing. ... It would be quite impossible for an
ordinary bird to fasten a wall-pocket of twigs to a perpendicular
chimney, but the swift is provided with a salivary glue that defies
anything but heavy rain." (Birds of Village ami Field.)

424. Chaetura vauxii (Towns.). VAUX SWIFT.

Upper parts sooty brown, lighter on rump and tail ; tail tipped with
spines ; under parts gray, lighter OTI throat.
Length: 4.15-4.50, wing 4.oO-4.75, tail (includ-
ing spines) 1.50-1.90.

Distribution. — Pacific coast region from Brit-
ish Columbia south to Lower California, and

east to western Montana and Arizona — rare and sporadic east of the Cas-
cades and Sierra Nevada ; migrates to Mexico and Central America.

Nest. — Of small twigs glued together and fastened to the inside of a
hollow tree. Eggs : o to 5, white.

Food. — Aerial insects.

Major Bendire says that the Vaux swift usually reaches the United
States on its way back from Central America about the middle of
April, and leaves in October. It migrates in flocks of from fifty to
a hundred, but when at home generally hunts in small flocks of
fifteen or twenty. Mr. Anthony once found a pair nesting in a large
stub, and says that in going to the nest they would ' circle about
fully two hundred feet above the stub, until directly over the open-
ing ; then, darting down like a flash, would disappear with a sharp
twitter.'

Mr. Littlejohn, of Redwood, California, has found a pair of swifts
nesting in a chimney, and it will be interesting for observers to
watch the birds to see how soon they acquire the habits of the more
civilized swifts.

232 HUMMINGBIRDS

GE-NUS AERONAUTES.

425. Aeron antes melanoleucus (Baird). WHITE-THROATED
SWIFT.

Tail about one half as long as wing1, forked, with stiffish and narrowed

but not spiny feathers ; tarsus and part of
toes feathered ; hind toe directed either
forward or to the side, but not backward.
.,;)§ Upper parts blackish ; throat and breast

and patches on icing and sides of rump white;
sides blackish ; tail without bristles. Length : 0.50-7.00. wing- 5.oO-5.90,
tail 2.50-2.70.

Remarks. — The white marking's distinguish this swift from vauxii,
whether seen from above or below.

Distribution. - - Western United States from the Pacific coast east to the
region of the Black Hills, western Nebraska ; and from Montana south to
Lower California and Guatemala.

Nest. — On cliffs or in caves, glued to the rocks, made of -vegetable
matter and stiff feathers, lined with bark fiber and a few feathers. Eggs :
•i or 5, white.

Food. — Aerial insects.

There is one bird that needs no protective legislation for itself or
nest. The home of the white-throated swifts is in the air around lofty
peaks and cliffs, where they circle and wheel and dart on curved,
cutting wings with arrow-like speed. As you stand on the crest of
a ridge where they pass, there is a flash of black and white and a
bullet-like whi/z as one after another goes by, and you wonder that
any living thing can move with such speed. I have seen collectors
who were good wing shots fire till their gun barrels were hot and
turn away with empty belts and only a single specimen of the swifts.
As the birds seldom come to low altitudes it is not strange that they
should be rare in collections. Their nests, placed in crevices or
caves half way up inaccessible cliffs, have rarely been taken.

VKRNON BAILEY.

FAMILY TROCHILIDJE: HUMMINGBIRDS.

KEY TO GENERA.

1. 1st and 2d primaries about equal Atthis, p. 241.

1'. 1st primary the longest.

V

Fig. 299.

'2. Hill curved Calothorax, p. 242.

2'. Bill not curved.

;> Nostrils nearly or wholly naked.

4. Tail blue black in both sexes, upper parts metallic grass green.

lache, p. 244.
4'. Tail not blue black.

HUMMINGBIRDS

23.'}

5. Exposed culmen not more than lialf as long as tail ; with white

stripe back of eye Basilimia. p. '241}.

.">'. Exposed culmen more tlian half as lout; as tail ; -without white

stripe back of eye Amizilis. p. 243.

3'. Nostrils nearly or wholly feathered.
4. Wing1 more than '2.40.

5. Tail chiefly black — gorget of male intense blue.

Coeligena, p. 234.
5 . Tail wholly (male) or partly (female) greenish bronze, gorget

of male emerald green Eugenes, p. 233.

4'. Wing less than 2.2.">.

Fig. 301.

5. Middle tail feathers broader near end than toward
base — spatulate Stellula. p. '241.

Fig. 300.
5'. Middle tail feathers narrower near end than toward base.

6. Tail partly rufous Selasphorus, p. 238.

0'. Tail without rufous.

7. Adult males with top of head like gorget ;
females with outer tail feathers broadly
linear Calypte, p. 236.

7'. Adult males with top of head like back ;
females with outer tail feathers concave on
inner side .... Trochilus, p. 234.

GENUS EUGENES. Fig. 30'J.

426- Eugenes fulgens (Swains.). RIVOLI HUMMINGBIRD.

Bill flattened and slightly widened at base ; tail slightly forked in male,
double rounded in female ; tarsus feathered.
Adult male : top of head metallic purplish, gorget
brilliant emerald green; rest of upper parts bronzy
green ; under parts blackish green or dull bronzy,
breast black in some lights. Adult female : top of
head dull brownish, small white spot behind eye ;
rest of upper parts bronzy green ; lower parts
brownish gray, sides washed with green ; tail with
outer feathers very broadly tipped with pale gray
or whitish. Young : similar to adult female, but
feathers of upper parts with pale buffy edgings.
Male: length 4.50-5.00. wing 2.90-3. 10.' tail 1.90-
2.00, bill 1.00-1.20. Female: wing 2.60-2.75. tail
1.70-1.90, bill 1.00-1.15.

Distribution. — Mountains of southeastern Ari-
zona and mountains bordering tablelands of Mex-
ico to Nicaragua.

Nest. — Usually in maples, sycamores, or firs.
35 to 50 feet from the ground, made of silky plant
fibers and grass tops, coated with lichen and lined with sycamore down
and feathers.

Food. — Largely insects from flowers such as honeysuckle and agave.

From Kirt^w;iy, Smithsonian.
Fig. 303.

234

HUMMINGBIRDS

Mr. Willard of Tombstone, Arizona, says that the noise made by
the wings of the Rivoli hummingbird lacks the sharpness of that of
the smaller hummers and compares it to the buzzing of an im-
mense beetle or bumblebee. He adds that the male may often be
seen near the top of some dead tree catching insects like a flycatcher.
Mr. W. W. Price reports that the hummers feed from iris and also
agave flowers. In the Chiricahua Mountains Dr. Fisher found them
gleaning from the flowers of a boreal honeysuckle. Mr. Price
records them only between the altitudes of from 6500 to 9500 feet.

GENUS CCELIGENA.

427. Coeligena clemencise Less. BLUE-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD.
Tail more than two thirds as long- as wing-, slightly rounded, feathers

very broad ; bill less than one third as long-
as wing. Adult male : gorget azure blue ;
streak from bill and back of eye white ; up-
per parts dull bronzy green, changing- to
purplish black on upper tail coverts and
tail, outer tail feathers tipped with white ;
under parts slate gray washed with green on
sides. Adult female : similar, but throat
buffy instead of blue. Length: 4.50-5.40,
win§" 2.90-3.20, tail 1.85-2.20, exposed cul-
men .85-1.00.

Remarks. — The females of the blue-
throated and the Rivoli can be easily dis-
tinguished by the tail, which in the blue-
throated is blue black, in the Rivoli largely
bronzy green.

Distribution. — Southern Arizona, western

Texas, and mountains of the tablelands of Mexico to Oaxaca.

Nest. — Fine mosses and oak catkins, bound together with web, placed

in the fork of a small shrub, or on a fern. (Breniger.) Eggs : 2, white.

Among the little restless, darting, scintillating hummers of the
United States, the big, quiet, sober-colored blue-throats seem more
like foreign birds, and really are only visitors across our border from
Mexico. Whether bathing in the spray of a slender mountain fall,
or feeding from flower to flower, they have a low hum and quiet
\vuys, perching frequently on a branch to twitter a little song and
preen their feathers, or climbing about among the flowers of a big-
agave in search of food in real oriole fashion. VERNON BAILEY.

GENUS TROCHILUS.

General Characters. — Male with metallic gorget not elongated on the
=r~ sides ; tail forked or deeply emarginate, the feathers
pointed, but the outside ones not extremely narrow ;
six inner primaries abruptly and conspicuously smaller
than the rest with their inner web more or less notched
or toothed at tip. Females with outer tail feathers concave on side.

' X

Froni Ridgway, Smithsonian.
Fig. 304.

HUMMINGBIRDS

235

KEY TO ADULT MALE TROCHILUS.

1. Throat velvety black. Rocky Mountains to the Pacific.

alexandri, p. 23;").
1'. Throat metallic crimson. Plains to Atlantic . . . colubris. p. 235.

Subgenus Trochilus.

428. Trochilus colubris Linn. RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD.

Adult male. — Chin velvety black, scales of gorget brilliant crimson, upper
parts bronzy green ; under
parts dark gray glossed with f
green ; wing' with six inner
primaries abruptly shorter
than the rest. Adult female :
tail with middle feathers all
green, the rest green basally.
then black ; three outer pairs
broadly tipped with white.
Young male : similar to adult
female, but throat streaked
with dusky, and feathers of
upper parts edged with pale
buffy. Young female : sim-
ilar, but throat without
streaks, a-nd tail more
rounded. Male : length 3.07-
3.25, wing 1.60, tail 1.25. tail
forked for about .30-.35, ex-
posed culmen .55— .65. Fe-
male : length 3.50-3.85, wing
l.SO, tail 1.20, bill .70.

Distribution. — Breeds
from the Atlantic to western
parts of Nebraska and Texas,
and from Labrador south to
Florida ; migrates to Cuba. Mexico, and Central America.

Nest. — A felted cup of soft vegetable fibers coated with lichen and
fastened with web ; saddled on to a twig or small branch of a tree, usually
10 to 20 feet from the ground. Eggs : 2, white.

Food. — Largely minute spiders and insects.

The ruby-throated hummingbird has been reported as breeding in
the western parts of Nebraska and Texas.

429. Trochilus alexandri Bourc. $- Mills. BLACK-CHINNED HUM-

MINGBIRD.

Adult male. — Gorget above opaque velvety black, below metallic violet, glit-
tering with purple, blue, and peacock green lights; upper parts
greenish ; under parts soiled whitish, green on sides. Adult
female : upper parts bronzy green ; under parts grayish ;
tail much rounded, middle pair of feathers about the longest
and wholly green, next two feathers green tipped with black,
outer three tipped with white. Young : similar to adult female,
but feathers of upper parts tipped with buffy or rusty and
throat of male streaked with dusky. Male: length 3.30-3.75, wing 1.70-
1.75. tail 1.25, bill .70-.75. Female: length 3.90-4.10. wing 1.90-2.00.

Fisr. 300.

Fig. 307.

236 HUMMINGBIRDS

Distribution. — Breeds in Transition and Upper Sonoran zones from
British Columbia south to Lower California and from the Rocky Moun-
tains and Texas to the Pacific ; winters in Mexico.

Nest. — In trees or bushes 4 to 8 feet from the ground, made of white
or sponge-colored plant down, covered with spider web. sometimes with
addition of leaves or flowers. Eggs : 2 or 3, white.

Food. — Largely minute insects.

In southern California the black-chinned hummer may often be
seen sunning himself on an oak twig, his dull black throat relieved
by a violet band that glints green and blue as he turns his head.
Ordinarily he seems the quietest, most unemotional of humming-
birds, but if fortunate you may come on him when performing his
aerial love -dance. One that I once watched took his stand below
his lady's perch and fixing his eyes upon her swung shuttling from
side to side in an arc, with the sound and regularity of a machine.
He never turned around or took his eyes from hers, but at the end
of the arc — less than a yard in length — always threw himself back
by a quick spread of his tail. She sat as if hypnotized,- her long bill
turning as he turned, her eyes following every motion with droll
absorption. In spite of her flattering attention, however, when his
dance was over and he looked up for approval, she apparently made
some slighting remark, for he whizzed off in a hurry and was seen
no more.

In Los Angeles County, California, Mr. Grinnell says the black-
chins are resident from the lowlands to the summit of the moun-
tains, but most abundant in the foothills, where they breed in can-
yons some years by the thousands. Their numbers vary with the
rainfall, as the abundant flowering plants that follow a wet winter
afford them ample food. At Phoenix, Arizona, Mr. Bailey found
that one of their favorite feeding flowers was the desert Fouquena.

GENUS CALYPTE.

General (Characters. - - Adult males with tail emarginate or
slightly forked, outside feathers abruptly narrower
than the rest. Adult females with outer tail feath-
ers decidedly narrower than the rest, but with broad
rounded end.

Fig. 308. KEY TO ADULTS.

1. Males with gorget and top of head purplish red; females with under
parts brownish gray anna. p. 237.

V . Males with gorget and top of head metallic violet ; females with under
parts white costae, p. !>:->(>.

430. Calypte COStse (Bourc.). COSTA HUMMINGBIRD.

Adult male.-- Head, gorget, and long faring ruff brilliantly burnished

HUMMINGBIRDS

'2X7

metallic amfthi/st riulit chan.q-ing to blue and green ; back. ruinj). and mid-

dle tail feathers green or bronze, outer feathers purplish dusky ; t;iil

slightly forked, outer feathers abruptly narrower

than pair next them ; under parts whitish, belly

glossed with green. Adult female: under parrs

whitish, throat more or less spotted with metallic

purple ; sides greenish ; upper parts and middle

tail feathers bronzy green, other feathers grayish

brown at base, with black subterminal band and

white tip. Young : similar to female, but duller.

and feathers of upper parts narrowly tipped with

buffv whitish. Male : length 2.75-3.20, wing 1.75-

1.90," tail 1.10. bill .65-.6S. Female: length 3.55-

3.70, wing- 1.70, tail 1.05, bill .70.

Remarks. — The scales on the crown distinguish

£ i • i • i iroiu Kidgway, Smithsonian.

cost* from any common humming-bird except F- m Costa Humming-
anna, and in costal the glitter is bluish purple, , . ,

never pinkish as in anna. The females of anna
and costce ma be distinuished by the small size of costa;. and female

from females of Selasphorus and Atthis by absence of rufous on tail.

Distribution. --Breeds in Lower Sonoran zone from southern parts of
New Mexico and Utah to southern California ; migrates to Lower Cali-
fornia and other parts of western Mexico.

^Xest. — Loosely made of plant down or shreds of plant fiber lined some-
times with feathers and covered with bits of gray lichen, bark, and leaves.
bound with web ; placed from 1 to (3 feet from the ground, on cactus, in
bushes or trees. Eggs : 2, white.

Food. — Insects found on plants and shrubs such as squaw cabbage,
wild rose, plum, and cherry.

The habits of the Costa hummingbird seem to differ little from
tliose of the family except that it is somewhat more of a desert-loving
species. Dr. Fisher states that it is the common hummingbird of
the desert valleys and mountains of southern California and Nevada.
He has seen it hovering over a bunch of flowers b}^ moonlight. Mr.
F. Stephens reports the rare sight of a male hummer helping to build
the nest.

431. Calypte anna (Less.). ANNA HUMMINGBIRD.

Adult male. — Top of head, gorget, and long ruff brilliant metallic deep
rose pink with bronzy and green lights ; upper
parts and middle tail feathers metallic green or
bronzy ; tail decidedly forked, without rufous or
white ; feathers widening- gradually from outside
to middle ; under parts whitish glossed with
green. Adult female : similar except on head and
tail ; crown green like back ; throat usually

From Riclgway, Smithsonian.
Fig. 311.

specked with rose. Young : similar to adult female, but feathers of upper
parts edged with brown. Male : length 3.40-3. GO, wing 1.90-2.00, tail
1.30-1.45, bill .G5-.70. Female: length 3.80-4.15. wing 2.05, tail 1.30,
bill .75.

Remarks. — Female anna is larger than the females of costa?, or of Tro-
chilus ale.randri or colubris.

238 HUMMINGBIRDS

Distribution. -- Central and southern California, chiefly west of the
mountains, southern Arizona, and Lower California.

Nest. — Plant down covered with bits of green mosses and lichens, fas-
tened by web, sometimes lined with feathers or fur ; placed usually 8 to 15
feet from the ground, in trees or bushes often overhanging water. Eggs :
2, white.

Food. — Spiders, small insects, and nectar from flowers ; also sap exud-
ing from sapsucker punctures.

"Like all the hummingbirds this species follows the flowers, and
its local presence or absence is governed by their abundance or
scarcity. Thus, in August and September hundreds of Anna hum-
mers are to be found over the stubble fields and sunflower patches,
attracted by the flowers of the 'tar-weed.' During the winter
months they are found in profusion about the blossoming eucalyptus
trees. In January and February when the weather is mild, they
appear high on the mountain sides among the flowering manzanitas ;
and in March and April in the blossoming orange groves in the
valley, and about the currant bushes on the hillsides." (Joseph
Grinnell.)

GENUS SELASPHORUS.

General Characters. — Adult males with outer primary narrow and
__ _____ pointed ; tail feathers partly rufous, more or less grad-

s^n^zrr^^^' uated.

KEY TO ADULT MALES.

1. Top of head red like gorget ......... floresii, p. 238.

1'. Top of head greenish, unlike gorget.

2. Upper parts mainly rufous .......... rufus, p. 239.

2'. Upper parts mainly green.

3. Gorget purple .......... platycercus, p. 238.

3'. Gorget scarlet ............. alleiii, p. 241.

[431.1.] Selasphorus floresii Gould. FLORESI HUMMINGBIRD.

Adult male. --Top of head and gorget brilliant metallic red; middle tail
feathers green bordered with ruf oils, outer tail feathers wholly dusky ; belly
white; sides and flanks green. Ad nit female : unknown. Length: 3.25,
wing 1.75, tail 1.40, exposed culmeii .(>•">.

Distribution. — Mexico. Recorded at San Francisco and Haywards.

432. Selasphorus platycercus (Swains.). BROAD-TAILED HUM-
MINGBIRD.

A il ult male. — Gorget without elongated sides, deep rose pink; top of head
bronzy green like back and middle tail feathers ; other tail
feathers purplish black, some of them edged with rufous;
under parts whitish, sides glossed with green. Adult female
and young : upper parts bronzy green ; under parts whitish,
Ihe throat with dark specks, sometimes with a few central
feathers like gorget of male ; sides brownish ; three outer
tail feathers rufous at base, with a black subterminal band
Fig. 313. and white tip ; a touch of green on the second and third

HUMMINGBIRDS 230

feather between the rufous and black, the fourth feather green but
marked witb a terminal or subterminal spot of black, and edged with
rufous, tip often white. Afo/e: length 4.00-4.25, wing 1.1L'-
2.i>:>, tail 1.40-1.00, bill .(L'-.TU. Femalt : length 4.10-4.70.
win- 2.00-2.10. tail 1.4.V1.:>0, bill .70-.72.

lit- marks. - -The females of platycercus and rufus must be
carefully discriminated. In platycercus the middle tail feath-
ers are wholly green, in rufus brown at base ; in platycercus j^g 314,
the rufous of the outer feathers is basal and of less extent
than the black ; in rufus the rufous equals or exceeds the black ; in
platycercus the next to the middle feather is mainly green, in rufus the
rufous covers as much ground as the green, black, and white all together ;
in platycercus the outer feather is .25 broad, in rufus .12 broad.

Distribution. — Breeds in Transition and Canadian zones of the Rocky
Mountain district from Idaho and Wyoming to mountains of Arizona and
New Mexico ; west to the Sierra Nevada ; migrates to Guatemala ; recorded
from Oakland.

Xest. — Usually within 15 feet of the ground on branches of trees,
often overhanging a mountain stream, made of willow or cottonwood down
covered with lichen alone, or lichen, bark, leaves, and plant fibers. Eggs :
2. white.

Food. -- Insects found on flowers of Castilleia, Fouqueria, Gilia, Agave,
and others.

Major Benclire says that the broad-tailed hummingbirds breed in
the lower foothills and valleys on their first arrival from the south,
but by the time the young are able to fly the flowers have ceased
blooming and the country is getting so dry that they go to the moun-
tain parks to raise their second broods.

At 9000 feet in the Sacramento Mountains we found the birds
abundant the last of May feeding from the gooseberry bushes.
The noise they made in buzzing about the bushes and flying through
the air was a metallic rattle strikingly different from the noise made
by rvfux, colubris, alc.i'andri. or any other hummingbird I had ever
heard. In addition to a squeaky little song the hummers had some
small staccato notes.

When camped at Little Spring, San Francisco Mountain, Dr. Mer-
riam found platycercus very abundant. They came to the spring to
drink and bathe at daylight. He says: "They were like a swarm
of bees, buzzing about one's head and darting to and fro in every
direction. The air was full of them. They would drop down to
the water, dip their feet and bellies, and rise and shoot away as if
propelled by an unseen power."

433. Selasphorus rufus (GmeL). RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD.

Adult male. — Gorget fire red, orange, and brassy green ; general body
color bright reddish brown, glossed with bronzy green on crown and some-
times back, and fading to white next to gorget and on belly ; tail feathers
rufous, with dark mesial streaks ; middle tail feather broad, pointed at
tip, second from middle deeply notched on inner web, sinuated on outer web.

240

HUMMINGBIRDS

Fig. 315.

Adult female : upper parts bronzy and rufous, rufous on rump and tail
coverts ; under parts whitish, throat sometimes with a few
central brilliant feathers ; sides shaded with rufous ; tail feath-
ers rufous at base, the middle ones green nearly to base ; outer
ones with broad blackish subterminal band and white tips ;
outside feather more than .10 wide. Young males : similar to
adult female, but feathers of upper parts edged with rusty,
rump rufous, and throat showing1 specks of metallic red. Young
females : similar to young' males, but rump green and throat
specked only with green. Male: length 3.25-3.70, wing 1.50-1.60, tail

1.30-1.35, bill .60. Female : length 3.50-3.90,
wing 1.75-1.80, tail 1.25-1.30, bill .65-. 70.

Remarks. - - The male may be told by its
reddish back and the nick in the second tail
feather. See remarks under S. platycercus.

Distribution. - - Breeds in Transition and
Canadian zones of western North America
from the higher mountains of southern Cali-
fornia and Arizona north to latitude 61° in
Alaska ; during migrations east to Montana.
Wyoming. Colorado. New Mexico, and west-
ern Texas ; winters in southern Mexico.

Nest. - - Lined with down, and decorated
with mosses, lichens, and bark ; often placed
in ferns, bushes, trees, and vines overhanging

Fic. 31»J. Rufous Hummingbird, embankments. Eggs: usually 2, white.

food. — Insects such as those found on wild

currant and gooseberry biishes, cherry-tree blossoms, fire-weed, Castilleia,
Gilia, Pentstemon, and Agave flowers.

During' the spring migration rttfits, the big brown hummer, is
common in southern California, especially about the blooming orange
groves and the wild gooseberry bushes scattered through the cha-
parral.

On the birds' breeding ground the flowers they feed on, as far as
I have observed, are mainly red, as the hummer's coloration might
suggest. On San Francisco Mountain, Arizona, they were es-
pecially fond of the scarlet pentstemons. On Mount Shasta they fed
from the painted-cups, tiger lilies, and columbines. Any spot of
red would attract them as it does other hummers, and they investi-
gated it fearlessly even when it adorned the person of a collector.

One of the birds actually crossed a wide meadow of green brakes
straight to a single columbine standing most inconspicuously near
the woods. But the painted-cups were their especial delight on
Shasta, and a meadow full of the Mowers was fairly alive with them.
When attending strictly to his meal a hummer would circle sys-
tematically around the cup, probing its tubes as he went, but for
the most part the squeaking, pugnacious little scraps would be
whizzing in and out, gleams of green, gold, or scarlet glancing
from their gorgets as they streaked after one another, climbing the

HUMMINGBIRDS

air bill to bill, or shooting up and sweeping down apparently from
sheer exuberance of spirits. They seem to be always quarreling
among themselves, and when it comes to other species of their family
they attack and drive them off with promptness and decision.

As soon as the last brood is out of the nest, Mr. Henshaw says,
the males, warned by the frosty nights and the decreasing supply of
food, start at once for their winter quarters, leaving the females and
young to follow later.

434. SelasphorilS alien! Henshu: ALLEN HUMMINGBIRD.

Adult male. — Similar to rufus, but whole back as well as crown bright
bronzy green, two outer tail feathers very nar-
row, and second from middle without notch or si fi-
liation ; outer feather much less than .10 wide.
Adult female : similar to female rufus. but with
outer tail feathers not more than .10 wide. Male: Fio.
length 3.23-3.30. wing 1.50-1.55. tail 1. 10-1.20,
exposed culmen .00-.65. Female: length 3.40, wing
1.05-1.70. tail 1.05-1.15. exposed culmen .08-.TO.
Distribution. - - Breeds in Transition and Upper Sonoran zones from

southern British Columbia south along the coast, and east to southern

Arizona ; migrates to Lower California and Sonora, Mexico.

Nest. — A cup compactly made of plant down covered with green mosses,

usually placed on weed stalks, hedges, or bushes overhanging water. Eggs :

2, white.

GENUS ATTHIS.

435. Atthis morcomi Ridgw. MORCOM HUMMINGBIRD.

Similar to Stelhda, but tail feathers not inclining to spatulate, the outer
two or three broadly tipped with white in both sexes ; feathers of gorget
in male broader and without white bases. Adult male : unknown. Adult
female : upper parts bronzy green, becoming brownish on forehead ; tail
rufous at base, then, on middle feathers, green ; other feathers narrowly
green and then black, tipped with white, white tip wanting on fourth
feather ; under parts white, with tear-shaped flecks of dusky green on
throat ; sides marked with black and rufous.

Distribution. — The only specimen known came from the Huachuca
Mountains Arizona.

GENUS STELLULA.

436. Stellula calliope Gould. CALLIOPE HUMMINGBIRD.

Six middle tail feathers contracted in the middle and widened at end ;
adult male with feathers of chin and throat narrow, those on the
outside of the ruff elongated ; base of ruff white.

Adult male. — Gorget rose purplish, white bases giving effect
of streaking : upper parts metallic green ; tail feathers dusky,
bases edged with rufous, tip wider than base : under parts white ;
sides tinged with brown and green. Adult female : upper parts bronzy
green; tail rounded and tail feathers greenish gray basally with touch of
rufous, black-banded, and tipped with white, except middle pair, which
are green, ending in dusky. Young : similar, but under parts washed with
rufous, throat specked with dusky. Male : length 2.75-3.00, wing 1.50-

242

HUMMINGBIRDS

From liidgway, Smithsonian.
Fig. 320. Calliope Hummingbird.

1.60, tail .90-1.10, exposed culmen .55-.5S.
Female: length 3.50, wing- 1.75-1.80, tail
1.10-1.15, bill .58-60.

Remarks. - - This is the smallest humming--
bird in the United States, and may be distin-
guished by its size together with the large
amount of rufous on its under parts and the
small amount on its tail.

Distribution. - - Breeds in Canadian and
perhaps Transition zone in western moun-
tains from British Columbia to southern Cali-
fornia, and east to Colorado ; migrating as far
south as mountains of Guerrero, Mexico.

Nest. — Willow down, protectingly col-
ored with bits of bark and shreds of cone,
placed on or against a dry cone or dead
limb of a pine. Eggs : 2, white.

"The Calliope hummingbird is the smallest of the Troclnlidm
found within the United States. It is a mountain-loving species,
and during the breeding season is rarely met with below altitudes
of 4000 feet, and much more frequently between 6500 to 8000 feet.
Its favorite resorts are the open timber found about the edges of
mountain meadows and parks, and the rocky hillsides covered here
and there with straggling pines and small aspen groves." (Bendire.)

At Fort Sherman, Idaho, Dr. Merrill says its arrival in spring is
coincident with the blossoming of the wild hawthorn.

GENUS CALOTHORAX.

437. Calothorax lucifer (Swains.). LUCIFER HUMMINGBIRD.

Bill distinctly curved ; tail forked, three outer feathers narrow ; females
with tail double-rounded and deeply emarginate.

Adult male. -- Bill long- and curved; gorget elongated on sides, metallic

lilac, or violet purple ; upper parts bronzy
green ; forked tail with narrow outer feath-
ers purplish black, four middle feathers
green ; median under parts white ; sides
green and rufous. Adult female : similar, but
bronzy green above, under parts plain pale
rufous ; tail less deeply forked than in male
and feathers broader, the three outer ones ru-
fous at base and white at tip. Male : length
;UO-;>,.<;<), wing 1.40-1.60. tail 1.25-1.35,
exposed culmen .85-.DO. Female : wing 1.65-
1.80, tail 1.20-1.25, exposed culmen .75-.90.

Remarks. - - The female may be distin-
guished by its curved bill.

Distribution. — From western Texas and
southern Arizona south to the city of Mexico
and Puebla.

Nest. — Cotton or thistle down covered
with scales of white lichen. Eggs : 2, white.

From Ridgway, Smithsonian.
Fig. 3'_>1.

Food.-- Insects found in flowers of agaves and other plants.

HUMMINGBIRDS 243

In the Chisos Mountains in western Texas Mr. Bailey found the
Lucifer hummer with several other species common in June about the
big agaves, which were then in full flower.

GENUS AMIZILIS.

General Characters. - Xasal scale large and swollen, nasal slit entirely
exposed ; bill light-colored, dark-tipped, broad and flattened at base ; tail
forked or emarginate ; sexes alike.

KEY TO ADULTS.

1. Upper tail coverts brown . tzacatl. p. 243.

1'. Upper tail coverts green chalconota, p. 243.

438. Amizilis tzacatl (De la Llave). RIEFFER HUMMINGBIRD.
Adults. - - Whole body dark peacock green except belly, which is brown-
ish gray; wings purplish; square tail and its coverts chestnut, tail feathers
marked with bronze. Young : similar, but rump tinged with rufous and
forehead washed with rusty. Length : 4, wing 2.00-2.35, tail 1.45-1.70,
exposed culmeii .70-.90.

Distribution. — From the valley of the Lower Rio Grande in Texas south
through Central America to Ecuador.

Nest. — Grass and plant fiber covered with green moss, often in orange,
lemon, or lime trees, 4 or 5 feet from the ground. Eggs : 2, white.

The Rieffer hummingbird is a Central American species apparently
only straggling across the Mexican line in Texas.

439. Amizilis cerviniventris chalconota (Oberh.), BUFF-

BELLIED HUMMINGBIRD.

Adults. — Upper parts mainly light bronzy green, upper tail coverts green ;
tail forked, brown, feathers (except outer) tipped with bronzy or violet ;
throat green ; rest of under parts buffy broAvn. Length : 4.00-4.50, wing
2.15-2.30, tail 1.50-1.70, exposed culmen. .70-.80.

Distribution. — From the lower Rio Grande Valley, Texas, south in win-
ter to eastern Mexico.

Nest. — In bushes or small trees, made of shreds of vegetable fiber, lined
iisually with thistle down ; covered with bits of blossoms, lichen, and shreds
of bark fastened by spider web.

"The buff -bellied hummingbird proves to be an abundant summer
visitor, and I have nowhere found it so abundant as on the military
reservation at Fort Brown. Here it seems perfectly at home among
the dense tangled thickets, darting rapidly among the bushes and
creeping vines, and is with difficulty obtained. A rather noisy bird,
its shrill cries usually first attract one's attention to its presence."
(Dr. Merrill, quoted by Bendire.)

GENTJS BASILINNA.

440.1. Basilinna leucotis (V if ill.}. WHITE-EARED HUMMING-
BIRD.

Nostrils exposed ; tail emarginate, the feathers broad and rather stiff ;
tarstis densely feathered.

244

HUMMINGBIRDS

Adi'lt male. — Forehead and chin deep blue, throat and upper parts of
chest metallic emerald green ; a conspicuous white stripe behind eye ; tail
mainly blackish. Adult female and young : under parts gray, spotted with
green ; head marked with stripes as in male ; middle tail feathers entirely
green or bronzy, the others black, the outer pairs tipped with grayish.
Ltngth : 3.25-3.40. wing 2.00-2.30, tail 1.30-1.50. exposed ciilmen .G5-.68.

Distribution. - - From mountains of southeastern Arizona, south to Nica-

ragua.

Food. — Insects found in honeysuckles and other flowers.

In the Chiricahua Mountains Dr. Fisher found a white-eared hum-
mingbird on a bush of the wild honeysuckle from which the other
hummingbirds of the neighborhood --the broad-tailed, Rivoli, and
blue-throated --were regularly feeding.

GENUS IACHE.

441. lache latirostris (Swains.). BROAD-BILLED HUMMINGBIRD.

Bill wide at base ; tail deeply emarginate in male, less so in female.
Adult male: gorget peacock blue; rest of body metallic green, some-
times bronzy on back : tail blue black, tipped with gray. Adult female :

upper parts green, becoming gray on fore-
head; under parts soiled grayish: tail with
middle feathers and basal half of outer green,
corners blue black tipped with gray; a ichit-
/.s7< streak behind eye, with dusky streak below
it. Young male : similar to adult female,
but tail as in male ; lower tail coverts white,
feathers of upper parts edged with buff ; new
feathers on throat bluish green, becoming
more bluish toward chin. Young female :
similar to adult, but feathers of upper parts
bordered with pale buff. Male : length 3.50-
3.75, wing 2.00-2.20. tail 1.35-1.50 (forked
for .25-.S5), bill .75-.S5. Female: length
3.88-4.10, wing 2.00-2.15, tail 1.25-1.30
(forked for .15), bill .78-.S5.

Distribution. — From mountains of south-
ern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico
south to the city of Mexico.

Next. — Saddled to a drooping twig made of bark and plant fibers, out-
side decorated with strips of bark, fine stems, and lichen.

In Ari/ona where Mr. Stephens found the broad-billed humming-
birds they \verc always near water, usually along streams in high
mountain canyons. They perched on dead twigs where they could
command a view, apparently preferring sycamores to other trees.
He describes their notes as flat, differing from those of other hum-
mingbirds.

From Ridgway, Smithsonian.
Fig. 322.

COTINGAS — FLYCATCHERS 245

ORDER PASSERES : PERCHING BIRDS.

(FAMILIES COTIXGIIKE, TYRAXXID.K. ALAUDIDJK,

STURXID.E. I< TERID.E, FRIXGILLIIKE, TAXAGRIDJE, HIRUX-
DIXID.E, AMPELID.E, LAXIID.E, YIREOXID^E, MXIOTILTI-
IXE. MOTACILLIDJE, ClXCLID.E. TROGLODYTID.E, CERTHIID.E.
PARID.E, SYLYIID.E, TURDID.E. ETC.)

FAMILY COTINGIDJE: COTINGAS.

GENUS PLATYPSARIS.

441.1. Platypsaris albiventris (Later.). XAXTUS BECAKD.

Nostrils partly hidden by bristly feathers ; tip of bill slightly hooked :
second quill in male small or rudimentary.
Adult male : throat mainly rose pink ; rest of
under parts gray. fading1 to white below ;
top of head black : rest of upper parts slate ,,00

gray, paler on forehead and back of neck.

Aduli female and young male : top of head slaty : rest of upper parts brown-
ish gray or grayish brown ; under parts shading- from deep brown to
whitish'. Length: 0.50-7.00. wing- 3. 40-3.68. tail 2.70-3.00, exposed cul-
nien. .58-.05.

Distribution. - - Western Mexico ; recorded from Huachuca Mountains,
Arizona.

As Mr. AY. AA\ Price found an adult male becard in the Huachuca
Mountains, Arizona, in breeding plumage, apparently accompanied
by its mate, the interesting birds will doubtless be found breeding in
the mountains of southern Arizona.

FAMILY TYRANNIDJE: TYRANT FLYCATCHERS.

KEY TO GENERA.

1. Tail edg-ed or tipped with white.

2. Tail deeply forked .......... Muscivora, p. 246.

2 '.Tail not forked ... ......... Tyraniius, p. 247.

1'. Tail not edged or tipped with white.

2. Upper mandible curved on both edg-es .... Omithioil, p. 265.

2'. Upper mandible straight for most of its length.

3. Tail marked with rufous or rusty (except sometimes Myiarchus

laicrencei olivascenx}.

4. Breast ash gray in contrast to yellow belly. Myiarchus, p. 251.
4'. Breast yellow like belly ; throat white.

5. Streaked .......... Myiodynastes, p. 250.

5'. Not streaked ........... Fitangus, p. 250.

3'. Tail not marked with rufous or rusty.

4. Wing at least six times as long as tarsus . . Contopus, p. 256.
4'. AYing- not more than five times as long ar? tarsus.

5. Sexes different, male scarlet, females and young grayish
brown .......... Pyrocephalus. p. 264.

246 FLYCATCHERS

5'. Sexes similar, largely olivaceous, brown, or black.

6. Wing more than 3.25 , . Sayornis, p. 254.

6'. Wing less than 3.25 Empidonax, p. 259.

GENUS MUSCIVORA.

General Characters. — Outer primary cut out ; tail deeply forked ; bill
flattish, notched, and hooked ; feet small and weak.

KEY TO SPECIES.

1. 3 or 4 primaries emarginate tyraiinus, p. 246.

1 '. Only 1 primary emarginate forficata, p. 240.

[442.] Muscivora tyrannus (Linn.). FORK -TAILED FLYCATCHER.

Adult male. — Tail black, long, and forked, outer feathers edged with
white ; under parts pure white ; head black, with concealed yellow patch ;
back gray ; wings blackish brown, with grayish edgings. Adult female :
similar, but smaller, tail shorter, and yellow crown patch restricted.
Young : like adults, but tail shorter, sometimes scarcely forked, colors
duller, wing coverts bordered with rustv, and crown patch absent. Male :
length 12.00-14.50. wing 4.10-4.75, tail 9-10.

Distribution. — From southern Mexico south through Central America
and most of South America ; accidental in the United States (Mississippi,
Kentucky, New Jersey, and southern California).

Nest. — Of soft materials, often almost entirely wool, lined with thistle
down, which is cemented with gum. making a hard smooth bottom. Eggs :
4, cream color, spotted chiefly at the larger end with chocolate.

Food. — Aerial insects ; also elderberries and other small fruits.

•

The fork-tailed flycatcher is only an accidental straggler in the
United States.

443. Muscivora forficata (Gmel.}. SCISSOR-TAILED FLYCATCH-
ER.

Adult male : Tail forked, white, tipped with black ; body ash gray, whiter
on throat ; wings blackish ; under wing coverts, axillars, and tail coverts
salmon ; head with concealed red spot and upper parts marked with i-ed.
Adult female : similar, but smalleV ; tail shorter and colors duller. Young :
like adult female, but crown patch wanting. Male : length 12-15, wing
4.40-5.15, tail 7-10.

Distribution. — Breeds in Lower Sonoran zone from southwestern Mis-
souri to western Texas ; migrates to Costa Rica ; straggling rarely to Mani-
toba and Hudson Bay (York Factory).

Nest. — Generally 5 to 15 feet from the ground, in open situations,
preferably mesquite, but also other trees and thorny bushes ; made
usually of fine rootlets and plant stems lined with plant fibers, wool, and
feathers ; but sometimes of gray moss, cotton, rags, and seaweed. Eggs :
usually 5, generally clear white, marked with browns and purples.

Food. — Moths, butterflies, beetles, grasshoppers, locusts, crickets, cot-
ton-worms, and some berries.

In visiting the southwestern prairie country the scissor-tail is one
of the first new birds you notice. Discovering him first perched on
the chaparral you are struck by his long white tail and glistening
black, white, and salmon plumage. In perching, the tail is closed

SCISSOR-TAILED FLYCATCHER

FLYCATCHERS 247

thin, and the black of the wings rout rusts well with the bright sal-
mon sides. He sits quietly like any every -day bird, giving only an
occasional bee-bird like note, till suddenly up he darts into the air,
and with delighted wonder you watch his odd figure and odder
gyrations in the sky.

One of his favorite performances is to fly up and, with rattling
wings, execute an aerial seesaw, a line of sharp-angled VVVVVVV's,
helping himself at the short turns by rapidly opening and shutting
his long white scissors. As he goes up and down he utters all the
while a penetrating scream ka-quee' -ka-quee' -k(i-quee' -kckrguee' -ka-
qnec . the emphasis being given each time at the top of the ascending
line.

Frequently when he is passing along with the even flight of a
sober-minded crow and you are quietly admiring the salmon lining
of his wings, he shoots rattling into the air, and as you stare
after him, drops back as suddenly as he rose. He does this appar-
ently because the spirit moves him, as a boy slings a stone at the
sky, but fervor is added by the appearance of a rival or an enemy,
for he is much like a Tyrannus in his masterful way of controlling
his landscape. He will attack caracaras and white-necked ravens,
lighting on their backs and giving them vicious blows while scream-

ing in their ears.

GENUS TYRANNTJS.

General Characters. — Adults with a bright-colored concealed crown
patch ; feet small and weak ; tarsus not longer than middle toe with
claw ; bill notched and hooked, broad at base, its width at nostrils mnch
more than half the distance from nostril to tip ; adults with outer quills
abruptly narrowed at tip.

KEY TO ADULTS.

1. Under parts white tyrannus, p. 247.

1'. Under parts yellow.
2. Tail even.

3. Primaries with gradually narrowed tips . . verticalis, p. 248.

3'. Primaries with abruptly narrowed tips . . vociferans, p. 249.

2'. Tail decidedly emarginate couchii. p. 248.

444. Tyrannus tyrannus (Linn.). KINGBIRD.

Adults. — Under parts and band on end of tail pure white; head and tail
black ; rest of upper parts slate gray ; middle of crown with a concealed
patch of orange red. Young : crown patch wanting and colors duller, wing
and tail coverts edged with brownish, tail band and chest tinged with
brownish. Length : 8-9, wing 4.45-4.75, tail 3.40-3.75, bill from nostril
.50-. 57.

Distribution. — Breeds in Transition and Sonoran zones of temperate
North America from the British Provinces chiefly east of the Rocky
Mountains to the southern border of the United States. Not recorded
from New Mexico or Arizona. Migrates to middle and South America.

248

FLYCATCHERS

Nest. — Made largely of weed stems, twine, wool, or Spanish moss, lined
with grass, rootlets, and horsehair, placed in bushes or trees 4 to 40 feet

from the ground. Eggs : 3 or 4, from
white to rose pink, spotted or blotched
with brown or lavender.

Food. — Principally grasshoppers,
crickets, butterflies, weevils, wild bees,
wasps, caterpillars, and gadflies.

In general habits the eastern king-
bird resembles the western members
of the Tymnnus family, though more
commonly a bird of the garden and
orchard.

He has been accused of eating
honey-bees, but in the stomach ex-
aminations made by the Depart-
ment of Agriculture, of 218 only

From Biological Survey, U. S. Dept. of
Agriculture.

Fig. 324. Kingbird.

14 contained any trace of honey-
bees, and nearly all these were drones. Ninety per cent, of his food
consists of insects, mostly injurious kinds.

446. Tyrannus melancholicus couchii (Baird). COUCH KING-

BIRD.

Adult male. — Belly brilliant yellow, fading through greenish gray to
white on throat and under tail coverts ; upper parts gray washed with
green; wings and tail brownish edged with whitish, tail notched ; concealed
orange patch on head. Adult female : similar, but smaller, tail less notched
and crown patch restricted. Young : like female, but without crown patch,
yellow duller, and wing coverts bordered Avith buffy. Length : (male) 9-
10, wing 4.40-5.00, tail 3.75-4.40.

Distribution. — From the valley of the lower Rio Grande in Texas south
to Guatemala.

Nest. — As described by Sennett, Spanish moss and twigs, lined with
rootlets ; placed near the end of a horizontal limb on a large elm. Eggs :
3 or 4, creamy pink, blotched with brown and purple over whole surface,
or in wreath around larger end.

447. Tyrannus verticalis Say. ARKANSAS KINGBIRD.

Adult male. — Upper parts and breast light ash gray ; throat paler ; belly

lemon yellow ; tail black, outer web of outer feather
abruptly white ; wings brown, end of long quills irith
gradually narrowed points ; concealed crown patch
red. Adult female : similar, but tips of outer quills
less narrowed and crown patch restricted. Young :
like adults, but crown patch wanting and colors

Fig. 325.

duller, wing coverts bordered with buffy. Length :

8.00-9.50, wing 4.75-5.25, tail 3.65-4.00, bill from nostril .50-.55.

Remarks. - - Verticalis, though very similar to vociferans, can be distin-
guished in the field by the abruptly white and sharply contrasting outer
edge of the black tail, and in the hand by the attenuated wing feathers.

Distribution. — Breeds in Transition and Upper Sonoran zones of west-
ern United States from Nebraska and Kansas to the Pacific ; and from

>,/' tf?*n'iz ." f -

f -

ARKANSAS AND CASSIN KINGBIRDS

t
FLYCATCHERS 249

Assiniboia and British Columbia south through Lower California ; migrates
through western Mexico to Guatemala.

-\f*t. — In bushes or trees usually not far from the ground, made of
twigs, weed stems, plant fibers, rootlets, wool, cocoons, hair, feathers,
string, thistle down, and paper. Eyyx: usually 4, similar to those of Tyran-
nus tyrannus.

Food. — Mainly grasshoppers, with moths, butterflies, flies, winged ants,
caterpillars, and large black crickets.

The Arkansas kingbird is a masterful, positive character, and when
you come into his neighborhood you are very likely to know it, for
he seems to be always screaming and scrimmaging. If he is not over-
head twisting and turning with wings open and square tail spread
so wide that it shows the white lines that border it, he is climbing
up the air claw to claw with a rival, falling to ground clinched with
him, or dashing after a hawk, screaming in thin falsetto like a scis-
sor-tail flycatcher. A passing enemy is allowed no time to loiter
but driven from the field with impetuous onslaught and clang of
trumpets. Be he crow, hawk, or owl, he is escorted to a safe dis-
tance, sometimes actually ridden by the angry kingbird, who, like
the scissor-tail, enforces his screams with sharp pecks on the back.

When there is no one within scrapping distance he may be seen
perching on a meadow fence or telegraph wire, for lie is a bird of
the open country. When perched he is on the lookout for insects,
and dashes out for one to soar back on outspread wings and tail,
shrieking triumphantly as he comes. His notes have the thin high
pitch and something of the emphasis and iteration of the coyote.

448. TyrannilS VOCiferans Swains. CASSIN KINGBIRD.

Adults. — Upper parts and breast dark gray, chin abruptly white ; belly

\ lemon yellow ; tail dull black indistinctly
tipped with grayish, outer web of outer feather
indistinctly edged with grayish ; wing with tips
of longest primaries abruptly cut out ; crown with
concealed red patch. Young : duller, wing
coverts edged with rusty, crown patch wanting.
Fig. 326. Length : 8.75-9.00, whig 5.00-5.40, tail 3.70-

4.20, bill from nostril .55-.60.

Distribution. — Breeds irregularly in Transition, but chiefly in Upper
and Lower Sonoran zones from the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains
to southern Wyoming, western Texas. New Mexico, and Arizona, and from
Oregon south to Lower California and the mountains bordering the Mexi-
can tablelands ; straying south to Costa Rica.

Nest. — Bulky, of similar materials to that of verticalis, placed generally
20 to 40 feet from the ground, near the end of a horizontal limb in syca-
more, cottonwood, or other tree. Eggs : 2 to 5, similar to those of Tyran-
nus tyrannus.

Food. — Mainly insects, including grasshoppers, locusts, and caterpillars.

The Cassin kingbird, Major Bendire says, is neither as noisy nor as
quarrelsome as the Arkansas. Though it nests in the valleys with

250 FLYCATCHERS

the Arkansas, it also breeds at higher altitudes, and is, apparently,
more a bird of the mountains.

GENUS PITANGUS.

449. Pitangus derbianus (Kaup). DERBY FLYCATCHER.!

Bill as long- as head, straight, narrow ; wings rounded ; tail shorter
than wings, nearly even ; tarsus about as long as middle toe and claw ;
under parts, except for white throat, and including under wing coverts,
bright sulphur yellow ; top and sides of head black, separated by white
line which incloses black crown ; crown erectile, with partly concealed
yellow center ; rest of upper parts brown, rufous on wings and tail.
'Length: 10-11, wing 4.90-5.10, tail 3.90-4.00, exposed culmeii 1.15-1.25.

Distribution. — Breeds from Central America to the lower Rio Grande
Valley in Texas ; migrates to northern South America.

Nest. — Dome-shaped, with entrance on the side, composed of such
coarse materials as straw and lichens ; placed usually on forks of branches
or thorny trees, 25 or 30 feet from the ground. Eggs : generally 5, light
cream color with small reddish specks.

Food. — Mainly insects, but also small fish — minnows.

Tlie derby flycatcher is rather a rare summer visitor in the lower
Rio Grande Valley in Texas.

GENUS MYIODYNASTES.

451. Myiodynastes luteiventris Scl. SULPHUR-BELLIED FLY-
CATCHER.

Bill turgid, broader than high at nostrils ; wings long and pointed ;
tail shorter than wings, nearly even ; feet small and weak. Adults : broad
blackish A from bill inclosing white throat patch ; rest of under parts sul-
phur yellow, streaked along sides ; upper parts brownish, streaked with black :
head with concealed yellow crown patch and white or yellowish bands
over eye and along sides of throat ; rump and tail bright rufous ; bill very
broad. Young: without crown patch. Length : 7.75-8.00, wing 4. 25-4. (50,
tail 3.30-3.60, bill .80-90.

Distribution. — From the mountains of southern New Mexico and Ari-
zona south to Panama.

Nest. — 25 to 50 feet from the ground, a hole in a sycamore, lined
thickly with stems of walnut leaves. Eggs : 3, creamy buff, profusely
blotched, principally around the larger end, with purple and reddish
brown.

'Mr. Lusk, who found the sulphur-bellied flycatcher in Arizona,
states that they frequent streams bordered with large trees. " The
width and si/e of their bills, together with their short necks," he
says, "gives them a peculiar appearance even at a distance." Mr.
O. W. Howard found the birds very quiet during the breeding sea-
son, but bold and noisy afterwards. He compares their notes to the
squeaking of a wheelbarrow.

1 [450.] Myiozeteles similis super ciliosus (Bon&p.). GIRAUD FLYCATCHER. This species
is omitted from doubt of Giraud's Texas record.

FLYCATCHERS

251

Fig. 327. Flycatchers.

1. Crested Flycatcher. 2. Wood Pewee. 3. Phoebe. 4. Kiugbird. 5. Least

Flycatcher.

GENUS MYIARCHUS.

General Characters. — Head slightly crested by length-
ened erectile feathers ; primaries cut out ; tarsus about
length of middle toe with claw.

Fig. 328.

KEY TO ADULTS.

1. Wing 2.90-3.25 ; inner webs of tail feathers chiefly dark brown. Ari-
zona olivascens, p. 253.

1'. Wing 3.40-3.60 ; inner webs of tail feathers chiefly rufous.
2. Outer tail feather with unif orm dark stripe along inner web.

3. Smaller. Lower Rio Grande Valley, Texas . mexicaiius, p. 252.

252 FLYCATCHERS

3'. Larger. Southern Arizona magister, p. 252.

2'. Outer tail feather without uniform dark stripe along1 inner web.
3. Throat and chest dark ash gray. Eastern United States.

crinitus. p. 252.
3 . Throat and chest pale ash gray, throat sometimes whitish.

4. Outer tail feather with outer web whitish and inner wreb dusky

at tip. Colorado to Pacific .... cinerasceiis, p. 253.

4'. Outer tail feather without white edge or dusky tip. Southern

Arizona iiuttingi, p. 253.

452. Myiarchus crinitus (Linn.). CRESTED FLYCATCHER.

*[ (hilts. — Throat and breast dark ash gray ; rest of under parts bright
sulphur yellow ; upper parts olive ; wings with two whitish bars, primaries
edged with rufous and tertials with yellowish ; tail with middle feathers
dusky brown, other feathers with inner webs chiefly reddish brown ; outer
feather with broad dusky stripe confined to end, if present at all. Young :
tail with more of reddish brown than in adult. Length : 8.50-9.00, wing
3.1)0-4.40, tail 3.50-4.20, bill from nostril .55-.G5, tarsus .78-.S2.

Distribution. — Eastern United States and southern Canada, west to
Manitoba, the Plains, and southwestern Texas ; migrates to Costa Rica,
Panama, and Colombia.

Nest. — An old woodpecker hole or natural cavity in a tree or stump,
lining varying in bulk and composition but generally containing snake
skin. Eggs : 4 to 8, creamy to deep buff, overlaid with irregular blotches
and longitudinal pen lines in shades of brown and purple.

Food. -- Insects, such as beetles, flies, grasshoppers, butterflies, and lar-
v?e, varied with berries.

453. Myiarchus mexicanus (Kaup). MEXICAN CRESTED FLY-

CATCHEK.

Adults : Throat and breast light ash gray, rest of under parts pale sul-
phur yellow ; upper parts olive, browner on head ; wings with two white
bars ; primaries edged with reddish brown ; tail with middle feathers
dusky brown, outer tail feather with a wide dusky streak of uniform width
along inner side of shaft. Young : with more rufous on tail than in adult.
Length : 8.50-9.00, wing 3.80-4.20, tail 3.80-4.25, bill from nostril .02-75,
tarsus .82-92.

Distribution. - - Lower Rio Grande Valley south to Guatemala and Sal-
vador.

Nest. --In natural cavities or woodpecker holes in stumps, trees, and
telegraph poles, made of .felted strips of bark. hair, feathers, wool, and
sometimes snake skin. Eggs : 4 to f>, like those of M. ir in it us.

45 3a. M. ill. magister Eidgw. ARIZONA CRESTED FLYCATCHER.

Like M. mexicanus, but larger. Length : 9.40-10.00, wing 4.04-4.60. tail
4.10-4.00. bill from nostril .(>8-.82, tarsus .97-1.02.

Distribution. -- Breeds from southern Arizona (and southwestern New
Mexico '.') to western Mexico ; migrates to Tehuantepec, Mexico.

Nest. — So far as known, in holes in giant cactus and sycamores, about
8 feet from the ground, lined with hair and bits of snake and lizard skin.
Eggs : 3 to 5, like those of M. crinitus.

Major Bendire writes: "The Arizona crested flycatcher is the
largest representative of the genus .Wi/i'turluix found within our
borders, and its breeding range seems to be confined mainly to

ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER

FLYCATCHERS

the giant cactus belt of southern Arizona, where it appears to be ;i
rather irregular summer resilient, not uncommon in some seasons
and rare in others."

.Mr. Stephens found it frequenting low mesquites, and reports that
it was 'tame and rather noisy, having a variety of loud calls, some
. . . almost thrasher-like.'

454. Myiarchus cinerascens (Lain-.). ASH-THROATED FLY-
CATCHER.

Adults. — Throat and chest pale ashy, sometimes almost white on
throat ; belly pah sulphur yellow ; upper parts grayish brown ; wings
with two white bars, quills edged with reddish brown, tertials edged with
white ; tail with middle feathers dusky brown, the rest chiefly brown on
inner webs ; outer tail feather with inner web dusky at tip, outer ireb dis-
tinctly ichitixh. Young : tail feathers rufous, with dark median stripe.
Length ; 8.00-8.50, wing 3.80-4.25, tail 3.G5-4.20, bill from nostril .52-.GO,
tarsus .§S-.95.

Distribution. — Breeds in Upper and Lower Sonoran zones in the western
United States from northern Oregon to Mexico, and east to Colorado and
southwestern Texas ; migrates to Guatemala.

Hest. — Usually less than 20 feet from the ground in knot-holes of
mesquite. giant cactus, and trees, in cavities of stumps, woodpecker holes,
and occasionally behind pieces of bark ; lined with rootlets, grass, dry
horse manure, hair, fur, and occasionally snake skins. Eggs : 3 to 0,
creamy to pinkish btiff, covered with longitudinal streaks and hair lines of
purple.

Food. — Mainly ants, grasshoppers, caterpillars, beetles, butterflies, flies,
moths, and occasionally berries, especially mistletoe.

The noisy bickering bee-bird is quite put to shame by the digni-
fied demeanor of the ash-throated flycatcher, who with raised crest
and erect carriage goes about his business in a quiet, self-contained
manner.

He is a common resident of the desert regions of southern Cali-
fornia, Xevada, Utah, and northern Arizona, and where the desert
mountains do not afford water he sometimes breeds as much as five
miles away from it, needing less water, perhaps, because his insect
food affords a good deal of liquid.

454a. M. c. nuttingi (Ridgu-.). NUTTING FLYCATCHER.

Similar to M. cinerascens, but outer tail feather without either distinctly
white outer web or dusky tip to inner web ; tail never decidedly shorter
than wing ; upper tail coverts not distinctly rusty. Wing : 3.40-3.70, tail
3.35-3.80. bill from nostril .40-.5G. tarsus .SO-.SS.

Distribution. -- From southern Arizona south to Costa Rica.

Xest. --As described by Dr. Fisher. 4 feet from the ground in an old
woodpecker hole in a giant cactus, containing 4 eggs, creamy, covered
with longitudinal purple streaks and hair lines.

455a. Myiarchus lawrencei olivascens Hidyu-. OLIVACEOUS
FLYCATCHER.

Adult.s. - - Head and back olive brown ; wing and tail feathers usually

254 FLYCATCHERS

withoiit distinct rusty edgings and inner webs of tail feathers usually with-
out rusty edgings. Length : 7.00-7.30, wing 2.90-3.25, tail 3.00-3.25, bill
from nostril .48-.5S. tarsus .70-.75.

Remarks. — The olive coloration is enough to distinguish this fly-
catcher.

Distribution. — Breeds in Lower Sonoran zone of Arizona and western
Mexico ; casual to Fort Lyon, Colorado.

Nest. — Usually in holes in trees, 15 to 40 feet from the ground, made,
in two recorded cases, of fur and feathers. Eggs : 3 to 6, curioiisly
marked with fine lines and intricate pencillings of black and various
shades of purplish brown over buffy or creamy ground.

The olivaceous flycatcher, which is the smallest of the United
States species of Myiarchus, lives in brushy canyons in the moun-
tains of southern Arizona, frequenting the banks of streams, where
it perches on dead limbs looking for insects. The only note heard
by Mr. Stephens, who discovered it, was a ' mournful peeur.'

GENUS SAYORNIS.

General Characters. — Wing more than 3.25, but not more than five
times as long as tarsus ; tarsus longer than middle toe with claw ; tail
emarginate.

KEY TO SPECIES.

1. Tail olive gray. Colorado to Atlantic phoebe, p. 254.

1'. Tail black.

2. Under parts partly brown saya, p. 255.

2'. Under parts partly black.

3. Under tail coverts streaked with black . . . iiigricans, p. 255.
3'. Under tail coverts pure white semiatra, p. 256.

456. Sayornis phoebe (Lath.). PHCEBE.

Upper parts olive gray, darker on head ; under parts whitish, tinged

below with pale yellowish, sides of
breast with olive gray. Length : 6.25-
7.00, wing 3.25-3.55, tail 3.00-3.40.

Distribution. — Breeds chiefly in Tran-
sition and Upper Sonoran zones in east-
ern North America, west to Colo-
rado ; south to the Gulf of Mexico ;
winters from the southern Atlantic and
Gulf states to Mexico and Cuba ; re-
corded from Los Angeles Co., Califor-
nia, in winter.

Nest. — A bulky felted mass, made
largely of mosses and lined with feath-
ers ; attached to rocks, bridges, and

beams of buildings. Eggs : 3 to 8,
From Biologi^Surv.y, r. >ept. c ^.j^ sometimes finely but sparsely

Fig. 329. speckled around larger end with

brownish.
Food. — Chiefly injurious insects.

The habits of the phcebe are very similar to those of the black

FLYCATCHERS 255

phu'be, but the names ' house' and 'barn' pewec apply better to it,
and more popular affection attaches to this confiding bird than to its
handsome western relative. It builds under bridges and culverts
most frequently, but barns and sheds, piazza crotches, and window
sills all offer it congenial homes.

Its nest, found year after year in the same place or only a rafter
away, though big and loosely put together, seems a marvel of
beauty with its touches of green moss. The bird herself with her
plain voice, jerky motions, and abrupt manners but homely virtues
comes to hold a place in our affections that no bickering, domineer-
ing rocifcr<ins could ever hope to win.

457. Sayornis saya (Bonap.). SAY PHCEBE.

Adults. — Anterior lower parts grayish, posterior tawny brownish ; upper
parts dark gray, wing' quills and tail black. Young : like adults, but wing
coverts tipped with brown. Length : 7.50-8.05, wing- 3.90-4.25, tail 3.35-

3h- -
.<•>.

Distribution. -- Breeds from the Arctic Circle in Alaska south to Lower
California, and from western Nebraska and Kansas west to the Pacific ;
migrates to Oaxaca. Mexico.

JVes/. - - Under bridges, about barns and houses, in caves, or wells, and
under shelves of cliffs ; made of materials such as weed stems, grasses,
moss, wool. hair, cocoons, and feathers. Eggs : 3 to 6, white, sometimes
finely dotted with reddish brown about the larger end.

Food. — Grasshoppers, crickets, weevils, beetles, flies, moths, butterflies,
and other insects.

The Say flycatcher of the brown belly and black tail is the com-
monest of the western flycatchers, nesting not only about every cattle
ranch, stage station, and mining camp, but at the Arctic Circle and
on the deserts of the southwestern United States, where it builds in
caves with wood rats and on cliffs with the prairie falcon.

In rocky canyons it may be seen perched on boulders darting out
after passing insects. On the Plains, where it flits silently from bush
to bush, at a distance its black tail and dull colors would often lead
you to mistake it for the omnipresent Amphixpiza but for its plain-
tive phee-eur. Besides this note, during the nesting season it is said
to have a plaintive twittering warble.

*<iya is a true flycatcher, and Major Bendire has seen it catch good-
sized grasshoppers on the wing. He calls attention to its power,
which many of the flycatchers share with the hawks and owls, of
ejecting indigestible parts of its food in the form of pellets.

458. Sayornis nigricans (Swains.}. BLACK PHCEBE.

Adults. — Black, except for white belly, outer web of outer tail feathers,
edges of inner secondaries, and under tail coverts which are white striped
with dusky. Young : bead and neck sooty black ; wing bands and bend of
wing rusty ; back, rump, and edges of black on breast washed with brown-
ish. Length : G.25-7.00, wing 3.55-3.80, tail 3.45-3.75.

256 FLYCATCHERS

Distribution. — Breeds in Lower Sonoran zone from Texas to eastern
Arizona and south through Mexico, except Yucatan and the Pacific coast
north of Coliraa.

Nest. — A wall pocket made of small pellets of mud mixed with dried
grass, weed fibers, and hair, placed in wells and on sides of building's and
cliffs. Eggs: o to 6, white, or finely dotted with reddish brown around
the larger end.

Food. — Insects and wild berries.

The sharply contrasted black and white plumage of the black
phoebe of whichever form make him the handsomest of the common
flycatchers. He is not averse to civilization and may be met com-
monly just off the highways usually near water. 1 have found him
in a San Francisco cemetery, in Sutro Heights Park, in Pasadena,
bathing in a reservoir beside the street, and in Santa Cruz perched
on the tip of a century plant leaf in front of a hotel. He has all the
flycatcher mannerisms, and as he sits watching for insects jets his
tail and quivers his wings at his sides, darts out with a liquid hip', a
rising kee-ree ', and falling kec-wmy', snaps up an insect, and settles
back again on his perch.

At Twin Oaks, California, I found the pho?bes nesting in a deserted
well and also inside a whitewashed chicken house, and was told of
their having built under the eaves of a kitchen, the pair getting
their meals about the fly screens before the window. Such centers of
civilization are not always chosen by them, however, and I have
found them in the foothills of the Sierra and in a narrow lonely
canyon of the mountains of southern California, where their wall-
pocket nest was fastened against a cliff behind a hanging vine.

45 8a. S. n. semiatra (Vigors). WESTERN BLACK
PHCEBE.

Similar to S. nigricans but under tail coverts pure
white.

Distribution. — Mainly in Lower Sonoran zone on the
Pacific coast, from Oregon to Colima, Mexico ; also most
of Arizona.

Food. — Largely winged insects.

GENUS CONTOPUS.

(it neral Characters. -- Feet extremely small ; wing at least six times as
long as tarsus ; tarsus not longer than bill, but longer than
i middle toe with claw, or with a conspicuous white cottony
patch on each side of rump.

Fig. 331.

KKY TO SI'KCIKS.

1. Length 7.10-S.OO.

2. With conspicuous white cottony tufts on sides of rump; under parts

without yellow borealis, p. 'J.VT.

2'. Without cottony rump tufts ; belly yellowish. Arizona.

pallidiventris. p. :>r>7.

FLYCATCHERS 257

1'. Length 5.90-6.75.

2. Wings and tail shorter. Western Nebraska to Atlantic.

virens, p. 258.
2'. Wings and tail longer. Plains to Pacific . . richai dsonii, p. 258.

Subgenus Nuttallornis.
459. Contopus borealis (Swains.). OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER.

Adults. — Under parts with whitish median tract between dark, somewhat
streaked lateral parts, white sometimes
faintly tinged with yellow ; upper parts
sooty, conspicuous tuft of white cottony
feathers on sides of rump (usually con-
cealed by wings). Young: similar, but Fig.
wing coverts tipped with buff y, or brown-
ish instead of white. Length: 7.10-7.90; wing 3.90-4.50, tail 2.80-3.50,
exposed culmen .58-.70, tarsus .55-.60.

Remarks. — This is the only Contopus that has white cottony tufts on the
sides of the rump, or first quill longer than fourth.

Distribution. — Breeds in Canadian zone forests of North America from
Hudson Bay south through the higher parts of the United States ; migrates
to Peru, Central America, Columbia, and northern Peru.

Nest. — Small, of wiry materials fastened skillfully to branches of conif-
erous trees, 40 to 60 feet from the ground. Eggs : usually 3, creamy, gen-
erally wreathed with spots of brown and lavender.

Food. — Winged insects, such as beetles, butterflies, moths, gadflies, and
grasshoppers.

In the high Sierra as in the Canadian forests throughout the United
States the pu-pip' of the olive-sided calls your attention to a solitary
bird with a dark gray breast and white median line, perched on the
tip of an evergreen spire. Its body is quiet, but its head is turning
from side to side, and suddenly it launches into the air, catches an
insect, turns, and with wings and tail spread sails back to its perch.

It calls a great deal in the twilight, and in the fir belt of Mt.
Shasta, where its voice is one of the commonest forest sounds, as the
evening shadows gathered over the noble trees under which we were
camped, the mellow pu-pip', pu-pu-pio' , pu-pip', pu-pu-pio', came
down to us in soothing cadence till the camp-fire shone in the dark-
ness.

Subgenus Contopus.

460. Contopus pertinax pallidiventris Chapm. COUES FLY-
CATCHER.

Adults. — Upper parts grayish brown, tinged with olive ; under parts nearly
uniform olive gray, chin slightly whitish, belly and under tail coverts dull
yellowish ; first quill much shorter than
fourth. Young : similar, but wing cov-
erts tipped with buffy or brownish.
Length : 7.70-8.00, wing 3.80-4.45, tail
3.60-3.90. Fig. 333.

Remarks. — The Coues flycatcher is
about the size of the olive-sided, but its under parts arc strikingly uniform

258 FLYCATCHERS

compared with those of borealis, in which the dark sides are sharply con-
trasted with the white median line ; it also lacks the conspicuous cottony
rump tufts of borealis.

Distribution. — From mountains of central and southern Arizona, south
through northwestern Mexico.

Nest. — As far as known, of grass tops, moss, lichens, catkins, leaves,
spider's web, fragments of insects and their exuviae, placed on an oak or
pine branch 15 to 20 feet from the ground. Eggs : On one record, o, cream
buff, spotted in a ring around the larger end with brown and lilac gray.

Food. — Flies, beetles, and other insects.

In the mountains of southern Arizona Mr. Henshaw found the
Coues flycatcher in the pines or in rocky gulches of mixed pine and
oak, launching out from the branches, circling around the high pine
stubs, and making the sudden erratic flights from point to point
which are especially characteristic of the species.

Its notes, though similar to those of the olive -sided flycatcher,
Mr. Henshaw says, can easily be distinguished from them, the last
syllable being prolonged and raised.

461- Contopus virens (Linn.). WOOD PEWEE.

Adults. --Upper parts grayish brown, tinged with olive ; two wing bars
dull whitish ; under parts whitish, more or less washed with olive gray
and tinged with pale yellowish ; wing at least six times as long as tcrsus,
tarsus longer than middle toe with claw; exposed culmen much less than
twice the width of bill at nostrils. Young : with buff y or brownish wing-
bars. Length 5.90-6.50, wing 3.00-3.45, tail 2.50-2.90, exposed culmen
.43-.S2, width of bill at base .24-.30, tarsus .4S-.53.

Distribution. — Breeds from southern provinces of Canada to Florida,
and from the Atlantic west to the Dakotas, Nebraska, and Kansas ; mi-
grates through eastern Mexico to South America.

Nest. — Usually in deciduous trees 5 to 50 feet from the ground, made
largely of plant fibers, rootlets, and moss, coated with lichen. Eggs : 2 to
4, white, irregularly wreathed around larger end with browns and purples.

Food. — Insects, including grasshoppers, locusts, and caterpillars.

The wood pewee is sometimes met with west of the hundredth
meridian in Texas, and though it is almost indistinguishable from its
western congener in coloration and habit, its notes identify it the
instant they reach the ear. The call of the western is a common-
place pueer, but that of the wood pewee is a plaintive musical
pce-ah-wee.

462. Contopus richardsonii (Swains.). WKSTKKN WoooPEWEK.1

.Idiilts. --Upper parts dark grayish brown : under parts heavily washed
with dark gray; belly and under tail coverts
whitish or pale yellowish ; wing at least six
times as long as tarsus ; tarsus longer than
middle toe with claw ; exposed culmen much Kitr. :•'••"• I.

1 Contains richardsonii natural ux Bishop. ALASKAN WOOD I

Like richardsonii but darker, with smaller bill.

Distribution. — Yukon Valley, southern Alaska and British Columbia, near the coast
in summer, migrating south through California. (The Auk, xvii 1H>.)

FLYCATCHERS 259

less than twice the width of bill at nostril. Young : with buffy or brown-
ish Aving bars. Length : 6.20-6.7.~i. n-hiy 3.15-3.55, tail ..'.50-2.95, exposed
culnu-'ii .44-. 51. width of bill at base .2T-.32. tarsus .40-.56.

Remarks. — In richardsonii the wings and tail are slightly longer than
in C. virens.

Distribution. — Breeds in Transition zone from the Plains to the Pacific,
and from the interior of British America to Lower California ; migrates
to South America.

Nest. — Saddled on horizontal limb of orchard or forest tree, 6 to 40
feet from the ground ; made of wood, plant fibers, down, inner bark, sage,
and grass tops, rarely lined with a few feathers, and sometimes covered
with spider's web. Eggs : '1 to 4, white, irregularly wreathed around the
larger end with blotches and minute specks of brown and purple.

Food. — Flies and other insects, with a few wild berries.

In the lower Canadian zone forests the western wood pewee is
frequently met with, and in the Murray pine meadows of the Sierra
is one of the commonest birds seen. It sits with its long thin body
erect, and as it watches for insects gives its quiet call, well rendered
by Dr. Merrill as tweer or deer. In Arizona its setting is altogether
different, mesquite and yucca stalks being its principal perches.

GENUS EMPIDONAX.

General Characters. — Wing less than 3.25, not more than
five times as long as tarsus.

KEY TO ADULT MALES.

1. Under parts buffy. Arizona and New Mexico . . pygmeeus. p. 263.
1'. Under parts whitish or sulphur yellow.

2. Width of bill at nostrils decidedly greater than half the
exposed culmen.

3. Under parts wholly yellowish or brownish.

4. Under parts darker, washed with brown . . difficilis. p. 260.
4 . Under parts lighter, with little or no brown wash. Santa Bar-
bara Islands insulicola, p. 260.

3'. Under parts partly white.

4. Wing 2.30-2.00 ; tail distinctly emarginate. Rocky Mountains

to Atlantic minimus, p. 261.

4'. Wing 2.60-3.00 ; tail even or slightly rounded.

5. Colors weaker ; bill longer and narrower . . traillii, p. 260.
5'. Colors stronger ; bill shorter and broader. Eastern.

alnorum, p. 261.
2 . Width of bill at nostrils not greater than half the exposed culmen.

3. Bill narrower hammondi, p. 262.

»

3'. Bill broader. Fig. 337.

4. Under mandible blackish .... wrightii, p. 262.

4'. Under mandible flesh-colored, tipped with black. Moun- Flg' 338-
tains of southern Arizona , griseus, p. 263.

260 FLYCATCHERS

464. Empidonax difficilis Baird. WESTERN FLYCATCHER.

Adults. — Upper parts olivaceous (brownish in winter), wing bars dull
buffy (brighter in winter); under parts dull yellow, shaded
with brown across breast, brightening to sulphur yellow on
belly and under tail coverts ; under wing coverts buffy,
deepening to ochraceous on edge of wing ; width of bill at
nostrils decidedly greater than half the length of exposed
culmen. Young : similar, but browner above, with wing
bands yellowish brown or rusty buff, sulphur yellow of belly
replaced by dull white. Length : 5.50-6.00. Male : wing
2.50-2.90, tail 2.35-2.60, bill .S7-.63, bill from nostril .29-

.33, width at base .25-.2S, tarsus .G4-.69. Female : wing 2.30-2.60, tail

2.20-2.45.

Remarks. — The distinct yellow tone of the under parts distinguishes

difficilis from all western flycatchers.

Distribution. — Breeds in Transition and Canadian zones from the east-

ern foothills of the Rocky Mountains and adjacent ranges to the Pacific,

and from southern Alaska south to northern Lower California ; migrates

to Costa Rica.

Nest. — Usually not far from water, in alders, trees, stumps, roots, under

stream banks, on rock ledges, in natural cavities, or about buildings ;

made of plant stems and fibers, down, inner bark, rootlets, leaves, and

moss, lined with horsehair and feathers, often coated with green moss.

Eggs : 3 or 4, white, blotched and spotted with brown and buff pink.
Food. — Largely injurious insects.

The western flycatcher is a widely distributed bird, as Mr. Allen
says, shade apparently being its principal requirement, for it ranges
from the lowlands almost to timberliue. It is said to have a song
and a sweet call, beside a sharp chirp uttered wrlien angry or
frightened.

464.2. Empidonax insulicola Oberh. SANTA BARBARA FLY-
CATCHER.

Adult male. — Upper parts olive brown, slightly darker on head and
paler and more greenish on rump ; wings with two conspicuous brownish
white bars ; throat grayish, faintly washed with yellow : rest of under parts
straw yellow, slightly tinged on breast and sides with olive brown. Wing:
2.6S, tail 2.40, exposed culmen .47, tarsus .88.

Remarks. — E. insulicola differs from E. difficilis in its darker upper
parts and paler under parts, the breast having little of the brown wash of
difficilis.

Distribution. — Santa Barbara Islands, California.

Nest. --In the side of a cliff, a cave, or pocket in a boulder, made of
strips of bark and vegetable fibers. Eggs : 2 or 3, white or creamy, dotted
with reddish about the larer end.

466. Empidonax traillii (Aud.). TRAILL FLYCATCHER.

Width of bill at nostrils decidedly greater than half the length of ex-
posed culmen. Adults: eye ring whitish; upper parts olive, darker on head
from dusky centers of coronal feathers ; wing bars varying from brownish
to whitish ; under parts white, shaded with gray across breast, tinged with
yellow beneath ; under wing coverts yellowish white. Young : browner
above, yellower beneath ; wing bands buff or yellowish brown. Male : length

. FLYCATCHERS 2G1

5.80-6.25, wing 2.70-2.85, tail 2.35-2.00, bill .04-.73, bill from nostril .35-
.40, width at base .27-.31, tarsus .05-.72. Female: length 5.55-0.00, wing
2.55-2.05, tail 2.20-2.50.

Remarks. - - The wide bill, whitish under parts, and olive or olive brown
— not greenish — upper parts are characteristic.

Distribution. — Western North America from the Mississippi valley to
the Pacific, and from the Mackenzie River valley south to Mexico.

Nest. — In low shrubs or bushes near water, 1 to 0 feet from the ground,
made of dry grasses, pine needles, shreds of bark, and plant fibers, lined
with fibers, bark, grass tops, fern down, and horsehair. Eggs : 2 to 4,
white or pinkish buff, marked with dots or blotches of brown, mostly
about the larger end.

Food. — Largely caterpillars, moths, ants, grasshoppers, and other
harmful insects.

The Traill flycatcher is said by Major Bendire to be especially fond
of ' willow-covered islands, and the shrubbery along watercourses,
beaver meadows, and the borders of the more open mountain
parks,' where it sometimes reaches an altitude of 8000 feet, espe-
cially in Colorado, Utah, and California, Its note, given in the
breeding season, is described by Professor Cooke as a shrill hurried
' i>ree-pe-deer,' characteristic of the energetic, aggressive disposition
of the bird. In hunting, Mr. Ridgway says, it never stays long in
one place, but moves from perch to perch, snapping up insects as it
flies.

*

466a. E. t. alnorum Brewst. ALDER FLYCATCHER.

Similar to Traill flycatcher, but averaging more olivaceous above and
more yellow below, the bill shorter and broader and tarsus shorter. Male :
wing 2.00-3.00. tail 2.40-2.00, bill .00-.04, bill from nostril .32-.37, width
at base .29-.30, tarsus .04-.67. Female : wing 2.50-2.05, tail 2.25-2.35.

Distribution. — Breeds in Canadian zone in eastern North America from
New England west to western Nebraska ; migrates to Central America.

Nest and eggs. — Like those of the Traill flycatcher.

467. Empidonax minimus Baird. LEAST FLYCATCHER.

Width of bill at nostril decidedly greater than half the length of ex-
posed culmen ; tail slightly emarginate. Adults : upper parts dark olive ;
icing bars u-hitish ; throat whitish ; chest washed with gray ; belly faintly
tinged with pale yellowish. Young : like adults but more olive, and wing
bars brown. Male : length 4.90-5.50, wing 2.30-2.00, tail 2.10-2.40, bill
.53-.S9, bill from nostril .27-.31, width at base .23-.27, tarsus .59-.08.
Female: wing 2.20-2.40, tail 2.10-2.25.

Distribution. - - Breeds in Transition and Boreal zones in eastern North
America from about latitude 03 3 south to the northern United States;
and from the Atlantic west to eastern Colorado and Montana (casually
to Utah) ; migrates to Central America and Panama;

Nest. — Compactly made of shreds of bark, plant fibers, dry grasses,
weeds, cocoons, and down, placed usually in bushes or trees in an upright
fork from 8 to 25 feet from the ground. Eggs: 3 to 0, white, unspotted.

Food. — Insects.

The che-beek' of the friendly little flycatcher, heard from choke-

262 FLYCATCHERS

cherry thickets in canyons or more commonly from orchards and
villages, is pleasantly associated with a fluffy, white-breasted little
figure flitting about among leafy branches, snapping its bill and
shaking its wings and tail in its flycatching. Like most of its rela-
tives it makes up for lack of song by a variety of pleasing little
conversational notes and twitterings.

468. Enipidonax hammondi (Xantus). HAMMOND FLYCATCHER.

Adults. — Upper parts grayish olive, grayer anteriorly ; wing- bars whit-
ish or yellowish ; outer tail feather more or
less edged with whitish ; throat grayish ; breast
olivaceous, almost as dark as back ; belly and
under tail coverts yellowish ; width of bill at
nostrils less than half the exposed culmen.
Young : tinged with brown, wing bars yellowish brown. Male : length
5.50-5.75, wing 2.60-2.80, tail 2.30-2.50, bill .53-.50, bill from
nostril .26-.2U, width at base, .22-.2-A, tarsus .60-. 68. Female :
length 5.25, wing 2.45-2.75, tail 2.15-2.40.

Remarks. — Hammondi has the smallest and narrowest
bill of any of the genus Empidonax except fulvifrons and_/'.
pygmcea, and it differs from them by having a dark chest
band.

Distribution. — Breeds in Transition and Canadian zones "' _. .
of western North America east to the eastern slopes of the
Rocky Mountains and adjoining ranges, and from Lesser Slave Lake and
interior of Alaska south probably to mountains of Arizona and New Mex-
ico ; migrates to Lower California and southern Mexico.

Nest. — In willows, cottonwoods. or aspens, or on horizontal limbs of
pine or fir, 2 to 50 feet from the ground ; made of plant stems and fibers,
bark, and down, sometimes lined with grass-tops, hair, feathers, scales of
conifer buds, and hypnum moss. Eggs : usually 3 or 4, creamy white,
generally unspotted, or if spotted, minutely so, with brown around the
larger end.

Food. — Insects, especially ants.

In northern Idaho Dr. Merrill found hammondi more abundant
than in Montana or Oregon, and as common among young cotton-
woods and willows along rivers and near swamps as in dry woods
among pines, its notes being heard almost everywhere. Mr. Daw-
son gives its notes as a -brisk sewick, wtri <•/,•. and at rarer intervals
switch-oo, or swecehoo. '

469. Empidonax wrightii Baird. WRIGHT FLYCATCHER.

Similar to hammondi, but bill wider, plumage grayer above, whiter below,
throat often whitish ; outer iveb of outer tail feather abruptly
paler than inner web, usually whitish. Lon/th : 5.75-6.40.
Male: wing 2.70-2.D5, tail 2.55-2.80, bill .62-.6D, bill from
nostril .:-)2-.:)S, width at base .24-.27, tarsus .71-.77. Female :
wing 2.55-2.75. tail 2.50-2.65.

Remarks. — The white outer tail feather and light breast
distinguish irrightii from hamniumli, for though hammondi

Fig. 342. often has a white edge to its tail feather its chest band is
dark gray.

FLYCATCHERS 263

Distribution. --Breeds in Transition ;ind Canadian zones in British Co-
lumbia and the western United States from Oregon and Montana to the
eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains and south to New Mexico and Ari-
zona ; migrates to Lower California and southern Mexico.

Nest. --Fastened to twig's or against the trunk of sapling's, or in up-
right forks of bushes from 2 to 18 feet from the ground, made of plant
fibers and strips of bark, partially lined with feathers, hair, and some-
times ti*ee moss. Eggs : '-} to 5, dull white, unspotted.

Food. - - Insects, spiders, and caterpillars.

In the Great Basin country wrightii is as much at home in the
sairebrush as most other species of Empidviu(,i- are in shady woods
or around grassy meadows. His trim little form is often noticed on
top of a sagebrush by the roadside, sometimes far from water, but
more often within reach of pond or stream. A favorite place for
the nest is in the fork of a sage.

When found in the mountains icrightii is usually in the open or
half forested parks, brushy slopes, old burnings, or edges of aspen
groves. VEKXON BAILEY.

469.1. Empidonax griseus Breast. GRAY FLYCATCHER.

Nearest to wrightii, hut larger and much grayer, washed with darker on
chest ; bill longer, basal half of lower mandible flesh colored in strong
contrast to blackish tip.

Distribution. — From the southern part of California and Arizona
through Lower California and Sonora, Mexico, to the southern end of the
tablelands.

Xest and eggs. — Unknown.

In Mr. Grinnell's list of the birds of Los Angeles County he gives
some interesting records for the little known gray flycatcher. He
thinks it can be found in some parts of the county throughout the
year. A few specimens have been taken in fall, winter, and spring
near Pasadena and El Monte, and in July Mr. Grinnell found it at
an altitude of from 7500 to 8500 feet on the side of Mt. Waterman.
There, he says, it was 'not uncommon though very shy, keeping
in the tallest pines on the mountain sides.' He secured full fledged
young as early as July 11.

470a. Empidonax fulvifrons pygmseus (Cows). BUFF-
BREASTED FLYCATCHER.

Adults. --Upper parts dull grayish brown; wing bars grayish; under
parts pale buffy. washed with ochraceous on breast and sides. Young :
wing bands buff : lower parts paler and duller. Length: 4.75-5.10, wing
2.20-2.45, tail 1.95-2.14. bill .50-.55, bill from nostril .25-.2T, width at base
.20-.22, tarsus .51-.60.

Distribution. — Breeds from southwestern New Mexico and Arizona
south to western Mexico.

Nest. — In forks or on branches 30 to 50 feet from the ground, abotit
the size and shape of a blue-gray gnatcatcher's ; made of bits of soft leaves,

264 FLYCATCHERS

fine straws, and rootlets, lined with fine fibers. Eggs : 3 or 4, oval, buff
or dull white.

Mr. R. D. Lusk, who discovered the nest of the buff-breasted in
the Chiricahua Mountains, found the bird well named, the bright
Arizona sunlight bringing out the buff of its breast. He says that
the soft pit, pit', of a pair he was watching was varied by a great
number of other notes, among them the chicky-whew of the male.

GENUS PYROCEPHALUS.

471. Pyrocephalus rubineus mexicanus (ScL). VERMILION
FLYCATCHER.

Head of male with full rounded crest ; bill slender, narrow at base much
as in Sayornis ; tail nearly even, of broad feathers ; tarsus scarcely longer
than middle toe with claw. Adult male : erectile crown and under parts
brilliant scarlet ; upper parts grayish brown, darker on wings and tail.
Adult female : upper parts brownish gray ; under parts whitish, breast
streaked with gray; belly tinged with yellow, salmon, or red. Immature
male : like adult female, but with red appearing in crown and on breast.
Young : Tipper parts brownish gray, feathers edged with whitish ; under
parts whitish, streaked across breast, without reddish tinge on belly. A
rare melanistic jjhase of plumage is uniform dark brown tinged in male
with wine purple on crown and lower parts. Length : 5.50-6.25, wing 3.20-
3.40, tail 2.60-2.80.

Distribution. — Breeds in Lower Sonoran and Tropical zones from south-
western Utah through southern New Mexico, Arizona, southwestern Texas,
southern California, and Lower California to Central America : accidental
in Florida.

Nest. -- Frail and flimsy, made of short twigs, cocoons, down, plant
tops and fiber, lined with feathers, wool, hair, fur, or down, saddled on a
horizontal fork 6 to 50 feet from the ground in mesquite, palo verde, cot-
tonwood, oak, and rarely willow. Eggs : 2 or 3, cream or butf , marked most
heavily about the larger end with bold irregular blotches and spots of
brown and purple.

Food. — Insects, including grasshoppers and small beetles.

Of all the rare Mexican birds seen in southern Arizona and Texas
the vermilion flycatcher is the gem, his brilliant scarlet body glow-
ing red even in the dim twilight.

In an 'oak rnott' of southern Texas, where we found jackdaws
and scissor-tail flycatchers, the little Pyrocephalus was at home the
last of April, so he doubtless nested there too. One of his favorite
perches was a dead oak twig close to the ground, and in making his
sallies for insects he swept out over the flower-covered field we were
trying to photograph, his image in the camera more beautiful than
the flowers themselves.

When flycatching he often hovered over the grass in the regula-
tion flycatcher way, but besides he had a unique nuptial performance
of his own. When high in the air he would puff out the red feath-
ers of his breast and hold himself up, twittering volubly as long as

LARKS 265

he could hover, then with a tine ecstasy come floating back to the
field like a ball of down.

His usual twitter was like that of the wood pewee, a conversa-
tional aside. His call-notes were persistent and quite loud. For so
small a flycatcher he took a surprisingly distinct part in the noisy
jackdaw and scissor-tail chorus.

GENUS ORNITHION.

General Characters. — Bill curved, compressed, almost without bristles ;
tarsus longer than middle toe and claw.

KEY TO SPECIES.

1. Smaller and browner imberbe, p. 265.

1'. Larger and grayer ridgwayi. p. 265.

472. Ornithion imberbe (ScL). BEARDLESS FLYCATCHER.

Adults. — Upper parts plain brownish gray ; wings with light edgings;
under parts grayish white, tinged with yellow. Young : under parts buffy.
Length : 4.50, wing 2.10-2.15, tail 1.70-1.95, bill .39-.40.

Distribution. - From lower Rio Grande Valley in Texas to Central
America.

47 2 a. O. i. ridgwayi Brewst. RIDGWAY FLYCATCHER.

Like imberbe, but larger, grayer, and with under parts almost or wholly
without yellow. Length : 4.30-4.80, wing 2.04-2.28, tail 1.78-2.02, bill
.40-.42.

Distribution. — From southern Ari/ona south through western Mexico to
Mazatlau.

"Mr. Stephens found the curious little bird at Tucson. . . . The
males had a habit of perching on the tops of the tallest trees in the
vicinity of their haunts, and at sunrise occasionally uttered a singu-
lar song which Mr. Stephens transcribes as ' yoop-yoop-yoop eedecdledee,'
the first half given very deliberately, the remainder rapid!}'." (Ben-
dire.)

FAMILY ALAUDIDJE: LARKS.

KEY TO GENERA.

1. Crown with blunt erectile crest Alauda, p. 265.

1'. Crown with horn-like tufts of black feathers . . Otocoris, p. 2(30.

GENUS ALAUDA.

[473.] Alauda arvensis Linn. SKYLARK.

Wing with spurious primary ; tail deeply emarginate ; tarsus equal to
middle toe and claw. Adults : Upper parts light brownish, streaked with
black ; wings dusky, feathers bordered with brown ; tail with outer feath-
ers white, dusky along edge of inner wreb ; under parts and superciliary
whitish ; chest pale tawny, streaked ; ear coverts brownish, sometimes
blackish along upper margin. Adults in imnter : plumage more tawny
and feathers of crown and back with more or less whitish margins. Youny :
tawny, with white margins to feathers of upper parts conspicuous, marked
with a subterminal spot of brown ; tertials widely bordered with buffy,

266 LARKS

edged inside with dark brown ; chest brownish buffy. indistinctly streaked
or spotted with tawny.

Distribution. — Europe and portions of Asia and Africa; introduced and
naturalized in Oregon.

Nest. — On ground in meadows or open grassy places. Eggs : 3 to 0,
buffy whitish or pale grayish brown, thickly speckled with brown.

GENUS OTOCORIS.

General Characters. — Crown with horn-like erectile tufts ; primaries
apparently only nine ; tail nearly even ; bill conoid, acute ; tarsus round
behind, in young divided into plates on back ; hind claw equal to or longer
than its toe, nearly straight.

KEY TO ADULT MALES IN SUMMER.

Fig. 343.

1. Upper parts pale grayish brown or pinkish.

2. Upper parts uniform scorched brown or pinkish. Central southern
Arizona ............... adusta. p. 26U.

2'. Back of neck pinkish, contrasting with back.

3. Throat usually white or whitish. To Utah in winter.

leucolaema1 (arcticola of Oberholser), p. 206.
3'. Throat usually yellowish. Great Plains and Great Basin.

4. Superciliary yellow. Coast of Texas . . . giraudi, p. 268.
4 . Superciliary white.

5. Back paler. Western United States.

areiiicola- (leucolcema of Oberholser), p. 268.
5'. Back darker. Eastern United States . . praticola, p. 268.
1 . Upper parts dark brown and ruddy or pinkish.
2. Back heavily streaked with blackish.

3. Back of neck ruddy brown ....... strigata, p. 268.

3\ Back of neck pinkish ......... merrilli, p. 269.

2'. Back not heavily streaked with blackish.

3. Back of neck light ruddy brown. Coast of California.

chrysolaema8 (actia of Oberholser), p. 268.

3'. Back of neck deep ruddy brown. Sacramento and San Joaquin
valleys, California .... . rubea. p. 2<5S.

474a. Otocoris alpestris leucolaema (Cones). PALLID HORNED

LARK.4

Adult male in breeding plumage. — Front of crown, horn-like tufts, lores,

iiii of authors (not of Cones) lias been named (ircticvla by Mr. Oberholser.
(See Oberholser, "A Review of the Larks of the Genus Otocoris," Proc. U. S. Xut.
Max., vol. xxiv. pp. 801-8S4.)

2 This should stand as Inn-ohi nut of Cones.

:! C/iri/.w/iriiiti has been restricted to Mexico, and the California coast bird referred to
this race has been named (it-tin by Mr. Oberholser.

4 This is the same subspecies as tirfn/co/n of Henshaw.

Otocoris (il/ifxtriK leucausiplila Oberholser.

Palest of American horned larks. Like Irucolfema, but smaller and with more uniform
upper parts.

Distribution. — Extreme southwestern Arizona, extreme southeastern corner of Cali-

LARKS 267

cheeks, and shield on breast black ; back of head and neck, upper tail
coverts, and bend of winy, pinkish cinna-
mon ; forehead, superciliary stripe, and ear
coverts white, eyebrow usually yellowish ;
throat yellowish white ; rest of under parts

white, sides and flanks shaded with cinna-

, , ,. ,, • , . 7 Fig. 344. Pallid Honied Lark,

mon. Adult female in breeding plumage :

like adult male, but black of head replaced by brownish and buffy ; back
of neck, bend of wing-, and upper tail coverts, cinnamon without pinkish
tinge ; back of neck narrowly streaked ; superciliary and ear coverts buffy ;
sides and flanks streaked with dusky. Adult nuile in if inter plumage : like
summer male, but upper parts more uniform, the brownish areas more
pinkish, on back of head and neck almost hidden by grayish tips to feath-
ers ; superciliary yellowish ; throat deeper yellow ; black areas obscured ;
breast tinged with buff and spotted with dusky ; sides and flanks darker.
Young : upper parts brownish, feathers with subterminal bar of brown and
spot or bar of white or buffy ; superciliary buffy, throat and sides of head
spotted. Male : length 7.50-8.00, wing 4.30-4.65, tail 2.S5-:).L'O. Female :
wing 4.00-4.20, tail 2.60-2.80.

Distribution. — Great Plains and Great Basin of the United States, south
in winter to northern Mexico.

Nest. — On the ground, made of fine hay, lined sometimes with deer
hair. Eggs : o or 4, grayish or greenish marked variably with shades of
brown.

In following the roads that lead on and on through the limitless
stretches of brown barren plains in the west the monotony of the
way is often relieved by the grateful sight of a little companion way-
farer with back colored to match the soil and black horns that set
off its delicate tints perching confidently beside the road, pattering
fearlessly along ahead of your horse, or feeding and singing in the field
as you pass. A quaint ditty theirs is, but it lends cheer and bright-
ness to your journey. It is rendered with great good heart, the
little larks springing up from the ground and singing as they hold
themselves on fluttering wings in the air and sunshine. In the nest-
ing season, they sing a rapturous love-song, sometimes flying up
quite out of sight and circling around in the air for several minutes,
stopping on poised wing for an outpouring of song.

The larks cover so much country that they meet with varied con-

foruia, and northeastern Lower California along the international boundary line, north
to southern Nevada.

Otocoris alpestris arcticola Oberholser.

The type of lencolxma of Coues proving to be a smaller and more highly colored form,
the pale large form ithe Idicvhrtnu of authors) is left without a name, and Mr. Ober-
holser consequently calls it arcticola.

Otocoris alppfttris < Hthi/min Oberholser.

Like 0. a. arcticoln. but decidedly smaller, upper parts paler, throat usually yellow.

Distribution. — Breeds from Saskatchewan to northern North Dakota: migrates to
Colorado arid Kansas and sometimes to Utah and Arizona.

Otocoris alppstris hoyti Bishop.

Like arcticola, but upper parts darker, more rufescent, and throat generally distinctly
yellow.

Distribution. — Breeds in British America; migrates to Nevada. Utah, Kansas, aiid
Michigan ; casually to Ohio and Xew York.

268 LARKS

ditions, the northern ones encountering snow, and the Mexican ones
such intense desert heat that they are sometimes seen with mouths
open standing in rows in the shade of fence posts and weeds.

474b. O. a. praticola Hensh. PRAIRIE HORNED LARK.

" Like leucoltema but darker, less ochraceous above, the superciliary
stripe usually without yellow." (Oberholser.)

Distribution. — Breeds from southern Canada to Pennsylvania and Kansas,
and from Maine to eastern Nebraska ; migrates to the- Carolinas and Texas ;
casually west to Colorado and Arizona.

474c. O. a. arenicola Hensh. DESERT HORNED LARK.

Arenicola and leucolcema are identical forms, as has been shown by the
rediscovery of the type of leucolcema. (See Oberholser, pp. 822, 823.)

474d. O. a. giraudi Hensh. TEXAN HORNED LARK.

Upper parts grayish (especially in female) ; male with superciliary,
throat, and breast usually pale yellow, breast usually marked with gray-
ish brown in both sexes. Male : length (J.50-G.75, wing about 3.80-3.85,
tail 2.60. Female : length 5.80-6.00, wing about 3.50, tail 2.35.

Distribution. — Coast region of Texas and northeastern Tamaulipas, from
Galveston Bay to the Rio Grande.

474e. O. a. chrysolsema (WagL). MEXICAN HORNED LARK.*

Upper parts ruddy, more brownish in female ; nape, shoulders, and rump
light ruddy brown in marked contrast to back ; breast pure white, un-
marked in both sexes. Male : length (5.75-7.25, wing 3.80-4.15, tail 2.80-
3.00. Female : length 6.50-7.00, wing 3.75-3.80, tail 2.70-2.80.

Distribution. — Coast district of California and south to Lower Cali-
fornia.

474f. O. a. rubea Hensh. RUDDY HORNED LARK.'2

Similar to chrt/xolir ma, but smaller and brighter colored; whole upper
parts ruddy, colors of nape merging into those of back ; forehead, super-
ciliary, and throat yellowish ; sides marked with reddish brown. Male :
length 6.50-7.00, wing 3.70-4.10, tail 2.60-2.90. Female : length 6.00-6.50.
wing 3.50-3.70, tail 2.35-2.65.

Distribution. — Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys, California.

474g. O. a. strigata Hensh. STREAKED HORNED LARK.S

Back heavily streaked with black in sharp contrast to deep ruddy nape ;
under parts partly or wholly yellow. Mulr : length 6.75-7.25, wing 3.70-
4.10. tail 2.70-3.05. Female: length 6.25-6.50, wing 3.60-3.85, tail 2.50-
2.80'.

1 The California bird lias been found to be separable from chnjsolivma of Mexico and
has been named 0. «. tictiu by Mr. Oberholser.

- (Hut-arts cdpestris ammophila Oberholser.

Like nilit'ii, but neck and back paler, less reddish.

Distribution. — In summer, the Mohave Desert, north to Owens Valley, south to the
Mexican boundary line.

'•'• (>ti>r<>i-ix ii//n's/ris insulin-is Tmvnsend. ISLAND HORNED LAKK.

Like stn'i/n/ii, but without yellow tinge on nndei parts ; much darker than cftri/so-
Icenut, with streaks on back sharper, and sides much darker.
. — The Santa Barbara Islands, California.

CROWS, JAYS, MAGPIES, ETC. 269

Distribution. — Coast region from British Columbia south to California.

Nest. — In a hollow, on dry ground, usually frail, made of fine dead weeds.
Eggs : usually - or 3, dull greenish or grayish, marked over entire surface
with gray or reddish, heaviest around larger end.

474h. O. a. adusta Dwight. SCORCHED HORNED LARK.1

Pale like chrysolcema, but upper parts uniform scorched pink or pinkish
brown. Male : wing 4, tail 2.83, bill from nostril .36. Female : wing 3.73,
tail 2.48, bill from nostril .34.

Distribution. — From central southern Arizona, south to Mexico.

4741. O. a. merrilli Dwight. DUSKY HORNED LARK.

Similar to strigata, but larger, grayer above, streaking of back blacker
and back of neck paler, pinkish instead of ruddy brown ; less yellowish
below; eyebrow usually yellowish. Male: wing 4.07, tail 2. 80, bill from
nostril .35. Female : wing 3.72, tail 2.50, bill from nostril .34.

Distribution. — From British Columbia south between the Cascades and
Rocky Mountains ; in winter to Nevada and California.

FAMILY CORVIDJE: CROWS: JAYS; MAGPIES, ETC.

KEY TO GENERA.

1. Wing long and pointed.

2. Plumage black Corvus, p. 279.

2'. Plumage mainly gray or blue.

3. Plumage blue Cyanocephalus, p. 284.

3'. Plumage gray, black, and white Nucifraga, p. 282.

1'. Wing short and rounded.

2. Plumage black and white Pica, p. 269.

2'. Plumage not black.

3. Head crested Cyanocitta, p. 271.

3'. Head not crested.

4. Plumage mainly gray or blue.

5. Plumage gray Perisoreus. p. 277.

5'. Plumage blue Aphelocoma, p. 274.

4'. Plumage mainly green and black . . . Xanthoura, p. 277.

GENUS PICA.

General Characters. — Tail much longer than wing, graduated for half
its length or more, the feathers becoming narrower toward tips ; nostrils
covered by bristles ; orbits partly naked ; feet stout.

KEY TO SPECIES.

1. Bill and naked skin around eye black .... hudsoiiica. p. 270.
1'. Bill and naked skin around eyes yellow liuttalli, p. 271.

1 Otocoris alpcstris occidentalis (McCall).

Like adiixtu, but much larger, and decidedly less ruddy above, nape more pinkish,
back more dusky.

Distribution. — In summer, central New Mexico, west to central Arizona; in winter
south to Sonora ard Chihuahua, Mexico, and southeast to Texas.

Otocoris alpestris aphrasta Oberholser.

Like adusta, but back less reddish, back of neck and bend of wing more pinkish.

Distribution. — Extreme southeastern Arizona, southwestern New Mexico, and Chi-
huahua, Coahuila, and Duraugo, Mexico.

270 CROWS, JAYS, MAGPIES, ETC.

475. Pica pica hudsonica (Sab.). BLACK-BILLED MAGPIE.

Adults. — Black, varied with bronzy iridescence, except for white belly
and wing patches ; tail long- and graduated ; bill and naked skin of orbital
region black. Young: head without bronzy gioss. Length : 17. 40-21. 75,
wing- 7.30-8.40, tail 9.30-11.95, exposed culmen 1.15-1.42, tarsus 1.70-1.92.

Distribution. — Resident, except perhaps in extreme northern part of
its range, from Alaska and Hudson Bay to northern parts of Arizona and
New Mexico ; and from western Nebraska, west to eastern slopes of Sierra
Nevada and Cascades.

Nest. — A mud cup lined with rootlets, grass, hair, and pine needles,
surrounded by a globular mass of coarse sticks sometimes as big as a bushel
basket, placed usually 3 to 20 feet from- the ground in willows, thorn bushes,
bullberry bushes, small oaks, cottouwoods, and pines. Eggs : usually 7,
grayish, heavily and evenly blotched with brown, often almost hiding the
ground color.

Food. — Small mammals, birds, their young and eggs, and crawfish, but
mainly insects, including a destructive black cricket, grasshoppers, grubs,
and larvae, together with some fruit, berries, and green leaves.

The magpie is a feature of the landscape, whether seen in flight
as a black air-ship with white side-wheelers and long black rudder
moving against a background of red cliffs in the Garden of the Gods,
or seen standing as a lay figure on a stone wall in a Mormon village.
There is always a freedom and largeness about his proceedings.
Sometimes he will take wing so near that }TOU see the green gloss on
his back, ftying with even water level flight far and away till he
becomes a black dot and disappears beyond your field of vision. His
masterful, positive character is not lost even when he goes squacking
about his daily business. Whatever he does or says lie claims the
attention of the neighborhood, except when lie has a secret to hide,
when he is as silent and wary as any wise parent.

Like all great talkers the magpies are fond of company and where
one is seen others are usually within calling distance. Their notes
have a conversational tone and varied inflections and it seems small
wonder that they learn to talk when kept in confinement.

They are keen observers and eager investigators of anything new
that does not appear dangerous. If a line of traps are set through
the sagebrush for small rodents and marked with bits or cotton on
bush tops, the cotton soon catches their eyes and is promptly inves-
tigated. It' some of the traps have caught meadow mice they are
carried off to a convenient place, the mice eaten and the traps left-
somelimcs causing a slight unpleasantness between magpie and
mammalogist. In cases where the birds are common they take up
the traps so systematically that the collector has to leave his line
unmarked or devise a method obscure enough to escape their keen
eyes. A flock of six or eight once came to examine into the blankets
of a naturalist sleeping on a haycock. Several of them lit on his head
and one was so absorbed in its explorations that the awakened col-
lector caught it in his hand.

MAGPIE

CROWS, JAYS, MAGPIES, ETC. 271

The birds arc quick to take advantage of circumstances, and have
been found living largely on dead fish at Lake Winnemucca, Nevada,
feeding with the chickens in Utah, and during deep snows in Ore-
gon keeping their toes warm by spending a large share of their time
perched on the backs of horses and mules.

476. Pica nuttalli And. YELLOW-BILLED MAGPIE.

Similar to the P. p. hndsonica, but smaller and with bill, and naked
skin back of eye brig-lit yellow. Lenyth : 10-18, wing- 7. -0-7.70, tail 9.30-
10.80, exposed "culrnen 1.04-1.17, tarsus 1.03-1.89.

Distribution. — Resident in California west of the Sierra Nevada moun-
tains from Sacramento Valley south to about latitude 34°, locally distrib-
uted.

t Nest. — Similar to that of kudsonica, with the addition of cow manure
and inner bark of the cottonwood ; placed in oaks, sycamores, cotton-
woods, and willows, usually 30 to 00 feet from the ground. Eggs: about
7, like those of the black-billed, but a trifle smaller and with a more green-
ish tinge.

Food. — Grasshoppers, ants, worms, grubs, offal, carrion, seeds, and waste

gram.

In a restricted area of the San Joaquiu and Sacramento valleys in
California some of the yellow-billed magpies are still left, but they
are so much in evidence and afford such a tempting target that the
days of the little band are probably numbered. In June, 1900, in
the grain and oak fields of the Sierra foothills we counted nineteen
of the splendid fellows flying about in one meadow near the mouth of
a low canyon. They are tame and familiar if their suspicions are
not aroused, but let a man appear with a gun and they are over the
treetops and .away.

They are as bold, as shy, and as garrulous as their black-billed
cousins across the range. Half a dozen in a tree of over-ripe figs
reminds one of the chatter of an afternoon tea.

GENUS CYANOCITTA.

General Characters. — Conspicuously crested ; nostrils concealed ; wings
and tail about equal, rounded ; hind claw equaling1 or exceeding its toe in
length.

KEY TO SPECIES.

1. Under parts whitish cristata, p. 271.

1'. Under parts blue.

2. With white spot over eye.

3. Belly pale blue diademata, p. 273.

3'. Belly dark blue amiectens, p. 273.

2'. Without white spot over eye.

3. Under parts dark blue stelleri, p. 272.

3 '.Under parts light blue frontalis, p. 273.

477. Cyanocitta cristata (Linn.). BLUE JAY.

Adults. — Crest and back light purplish blue ; wings and tail blue,

272

CROWS, JAYS, MAGPIES, ETC.

Fig. 345. Blue Jay.

barred with black ; throat gray or purplish white ; middle of breast and

sides grayish or brownish, belly
white ; white on outer tail feath-
er an inch or more deep. Young :
similar, but colors duller. Length :
11.00-12.50, wing 5.00-5.70, tail
5.05-5.70, exposed culmen .93-
1.06.

Distribution. — Breeds in east-
ern North America from about
latitude 52° south to Florida, and
from the Atlantic west to eastern
parts of Nebraska, Kansas, and
northern Texas.

Nest. — Usually in trees, often in orchards about houses, made largely
of dried twigs and rootlets. Eggs : 3 to 6, pale olive, greenish, or buffy,
sparsely spotted with brown.

Food. — Largely mast ; also corn, grain, beetles, grasshoppers, and cat-
erpillars.

Observers in the western parts of Kansas, Nebraska, and Texas
may be fortunate enough to know the spirited eastern blue jay. In
voice and general habits he resembles his western relatives, though
perhaps more awake to the advantages to be had from human
neighborhood when snow covers the acorns and nuts on which he
feeds.

478. Cyanocitta stelleri (Gmel.). STELLER JAY.

Adults. — Fore parts of body dull blackish, changing to pale blue on
lower back and belly ; wings and tail purplish .blue, barred with black.
Young : similar, but duller ; wing bars faint or wanting. Length : 12-13,
wing 5.55-0.20, tail 5.30-6.35, bill .9(5-1.18.

Distribution. - - Resident in Transition and Canadian zones from Cook
Inlet south along coast to Monterey, California, and east to the Cascades.

Nest. — 25 to 50 feet from the ground, usually in firs, but sometimes
other trees, vines, and bushes, made of twigs, moss, and dry grass, ce-
mented with mud and lined with fine roots. Eggs : 3 to 5, pale bluish
green, spotted or blotched over whole surface with brown and lavender,
thickest about the larger end.

Food. — In winter largely pine seeds, thdUgh almost anything is eaten.

There are many handsome blue-jays, but stelleri in its numerous
forms, with its blue body and high crest, is one of the lords of its
race, fittingly associated with the noblest forests of the west.

The Steller jay (stelleri) may be found at Cloud Cap Inn on Mt.
Hood, feeding with the Clark crows and Oregon jays, and gives a
touch of color to the solemn redwood forests of California as well
as the dark, jungle-like woods of the Puget Sound country. The
blue-fronted (stelleri frontalis) enlivens the forests of the Sierra,
while the long-crested (stelleri diademata) lives in the southern
Rocky Mountains, wandering about in the mountain ranges of New
Mexico and the pine forests of Arizona. At Cloudcroft, Ne.v Mexico,

LONG-CRESTED JAY

CROWS, JAYS, MAGPIES, ETC. 273

it gleans from abandoned camps, and in Arizona, though resident
up to 10,000 feet, is often seen on the high rail fences built to keep
range cattle within bounds.

Chack-aJi, chack-ah, clmek-«h, chack, the jay squalls, jerking his
tail and dashing about, soaring down with short wings wide-spread,
lighting on the side of a tree to inspect the cracks in the bark, or
dropping to the ground to hunt for fallen mast.

In flight the crest is sometimes lowered almost to the horizontal,
but, as a small Arizona observer noted, "when they holler they
stick that right straight up." This ' hollering ' includes a squeal
which is so close to that of 'the red-tailed hawk as to be a good test
to the ear of the observer.

478a. C. S- frontalis (Ridgw.}. BLUE-FRONTED JAY.1

Adults. — Fore parts of body brownish slate, with blue tinge to crest and
blue streaks on forehead ; wings and tail dark blue, barred ; rump and
under parts dull turquoise. Length : 11.75-13.00, wing- 5.50-6.10, tail 5.10-
5.75, exposed culmen 1.00-1.20.

Distribution. — Southern coast ranges and Sierra Nevada of California
and western Nevada, from Fort Crook south to northern Lower California.

Nest. — Like that of stelleri usually in firs, cedars, and pines, but some-
times in snowsheds and natural cavities in trees and stubs, from 4 to 50
feet from the ground. Eggs : 3 to 5, like those of stelleri.

Food. — Acorns, pine seeds, and a variety of animal and vegetable mat-
ter.

478b. C. s. diademata (Bonap.). LONG-CRESTED JAY.

Like C. s. annectfns, but white spot over eye always conspicuous and
streaking on forehead whitish ; black of head in sharp contrast to gray of
back; chest bluish ; blue of belly and rump dull turquoise as in frontal is.
Length: 11.75-13.75, wing 5.05-0.40, tail 5.25-6.25, exposed culmen 1.03-
1.14.

Distribution. — Resident in Transition and Canadian zones in the south-
ern Rocky Mountains from southern Wyoming south to Zacatecas, Mex-
ico, west to Uintah Mountains, Utah, and high mountains of Arizona.

Nest. — Similar to that of stelleri, usually in small bushy pines or other
conifers 8 to 15 feet from the ground. Eggs ; 3 to 6, similar to those of
stelleri.

Food. — Partly grasshoppers and pine seeds.

478c. C. s. annectens (Baird). BLACK-HEADED JAY.

Head black, back slaty, blue of under parts dark as in stelleri ; streaks
on forehead bluish white, sometimes indistinct ; small white spot over eye.

Remarks. — The black-headed has the general body colors of the Steller
jay, with the eye spot and streaks approaching those of the long-crested.
Length : 12-50-13.75, wing 5.90-6.60, tail 5.80-6.65, exposed culmen .97-
1.08.

1 Cyanocitta stelleri carbonacea Grinnell.

lAke frontalis, but darker, frontal blue spots restricted ; head darker than back, back
warm slate gray.

Distribution. — Coast of California, Monterey County, north to Oregon; Oregon west
to Cascades, including east slope of Cascades. (The Condor, ii. 127 ; iv. 41.)

274 CROWS, JAYS, MAGPIES, ETC.

Distribution. -- Resident in Canadian zone in British Columbia and the
northern Rocky Mountain region, south to the Wasatch Mountains, and
from Wyoming- west to eastern Oregon and Washington.

Nest. — As described by Ridgway, base of coarse fir sticks with mud
bowl lined with fine wiry roots, saddled on a horizontal branch, 15 feet
from the ground, containing 3 eggs, similar to those of stelleri.

GENUS APHELOCOMA.

General Characters. — Head not crested, tarsus longer than middle toe
with claw.

KEY TO SPECIES.

1. Tail shorter than wing.

"2. Tail 5.50 or less COUChi, p. 270.

2'. Tail more than 5.50 . . • arizonae, p. 276.

1 . Tail longer than wing.

2. Back slaty gray. East of Sierra Nevada . . woodhouseii. p. 274.
2 . Back brown.

3. Sides of head blackish. Sierra Nevada to Pacific.

californica, p, 275.
3'. Sides of head blue.

4. Upper parts, except back, bright blue.

5. Chest broadly streaked with white . . . cyanotis. p. 274.
5'. Chest obsoletely streaked with grayish . . texaiia, p. 275.
4'. Upper parts, except back, dark purplish blue.

insularis. p. 276.

480. Aphelocoma woodhouseii (Baird). WOQDHOUSE JAY.

Upper parts dull blue except for slate gray back and scapulars : under
parts gray except for blue tail and under tail coverts, and throat, which is
whitish streaked -with dark gray. Young : back darker than in young of
californica ; under parts dark gray instead of white. Length : 11.50-12.75.
wing 4.70-5.35, tail 5.20-6.20, bill .93-1.06.

Distribution. — Resident in Upper Sonoran zone from southeastern Ore-
gon south along the east side of the Sierra Nevada to northern Mexico, and
east to Montana, Colorado, and Texas.

Xest. -- Found at Prescott, Arizona, a small, slight platform of sticks
lined with fine roots and horsehair, placed in the centre of a thick bush
about 5 feet from the ground. Eggs : 3 to <>. pale green, sparingly flecked
over the whole surface with irregular brown and lavender markings,
usually heaviest about the larger end.

Food. — Varied, including insects, acorns, and pine nuts.

The habits of the Woodliousc jay arc similar lo those of the Cali-
fornia jay (see p. 275).

480.1. Aphelocoma cyanotis l\idnu\ BLUE-EARED JAY.

Head, wings, and tail, bright blue ; back dark slaty bnnni, trashed icit/i
blue ; sides of head blue like top of head ; imder parts light grayish blue,
broadly streaked with white ; lower part of breast brownish gray, changing
to white on belly. Length (skin) : 11.50. wing 5.40, tail 5.70. exposed cul-
men .(.»5.

Distribution. — Mexican tablelands north casually to Sutton County,
Texas.

WOODHOUSE JAY

CROWS, JAYS, MAGPIES, ETC. 275

.\i st. — A loosely constructed mass of thorn brush lined with finer mate-
rials. Eyy* : greenish blue, heavily spotted with brown and lavender,
especially at larger end.

480.2. Aphelocoma texana Ridgw. TEXAN JAY.

Like cy<t>iotis, but white superciliary more distinct, under parts paler and
browner gray, lower throat and chest with obsolete grayish streaks instead
of blue streaks.

Remarks. --Texana differs from woodhouseii in obsolete streakings of
chest, paler, browner breast, and white under tail coverts.

Distribution. — Southeastern Texas, from Concho and Kerr counties west
to the Davis Mountains.

481. Aphelocoma calif ornica (Vig.). CALIFORNIA JAY.

Adults. — Upper parts blue except for brownish back and scapulars;
under parts white except for bluish streaking on throat and partial blue
and broimixh necklace ; white superciliary clearlj* defined ; sides of head
, blackish. Young : head only tinged with blue, nearly uniform with brown-
ish back ; throat white, unstreaked ; chest washed with brownish gray ; belly
irhitish. Length : ll.50-l-2.2o. wing 4.70-5.20, tail 5.45-6.10, bill .87-1.03.

Remarks. — Californica and woodhouseii are easily told apart, as cali-
fornica is whitish instead of brownish gray below, and brown instead of
grayish on back.

Distribution. — Pacific coast region from the Columbia River southward,
including both slopes of the Cascades and Sierra Nevada, to northern Lower
California.

Nest. — Interlaced twigs, mixed sometimes with moss, stubble, and grass,
surrounding an inner nest of fine roots sometimes mixed with horsehair ;
placed usually in low bushes, but also in trees 3 to 30 feet from the ground,
generally not far from water. Eggs : 3 to 6, buffy or green, varying
greatly in shade, the buffy ones spotted and blotched with brown, the
green with markings generally scattered over the entire surface.

Food. — Bird's eggs, insects, acorns, pine nuts, wild fruits, and berries ;
also, about settlements, hens' eggs and grain.

In coming down the Sierra Xevada you sometimes find that the
range of the blue-fronted is overlapped by that of the California ja}7 ;
but in the main you see the dark-crested frontalis sailing down
from the fir-tops, and hear the light -colored, flat-headed California
jays squacking through the digger pines and chaparral of the low
country, .whore the valley quail has replaced the mountain quail.
' Blue squackers ' the birds are called locally, and the name seems
most appropriate when the hot thick air over the oaks and chaparral
is vibrating with their cries. The Aphelocoma voice differs strikingly
from that of frontalis, having a flat tone and being uttered with un-
seemly haste. Its notes vary greatly in expression and are so em-
phatic and often peremptoiy that one cannot doubt that something
important is being said. A favorite cry, used apparently to rouse
attention, is a quick " qudy-quay-quay-quay-quay-quay-quay" An-
other still more emphatic one is boy'-ee boy'-ee, while an inquiring
is often heard. Sometimes when a jay flies down to a

276 CROWS, JAYS, MAGPIES, ETC.

companion it gives its quay -quay -quay -quay -quay and is answered by
a high keyed queep-queep-queep-queep — however that may be inter-
preted.

481.1. Aphelocoma insularis Hensh. SANTA CRUZ JAY.

Upper parts dark purplish hlue except for dark brown hack and scapu-
lars; breast and sides brownish, under tail coverts blue. Length: 11.50-
12.25, wing 5.20-5.30, tail 6.05-6.25, bill 1.15-1.30.

Distribution. — Santa Cruz Island, southern California.

482. Aphelocoma sieberii arizonas Eidgw. ARIZONA JAY.

Upper parts dull blue, grayish on back, and sometimes brownish between
shoulders ; under parts grayish white, sometimes brownish or buffy gray ;
tail decidedly rounded. Length: 11.50-13.00, wing- 6.10-6.50, tail 5.65-
6.10.

Remarks. — This and couchi are the only United States members of the
genus Aphelocoma with wings longer than tail.

Distribution. — Resident in Upper Sonoran zone from southern New
Mexico and Arizona south to northern Sonora and Chihuahua.

Nest. — In oaks, 12 to 30 feet from the ground, made of sticks and root-
lets, sometimes lined with horsehair. Eggs : 4 to 7, glossy green, un-
spotted.

Food. — Largely acorns ; but also grasshoppers and other insects, wild
fruits and seeds.

The Arizona jay is an abundant resident of the live-oak belt of
the Chiricah.ua, Huachuca, Santa Catalina, and some of the other
Arizona mountains, from an altitude of from 3000 to 7000 feet. In
severe winter weather the jays sometimes come about houses, and
can be attracted by bones or meat hung on trees. Although their
principal food is acorns, when they are out of season the birds de-
pend largely on grass, seeds, grubs, beetles, young birds, and eggs.
In habits, Mr. Scott says, the jays are as terrestrial as crows.

»

Aphelocoma COUChi (Baird). COUCH JAY.

Adults. — Back and scapulars dull grayish blue ; rest of upper parts and
sides of head bright azure blue ; throat dull white ; breast brownish gray ;
belly and under tail coverts pure white. Length: 11.50, wing 5.80-5.1)0,
tail 5.30-5.40, graduated for about .30, bill 1.05-1.10.

Distribution. — Eastern Mexico, extending to western Texas in the Chisos
Mountains.

Nest. — Made of sticks, lined with rootlets. Eggs : 4, robin's-egg blue.

In the Chisos Mountains, Texas, Mr. Bailey, Mr. Fuertes, and Mr.
Oberhoiser found the Couch jay, which was previously known only
in Mexico, common from the lower edge of the oaks and junipers to
the top of the range. It was especially abundant in the shady gulches
near water. Like most other jays, though noisy and conspicuous,
it was shy and suspicious. During the first half of June old and
young were flying together, busily catching and eating the large cica-
das that swarmed in the oaks.

CROWS, JAYS, MAGPIES, ETC. 277

GENUS XANTHOURA.

483. Xanthoura luxuosa glaucescens Eidgw. GKEEN JAY.

Adults. — Throat and sides of head jet black, in sharp contrast to pale
green or yellowish green of under parts ; top of head and malar streak
bluish purple, with touch of white on forehead ; rest of upper parts bluish
green, usually extensively tinged with pale blue ; tail with middle feathers
bluish green, outer feathers pale yellow. Young : similar, but duller, head
greenish blue instead of purple ; upper parts apple green without bluish
tinge ; under parts buffy, faintly tinged with green. Length: 11-12, wing1
4.40-4.80, tail 5.10-5.80.

Distribution. — From Valley of the Lower Rio Grande in Texas south to
Vera Cruz and Puebla.

Nest. — Concealed in thickets, made of thorny twigs sparingly lined with
rootlets, moss, grass, and hair. Eggs : usually 4, grayish, greenish, or
buffy, marked with lilac and brown, massed around the larger end.

GENUS PERISOREUS.

General Characters. -- Head not crested ; plumage soft, full, and loose ;
bill short and wide at base, nostrils exposed ; wings and tail about equal.

tail graduated.

KEY TO SPECIES.

1. Whole top of head white capitalis, p. 277.

1'. Top of head black except for white forehead.

2. Back brownish obscurus, p. 278.

2'. Back gray. East of Coast and Cascade ranges . . griseus, p. 279.

484a. Perisoreus canadensis capitalis Eidgw. ROCKY MOUN-
TAIN JAY.

Adults. — Top of head white shading to dark gray on back of neck ; rest
of upper parts lig-ht slate
gray ; tail tipped with white ;
throat whitish ; rest of under
parts brownish gray. Young :
top of head dull white, tinged
with grayish brown. Length :
11.25-13.00, wing 5.90-6.30.
tail 5.80-0.35, bill .97-1.08.

Distribution. — From Brit-
ish America south to Arizona
and New Mexico in the
Rocky Mountain regions.

Nest. --As described by
Dr. Brewer, of pine twigs
holding a compactly woven
inner nest of stems, plant
fibers, feathers, bark, and down, placed on the horizontal branch of a
pine 40 feet from the ground, containing 3 egg-s, grayish white blotched
with purplish brown, in two, only around the larger end, in one, over the
entire egg.

Food. — Meat, insects, acorns, and whatever offers.

The Rocky Mountain jay, like the other species of the Perisoreus
genus, is notoriously a camp bird. As it, lives all the year in the deep

278 CROWS, JAYS, MAGPIES, ETC.

coniferous forests where it is rarely shot at, it seems to regard the few
campers who come to its preserves as fellow foresters who should
naturally share their living with it. The jays have been known to
carry these reprehensible socialistic sentiments so far as to fly down
on the carcass of a deer which a man was skinning. At such a time
Mr. Anthony has had them light on his head and back, uttering a
low, plaintive cry. In the Yellowstone National Park, where no shoot-
ing is allowed, a band of the big fluffy birds came trooping into Mr.
Bailey's camp to breakfast with him every morning. Once they
came before the camp was awake and flew around calling and scold-
ing as if angry that the people were not up. One bird dropped
softly down on the blankets of one of the party and, while the man
held his breath and looked at it out of one eye, sat there calmly
glancing around for breakfast.

485. Perisoreus obscurus Eidgw. OREGON JAY.

Adults. — Like P. c. capital is. but white only on forehead ; top of head

and back of neck blackish, and rest
of upper parts brownish gray ;
feathers of back with white shaft
streaks ; tail only slightly if at all
tipped with white ; under parts
white. Young : dull sooty brown,
darkest on head, browner below.
Length : 9.50-11.00, wing- 5.15-5.75.
tail 5.20-5.90, bill .S4-.99.

Distribution. — Resident in higher
mountains of northern California,
Oregon, Washing-ton, and part of
British Columbia.

Nest. - - Outside of interlaced
twigs, dry grass, tree moss, and
plant fibers ; inside dark tree moss ;
Fig. 347. placed usually in a high bushy fir.

Eggs : 4 or 5, pearl gray or green-
ish gray, spotted with lavender and gray.

The Oregon and Rocky Mountain jays are alike in habits. The
Oregon bird is found in numbers on Mt. Hood. About Government
Camp a band of the jays visited Mr. Bailey's camp, and the men
amused themselves at the jays' expense by throwing soggy pancakes
to them. The birds could not fly off with the heavy cakes, but con-
sidered them such unwonted delicacies that they would drag them
around over the ground worrying off pieces to fly away with.

At Cloud Cap Inn the Oregon jays come to the house for food and
water, and when I was there were so tame that by coaxing them
with a plate of meat I was able to photograph them only four feet
away. The voices of the jays were heard around the log house from
morning till night. Their notes were pleasantly varied. One call

CROWS, JAYS, MAGPIES, ETC. 279

was remarkably like the chirp of a robin. Another of the common-
est was a weak and rather complaining cry repeated several times.
A sharply contrasting one was a pure, clear whistle of one note fol-
lowed by a three-syllabled call something like ka-ire -ah. The regular
rallying cry was still different, a loud and striking two-syllabled Avj-
wliee.

At the Inn the birds spent a large part of their time storing food.
Observers wrho are in the woods in winter should try to rind if such
stores are utilized.

P. O. griseus Ridgic. GRAY JAY.

Similar to the Oregon jay. but decidedly larger except for feet, and
much grayer ; back dark gray instead of brown, and under parts grayish
white instead of brownish white.

.Distribution. --From British Columbia south to northern California east
of the Coast and Cascade ranges.

GENUS CORVUS.

General Characters. — Wing 9 or
more ; long and pointed ; tail mucl
shorter than wing ; bill compressed,
much higher than broad ; nasal bris-
tles about half as long as bill ; feet
stout. Fig. 348.

KEY TO SPECIES.

1. Feathers of neck gray or white at base.

2. Feathers of neck pure white at base . . . cryptoleucus, p. 280.
2'. Feathers of neck dull gray at base.

o. Bill larger, tarsus stouter. Washington . . principalis, p". 280.

o'. Bill smaller, tarsus more slender siliuatus, p. 279.

1'. Feathers of neck not gray or white at base.

2. Wing 10.05. Sitka to Oregon caurinus, p. 282.

2'. Wing 12.15 aniericanus, p. 281.

486. Corvus corax sinuatus (WagL). AMERICAN RAVEN.

Black, entire plumage glossed with lustrous purplish, tinged with dull
greenish on belly; feathers of throat lanceolate, distinct from one another;
feathers of neck dull gray at base; nasal tufts covering more than basal
half of upper mandible. Length : 21.50-26.00, wing 15.10-18.00, tail 9-11,
exposed culmen 2.40-0.05.

Distribution. - - Resident from upper border of arid Tropical to Alpine
zone in the western United States from the Rocky Mountains to the
Pacific coast, and from Canada to Guatemala.

Xrst. — Usually on cliffs, a mass of well-interlaced sticks lined with
cottonwood bark. moss, cattle hair, and wool. Eggs : 5 to 7, pea green,
olive, or drab, usually profusely spotted and blotched with shades of
brown, lavender, and drab.

Fond. — Principally carrion, dead fish and frogs, varied with rodents,
mussels, grasshoppers, large black crickets, and worms.

Where tall, bare cliffs rise from the valleys and deep, steep-walled
canyons cut into the mountain ranges, the honrse croaking of the

280 CROWS, JAYS, MAGPIES, ETC.

ravens echoes back from cliff and wall. The higher and more inac-
cessible the cliff and the more barren and deserted the valley below
the better suited are the ravens and the more freely do they soar
and croak, flying singly or in pairs, up and down along the face
of the cliff with a spirited wildness that harmonizes well with their
background. Suspicious, wary pirates they are, always on the de-
fensive to evade attack, keeping well out of rifle range of man,
and often forced to mount to almost invisible heights to avoid mob-
bing attacks from small birds that seem to have permanent wrongs
to avenge.

They descend to lake and river shores for dead fish or whatever
the waves wash up in the way of food, make a few meals from a
dead sheep, feast on what is left when a hunter dresses a deer, and
are accused of helping out their varied bill of fare with eggs and
young from any birds' nest that comes handy. Their own nests,
placed in a niche half way up some perpendicular cliff, usually bids
defiance to all enemies. VERNON BAILEY.

486a. C. C. principalis Eidgw. NORTHERN RAVEN.

Like the American raven, but larger, with larger and heavier bill ; tarsus
shorter and stouter ; more of upper part concealed by feathering1 of thighs.
Length: 22.00-26.50, wing 16.50-18.00, tail 9.20-10.50, exposed culmen
2.65-3.45.

Distribution. — Northern North America from Greenland west to Alaska,
south to Washington, northern Michigan, New York, aud Maine, and south
in the mountains to North Carolina.

Nest. — On cliffs and in trees, made of sticks lined with seaweed, grasses,
mosses, or hair. Eggs : 4 to 6, greenish or drab, usually profusely blotched
and spotted with browns, drab, and lavender.

Food. — Largely fish offal and refuse ; also clams, and eggs and young
of waterfowl.

The northern raven resembles the American in general habits and
call-notes, and is usually most abundant in the immediate vicinity
of Indian camps on the seashore or on the banks of large rivers in
the interior.

487. Corvus cryptoleucus Couch. WHITE-NECKED RAVEN.

Black, upper parts glossed with purplish ; feathers of neck pure white at
base, nasal tufts covering more than basal half of upper mandible. Length :
18.75-21.00, wing 13.10-14.25, tail 7.50-8.60, exposed culmen 2.00-2.35.

Distribution. -- Mainly Lower Sonoran zone from Texas to southern Cali-
fornia, and from western Kansas and southern Colorado south through
northern Mexico.

Nest. -- Poorly made, usually of thorny twigs lined with yucca fibers,
deer hair, rabbit fur, bark, grass, or moss ; placed only 7 to 20 feet from
the ground, often in a yucca top. Eggs : 3 to 8, green, with longitudinal
marks of gray, brown, and lavender, sometimes partly hidden by brown
spots and blotches.

Food. — Principally animal matter, including cicadas ; also refuse grain.

NORTHERN RAVEN

CROWS, JAYS, MAGPIES, ETC. 281

The white-necked raven is a typical bird of the hot Lower Sono-
ran deserts, where it seems permanently associated with tall yuccas,
juicy-fruited cactus, and the thousand thorny things of the half-
barren valleys. Half crow and half raven in size, voice, and habits,
rr//jitol( xrus is still readily distinguished from cither by both size
and voice. Social in disposition, the birds gather in crow-like flocks
in winter and feed about stockyards and corrals and even in city
streets, where they are surprisingly tame considering their shyness
outside. Even in the breeding season they are often seen in small
companies on the mesas foraging for food or mobbing a pair of the
big, hoarse- voiced sinuatus which have inadvertently entered their
domain. But more commonly they are seen in pairs flying low over
the cactus and yucca tops.

So partial are they to the tall bayoneted yuccas for nesting sites
that in western Texas few of these tree -like growths that have
reached a height of ten or twelve feet have escaped bearing one or
more loads of sticks. VERNON BAILEY.

488. Corvus americanus And. AMERICAN

Black, whole plumage glossed with violet, more strongly on upper parts ;
feathers of throat short, blended. Length: 17-21, wing 11.90-13.2"), tail
6.90-8.00, exposed culmen 1.80-2.05.

Distribution. — North American continent, except extreme arctic re-
gions, and Florida in summer ; south to northern Mexico.

Nest. -- In trees, bulky, of sticks, weed stalks, and other coarse ma-
terials, lined with roots, grass, leaves, straw, wool, or hair. Eggs : 4 to 8,
from pale bluish green to olive green or olive buff, with irregular spots
or blotches in grays and browns.

Food. — Mice, rabbits, gophers, eggs and young of other birds, grasshop-
pers, weevils, cutworms, and many injurious insects ; also grain and fruit.

The crow excites interest from many points of view. As an in-
dividual his droll originality "and keen intelligence attract the bird
student, as a social animal his famous roosts are a seven days' won-
der to his neighbors, while as an economic problem at his name
friends and foes rise in clamor. His roosts sometimes number a
population of 300,000, when his importance as a seed-planter may
be well appreciated. But the economic point at issue in discussing
him is, does he eat more grubs than corn ? Professor Beal's con-
clusions, based on the examination of large numbers of crow stom-
achs, are that ' ' in the more thickly settled parts of the country the
crow probably does more good than harm, at least when ordinary
precautions are taken to protect newly planted corn and young
poultry against his depredations." The best way to protect corn-

1 Corvus americanus hesperis Ridgw. CALIFORNIA CROW.
Smaller than americanus, with relatively smaller and more slender bill.
Distribution. — From Puget Sound to northern Mexico and east to the Rocky Moun-
tains. (Ridgway's Manual of North American Birds, p. 362.)

282

CROWS, JAYS, MAGPIES, ETC.

fields is to soak some corn in tar and scatter it on the borders of the

*

field subject to their attacks. A few quarts of corn used in this
way will protect a field of eight or ten acres. This is worth while
because of the amount of good the crow does by destroying insect
pests and field mice, rabbits, and other harmful rodents.

489. Corvus caurinus Baird. NORTHWEST CROW.

Black, upper parts glossed with dull violet. Length : 10-17. wing 10.10-
11.50, tail 5.DO-7.00, exposed culraen 1.60-1.90.

Remarks. — The northwest crow differs from the American crow in
smaller size.

Distribution. — Coast districts from Sitka to Oregon.

Nest. — In a crotch, 10 to 18 feet from the ground, made of fine sticks
and mud. lined with cedar bark. Eggs : usually 4 or 5, like those of
americanus, but smaller.

Food. — Mussels, fish, and berries.

On the Makah Indian Reservation at Neah Bay near Cape Flat-
tery I was much impressed by the sight of these small crows fear-
lessly walking or flying about on the beach among the long-beaked
boats of the Indians, where they picked up dead fish and refuse
with the assurance of chickens or pampered pets. . They are said to
contend with the dogs for possession of the refuse fish on the beach,
and even go so far as to carry off fish from poles on the housetops
where the Indians have left them to dry. Their good offices as
scavengers are especially appreciated about salmon canneries and
rivers when the salmon are running.

GENUS NUCIFRAGA.
Subgenus Picicorvus.

491. Nucifraga columbiana ( JH/.s.). CLARKE NUTCRACKER.
Bill cylindrical, nostrils concealed by a tuft of feathers ; wings long and

pointed, folding to the end of
tail ; tail little over half as long
as wing : tarsus shorter than
middle toe and claw ; claws
large, sharp, and much curved.

- Idults. — Body ash gray, whiter
on forehead and chin ; wings
black, with white patch on sec-
ondaries ; tail with middle feath-
ers black, outer ones white.
Young: similar, but colors duller
and upper parts brownish gray ;
under parts brownish ash indis-
tinctly barred. Length : 12-lo.
wing 7. 10-8.00, tail 5.10-5.40.

Distribution. -- Breeds in Cana-

j,,.^ ..^() dian and Hudsonian zones in the

mountainous parts of western

North America from Alaska south to New Mexico and Arizona, and from

('ROWS, JAYS, MAGPIES, ETC. 283

the Black Hills and eastern slopes of the rocky Mountains to the Pacific.
Casual from Dakota through Kansas. Missouri, and Arkansas.

AY.sf. — In evei-givcns S to 40 feet from the ground, composed of twigs
and white sage, hound together by strips of inner bark, lined with fine
strips of bark, grasses, and pine needles. Eggs : 3 to 5, pale green, mi-
nutely and sparingly marked with brown, gray, and lavender, either most
heavily around the larger end. evenly distributed, or with the lower half
unspotted.

Food. — In winter, seeds of conifers ; at other seasons, berries, lupine
seeds, insect larvag, butterflies, grasshoppers, beetles, and the destructive
black cricket. The young are fed on hulled pine seeds.

What au independent, positive character the nutcracker is! In the
mountains the sound of his rattling k<tr'r'r, kar'r'r, as lie comes
riving in with strong, free flight, leading a black and white liveried
band through the treetops, always stirs the blood with memories
and anticipations, for he is associated with the mountain-tops, where
the conies bleat and the glacial streams flow only when the sun is
high.

Living mainly on the crests of the ranges, the birds fly to the
high peaks to get the first rays of the sun, and when warmed go for
food and water to lower slopes. Their method of getting down is
startling at first sight. Launching out from a peak with bill pointed
downward and wings closed they drop like a bullet for a thousand
feet to the brook where they wish to drink. Sometimes they make
the descent at one long swoop, at other times in a series of pitches,
each time checking their fall by opening their wings and letting
themselves curve upward before the next straight drop. They fall
with such a high rate of speed that when they open their wings
there is an explosive burst which echoes from the canj'on walls.

On Mt. Hood the nutcrackers stay with the Oregon jays around
Cloud Cap Inn, under the peak. On Mt. Shasta a few of them come
into the fir belt as low as 5750 feet, but while we were there the
majority we saw were with the alpine hemlocks and the dwarf pines
of timberliue, from 7750 to 8300 feet. They ate green caterpillars
in the hemlocks and caught grasshoppers on the neighboring rocky
slopes. In places they are seen flying about among the dwarf pines
carrying the cones in their bills to branches where they can get at
the seeds by hammering off the scales. In the Sierra Nevada in fall
they feed largely on the seeds of Plimx ntontirolii. and at such times
their movements are irregular, depending on the supply of pine
cones. When feeding it is amusing to watch them. As you walk
along the edge of the timber a flash of white and the sound of flap-
ping wings overhead call your attention in time to see the bird
light with a jet. of the tail and a jerk of the wings on a terminal
cluster of cones. He hardly gets his balance so that his figure

284 CROWS, JAYS, MAGPIES, ETC.

resumes its trim form before he starts, liis tail flips up, and a cone
loosened by his foot goes to the ground with a rattling thump. And
so he keeps it up, till you know when you are in his neighborhood
by the sound of cones hitting the ground. In Idaho, Dr. Merrill
found the abundance of the nutcrackers was coincident with that of
the crossbills, the presence of both birds being dependent on the food
supply.

On San Francisco Mountain, Dr. Mearns found the birds breeding

while the mountains were still covered with snow.
/

GENUS CYANOCEPHALUS.

492. Cyanocephalus cyanocephalus (Wied.}. PINON JAY.

Head not crested ; bill cylindrical ; nostrils exposed ; tail nearly square,
much shorter than wing's ; feet stout, claws large, strong1, and much
curved. Adults : almost uniform grayish blue, brightest on head ; throat
with white streaks. Young : dull grayish blue, lighter beneath. Length :
10.00-11.75, wing 5.70-0.00, tail 4.80-4.85.

Distribution. — Breeds in piiion belt in Upper Sonoran and Transition
zones in the plateau regions of western North America from southern
British Columbia south to Lower California and northern Mexico, and
from the region of the Black Hills west to the Pacific ; casually to Kansas
and Nebraska. Migrates from the northern part of its range.

Nest. — Deep, bulky, compact, made of twigs or sagebrush, lined with
plant and tree fibers, rootlets, and grass ; placed iisually in pinons or juni-
pers 5 to 12 feet from the ground. Eggs : 3 to 5, bluish white, sometimes
covered with minute specks, at others wreathed around the larger end
with coarse spots.

Food. — Juniper berries, pin on nuts, grain, and insects, especially grass-
hoppers.

The pifion jays are so inseparably associated with the piiion
pines that you can no more think of them without mental visions of
sage-covered foothills spotted with junipers and piiious, than you
can think of these dwarf forests of the desert ranges of the Great
Basin country without calling up images of straggling flocks of
short-tailed birds flapping along with crow-like flight and a weird,
crow -like ca-w' ca-w'.

The nut pine furnishes a great part of their food, and only in the
juniper and yellow pine country of eastern Oregon are they found
straying far beyond its range.

They are eminently social birds, sometimes even breeding in colo-
nies, and after the breeding season gathering in flocks of several hun-
dreds. A flock often seems to have no end, reaching for miles as
the birds scatter out and straggle noisily along through the trees.
At other times they fly in close bodies, rising and wheeling like
blackbirds and settling down together to pick grain in a stubble
field. VEUXON BAILEY.

STARLINGS -BLACKBIRDS, ORIOLES, ETC. 285

FAMILY STURNIDJE: STARLINGS.

GENUS STURNUS.

[493.] Sturnus vulgaris Linn. STARLING.

Primaries ten, but first quill minute ; bill straight, nasal feathers erect or
inclined backward ; nostrils with conspicuous nasal scale. Adults in sum-
mer : glossy greenish or purplish black, speckled with buffy brown and
whitish ; wing and tail feathers largely edged with brownish buff ; bill
yellow. Adults in winter : upper parts light brown ; under parts whitish,
spotting often so conspicuous as to obscure the underlying green and
purple. Length : 7.50-8.50, wing 5.00-5.10, tail 2.60-2.90, bill .95-1.00.

Distribution. — Europe and Asia ; accidental in Greenland. Introduced
about New York city and in the vicinity of Portland, Oregon.

Nest. — In holes in trees or about buildings. Egys : 4 to 7, pale green-
ish blue or bluish white.

FAMILY ICTERIDJE: BLACKBIRDS. ORIOLES, ETC.

KEY TO GENERA.

1. Bill short and conical.

2. Tail feathers stiff and pointed.

Dolichonyx, p. 286.

Fig. 350. 2'. Tail feathers normal. Fi£- 351.

3. Four outer primaries cut out . . Callothrus, p. 288.

3'. Primaries normal Molothrus, p. 287.

Fig. 352.
1'. Bill not short and conical.

2. Tail feathers stiff and pointed.

Sturiiella, p. 292.
2'. Tail feathers not stiff and pointed.

3. Tail graduated and folded laterally.

Quiscalus, p. 301.

3'. Tail mainly even, not folded laterally.
4. Feet weak, for perching

Fig. 353.

Fig. 354.

4'. Feet strong, for walking.

Fig. 35.").

Icterus, p. 293.

5. Claws of side toes reaching beyond middle toe ;
males in summer black with yellow heads.

Xanthocephalus, p. 288.

286

BLACKBIRDS, ORIOLES, ETC.

5'. Claws of side toes not reaching- beyond middle toe.

6. Side claws not reaching- to end of middle toe ; summer males
glossy blue black Scolecophagus, p. 209.

0 . Side claws reaching- to end of middle toe ;
males with red shoulder patches.

Agelaius, p. 280.

GENUS DOLICHONYX.

Fig. 1357.

494. Dolichonyx oryzivorus (Linn.). BOBOLINK.

Bill conic-acute, cutting- edges bent in ; tail shorter than wing, with
stiffened acute feathers ; wings long and pointed ; feet stout, tarsus shorter
than middle toe and claw ; claws all very large. Adult male in spring :
under parts wholly black ; upper parts black, with cream or buffy brown
patch on hind neck, light streaking on wing and fore parts of back, gray-
ish scapulars, and white hind back, rump, and upper tail coverts. Adult
female : ground color yellowish brown, paler and plain on under parts

except for blackish streaks on flanks ; heavily streaked on upper parts ;
crown with buffy brown median stripe. Adult male in fall and icinter :
similar to adult female, but streaking of upper parts blacker. Youn/j,
jirstfall and tr inter : like adult female. Young, first plumage : like adult
female but more buffy, with necklace of faint dusky spots; flank streaks
obsolete. Male : length (skins) 6.30-7.40, wing 8.69-4.00, tail 2.47-2.70,
bill .5S-.C.9. Female: length (skins) 6.00-0.55, wing 3.35-3.53. tail 2.31-
2.54, bill .57-61.

Distribution. — Breeds in Transition zone in open prairies and cleared
districts from As.siniboia south through the middle states, and from the
Atlantic west to Idaho and eastern Nevada; migrates to the West Indies
and South America.

Next. --In a slight depression in the ground, made of dried weed stems
and grasses. Eyys : 5 to 7. from gray to reddish brown, irregularly spot-
ted and blotched with browns and purples.

Food. - - Insects, including grasshoppers, locusts, weevils, and caterpil-
lars ; also rice, oats, and weed seed.

The bobolink scorns to be gradually spreading westward, and
wherever it goes adds another rare song bird to the country. ' Robert
o' Lincoln ' is a rollicking, joyous fellow, his song bubbling up from
a weli of good spirits. Xo eastern orchard or meadow seems quite
complete without him and May is not May until IK; has come.

BLACKBIRDS, ORIOLES, ETC. 287

GENUS MOLOTHRUS.

General Characters. — Bill short, stout, conic, about two thirds as long as
head, broad ridge running- well up on forehead ; wings moderate or long
and pointed ; tail shorter than wings, even, or a little rounded ; feet strong ;
tarsus not shorter than middle toe with claw.

KEY TO SPECIES.

1. Length (male) 0.00-7.05 ater. p. 287.

1'. Length (male) 6.00-7.10. Texas and Arizona . obscurus. p. 2ss.

495. Molothrus ater (Bodd.). COWBIRD.

Adult indies. --Head, neck, and chest uniform brown; rest of plumage
glossy black with green and purple reflections.
Ad nit female: smaller than male, streaked
brownish gray, darker above, lighter on throat.
Young male: upper parts dull grayish brown F. a

or dark brown, feathers bordered with pale
buffy or grayish brown and whitish ; under parts broadly streaked with
brownish, dull buffy, or whitish. Young female : like young male, but
paler, under parts mainly dull buffy, streaked with grayish brown. Male:
length (skins) 6.00-7. CM, wing 4. 1.3-4. 50, tail 2.70-3.15, bill .08-.77. Female :
length (skins) 0.10-7.10. wing 3.08-4.12. tail 2.43-2.77, bill .00-.67.

Distribution. — From southern British America south throughout the
United States, breeding west to eastern Oregon ; migrating' to eastern
Mexico. Less common in the western part of its range.

Eggs. — Deposited, usually singly, in nests of other birds, 8 to 12, whit-
ish, whole surface covered with brown specks and blotches, iisually heaviest
about the larger end.

Food. — Mainlv noxious weed seed and insects, with a small amount of

gram.

•• • Buffalo bird' used to be one of the names of the cowbird on the
Plains, and Major Bendire says that in the prairie states now ' one
will rarely see a bunch of cattle without an attendant flock of cow-
birds, who perch on their backs, searching for parasites.' This
occupation is not interrupted by the ordinary cares of family life,
for the cowbird builds no nest of its own, but foists its offspring
upon its neighbors.

" Probably the historic cause for this remarkable habit would give
us more charity for the bird, but it does such violence to the one
redeeming instinct of the lowest types of man and beast, that it is
hard not to regard the bird with unqualified aversion. ISTot only is
it entirely lacking in the maternal but in the conjugal instincts, for
it practices polyandry. On the other hand, the male cowbird is
polygamous. ... The only thing that can be said in favor of the
female cowbird is that she takes pains to place her eggs where they
are most likely to be hatched. Major Beudire gives a list of ninety-
one birds in whose nests she has been known to leave her eggs ; but
though this includes woodpeckers, flycatchers, orioles, thrushes,

288 BLACKBIRDS, ORIOLES, ETC.

sparrows, vireos, wrens, and warblers, the birds most frequently
imposed upon are so small that the eowbird's big, crowding nestling
will be the one to survive when it is a question of size and resisting
power." (Birds of Village and Field.}

495a. M. a. obscurus (GmeL). DWARF COWBIKD.

Similar to M. ater, but smaller. Male : length (skins) 6.00-7.10 wins'
3.78-4.10, tail 2.43-2.87, bill .62-.70. Female : length (skins) 5.61-6.30,
wing 3.37-3.70, tail 2.27-2.62, bill .55-62.

Distribution. — Breeds from southern Texas to southwestern Arizona,
and south to Lower California and Mexico.

Eggs. — Deposited in nests of other birds, similar to those of M. ater.

GENUS CALLOTHRUS.

496. Callothrus robustus (Cab.). RED-EYED COWBIRD.

Bill shorter than head, stout, conical, distinctly ridged, upper outline
slightly curved ; neck with soft, dense, erectile ruff ; four outer primaries
with inner webs curiously sinuated and emarginated. Adult male : iris
bright red ; body and erectile ruff black, with soft bronzy luster ; wings
and tail glossed with bluish, greenish, and purplish. Adult female : dull
black, somewhat glossed with bluish green ; neck ruffs much smaller than
in male. Young male : sooty black, under parts with feathers edged with
paler. Young female : paler and grayer than young male. Male : length
(skins) 7.75-8.80, wing 4.40-4.73, tail 2.98-3.24, bill .8S-.94. Female:
length (skins) 6.50-8.10, wing 3.84-4.16, tail 2.52-2.94, bill .78-.S4.

Distribution. — Breeds from southern Texas south through eastern Mex-
ico to Central America ; migrates to Panama.

Eggs. --Deposited in nests of other birds, usually 4, pale bluish green,
unspotted.

On the coast prairies of the Rio Grande Valley in Texas the red-
eyed cowbird may be seen on the roadside fences. His strikingly
red eyes and handsome glossy black coat mark him at a glance from
the other cowbirds, and when he raises his neck ruff he seems indeed
a distinguished personage.

GENUS XANTHOCEPHALUS.

497. Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus (Bonap.). YELLOW-

HEADED BLACKBIRD.

Bill decidedly shorter than head, its depth through base less than half
the length of the exposed culmen ; culmen straight, flattened ; sexes dif-
ferent in size ; wing long and pointed ; tarsus nearly one fourth as long-
as wing ; claws large, lateral ones reaching beyond base of middle one.
Adult male in summer : black except for yellow or orange of head, throat,
and chest, and white patch on wings. Adult male in winter : similar, but
yellow of top of head obscured by brownish tips to feathers. Adult
f I- male : brownish, throat and chest dull yellowish, breast mixed with
white. Young male in Jirst winter : similar to female, but larger and deeper
colored. Male : length (skins) 8.60-10.10, wing 5.32-5.73, tail 3.66-4.27,
bill ,s:!-.'.)<). Female : length (skins) 7.50-8.30, wing 4.33-4.64, tail 3.10-
3.45, bill .77-.s::.

Distribution. — Western North America from British Columbia and Hud-

YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD

BLACKBIRDS, ORIOLES, KTC. 289

son May. south across Mexican tablelands and east to Wisconsin. Indiana.

and Texas; casually to Ontario and the eastern United States.

.\txt.~- Fastened to tule steins or rushes 1O to •'!<> inches above the
v\ater of a marsh, made of coarse marsh grasses, tides, reeds, and rushes,
woven together and lined with liner grasses. Eggs: '•> to ~>. from grayish
to greenish white. prof use 1\ and evenly blotched and speckled with
browns and grays.

Fnml. — Small seeds, such as wild rice. and. in cultivated districts, occa-
sionally corn, oats, and wheat ; but mainly insects, especially grasshoppers
and locusts, tog-ether with their eggs and larvae.

From thi'ir breeding grounds in the sloughs and tule marshes the
yellow-headed blackbirds scatter out and wander over the whole of
the weMrni plains country, appearing in flocks with grackles, red-
wings, or co \v birds in the characteristic hordes of the fall migration,
or in flocks by themselves in fields and meadows, along the road-
sides, often in barnyards and corrals, and sometimes in city streets,
flocks with pompous, yellow-caped males strutting about among
the dull-colored females and 3'oung, talking in harsh, guttural tones.

Noisy at all times, they are doubly so on the breeding grounds,
where they try to sing, and their hoarse voices come up from the
tule borders like the croaking of frogs and creaking of unoiled gates.

As the young are leaving the nests in July, it is not unusual to
find flocks of old males away in the hills by themselves, taking a
vacation after their arduous duties ; but usually the fall flocks are
made up of both sexes and young. VERNON BAILEY.

GENUS AGELA1TJS.

General Characters. - - Bill shorter than head, stout at base, deeper
than broad, high and flattened on forehead, broadly parting the feathers,
rapidly tapering to acute point ; wings pointed, tail even or rounded ;
claws small, lateral ones scarcely reaching to base of middle one ; sexes
different in size.

KEY TO ADULT MALES.

1. Wing with middle coverts black at tips . . . calif ornicus, p. 291.
1'. Wing with middle coverts buffy, brownish, or white at tips.
'2. Smaller.

3. Females lighter, buffy tints prevailing on upper parts. Southern

Arizona and New Mexico sonorieiisis, p. 290.

'-} . Females darker, buffy tints not prevailing on upper parts.

4. Winter females with little if any rusty on upper parts. Great
Basin district to southern California . . neutralis, p. 291.
4'. \\ inter females with rusty on upper parts. Oregon and Califor-
nia, west of Cascades and Sierra Nevada . tricolor, p. 292.
2'. Larger.

3. Bill relatively shorter and thicker. Manitoba to Mexico.

fortis, p. 291.
3'. Bill relatively longer and more slender.

4. Wings longer. Northwest coast district caurinus, p. 291.

4'. Wings shorter. Eastern United States to base of Rocky Moun-
tains .... phceniceus, p. 290.

290

BLACKBIRDS, ORIOLES. ETC.

Fig. 300.

498. Agelaius phceniceus (Linn.). RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD.!

Adult male in breeding plumage. — Black except for red and buffy
brown or whitish shoulder patches. Adult male in winter : like summer

male, but buff of wing coverts
deeper and scapulars and inter-
scapulars edged with rusty.
Adult female in breeding plum-
age : plumage of harsh texture
compared with the silky plum-
age of the male ; streaked, top
of head dark brown, with buffy
median crown stripe and su-
perciliary ; nape and fore part
of back dark brown, lightly
marked with buffy ; shoulders
faintly tinged with red ; under
parts whitish, heavily streaked
with dark brown ; throat vari-
ably tinged with creamy, buff,
or pinkish. Adult female in
winter : lighter markings of upper parts more conspicuous, under parts
tinged with buffy. Immature male : epaulettes flecked with black and
varying from orange to red ; black of plumage obscured by heavy rusty
and buffy edgings above, and light ashy or brownish tips below. Young :
like adult female, but throat, superciliary, and malar stripes yellowish ;
ground color of under parts pale buffy or yellowish with narrow dusk}7
streaks. Male: length (skins) 8.10-9.30, wing 4.58-4.95, tail 3.49-3.78,
bill .88-1.00. Female : length (skins) 0.80-7.45, wing 3.75-4.00, tail 2.76-
3.05. bill .68-.80.

Distribution. — Eastern North America to Rocky Mountains.
Nest. — Attached to upright stems of sedges or reeds, or to branches of
bushes or small trees in marshes or swamps ; made compactly of dried
grasses. Eggs : 3 to 5, pale bluish, varying to olive, marked with black,
brown, or purplish gray, usually with pen lines and blotches.
Food. — Injurious insects, grain, and weed seed.

In the semi-arid parts of the west where a bit of marsh is the one
green acre when the hills and valleys have turned brown in sum-
mer, the marsh birds have a peculiar charm. The red-wing, with
his black coat and the gleam of keen red from his epaulettes, is a
strong note in the landscape, but best of all is his flute-like o-ka-lee,
with its cool suggestions of marsh grass and cat-tails.

498a. A. p. sonoriensis Eidgw. SONORAN RED-WING.

Like A. phceniceus, but smaller; female much lighter, buffy tints prevail-
ing on upper parts ; throat pinkish, streaking of under parts much duller
and less striking; bill thicker. Male: length (skins) 8.15-9.35, wing
4.SO-5.0'). tail 3.38-3.98, bill .89-1.00. Female: length (skins) 6.80-7.86,
wing 3.88-4.15, bill .70-.S4.

richmondi Nelson. VERA CRUZ RED-WING. (The Auk, xiv. 58.)
/.s1 but smaller, adult male vvitli wing coverts deeper colored, at least in
winter ; adult female lighter colored.

Distribution. — Coast district of lower Rio Grande Valley in Texas, and south to Costa
Rica. (Ridgway's Birds of North uml Mi<l<Ui- America, ii. 3135.)

BLACKBIRDS, ORIOLES, ETC. 291

Distribution. — From the Lower Colorado Valley in southern California
and Arizona south to Tepic, western Mexico.

At Phu'nix, Arizona, the red-wings have been seen eating a tree-
worm which was a pest at the time.

498d. A. p. fortis Ridgu: THICK-BILLED RED-WING.

Like A. phceniceus, " but decidedly larger, with bill relatively much
shorter and thicker ; adult females, adult male in winter, and immature
males similar in coloration to the same of A. p. sonoriensis, but distin-
guished by very different measurements." (Ridgway.) Male : length
(skins) 8.35-9.50, wing 4.80-3.21, tail 3.48-4.15, bill .78-1.04. depth of bill
at base .50-.59. Female : length (skins) 0.80-7.08, wing- 4.00-4.30, tail
2.80-3.27, bill .07-.83, depth of bill at base .43-.50.

Distribution. — Central North America, in migrations from Manitoba
south to Illinois. Indian Territory, and western Texas, westward to and
including- the Rocky Mountains, and south to Arizona and Chihuahua.

498e. A. p. neutralis Eidgw. SAN DIEGO RED-WING.

''Similar to A. p. sonoriensis, but smaller, adult female much darker,
with streaks less strongly contrasted above, those on under parts rather
broader and grayer, the upper parts with little if any rusty, even in win-
ter." (Ridgway.) Male: length (skins) 7.85-9.00, wing 4.60-5.00, tail
3.35-3.S5, bill .8S-.98. Female: length (skins) 6.00-7-68. wing 3.80-4.10.
tail 2.64-3.08, bill .73-83.

Distribution. — Great Basin district of United States, southward to
southern California and northern Lower California.

498f. A. p. caurinus Eidgic. NORTHWESTERN RED-WING.

Similar to A. phteniceus, " but wings and bill longer, the latter more
slender ; adult male with buff of middle wing1 coverts deeper, deep ochra-
ceous-buff or ochraceous in winter ; adult females more heavily streaked
with black beneath, and, in winter plumage, with upper parts much more
conspicuously marked with rusty." (Ridgway). Male : length (skins)
8.60-9.10, wing 4.57-5.10, tail 3.39-3.83, bill .90-1.01. Female: length
(skins) 6.80-7.80, wing 3.85-4.22, tail 2.80-3.27, bill .77-86.

Distribution. — Northwest coast district from British Columbia south
through western Washington and Oregon to northern California.

499. Agelams gubernator californicus Nelson. BICOLORED
BLACKBIRD.

Adult male. — Black, shoulder patch red, the middle wing coverts having
their huffy or brownish bases concealed by black tips. Adult female in
breeding plumage : nearly uniform blackish brown, throat buffy and
streaked. Adult female in winter : feathers edged with rusty. Young :
corresponding to phases of the red-wing. Male: length (skins) 7.80-8.60,
wing 4.66-5.09, tail 3.20-3.78, bill .78-.91. Female: length (skins) 6.90-
7.50. wing 3.97-4.23. tail 2.68-3.02, bill .73-.78.

Distribution. — Western Oregon and northern and central coast district
of California.

Nest. — In or near marshes, on tufts of marsh grass or weeds, 1 to 3
feet above the water ; made of grasses and strips of soft bark, usually
lined with grass-tops and sometimes horsehair. Eggs : usually 2 to 4,
pale bluish green, generally spotted, marbled, and streaked, mostly about
the larger end, with brown, black, and purple.

292

BLACKBIRDS, ORIOLES, ETC.

500. Agelaius tricolor (And.). TRICOLORED BLACKBIRD.

Adult male. — Glossy blue black, plumage with silky luster; epaulettes
dark red, bordered with white, more or less tinged with buff ; in winter,
plumage softer, more glossy, and white on epaulettes more or less tinged
with buff. Adult female : texture of plumage like that of male ; upper
parts dusky with greenish or bronzy luster ; crown narrowly streaked ;
scapulars and interscapulars with grayish edgings ; wings with grayish and
whitish bands ; head with superciliary and malar streaks ; throat and chest
streaked ; rest of under parts dusky, with paler edgings to feathers. Im-
mature female, first winter : like adult female, but browner. Young: like
female, but browner, and under parts narrowly streaked : wings with two
bands. Male : length (skins) 8.00-9.05, wing 4.63-4.S7, tail 3.3:2-3.75, bill
.S7-.95. Female: length (skins) 7.10-7.85, wing 4.11-4.32, tail 2.92-3.16,
bill .78-.S3.

Distribution. — Valleys of Oregon. California, and Lower California,
west of the Cascades and Sierra Nevada.

Nest and eggs similar to those of phceniceus. Eggs : 1 to 4.

Food. — Young fed entirely on grasshoppers.

GENUS STURNELLA.

General Characters. — Bill about as long as "head, narrowly wedge-
shaped, acute and depressed at tip ; tail less than two thirds as long* as
wing, the feathers sharp-pointed ; wing short, tertials lengthened — reach-

9w?- * ^ ^ - 7 * *- /'•• ' ' '

-fiim^M£^ } F •& - 4a
•^P^^S^ • ' i •- ' && . -^ : '""-
ini¥*, "

1 f iwtij sr^i* TT\iMi>:tfJ . —~f <' -

ing almost to tips of primaries — feathers of top of head with stiffened
glossy shafts ; outstretched feet reaching beyond tip of tail.

KEY TO SPECIKS.

I. Yellow of throat encroaching on malar region .
1 . lellow of throat not encroaching1 on malar retric

region

neglecta. p. i'!»:;
hoopesi. p. L".L'

501a. Sturnella magna hoopesi xt<»«: TEXAS MEADOW-LARK.

Adult male. — Similar to X. m. neglect a. but i/i-lloir nf throat restricted, not
encroaching on cheeks, and yellow somewhat deeper and more intense than
in neglecta. Adult female : similar, but yellow more orange. Young:
colors much duller and markings less distinct ; black mark on chest only

BLACKBIRDS, ORIOLES, ETC. 293

faintly indicated. M<i/, : length (skins) 7.90-9.08, wing 4.45-4.96, tail
!'..*•( >-3.12. bill 1.19-1.40. Ft male: length (skins) 7.70-8.10, wing- 3.95-4.32,
tail 2.:>2-2.t)0, bill 1.20-1.:!!'.

Distribution. --From southeastern Texas west to southern New Mexico
and Arizona ; south to northern Mexico.

501b. Sturnella magna neglecta (Aud.). WESTERN MEADOW-
LARK.

Adult male in breeding plumage. — Crown with median buffy stripe ; lores
yellow ; superciliary buffy ; rest of upper parts grayish brown, with buffy
white streaks and black streaks and bars : middle of back heavily marked
with black, and tertials. rump, and tail heavily barred : outer tail feathers
mainly white ; under parts bright yellow, yellow of throat spreading over
rhrek* : crescent on breast and spotting on sides black. Adult female in
breeding plumage : similar, but paler, and yellow restricted. Adults in
winter plumage: upper parts lighter, from unworn light tips and edgings
of feathers : black and yellow of under parts veiled by light edgings.
Male: length (skins) 8.31-10.14, wing 4.66-5.08, tail 2.69-3.25, biD 1.17-
1.44. Female : length (skins) 7.74-9.00, wing 4.12-4.59, tail 2.39-2.84. bill
1.09-4.28.

Distribution. - - Western United States from Wisconsin, Illinois, and
Texas to the Pacific, and from British America south to Lower California
and northern Mexico. Resident south of 39° and near Seattle.

J\ est. -- Usually at the foot of a bunch of grass, made of grass, gen-
erally loosely covered over. Eggs : 3 to 7, generally white, spotted varia-
bly over the entire surface with different shades of brown and purple.

Food. — Mainly grasshoppers and their eggs, beetles, the destructive
large black cricket, and other insects.

The voice of the western meadowlark is so different from that of
the eastern bird that in going west you recognize it the instant the
pure clarion notes strike your ear, whether at a wayside station amid
the puffing of the engine, or from the moving train when, with a
turn of the wing, the bird flies over the car carolling as it goes,
regardless of all but the song in its heart. " There 's the western
meadowlark ! " you cry out in eager delight, and as the train leaves
him behind and you lean back on the dusty car cushions, you rest in
a world of blue sky and celestial song. The lark's notes have been
written down in sharps and flats, but the pure, heavenly quality of
the song can never be reproduced.

GENUS ICTERUS.

General Characters. - - Bill about as long as head, very acute ; feet fitted
for perching rather than walking ; tarsus not longer than middle toe and
claw : side toes equal, or outer longest ; tail rounded or graduated.

KEY TO ADULT MALES.

1. Plumage black and yellow or orange.
2. Head mainly yellow.

3. Breast pale orange semietti, p. 295.

3'. Breast light lemon yellow nelsoiii. p. 29G.

2'. Head mainlv black.

294 BLACKBIRDS, ORIOLES, ETC.

3. Under parts bright lemon yellow.

4. Tail shorter than wing1, graduated for less than length of bill.

parisorum, p. 294.
4'. Tail longer than wing, graduated for more than length of bill.

audubonii, p. 294.
3'. Under parts orange yellow or orange red.

4. Malar region and streak over lores yellow or orange.

bullocki, p. 298.

4'. Whole head black galbula, p. 2t>7.

1'. Plumage black and brown • . . spurius, p. 290.

Subgenus Icterus.

503. Icterus audubonii Giraud. AUDUBON ORIOLE.

Adults. — Under parts bright lemon yellow with sharply contrasting black
head, chest patch, wings, and tail; back varying from lemon yellow to
yellowish green ; wings with white edgings and yellowish green on cov-
erts ; tail graduated and narrowly tipped with lighter. Young : without
anv black, upper parts olive-green, under parts yellow. Male : lencth
(skins) 8.45-9.20, wing 3.79-4.03, tail 4.04-4.18, bill 1.01-1.11. Female:
length (skins) 8.00-9.30, wing 3.70-3.86, tail 3.92-4.17, bill .80-1.04.

Distribution. — Resident from southern Texas to central and eastern
Mexico.

Nest. — Semi-pensile, woven of fine, wiry grasses and lined with grass-
tops, hung usually 0 to 14 feet from the ground in mesquite trees, thickets,
or open woods. Eggs : 3 to 5, pale bluish or grayish white, with light hair
lines of brown and dark purple ; or else the ground color obscured by
pale purple suffusion, blotched and streaked with brown and lavender.

Mr. Atwater has twice found the Audubon oriole near San Antonio
in the high pecan timber, and considers it a rare winter wanderer.
Dr. Merrill states that it is resident in the lower Rio Grande Valley
near Brownsville. In summer, he says, it is usually found in deep
woods away from houses, but in winter is less shy and retiring.

504. Icterus parisorum Bonap. SCOTT ORIOLE.

Adult male in spring and summer. - - Black, except for bright lemon yel-
low belly, shoulders, posterior parts of back, and white and yellow mark-
ings on wings and tail ; rump and upper tail coverts usually tinged with

olive. Adult male in winter: like
summer male but white markings on
wings broader ; feathers of back more
or less edged with gray ; rump and
Fig. W2. upper tail coverts more strongly

washed with olive or gray ; flanks tinged with olive. Adult female : under
parts greenish yellow ; upper parts olive green, becoming yellowish oil
rump and outer tail feathers, marked with grayish brown on back ; wing
crossed by two white bars, and quills edged with whitish. Immature male:
plumage varying from that of female to that of male, according to age.
Young of year : similar to adult female, but with all the wing feathers
edged and tipped with white, wing band yellowish, tail tipped with yel-
low, breast obscured by brownish, and yellow of under parts paler and
greener. Male: length (skins) 7.40-8.30, wing 3.SS-4.20. tail 3.12-3.02,
bill .82-.97. Female: length (skins) 7.2.V8.0H. wing 3.72-4.O2. tail 3.20-
3.48, bill .80-.'. H).

BLACKBIRDS, ORIOLES, ETC. 295

Re mark's. -- Dr. Allen has recorded two females showing- great variation
in plumage — both with throat and breast black, and one with whole head
blackish like yearling males, the other with head like the ordinary adult
female.

Distribution. — Resident in Lower Sonoran zone from western Texas to
California, and from southern parts of Utah and Nevada south to Lower
California and Mexico.

Nest. - - Woven of grass, yucca fibers, horsehair, cotton, and string when
available, placed usually in yuccas, but sometimes in other trees. Egg* •'
2 to 4, pale blue, blotched and streaked with browns and grays.

Food. — Grasshoppers, beetles, caterpillars, larvae, fruit, and berries.

The name ptirisorum is associated with interesting desert can}rons
whose wide-sloping sides are covered with stones, agaves, dasylirions,
yuccas, and other arid thorn brush, and crowned with the fouquiera
whose widely spreading arms are silhouetted against the blue sky.
In the midst of a cactus wren's song, it may be, you will hear the
clear meadowlark-like note of the oriole. One that we found in such

|

a situation in New Mexico was a brilliant black and lemon adult in
a low juniper feeding a brood of dingy greenish yellow young who
looked like commoners in camp clothes beside a personage in broad-
cloth. Although his family wrere grown and picking about feeding
themselves, their indulgent parent was diligently hunting caterpillars
for them, having time for only an occasional outburst of his beauti-
ful song. On the hills back of the Pecos River we often found pari-
sorum nests in the yuccas, sometimes in the same one with a wThite-
necked raven's nest. They were generally hung under the sharp
drooping blades of the yucca and woven of fibers frayed from the
edges, of yucca leaves.

In the Chisos Mountains, Mr. Bailey often found the orioles feed-
ing among the flowers of a giant agave, the greenish yellow color
of which they match in a suggestively protective manner.

Subgenus Pendulinus.

505. Icterus CUCUllatus sennetti Eidgw. SENNETT ORIOLE.

Adult male. — Back, wings, and tail black, the wings marked with white ;
rest of plumage deep cadmium yellow. Adult female : under parts dull or
pale gamboge, back and scapulars grayish. Male : length (skins) 7.40-
7.80, wing 3.17-3.30. tail 3.4(3-3.90. bill .78-.81. Female: length (skins)
7.00-7.50. wing 3.07-3.20. tail 3.30-3.48. bill .72-.7T.

Distribution, — From the lower Rio Grande Valley in Texas, south to
Mexico.

In the narrow strip between the Rio Coloral and the Mexican line
in Texas, where the dense, thorny thickets are full of cactus and low
yucca trees, the Bennett oriole makes its home. Here, as we were
looking for the nest of a verdin one day, an oriole flew from under
the drooping spears of a yucca. On inspection we found one of the

296 BLACKBIRDS, ORIOLES, ETC.

most skillfully wrought nests a bird ever made, a perfect basket,
hung by the handle to the drooping bayonets in such a way that the
sharp points protected it and yet left the bird an easy entrance. The
nest was made of yucca liber, decorative touches being given by bits
of gray moss stuck on here and there.

5 05 a. Icterus cucullatus nelsoni Eidgic. ARIZONA HOODED
ORIOLE.

Adult male. — Plumage yellow, except for black of oval throat patch,
fore part of back, wing's, and tail, white bars and edg'ings of wings, and

tip of tail. Adult female : plain yellow below : olive
green above, washed with gray on back ; wings
brownish with two white bands and whitish edging's
to quills. Young males in second year : like adult
females, but throat patch as in males. Young in
Jirst year : like adult female, but colors duller,
plumage especially on upper parts suffused with
Fig. 3t>3. brownish. Male: length (skins) 6. 00-7. SO, wing

3.40-3.56, tail 3.22-3.78, bill .82-.S7. Female:
length (skins) 0.90-7.30, wing 3.18-3.26, tail 3.17-3.28, bill .7S-.82.

Distribution. — Breeds from Tepic, western Mexico, and Lower Califor-
nia north to southwestern New Mexico. Arizona, and through the southern
half of California west of the Sierra Nevada.

Nest. — Cup-shaped, semipensile or securely attached to twigs on sides.
woven of materials like fresh wiry grass and yucca fibers, and placed in
such trees as sycamores, oaks, blue gums, figs, and palms ; usually made
of Spanish moss, often built in tufts of moss. Eygs : 3 to 5, speckled with
hair brown and with zigzag markings.

Food. — Insects and larvae, including hairless caterpillars and small
grasshoppers.

In southern California the Arizona form of <"«<-nUn1«x has an ag-
gravating way of spending his time hunting about in the chaparral,
coming into sight only as he makes short sallies into the air or dashes
past you from one section of brush to another.

He sings when out of sight, but the song is delivered with such
fervor that you can follow him by it when he is invisible. It is a
typical oriole song, a clear whistle with a rhythmic rise and fall,
and a chatter interposed between the high and low notes that sounds
as if he were taking breath. His mate is a quasi-musician, giving
his chatter and the first strain of his song.

In southern Ari/ona, where mlxnnl is most abundant. Major Ben-
dire says that its favorite haunts are dense, shady groves of cotton-
woods and mesqnites in the creek bottoms.

506. Icterus spurius (Linn.}. ORCHARD ORIOLE.

Adult male in siirimi mid summer. - - Black except I'm- dark chestnut belly,
shoulders, and hinder part of back ; brown and wbitish edgings of wings.
and light tip to tail. Adult m<il< in fall and iciiitrr : like summer male,
but feathers of scapulars, interscapulars, and sometimes head and neck,
edged with butfy gray, olive, or chestnut ; those of under parts sometimes

BLACKBIRDS, ORIOLES, ETC. 297

edged with yellowish. Adult female : under parts plain canary yellow :
upper parts olive green, grayish hrown across back ; wings brownish, with
white bars and edgings. Malr in st-cond year : like adult female, but lores
aiid throat black. The rest of the black and the chestnut appear in increas-
ingly large patches till the adult plumage is reached. Youny in first plum-
age : similar to female, but lighter wing- markings tipped with buff.
Sl.ile : length (skins) 5.80-r>.:>(>. wing- LMM-:-}.!'.'). tail 2.50-2.95, bill .59-.G9.
Female : length (skins) ;j.!)U-U.:-JO. wing- 2.70-3.05. tail 2.50-2.90. bill .60-

.68.

Distribution. — Breeds in Upper and Lower Soiioran zones from the east-
ern United States, west to the Rocky Mountains, and Texas ; migrates to
Cuba and South America.

Nest. — Basket-like, sometimes pensile, woven of fresh grass and placed
in bushes or trees usually 12 to 20 feet from the ground. Egys : usually 4
to 0. bluish white, marked most heavily about the larger end with blotches
and scrawls of browns and purples.

Food. - - Mainly small beetles, plant lice, flies, hairless caterpillars, cab-
bage worms, grasshoppers, rose bugs, and larva?.

Ill the prairie states. Major Bendire says, the orchard oriole is
found mainly in trees and shrubbery along streams. When living in
orchards and gardens it makes itself most useful by destroying the
insects with which the fruit and vegetable grower have to contend.

Subgenus Yphantes.

T

507. Icterus galbula (Linn.). BALTIMORE ORIOLE.

Adult male in spring and summer. — Under parts and hinder part of
back bright orange or orange red ; head. neck, and fore parts of back black :
wings with yellow shoulder patch and
white wing bar ; tail black with
yellow corners. Adult male in u-inter :
like summer male, but scapulars and
interscapulars edged with dull orange ;
orange of rump and upper tail coverts
more or less obscured with olive :
white wing edgings broader. Adult
female in summer: under parts orange
or brownish yellow, varying- from
almost unmarked to the black color
pattern of male in duller, less uni-
form style : upper parrs yellowish Fig. 3G4.
olive, streaked more or less with

black, if not with solid black of male : rump yellowish, tail greenish
yellow ; wings brownish, with whitish wing bars. Adult female in ic inter :
like summer female, but plumage softer and back tinged with gray. Im-
mature male : varying between adult male and female or indistinguishable
from female. Young in first fall and u-inter : similar to adult females, which
are without black on throat. Young, first plumage : like lighter colored fe-
male, but upper parts grayer and under parts with softer colors. Male:
length (skins)
male : length

Distribution. — Breeds in Transition zone of eastern North America from
latitude 55° in Saskatchewan to Texas, west to the Rocky Mountains :
migrates through eastern Mexico to Panama.

298 BLACKBIRDS, ORIOLES, ETC.

Nest. — Long', bag-shaped, hung- from the rim, usually to slender
branches S to 50 feet from the ground ; woven of hemp, horsehair, or
twine, lined largely with hair and grass. Eggs : 4 to 6, grayish, irregu-
larly streaked and blotched, most heavily about the larg-er end, with black,
brown, and lavender.

Food. — Mainly noxious insects and larvae, including click beetles,
locusts, grasshoppers, weevils, ants, plant lice, and caterpillars.

The Baltimore oriole goes as far west as Colorado and Montana,
but bullocki, its western congener, is more abundant west of the
Plains.

508. Icterus bullocki (Swains.}. BULLOCK ORIOLE.

Adult male in summer. — Under parts, sides of head and neck, and su-
perciliary orange ; narrow throat patch, crown, back of neck, back, and

stripe through eye, black ;
wings with conspicuous white
patch and edgings ; tail with
middle feathers black, chan-
ging to almost pure yellow on
outer feathers. Adult male
in winter: like summer male,
but scapulars and interscapu-
lars edged with gray, feath-
ers of rump and upper tail
coverts tipped with gray, of
under parts edged with whit-
Fig. 365. ish. Adult female : under

parts lemon yellow, fading

to gray on belly ; throat usually with more or less of black ; upper parts
olivaceous, fading to brownish and sometimes streaked with black on
back, but brightening to olive yellow or deeper on rump and tail ; wings
with white bands. Immature male in second year : similar to adult female,
but lores and median line of throat black. Young in Jirst plumage:
similar to female, but colors duller, washed more or less witli buffy, with no
trace of black on the throat, and yellow sometimes almost wanting. Male :
leng;th (skins) 0.75-7.60. wing 3.82-4.03, tail 2.98-3.22. bill .05-.81. Fe-
male: length (skins) 6.00-7.50, wing 3.52-3.87, tail 2.73-3.12, bill .07-78.
Distribution. — Breeds in Upper and Lower Sonoran zones of western
North America from southern parts of British Columbia. Alberta, and
Assiniboia. south to western Texas and Lower California ; and from Da-
kota and Texas to the Pacific ; migrates to the vallev of Mexico and
Puebla.

Nest. -- Hung by rim and fastened to sides of a branch 0 to 40 feet from
the ground, often in bunches of mistletoe in cottonwoods, poplars, and
mesquites, woven of horsehair or vegetable fibers and inner bark, lined
with horsehair, down, and wool. Eggs : 3 to 6, grayish or bluish white or
pale buffy, marked with irregular hair lines, mainly around the larger
end.

Food. — Principally injurious insects and larYai, with a few wild berries.

In southern California, where the Ari/ona hooded and Bullock
orioles occur together, the light, yellow-headed /ic/soni usually comes
north later and lives largely in the chaparral, while the dark orange

BLACKBIRDS, ORIOLES, ETC. 299

lives in the treetops. The neighborhood of water is not
considered a necessity by the Bullock, but in irrigated districts it is
especially fond of the sunny cotton wood hedges bordering irrigation
ditches, and abounds on the rolling prairie country, finding most
congenial nesting grounds in the groves that fringe the streams. It
also nests in towns, as the Baltimore oriole does in the east. When
possible it hangs its nest from a tall sycamore or other large decidu-
ous tree, but if nothing better offers builds in low willows. In the
bottom lands near Chinese Camp, on the Yosernite Valley road, we
have seen small willows fairly hung with the bag-like nests. The
young birds are much less skilful builders than the adults, Mr. Illiug-
worth notes, their nests being loosely supported and made of coarse
vegetable fibers instead of horsehair and twine.

In general habits as well as appearance Imllocki resembles the Balti-
more oriole. The ranges of the two birds overlap along the eastern
part of the range of bullock i.

In regard to the food of the hooded and Bullock orioles Mr. Illiug-
worth says: "The orioles are very beneficial to the horticulturist,
although they eat some early fruit, such as berries, cherries, etc., but
no fruit man will begrudge them these if he thoroughly understands

~ O O o

their habits. The chief food of the orioles consists of insects and
injurious caterpillars, and I have often watched them while they
were searching among the branches for this latter food. They are
particularly fond of a small green caterpillar that destroyed the foli-
age of the prune-trees a few years ago. The orioles are often seen
in the berry patches, but they are usually in search of insects, as is
proven by the examination of a great number of stomachs." (The
Condor, July, 1901, p. 100.)

In Phoenix, Arizona, they have been seen eating a tree caterpillar,
which was a pest at the time.

GENUS SCOLECOPHAGUS.

General Characters. — Bill not longer than head, slender like that of a
robin, tip decurved, cutting- edges bent in ; wings pointed, longer than
tail ; side toes short, with moderate claws.

KEY TO ADULT MALES IN SUMMER PLUMAGE.

1. Plumage glossy black with faint greenish luster ; bill stout. Nebraska

to the Pacific cyanocephalus, p. :>00.

1'. Plumage glossy greenish black : bill slender. Colorado to Atlantic.

carolinus, p. 299.

509. Scolecophagus carolinus (Will.). RUSTY BLACKBIRD.

Adult male in summer. — Uniform glossy black, with bluish luster on
head and neck and bluish green luster on body ; under tail coverts more
or less edged with whitish. Adult male in winter : black, more or less

300 BLACKBIRDS, ORIOLES, ETC.

obscured by rusty brown above and buffy below. Adult female in summer :
brownish slate, faintly glossed with bluish green on upper parts. Adult
female in winter : brownish gray or slaty, washed with rusty above and
buffy beneath. Young : like female in winter, but colors duller and plum-
age looser; wings with rusty bands. Male: length (skins) 8."J5-{).30, wing
4.00-4.60, tail 3.39-3.65, bill .72-.78. Female : length (skins) 7.80-8.30,
wing- 4.21-4.39, tail 3.11-3.30, bill .08-75.

Distribution, — Breeds in Boreal zone from Alaska and Hudson Bay
south to northern New York, New England, and Michigan, and west in the
United States to western Nebraska and Colorado ; migrates to the Gulf of
Mexico.

Nest. — A bulky structure of dried twigs, shreds of bark, and mosses,
placed in bushes. Eggs : 2 to 8, pale bluish green, olive, or rusty brown,
speckled or blotched with brown.

Food. — Preferably animal matter, including insects, especially beetles
and grasshoppers ; also grain and weed seed.

The rusty blackbird is mainly a bird of the eastern states, but
occasionally goes as far west as the eastern slope of the Rocky
Mountains. Unlike most other blackbirds, it is fond of forests.

510. Scolecophagus cyanocephalus (WagL). BKEWER
BLACKBIRD.

Adult male in summer. -- Glossy greenish black, head and neck purplish

black. Adult male in winter : similar
to summer male, but more highly
glossed. Adult female in summer :
head, neck, and under parts brown-
ish gray, faintly glossed with violet

on head and neck and with green on under parts : upper parts darker,
wings and tail more glossed with bluish green. Adult female in winter:
similar to summer female, but paler, more buffy gray anteriorly. Imma-
ture male in flrst winter : like adult male, but feathers largely tipped with
grayish brown. Young : like winter females, but feathers with different
texture and without gloss. Male: length (skins) 8.40-0.75. wing 4.73-5.1*7.
tail 3.02-4.22. bill .83-.'.):]. female : length (skins) 7.80-8.70, wing 4.56-
4.71, tail 3.43-3. (15, bill .75-.S2.

Distribution. -- Transition and Upper Sonoran zone from Manitoba and
British Columbia south in the mountains to Lower California and Guate-
mala, and from northwestern Minnesota and Nebraska west to the Pacific.
Nest. - - Low. in trees or bushes made of sticks, plant stalks, grass,
bark, and rootlets, generally cemented with earth or manure, and lined
with rootlets or hair. Eggs : usually 4 to 0, grayish or greenish ground
color, variably marked but usually profusely blotched, streaked, and
spotted with browns and lavender.

Food. — Largely grain, weed seed, and grasshoppers.

The Brewer blackbird, whose glossy blue black coat makes him
one of the handsomest of his race, is the familiar dooryard blackbird
of the west. He often nesls in oaks beside ranch houses, and lords
it over the barnyard fowls with great airs of proprietorship.

Like all blackbirds he has mannerisms. When disturbed at the
nest he spreads his tail nervously and calls rJi a <•!.•. and when sitting

BLACKBIRDS, ORIOLES, ETC.

301

oil a fence sometimes looks at you out of his pale yellow eyes and
then bristles up and gives a loud shrill whistle.

Although quick to appreciate the advantages of civilization,
ci/ti n»n Chains is by no means exclusively a dooryard bird, nesting
principally, indeed, in unsettled districts, in willows in the pine
belt of Arizona and in sagebrush around the edges of marshes in
the arid Great Basin country. It nests in much smaller colonies
than many of the blackbirds, rive to ten pairs being the common
number.

After the breeding season the birds may be seen as high as tim-
berliue on 3It. Shasta, solemnly walking over the rocks around snow
streams, or as low down as sea-level, at places like Santa Cruz,
where they run around on the hard sand beach, feeding and bathing
in the shallows tilled with seaweed.

Their food varies with the season and the locality. On ranches
they do a great deal of good by following the plough and destroying
grubs, but after the nesting season they gather in large flocks and
often do serious harm in the grain fields.

GENUS QTJISCALUS.

General Characters. — Bill about as long- as head, crow-like, but more
tapering- aud acute ; tail graduated and folded laterally ; feet stout ; tar-
sus about equal to middle toe and claw.

KEY TO ADULT MALES.

1. Body bronzy, size medium .
1'. Body greenish, size very large

. . aeneus, p. 301.
macrourus. p. 302.

Subgenus Quiscalus.

511b.

seneus (Ridgw.). BRONZED

Quiscalus quiscula
GRACKLE.

Adult male. - - Whole head and neck purple, dark peacock blue or
green, in sharp contrast to uni-
form bronze of body ; wings and
tail plum purple, not metallic.
Adult female : similar, but smaller
and duller. -Young : from plain
dark- brown to colors of adults.
Male: length (skins) 10.90-12.." <».
wing- :>.:JS-i>.03, bill 1.21-1.32.
Female : length (skins) (.i.2">-
lO.fiO. wing 4.83-5.18. tail 4.1(5-
4.40. bill 1.13-1.23.

Distribution. — From Great
Slave Lake south to Louisiana
and western Texas, and from
the Alleo-banies and southern

Fig. 367.

New England west to the Rocky Mountains ; migrating to the southeastern
states except the coast districts. Breeds throughout its range, but chiefly

north of its winter range.

302 BLACKBIRDS, ORIOLES, ETC.

Nest. — A coarse and bulky but compact structure of dried grasses,
built in trees (often cavities). Eggs: 3 to 7, pale green or greenish blue,
olive or olive whitish, coarsely spotted and irregularly lined with brown
and black.

Food. — Largely noxious insects, corn, and the small grains.

The bronzed grackles may be seen as far west as the eastern base
of the Rocky Mountains. Like all the grackles they spend a good
share of their time on the ground walking over the grass, turning
their heads this way and that, when the sun glances from their hand-
some bronzy backs. When they fly their tails turn into rudders, and
they move along with as straight and steady a course as a skill-
fully guided boat. Their gurgling, squeaky notes cannot be called
musical, but have a crisp spring sound, and their clatter has a
hearty social ring as they till a treetop or scatter over a park lawn.
Although they do considerable damage when descending in hordes
on grain fields, their steady work through the year balances on the
right side, for they are not only assiduous in following the plough
for grubs, but devote themselves largely to catching grasshoppers,
crickets, locusts, and other destructive insects.

Subgenus Megaquiscalus

513a. Quiscalus major macrourus (Sivains.}. GREAT-TAILED
GRACKLE : JACKDAW.

Adult male. — Head, neck, and breast purple, changing through steel
blue to greenish on belly and back. Adult female : under parts hair brown ;
head dark brown, darkening on back to blackish, glossed with green and
purple. Immature male (Jirst year) : upper parts black, more or less
glossed with bluish green ; under parts sooty black. Young : like adult
female, but browner, without gloss above, more buffy below. Male :
length (skins) 15.50-18.00. wing 7.25-7.83, tail 7.70-9.25, bill 1.56-1.89.
Female: length (skins) 11.20-14.00, wing 5.60-6.24, tail 5.08-6.50, bill
1.33-^1.55.

Distribution. — Southern Texas and south through Mexico (west to edge
of plateau) to northern South America.

Nest. -- Bulky, made largely of dried grass and Spanish moss, usually
with an inside coating of mud; built in low trees or bushes, often in
swampy places, sometimes in towns. Eggs : 3 to 5, pale bluish or green-
ish, drab, olive, or purplish gray, grotesquely marked with brown and
black lines.

Food. - - Insects and their larvae, crustaceans, dead fish, seeds, and

gram.

The jackdaws, as the grackles are called in southern Texas, nest
in the ' oak motts ' of the shin oak prairie between Corpus Christi
and Brownsville. We found them building the last of April at San
Ignatia mott, an oasis like grove in the middle of the prairie. They
made the noisiest blackbird colony one could wish to camp below ;
and when to their squeaking clangor and hubbub was added the

FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC. 303

shrill clatter of the scissor-tail flycatchers, the rattle of woodpeckers,
the vociferations of mockingbirds, the cooing of doves, the piping
notes of the vermilion flycatcher, and the voices of passing birds, it
was quite like camping in an aviary. Though usually visited by
only an occasional Mexican, the birds went about their business as
if camp-fires were an everyday occurrence, and paid little heed to
us except when we shot a rattlesnake or made other undue signs of
our presence.

Much to our surprise the blackbirds sang in notes that were sweet
and astonishingly like the call-notes of the goldfinch. But they
appeared particularly fond of making a noise that sounded like the
breaking of sticks, and it took a prominent part in a ludicrous per-
formance which they went through. Seated on an oak top, where
his humble spouse could see him to the best advantage, an old male
would begin by spreading his wings and tail to their fullest
breadth and making a crackling 'breaking brush' sound which he
evidently considered a striking prelude. This done he would
quiver his wings frantically and opening wide his bill emit a high
falsetto squeal, quee-ee, quee-ee, quee-ee, quee-ee, perhaps attuned to
the feminine blackbird ear. But his coup d'etat, which should have
wrung admiration from the most unappreciative mate, consisted in
striking an attitude, his long bill pointed as nearly straight to the
sky as his neck would permit. Posed in this way he would sit like
a statue, with a most ludicrous air of greatness. Incredible as it
may appear, instead of standing spellbound before him, his spouse,
practical housewife that she was, whatever her secret admiration
may have been, through all his lordship's, play calmly went about
gathering sticks.

FAMILY FRINGILLIDJE : FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC.

KEY TO GENERA.

1. Wing conspicuously long and pointed, prima-
ries exceeding secondaries by nearly or

more than twice the length of tarsus.

Fig. 000.

2. Tips of bill crossed in adults Loxia, p. 313.

Fig. 369. 2'. Tips of bill not crossed.

3. Depth of bill at base greater than length of hind toe with
C claw Coccothraustes, p. 307.

1
Fig. 370. 3'. Depth of bill at base much less than length of hind toe

with claw.
4. Hind claw longer than its toe.

304

FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC.

Fig. 371.

V

Fig. 37-2.

5. Wing- 2.75-o.lU Acanthis, p. 318.

5'. Winy 3.80-4.:>U.

(>. Nostril wholly concealed ; plumage blackish or
brown, sometimes marked with rose or white.

Leucosticte. p. 315.

6.' Nostril partly exposed . . . Passeriiia. p. 325.

4'. Hind claw shorter than its toe.

5. Upper tail coverts pointed.

Rhynchophaiies, p. 328.

Fig. 37:;.

5'. Upper tail coverts not pointed ; males largely reddish.

(part of) Carpodacus, p. 309.
1'. Wing not conspicuously long and pointed, primaries exceeding'

secondaries by less than twice the length of tarsus.
'2. Primaries exceeding secondaries by more than length of

tarsus.
3. Outer tail feathers marked with white or yellow.

Fig. 374.

4. Tail marked with vellow

4'. Tail marked with white.

. : Spinus, p. 323.

Fig. 375.

5. Under wing coverts yellow or rose ; plumage largely
black in males, streaked in females.

Zamelodia, p. 371.

5'. Under wing coverts not yellow or rose.

6. Tail graduated.

Chondestes, p. 33(>.

. Tail nearly even or emarginate.

Fig. 37(5.

3 7. Hind claw longer than its toe. and not sharply
curved Calcarius, p. 325,

Fig. 377.

7'. Hind claw shorter than its toe, and sharply
curved.

S. Plumag'e streaked, largely brown.

Pocecetes. p. .'521).

8'. Plumage unstreaked, summer males yellow
beneath .... Astragaliiius. p. 319.

Fig. 378.

FINCHKS, Sl'ARROWS, KTC.

305

Fig. 379.

3'. Outer tail feathers not marked with white or yellow.
4. Upper parts streaked.

"). Under parts more or less yellow . . Spiza, p. 377.

5 . Under parts mainly gray ;
males with chin and throat
black . Passer, p. 324.
4'. Upper parts not streaked.

Fig. 380.

.">. Nostrils concealed, plumage rose, or gray mixed with
orange brown Pinicola. p. 308.

Fig. 381.

5 .Nostrils exposed, males blue . . G-mraca. p. :><o.

l' . Primaries exceeding secondaries by less than length of

tarsus.
3. Head crested.

4. Upper mandible

greatly curved.
Pyrrhuloxia, p. 370. Fig. 382.

4'

• Upper mandible only slightly curved.

Cardinalis. p. 369.

Fig. 383.

"
Fig. 385.

3 . Head not crested.

4. Tarsus longer than middle toe with claw.
t ~>. Hind claw longer than its toe.

6. Tail with white
outer tips (ex-
cept fuse >ix
group).
Pipilo. p. 3u3. Fig 3S4

('/.Tail with white edges, plumage largely gray or
black Junco. p. 34.").

•V. Hind claw shorter than its toe.

6. Tail black Amphispiza, p. 350.

('/. Tail not black.

7. Tail olive green . . . Arremonops, p. 363.
7 . Tail brown.

S. Tail deeply emarginate . Spizella, p. 341.
8'. Tail rounded or graduated.

306

Fig. 389.

FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC.

9. Wing rounded or truncate at
tip.

Fig. 386.

10. Edge of wing1 yellow . Feuceea, p. 352.
10'. Edge of wing white or grayish.

Aimophila, p. 353.

9'. Wing rather pointed at tip (except Z. albi-
collis, in which tarsus is same length as
middle toe with claw).
Fig. 387. Zoiiotrichia, p. 337.

4'. Tarsus about equal to middle toe with claw.
5. Inner claw reaching beyond tip of middle toe.

0. Wings and tail green.

Oreospiza, p. 368.

<>'. Wings and tail rufous.

Passerella, p. 3GO.

ie- 388-

5 . Inner claw not reaching to tip of middle toe.

6. Length about 8 to 9.

(fuscus group) Pipilo, p. 363.

6'. Length less than 8.
7. Wing with whitish patches

(summer males black) Calamospiza, p. 377.
7'. Wing without white patches.

> • — -^

, 8. Under mandible decidedly deeper than upper ;
2 adult males with blue, and sometimes red,

Fig. 391. green, or purple . . Cyanospiza, p. 374.

8'. Upper mandible deeper or equal to under.
9. Tail feathers sharp-pointed at, tip.
10. Bill sharply curved.

Sporophila. p. 370.
10'. Bill not sharply curved.

Ammodramus. p. 330.

9'. Tail feathers not sharp-pointed at tip.

10. Tail graduated . Melospiza. p. 3.~>.~>.

10'. Tail even or emarginate. adult males with
plumage partly reddish.

Carpodacus, p. 301 ».

FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC.

307

GENUS COCCOTHRAUSTES.
Subgenus Hesperiphona.

514a. Coccothraustes vespertinus montanus (liidgw.).
WESTERN EVKMX; GROSBEAK.

Bill large, swollen, depth at base greater than length of hind toe with
claw ; wing long, pointed, more than five times as long as tarsus ; tail
short, emarginate ; feet small and
weak ; tarsus little if any longer
than culmen. Adult male : forehead
and superciliary bright yellow ;
crown, wings, and tail black, wings
with large white patches ; rest of
upper parts olive, grading through
yellowish green to yellow on rump ;
under parts greenish yellow, be- N,
coming lemon yellow on under wing
and tail coverts. Adult female :
prevailing color yellowish or yellow-
ish brown ; throat bordered by
dusky ; whitish patch on wings.
Young : similar to female, but duller
and markings less defined. Male :
length (skins), 6.70-7.30. \\ing4.1S-
4.59, tail 2.50-2.87, bill .78-.8D.
width of bill at base .49-.60. Fe-
male : length (skins), 0.50-7.30, wing
4.10-4.40. tail 2.40-2.78, bill .74-
.83, width of bill at base, .51.-57.

Distribution. — Breeds in Canadian and Hudsonian zones in western
United States from the Plains to the Pacific, and south through mountains •
of northwestern Mexico.

Nest. — 15 to 50 feet from the ground in the top of a conifer or thick
willow, a comparatively flat, slight structure of small sticks, roots, and
sometimes tree lichens lined with finer roots. Eggs : 3 or 4, clear green,
blotched with pale brown.

Food.-- Insects, such as caterpillars ; seeds, and the fruit or buds of mis-
tletoe, hackberry, box elder, juniper, maple, ash, alder, and related
species.

In the Canadian zone forests after the nesting season you occa-
sionally see a wandering flock of evening grosbeaks. Sometimes
there will be only seven or eight in the flock, sometimes twenty-five
or more. Their commonest call, as they pass over or light in a fir top,
is a short whistle that can always be recognized by its wild, free
quality, but they have also a loud ' beady ' note something like
that of the waxwing.

In the mountains of Arizona the grosbeaks breed in can}rons and
near water. Dr. Mearns says, afterwards descending to the oaks of
the foothills with their young.

In winter, grosbeaks are very common in Portland, Oregon, where
Mr. Anthony says large flocks feed in the maples, picking up the
fallen seeds at the feet of passers-by.

Fig. 393.

308 FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC.

On a Sierra grade we have passed a flock busily gathering wild
cherries in a bush beside the road, and when camped under the firs
of Mt. Shasta have had wandering bands stop for a drink from the
camp brook, delighting us by their striking yellow and white
plumage. Although they are so highly colored and in flight their
white wing patches make such prominent directive marks, this very
yellow and white coloration often becomes positively protective.
While watching the birds on Mt. Shasta one day, I was struck by
the conspicuousness of one that flew across an open space. As it lit
on a dead stub whose silvery branches were touched with yellow
lichen, to my amazement it simply vanished. Its peculiar greenish
yellow toned in perfectly with the greenish yellow of the lichen.
The breeding range of the grosbeak is largely coincident with the
range of the lichen, the lichen being a striking feature of the forests
of the Sierra Nevada, Cascades, and northern Rockies, so that the
unusual coloration of the bird may be of marked significance.

GENUS PINICOLA.

Bill short, broad, and thick, upper mandible strongly cxirved ; nasal

plumules conspicuous, hiding1 nostrils ;
wing about five times as long as tar-
sus ; tail long, emarginate ; feet small,
tarsus not longer than middle toe
Fie. 3l,»4. without claw.

KEY TO ADULT MALES.

1. Feathers of back with conspicuously dusky centers.

alascensis. p. 309.
1'. Feathers of back without distinctly dusky centers.

2. Bill and body smaller. High mountains of California.

californica, p. 308.
2'. Bill and body larger. Rocky Mountains . . . moiitana, p. 30S.

515a. Pinicola enucleator montana Ri<lgu\ ROCKY MOUN-
TAIN PINE GROSBEAK.

Like P. e. californica, but larger and slightly darker, adult male carmine
red instead of vermilion. Male : length (skins). 8.00-S..V), wing 4. 72-4. SB,
tail 3.1)7-4.00. bill .(J1-.08. Female: length (skins). ,s.UO-8.30. wing 4.<>5-
4.(><). tail 3.4S-3.:>0.

Distribution. - - Breeds in Hudsonian zone in the Rocky Mountains from
Montana and Idaho to New Mexico.

Nest. — A rather flat thin structure, largely of fine rootlets placed in
coniferous trees. Kyys : greenish or bluish, spotted with brown and
black.

Food. — Caterpillars, cocoons, coniferous seeds, needles, buds, and blos-
soms.

515b. P. 6. californica r-rice. CALIFORNIA PINE GROSBEAK.

Adult male. -- Light r< million red. head slightly tinged with yellow and
pink, and changing to ash gray on scapulars, belly, flanks, and under tail

FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC. 309

coverts ; plumage everywhere gray beneath the surface, giving an effect
of immaturity; scapulars and feathers of the central back with only faint
tract <>f dusk tj centers ; wings and tail dusky, feathers tipped and edged with
whitish. Adult female : general color clear ash gray, bright tawny yellow
on top and sides of head, back of neck, and middle of breast ; tail with
faint yellow wash 011 upper coverts. Young : like female, but brownish
gray, with brownish and grayish edgings to wings and tail. Male : length
(skins), 7.75, wing 4.33-4.52, tail 3.60-4.21, bill .55-.59. Female: length
(skins). 7.40-7.95.. wing 4.05-4.25, tail 3.5S-4.05, bill .55-62.

Distribution. — Breeds in Hudsouian zone in the higher parts of the
Sierra Nevada, central California.

The pine grosbeaks are associated with patches of snow and furry
hemlocks on the mountain heights where Townsend solitaires live
and nutcrackers come from the dwarf pines of the peaks.

The California form of Piiii<:<>l« is found in the high Sierra, and
in July, 1900, when climbing the wooded side of the old crater of
Lincoln Peak, we had the good fortune to meet with a pair of the
lovely birds at 7800 feet. They were as characteristically tame and
trustful as they always are in guuless regions. Flying down to a
snowbank in front of us they hopped over its surface, busily picking
up what we supposed to be seeds from the hemlock cones, quite
regardless of us, though so near that we could easily have photo-
graphed them had the evergreens let in enough light for a snap-shot.

Afterwards, in camp, three hundred feet lower, a number of the
grosbeaks stopped at different times in the beautiful little hemlocks
over our tent. Most of them were in the yellowish plumage, but
one or two were rare rose-colored beauties that would excite the
admiration of the most insensible. While resting they gave their
soft call-notes and warbled their sweet rolling song, and though they
were soon off and away they had lent a new distinction to the hem-
locks that, in memory, will always be graced by their gentle presence.

515c. P. e. alascensis Ridgw. ALASKAN PINE GROSBEAK.

Adult male. --Body mainly red. pinkish in winter, fading to gray on
belly; back with centers of feathers strikingly dark brownish; wings with
two white bars, whitish tips, and edgings; bill short and turgid, upper
mandible only slightly longer than lower. Adult female : top and sides of
head and upper tail coverts tawny yellow, dark centers of feathers of back
distinctly brownish. Male : length (skins), 8.60-9.69, wing 4.41-5.00, tail
3.34-4.03, bill .55-.60. Female : length (skins), 7.69-8.70, wing 4.48-4.73,
tail 3.46-3.84, bill .57-.61.

Distribution. — Northwestern North America except Pacific coast, in-
cluding wooded interior of Alaska ; south in winter to Montana.

•»

GENUS CARPODACUS.

General Characters. — Bill shorter than head, conical, thick, its depth at
base greater than width ; tarsus short, about equal to middle toe with
claw.

310 FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC.

KEY TO ADULT MALE CARPODACrS.

1. Tail emarginate.

2. Top of head strikingly brighter than rump.

3. Under tail coverts conspicuously streaked . . . cassini, p. 311.
3'. Under tail coverts not conspicuously streaked. Eastern United

States . . purpureus, p. 310.

2'. Top of head about color of rump .... californicus, p. 310.
1'. Tail even.

2. Wings longer, feet smaller frontalis, p. 312.

2'. Wings shorter, feet larger dementis, p. 313.

Subgenus Carpodacus.
517. Carpodacus purpureus (GmeL). PURPLE FINCH.

Like C. p. californicus, but wing longer, tail shorter ; adult male lighter,
rump paler, upper parts less uniform ; adult female lighter, less uniform,
and less greenish.

Distribution. — Eastern North America, breeding from Hudson Bay to
Pennsylvania ; in winter south to Gulf coast ; accidental in Colorado.

Mr. Anthony shot a female purple finch at Denver, Nov. 15, 1885.

517a. Carpodacus purpureus californicus Baird. CALIFOR-
NIA PURPLE FINCH.

Adult male. — Upper parts dark dull madder pink, wine purple on head
and paler, more pinkish on rump ; back streaked ; under parts
lighter rose pink and fading to unstreaked white on middle of
belly and under tail coverts ,• sides and flanks usually strongly
washed with brownish and broadly streaked with darker ; tail
Fig 395 much shorter than wing, deeply emarginate. Adult female :
upper parts olivaceous, heavily streaked with brown ; under
parts whitish, narrowly streaked ; side of head with white stripe crossing
brown of ear coverts and side of throat. Young : similar to female, but
colors duller and markings less distinct, edgings of wing feathers more
buffy or tawny. Male : length (skins). 5.20-6.10, wing 3.03-3.20, tail 2.28-
2.43, bill .42-.40. Female: length (skins) 5.09-5.84, wing 2.95-3.10, tail
2.10-2.33, bill .41-.49.

Remarks. — The male California finch may be distinguished from the
house finch by its under parts, wrhich are streaked only on the sides. It
differs from the Cassin finch in having^rown and rump about the same
color, and the back not strikingly streaked. The female California differs
from the female house finch in being strongly olivaceous above, and having
a white stripe on the side of the head through the brown area, and its
tail much shorter than wing, and deeply emarginate. The female Cassin
is more sharply streaked on the back with darker brown streaks.

Distribution. - - Breeds in mountains in Transition and Upper Sonoran
zones of the Pacific coast region, from British Columbia south ; migrates
to southern California and Arizona.

Nest. — A rather thin, fiat structure, composed largely of fine rootlets and
grasses, placed on horizontal branches of trees. Eggs : 2 to 4, greenish blue,
or bluish green, finely speckled on larger end with black and dark brown.

The California purple finch is a bird of higher breeding range and
less domestic nature than its relative the house finch. In central
California, Mr. Belding says, it is common from 3000 to 5000 feet in
summer, though of course it comes lower in winter. In Los Angeles

FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC.

311

Fig. 396. Purple Finch.

County Mr. Grinnell finds it a common winter visitant of the mesas and
lowlands, haunting thickets and brushy places in small companies.

518. Carpodacus cassini Baird. CASSIN PURPLE FINCH.

Adult male. — Top of head with squarish patch of bright crimson ; rump
dull rose pink ; back and scapulars dull pinkish brown, sharply streaked
with dark brown ; under parts pale pink fading- to unstreaked white on
belly; lower tail coverts usually conspicuously streaked icith dusky: wing
feathers edged with reddish ; tail much shorter than wing-, deeply emar-
ginate. Adult female : whole body sharply streaked with dusky ; ground
color of upper parts olive gray ; of under parts white. Young : similar to
female, but streaks of lower parts narrower and wing edgings more ochra-
ceous. Male: length (skins) 5.39-6.29, wing 3.52-3.80, tail 2.34-2.71, bill
.47-.51. Female : length (skins) 5.55-0.0"). wing 3.42-3.60. bill .49-.50.

312

FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC.

Remark*. --Tlie male Cassin finch may be distinguished by its large size,

bright squarish crown patch, dull rump,
mistreaked under parts, and distinct
streaks on under tail coverts.

Distribution. - • Breeds in Canadian
zone from British Columbia to Mexico ;
from the eastern slope of the Rocky
Mountains to the Pacific ; and migrates
through Mexico to Mt. Orizaba.

JNV.sf. — Near tops of young firs and
pines on a horizontal branch ; rather thin
and flat, composed largely of rootlets
and grasses. Eygs : '2 to 4, finely spec-
kled, chiefly around the larger end. with
Fig. 3(J7. Cassiii Purple Finch. black and dark brown.

The Cassiu finch is the purple finch of the mountains, breeding
from the lower edge of the firs to timberline. Its square crimson
crown patch is a striking sign mark in the shade of the woods, and
its sweet song gains richness from its forest setting. Even in winter
the birds stay as high as they can. In southern California, Mr.
Grinuell says they rarely come as low as the foothills, but go about
in small flocks, feeding in the brush as long as it is not entirely
covered with snow.

Fix. 398. Male.

Fig. 399. Female.

Subgenus Burrica.
519. Carpodacus mexicanus frontalis (Say). HOUSE FINCH.

Adult male. — Forehead, superciliary, and rump rose pink, orange red,

or scarlet ; rest of upper parts brownish gray,
sometimes washed with reddish ; back not dis-
tinctly streaked : throat and breast reddish ; belly
irhitis/i. sharjjli/ and close/i/ streaked ifith broirn ;
tail not decidedly shorter than wing-, nearly even ;

wing feathers edged with pale grayish instead of reddish. Adult female :

upper parts grayish brown, indistinctly streaked;
under parts white, broadly streaked. Young :
similar to female, but back more distinctly
streaked, under parts more narrowly and less
distinctly streaked : wing coverts tipped with

buffy. Male: length (skins) 4.80-6.10, \vin»- 2.W-:).: ',:',. tail 2.14-2.60, bill

.:-JS-!o(), Female: length (skins) r>.00-5.6:-!. wing 2.77-o.O:>, tail 2.00-2.40.

bill .3H-.4:;.

Remarks. — The sharp uniform streaking of under parts distinguish the

house finch from the California and Cassin. Individuals suggest dichro-

matism in varying amount of yellow in plumage. (See Condor. Jan. 1(.K)1,

i:-J.)

Distribution. --Breeds in Upper and Lower Sonoran zones from western

parts of Kansas and Texas to the Pacific, and from Oregon to northern

Lower California and northern Mexico.

Nest. — Compactly woven, largely of dried grass stems and plant fibers.

placed in trees, cactus, or sagebrush, but preferably about houses. Eggs :

?> to 6, bluish white or pair greenish blue sparsely speckled, chiefly around

larger end, with black.

FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC. 313

The house finch in the west is even more familiar than the robin
in the east, nesting preferably in vines and odd nooks about houses,
though it adopts any site that offers, from a stew-pan hung on a nail
to a caetus. Its one requirement .is water, and this is so absolute
that in the arid country the sight of one of these birds encourages
the explorer to go on looking, for there is surely one water hole that
has not dried up, be it ever so small, and he has only to follow the
birds to find it.

The pretty finch is a charming, companionable little fellow, sing-
ing cheerily from morning till night a happy, bright song that goes
well with the warmth and sunshine of the low country it lives in.
The flight song of the male is quite characteristic, for he is so full of
music that he never can contain himself, on the wing or off. He
fairly bubbles over with it when he goes a-courting and dances be-
fore his demure little brown lady-love.

The only objection to the familiarity of these pretty finches is
their unfortunate though flattering appreciation of western fruit,
but happily this is of small moment in many of the cities within
their range. In El Paso, Texas, the sweet song of the finch comes
in through the open windows with most grateful cheer, suggesting
forcibly the relief it would be if the English sparrow with his un-
musical jabbering could be exchanged for our lovely native song-
ster. In some of the country districts the fact that it has been seen
eating Russian thistle seeds should weigh in its favor.

519c. C. m. dementis (^fearns). ISLAND HOUSE FINCH.

Like C. m. frontalis, but with shorter wings, larger legs and feet, larger,
more convex bill, heavier coloration, and broader striping on nnder parts.
Male: length (skins) 5.20-5.83. wing 2.U2-3.17, tail 2.11-2.42, bill .39-.50.
Female : length (skins) 5.32-5.07. wing 2.1)2-3.00. tail 2.10-2.30, bill .41-.46.

Distribution. -- Santa Barbara Islands. California,' and Todos Santos
Island, Lower California.

GENUS LOXIA.

General Characters. - - Tips of bill crossed in adults, nasal plumules con-
spicuous, concealing nostrils : wing more than five times as long as tarsus ;
tail short, deeply emarginate ; tarsus short.

KEY TO SPECIES.

Fig. 4«.Ki.

1. Wing with two white bands leucoptera, p. 315.

1'. Wing without white bands.

2. Bill heavier, wing nearly 4 stricklandi, p. 314.

2'. Bill lighter, wing about 3.40 minor, p. 314.

314 FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC.

521. Loxia curvirostra minor (Brehm). CROSSBILL. l

Adult male. - - Dull red, generally brighter on rump ; gray showing
through on under parts ; feathers of back indistinctly streaked ; wings
and tail plain dusky. Adult females : olivaceous, often shading to bright
yellow. Young : streaked, on olive gray ground. Young male : mixed with
yellow and red before reaching adult stage. Male : length (skins) 5.04-
6.64, -wing 3.18-3.66, tail 1.72-2.16, bill .5T-.73. Female: length (skins)
4.92-6.0(5, wing 3.10-3.57, tail 1.50-2.12, bill .54-.70.

Distribution. — Northern North America, but chiefly northward and east
of the Plains ; irregularly abundant in winter.

Nest. — In coniferous trees, rather flat, composed externally of spruce
twigs and shreds of soft bark, lined with horsehair and fine rootlets.
Eggs : usually 4, pale greenish, spotted with various shades of brown
mixed with purplish gray.

Food. — Chiefly seeds of conifers.

Crossbills, like other little pensioners of the trees, go and come
whenever the branches spread hospitable feasts. If the trees yield
no nuts, do not look for the jays or acorn-eating woodpeckers ; if it
is not a cone year do not expect the crossbills. But when the time
is ripe, some red letter day from high up in the treetops you may
catch the kimp, kimp, kimp, of a busy flock, and on some still luckier
day, like a whirl of snowflakes down will come a parti-colored band
with their queer crossed bills and coats of red or greenish yellow.
Then, if seeds and cones favor, perchance the flock will take up its
abode in the neighborhood and act as if it had always been there, till
suddenly some day it has disappeared and is seen no more.

At Fort Sherman, Idaho, Dr. Merrill has seen crossbills in every
month of the year, though their occurrence was irregular. At times
they were as common and fearless as English sparrows, and on warm
bright days in February and March he says ' their pleasing song was
heard in every direction.'

"When Dr. Mearns wras in Arizona he chanced on a good year and
found them among the commonest birds, drinking and bathing at
the springs and water places at all times of day.

52 la. Loxia curvirostra stricklandi Eidgw. MEXICAN CROSS-
BILL.

Similar to minor, but larger, colors averaging brighter, and 1 mctr ma/idi-
ble averaging heavier. Male : length (skins) 5.94-0.34. wing 3. (57-4.05, tail
2.08-2.32, bill .74-8(5. Female : length (skins) 5.71-6.30, wing 3.42-3.88,
tail 1.88-2.14, bill .70-81.

Distribution. -- Mountains from Colorado west to the Sierra Nevada, and
from Wyoming to Guatemala.

1 Loxia cun'irostra lit'inHrt'i Ridgw.

Like L. <•. minor, but decidedly larger, adult male averaging lighter or brighter in color,
adult female slightly lighter and grayer.

Distribution. — More northern and central mountain districts of western United States
from Colorado to the Cascades and Sierra Nevada : during migration east to eastern Ne-
braska and Kansas, west to the coast district of California ; casually to Guadalupe Island,
Lower California, and south to New Mexico. (N. Am. I-'UHIHI. No. 10, 1'23.)

FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC. 315

522. Loxia leucoptera Gmel. WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL.

Adult male. — Dull rose red. occasionally tinned with yellow or orange ;
dark bases of feathers showing' through and back clouded with black ;
wing's and tail black, wings irith tiro white
ha mis, confluent at upper portion. Adult fe-
male : olive green or gray above, indistinctly ^^^

streaked with dusky ; rump yellowish ; wings F- ,(),

as in male, but not so black ; under parts

lighter, more tinged with yellowish. Young : similar to female, but colors

duller and streaking pronounced. Male: length (skins) 5.o(.Mi.54. wing

3.33-3.60, tail 2.00-2.34, bill .<12-.(>9. Female: length (skins) 5.20-6.2±

wing 3.2(3-3.55, tail 1.92-2.32, bill .59-.60.

Distribution. — Breeds in Boreal zone forests of northern North America ;
winters in the United States to about 39°.

Nest. — As described by Adams, deeply saucer-shaped, made of spruce
twigs and lichens, lined with hairs and inner bark. Eggs : pale blue,
spotted around larger end with black and lilac.

Food. — Spruce seeds, buds, and berries.

In general habits the white- winged closely resembles the other
species of Lo.ri«.

GENUS LEUCOSTICTE.

General Characters. — Bill much shorter than head, short-conical ; nasal
plumules covering nostrils ; wing long, pointed ; tail about two thirds as
long as wing, emarginate ; tarsus short : hind clawr equal to or longer than
its toe, strongly curved.

KEY TO ADULTS.

1. Body black atrata, p. 317.

1'. Body brown.

2. Body light brown australis. p. 317.

2'. Body dark brown.

3. Gray of crown spreading down over sides of head.

littoralis, p. 316.

3'. Gray of crown not spreading down over sides of head.

tephrocotis, p. 315.

524. Leucosticte tephrocotis Strains. GRAY-CROWNED LEU-
COSTICTE.

Adult male in summer. — Bill black ; crown black, bordered behind and
on sides with gray, the gray not spreading
down over sides of head ; general body color
deep chestnut brown, lighter, and with black-
ish mesial streaks on back, belly, and rump :
upper tail coverts, wings, and tail more or
less ting-ed with pink. Adult male in icin-
ter : bill yellow, tipped with blackish ; brown
feathers edged w-itn whitish ; black of crown
restricted. Adult female : like male, with
the same seasonal changes, but averaging
paler and duller. Young: plain brownish,
without black or gray on head, or rosy tail
coverts. Male: length (skins) 5.70-6.S1.
win"- 4.00-4.40. tail 2.42-2.80, bill .42-. 4s. Fig. 402.

o

316 FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC.

Female : length (skins) 5.60-6.50, wing 3.80-4.19, tail 2.39-2.78, bill .43-
.56.

Distribution. — Interior of British America; wintering in the Rocky
Mountain region of the United States, most abundantly on the eastern
slope, and extending to western Nebraska. Recorded as breeding in the
Sierra Nevada and the White Mountains in California.

Food. — Ants, small beetles, and other insects, pine seeds and plant
seeds.

The leucostictes are birds of the mountain snow-banks and glaciers.
They feed on seeds and insects blown to the heights and left to be
picked up about the border of the melting snow. They are often
found at an altitude of from 11,000 to 12,000 feet, and under the
crest of Mt. Whitney, at about 15,000 feet, Mr. Frank Daggett
found a pair picking up insects from a snow-drift. When a hail-
storm passed over the. peak the birds took refuge under granite
slabs, but as soon as it was over they were back on the snow.

At Fort Keough, Montana, Capt. Thorne reports that the leuco
stictes come in November and stay in varying numbers till the last
of March, picking up grain in the corrals and often taking shelter in
old cliff swallow nests. When it is cold and stormy, he says, they
gather in the post by thousands, but when a warm day comes they
scatter out again.

Along the crests of the Sierra Nevada and Rocky Mountains and
the higher peaks of the Cascade range, the first September snow-
storms bring flocks of the rosy finches, scurrying with the driving-
snow, or, on clear days, basking in the sunshine about the old snow-
banks and ice-fields.

While I was running a line of traps along the slope above Mono
Pass in the Sierra Nevada one morning early in September, with my
eyes half shut to keep out a fine driving snow, a little flock of nine
rosy finches dropped down near me and began getting their breakfast
from a last year's snow-bank, hopping about and picking rapidly
here and there over the rough surface, fluffing their feathers and
facing the cutting wind to keep from being blown away, all the
time talking in cheery little notes among themselves. Now and
then one would snuggle up in the lee of a chunk of ice or a stone,
fluff his feathers, and hold up his feet to warm his toes just as the
snowbirds do in winter, then hop out again and pick up more chilled
bugs from the surface of the snow, looking up at me with a frank
trustfulness that had surely never been betrayed.

VKKNON BAILEY.

5 24 a. L. t. littoralis (Baird). HEPBURN LEUCOSTICTE.

Similar to the gray-crowned, but gray of croirn spreading down over
sides of head, sometimes covering all but black frontal patch. Male : length
(skins) 6.04-H.80, wing 4.00-4.:',:.'. tail 2.:;<>-2.75, bill .43-.4D. Female:
length (skins) (i.08-6.47. wing :!.94-4.10. bill .45-.4<).

FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC. 317

Distribution. — In summer, mountains of southeastern Alaska and prob-
ably the interior mountain regions of British Columbia, south at least to
snow-capped mountains of Washington ; in winter, northwest coast from
Kadiak southward ; extending- east to the eastern base of the Rocky
Mountains.

•• A pair of this rare species was found feeding full grown young
on the moraines just below the glacier of AVright's Peak (Okauogau
County, Washington), at an altitude of 8000 feet. North and west
of this station there is an immense area of glacier-flanked peaks,
where the birds are sure to find a congenial summer home.'' (Daw-
son. )

In Paradise Park, on Mt. Rainier, Dr. Fisher found the Hepburn
leucosticte common in the moraines and along the edges of bare
ground, feeding on grasshoppers and other insects benumbed by the
snow.

525. Leucosticte atrata llidgir. BLACK LEUCOSTICTE.

Adult malt in summer. — < 'rown black, set in gray, which does not ex-
tend over sides of head ; body blackish or deep clove brown ; feathers of
belly and sides tipped with peach-blossom pink ; feathers of hind neck,
back, and scapulars with more or less distinct brownish or buffy edging's ;
rump and patch on wings peach-blossom pink. Adult male in winter :
similar, but bill yellowish, tipped with dusky, the brownish edgings to
scapulars and iuterscapulars broader, feathers of under parts more or
less edged with grayish, and pink markings of a softer, more rosy hue.
Immature male : like adult male, but pink markings paler, mainly re-
placed on wings by buffy white. Adult female : much duller than the
male, under parts grayish brown, upper parts brownish, and pink paler
and restricted or replaced by whitish. Immature female : like adult fe-
male, but duller and browner, feathers conspicuously edged with brownish
and buffy. Male : length (skins) 5.90-6.26. wing 4.21-4.27, tail 2.1.2-2.75.
bill .41-.4S. Female: length (skins) 5.60-6.18, wing 8.89-4.19. tail 2.:'.S-
2.58, hill .45-47.

Remarks. — The head has the same color pattern as in tephrocotis. but
the body is blackish or very dark brown.

Distribution. — Breeds in the Salmon River Mountains. Idaho, and
probably northern ranges : winters in mountains of Colorado and Utah.

526. Leucosticte australis Eidgw. BROWN-CAPPED LEUCO-

STICTE.

Adult male in summer. — Bill black, crown blackish anteriorly, shading
toward brown of back ; body light broirn. becoming pink on belly, rump,
and wing coverts, and sometimes tinged with red on throat and breast.
Adult male in winter : similar, but bill yellowish, tipped with dusky ; crown
brownish gray on back and sides, and feathers with grayish edgings that
give scaled effect to head. Immature male: similar to adult, but greater
wing coverts with buffy edgings in winter, dull whitish in summer
Adult female : similar to male, with same seasonal changes, but much
duller, and pink markings indistinct. Young : grayish buffy brown, paler
on posterior under parts ; patches on wings and tail coverts buffy. Male :
length (skins) 5.71-6.48, wing 3.99-4.40, tail ±39-2.86. bill .40-50. Fe-
male : length (skins) 5.63-0. 15. wing 3.90-4.25, tail 2.40-2.70, bill .45-47-

318 FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC.

Distribution. — Breeds in Alpine zone on the mountains of Colorado,
descending into the lower zones of the valleys, and south to New Mexico
in winter.

In his Birds of Colorado Mr. Cooke says that the brown-capped
leucostlcte is never seen below timberline in summer, and nests from
12,000 feet to the tops of the highest peaks. In August, he says,
"old and young swarm over the summits of the peaks, picking in-
sects off the snow. By the last of October or early in November
they descend to timberline and remain there through the winter,
except as they are driven a little lower by the severest storms.
At the same time a few come into the lower valleys almost to the
base of the foothills."

They have been reported from Silverton, where they came in
large flocks and were killed for food.

GENUS ACANTHIS.

General Characters. — Bill conical, strongly compressed toward end,
and usually acute at tip ; nasal plumules nearly covering basal half of
bill except in summer plumage ; wing long, pointed ; tail long, deeply
forked ; tarsus very short, side toes much shorter than the middle.

KEY TO ADULTS.

1. Upper parts brownish, rump streaked liliaria. p. 319.

1 . Upper parts whitish, rump not streaked .... exilipes. p. 318.

527a. Acanthis hornemannii exilipes (Cones). HOARY RED-
POLL.

Adult male in spring. -- Bill dusky ; patch on top of head crimson ; chin

black ; under parts almost pure white, except for
pinkish chest and fine streaking on sides ; upper

<- -- __» parts grayish white streaked with dusky; rump

trftite, tinged with pink. Adult male in winter:
similar, but bill yellowish, with dusky tip ; upper

parts tinged with buffy. dusky streaks narrower. Adult female in spring :
like male in spring but without pink on rump or chest. Adult female in
//•/' liter : similar, but upper parts more strongly tinged with buff, dusky
streaks narrower, and bill yellowish, with dusky tip. Male : length (skins)
4.150-5.40, wing 2.85-3.07, tail LM 3-2.50, bill .27-.S4. Female: length
(skins) 4.50-5. 1(5. wing 2.74-2.94, tail 2.1<>-1V_'<>, bill .2T-.34.

Distribution. -- Breeds in northeastern Asia and arctic America; south
in winter, occasionally to the northern United States. Recorded from
Massachusetts, Illinois. Maine, and Michigan.

Next. — A rather bulky structure, composed largely of small twigs and
straws mixed with feathers and lined with feathers ; placed in bushes or
small trees. Eggs : 2 to 5, pale bluish green, speckled, chiefly around
larger end with reddish brown, sometimes mixed with a few black specks
or lines.

The hoary redpoll, Mr. Nelson says, is the most abundant of the
redpolls in northern Alaska, where it occurs in great numbers. Its

FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC. 319

habits are identical with those of the common redpoll. Both forms
are resident, making only a partial migration into the interior in the
severest weather.

528. Acanthis linaria (Linn.). REDPOLL.

Adult male in breeding plumage. — Chin patch and feathers around bill
blackish ; crown crimson ; throat, sides, and rump more or less
washed with pink or crimson ; rest of under parts white, sides
streaked with dusky ; upper parts streaked, dark brown and
buffy, lighter but streaked on rump, rump washed with pink ;
bill horn color, dusky at tip. Adult male in winter plumage :
much lighter, wing- bands more or less buffy, pink paler ; bill
lig-ht yellow, black at tip. Adult female : similar to the male, but pink of
under parts replaced by buff}' or whitish ; seasonal difference same as in
male. Young: like adults, but without pink or red, crown streaked and
sides and wing- bands more or less buffy. Male : length (skins) 4.31-5.32,
wing- 2.78-3.01, tail 1.91-2.29, bill .31-138. Female: length (skins) 4.29-
5.43, wing- 2.76-3.00, tail 1.99-2.30, bill .30-.39.

Distribution. — Breeds in the northern parts of the northern hemisphere ;
south irregularly in winter, in North America as far as California, Mis-
souri, and Alabama.

Nest. — In bushes or small trees, bulky, made of twigs, straws, and
feathers. Eggs : 2 to 5, pale bluish green, speckled, chiefly around larger
end, with reddish brown, sometimes mixed with a few black specks or
lines.

Food. — Buds and weed seed.

The redpolls are common in Colorado, from November to March,
from the plains to 10,000 feet. Prof. Cooke says they remain high in
the mountains, even when the temperature is thirty degrees below
zero, which does not seem strange, as most of them winter in Alaska.
In spring, Mr. Nelson tells us, "they are beautiful objects, with
their bright rosy hues and fluffy plumage. On warm sunshiny days
during April they come familiarly up to the very windows and
doors, and peer about with an odd mixture of confidence and curios-
ity, examining everything and scarcely deigning to move aside as
the people pass back and forth." After the nesting season, he says,
"they come trooping about, young and old. in large parties, with
great confidence and a peculiar pertuess, taking possession of the
premises and using the roofs and fences for convenient perches,
making excursions thence to whatever point appears likely to yield
food, or chasing each other playfully about." Through July and
August they are extremely abundant in Alaska, but by the end of
September the majority have left the coast, most of them going into
the interior, where they brave the severest weather.

GENUS ASTRAGALINTJS.

General Characters. — Bill conical, acute : wing- long and pointed : tail
emarginate ; tarsus as short or shorter than middle toe with claw.

320 FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC.

KEY TO ADULT MALES.

1. Throat with black patch lawrencei. p. 323.

1'. Throat without black patch.
"2. Back yellow.

3. Body pale yellow. Rocky Mountain plateau . pallidus. p. 321.
3'. Body bright yellow.

4. In winter, browner, with broader wing- marking's. Pacific coast.

saiicamans. p. 321.

4'. In winter less brown, with narrower wing marking's. East of
Rocky Mountains to Atlantic coast .... tristis. p. 320.
2'. Back olive green or black.

3. Back without black. Rocky Mountains to California.

psaltria. p. 322.
3'. Back wholly or partly black.

4. Back and ear coverts solid black. Mexico and Central Texas.

mexicaiius. p. 322.

4'. Back or ear coverts mixed with olive green. Colorado and New
Mexico to Pacific arizonae, p. 322.

529. Astragalinus tristis (Linn.). GOLDFINCH.

Adult male in summer. — Whole body canary yellow, in sharp contrast to
black crown, wings, and tail ; wings with white bars and tail feathers with
white patches. Adult female in summer: upper parts olive brown, some-
times tinged with green or gray ; wings and tail dull blackish brown ;
white markings duller ; under parts grayish -white, more or less tinged
with yellow. Adult male in winter: similar to female in summer, but
wings and tail deep black, broadly and clearly marked with white. Adult
female in icinter : similar to summer plumage, but more tinged with
brownish, white markings broader and more tinged with huffy. Young:
similar to winter adults, but browner, wing markings and general suffusion
cinnamon ; shoulder patch mixed with black instead of unicolored as in thr
male. Male: length (skins) 4.26-4.70. wing 2.7S-2.96, tail 1.71-2.02, bill
.3S-.41. Female: length (skins) 4 27-4.70, "wing 2.59-2.79, tail 1.50-1.84,
bill .37-.41.

Distribution. — Breeds in Transition and Upper Souoran zones from the
southern British Provinces south to Kentucky and Kansas, east of the
Rocky Mountains : winters south to the Gulf of Mexico.

A est. --A neat cup-shaped structure of compactly woven plant fibers,
lined with down and other soft materials ; placed in tall bushes or low
trees. Eggs : 3 to 5. plain pale bluish or bluish white.

Food. — Larg'ely weed seed.

The goldfinches, or wild canaries, as they are popularly called in
their many forms, if not as cultivated songsters as their caged rela-
tives, have much sweeter call-notes and a happy round of their own.
Their indolent lisping notes have a tinge of sadness, but as they
raise their heads from a thistle or sunflower to give them, and then
flit lightly off and go sauntering in undulating flight through the
air the gentle-spirited birds seem as light-hearted as butterflies.

In their home life they are among the most charming of birds,
being tender, devoted males and watchful parents.

FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC.

321

Fig. 405. Goldfinch.

529a. A. t. pallidus (Mearns). PALE GOLDFINCH.

Adult male in summer. — Similar to tristis. but larger and paler, white
marking's of wings and tail more extended. Adult male in u~ inter : much
lighter than tristis. with tints purer and white more extended. Male:
length (skins) 4.30-5.09. wing- 2.81-3.08, tail 1.72-2.05. bill .3S-.43. Fe-
male: length (skins) 4.42-5.00. wing 2.71-2.92, tail 1.70-2.03, bill .39-.44.

Remarks. — The principal difference between pallidus and tristris is in
winter plumage.

Distribution. — Rocky Mountain plateau district from British Columbia
and Manitoba south to northern and eastern Mexico.

529b. A. t. salicamans (Grinn.). WILLOW GOLDFINCH.

Adult male in summer. — Except for shorter wings and tail scarcely
distinguishable from tristis ; black cap, if anything, not so extended and

322 FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC.

yellow not so intense ; the white edgings on wings worn off so there is
scarcely a trace of white left. Adult female in summer : much darker than
female of tristis, dull greenish yellow on throat instead of bright yellowish
green. Young: dark colored. Adult male in winter: similar to tristis,
but browner and with much broader wing markings; back dark olive
brown ; sides and flanks shaded with brown ; throat bright yellow, shad-
ing to dull green on breast and to pure white on belly. Adult female in
winter : similar to male, but wings, tail, and throat duller ; bill duskv.
Male: length (skins) 4.08-4.82, wing 2.60-2.89, tail 1.70-1.82, bill .39-.42.
Female: length (skins) 4.28-4.70, wing 2.63-2.72, tail 1.70-1.79, bill
.39-.42.

Distribution. — Pacific coast, from Washington south to Lower Cali-
fornia.

530. Astragalinus psaltria (tiay). ARKANSAS GOLDFINCH.
Adult male. — Under parts canary yellow ; crown, wings, and tail black ;

ear coverts and back plain olive ; wing quills
with a white patch at base ; tail feathers
with inner webs of all but middle pair white
from base to dark tips. Adult female : upper
parts plain dull olive green ; under parts

light greenish yellow ; head without black ; wings and tail as in male, but
black duller and white more restricted, sometimes obsolete on tail. Young :
similar to female, but tinged with buffy, and wing coverts tipped with
buff. Male: length (skins) 3.83-4.19, wing 2.45-2.55, tail 1.52-1.61, bill
.35-39. Female: length (skins) 3.8 1-4.23, wing 2.39-2.49, tail 1.48-1.64,
bill .3S-.39.

Remarks. — The subspecies of jjsaltria are easily distinguished from it in
the field by the amount of black on the back.

Distribution. — Breeds in Transition and Upper Sonoran zones in the
western United States from the Plains to the Pacific, and from Colorado
and southern Oregon south to San Pedro Martir Mountains, Lower Cali-
fornia ; in winter to Cape St. Lucas.
Nest and eggs like those of tristis.
Food. — Largely weed seed.

In southern California, Mr. Grinuell says, the Arkansas goldfinch
is not only abundant about gardens and orchards, but goes up to
6000 feet in the mountains. In Colorado, Mr. Cook states, 'it breeds
from the Plains to over 9000 feet. It is a late migrant there, scarcely
reaching northern Colorado before the middle of June, being a late
breeder like the other goldfinches.

530a. A. p. arizonae (Coues). ARIZONA GOLDFINCH.

Adult male. --Similar to psaltria, but ear coverts and back darker,
mixed olive and black. Adult female : similar to female psaltria. Male:
length (skins) 3.79-4.21, wing 2.52-2.61, tail 1.52-1.75, bill .35-.39. Fe-
male: length (skin) 3.82. wing 2.41, tail 1.50. bill .37.

Distribution. - - Breeds in Upper Sonoran zone of New Mexico and Ari-
zona, and from Utah and Colorado to northwestern Mexico; casual in Cali-
fornia.

530b. A. p. mexicanus (.s/ym/.s-.). MEXICAN GOLDFINCH.

Ail nit male. — Under parts wholly vivid canary yellow; top of head,

FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC.

323

40L Mexican Goldfinch.

ear coverts, and back solid glossy black, wings and tail heavily marked

with clear white. Adult female : similar to

psaltria and arizona>. Male : length (skins)

3.85-4.30 wing-, 2.44-2.70, tail 1.50-1.75, bill

.:57--.42. Female: length (skins) 4.01-4. ID,

wing 2.40-2.58, tail 1.50-1.69, bill .35-.40.

Distribution. — South from central Texas through Mexico, except ex-
treme northwestern and southern parts ; accidental in Colorado.

531. Astragalinus lawrencei (Cass.). LAWRENCE GOLDFINCH.

Adult male. — Face and throat as well as crown black : median under
parts yellow, surrounded by gray ; rump and
wings washed with greenish yellow. Adult
female: similar to male, but without black on
head or throat, and colors duller. In icinter :
both sexes colored as in summer, but colors
more subdued. Young : similar to adult female, but duller, and lower
parts indistinctly streaked. Male: length (skins) 3.92— 4.66, wing1 2.61-
2.76, tail 1.81-2.00, bill .31-.33. Female : length (skins) 4.04-4.50. wing
2.48-2.64, tail 1.66-1.87, bill .31-.35.

Distribution. -- Breeds in Upper and Lower Sonoran zones from about
latitude 40° in California, west of the Sierra Nevada, south to Lower Cali-
fornia ; occurs during winter in southwestern Arizona and New Mexico.

Eggs. — Pure white.

Food. — Largely weed seed, including that of the Russian thistle.

In Los Angeles County, California, Mr. Grinnell says liiwrencei is
found mainly on the mesa, in the mountain canyons, and pine for-
ests below 6000 feet. From December until the last of March small
flocks feed in weed patches along the banks of the arroyos.

GENUS SPINUS.

533. Spinus pinus (Wils.}. PINE SISKIN: PINE FINCH.

Similar to Astragalinus. but plumage streaked gray and brown, without
yellow or black except for yellow patches on wings and tail. Adults :
whole body finely streaked with brown, on brownish
ground above, on whitish below ; basal portions of seconda-
ries and tail feathers sulphur yellow. Young : upper parts
mustard yellow, tinged with brownish olive, feathers
streaked, except on belly ; wing bands and patches brown.
Male : length (skins) 4.20-4.85, wing 2.72-3.00, tail 1.57-
1.83, bill .38-.44. Female.: length (skins) 4.23-5.14, wing
2.63-2.97, tail 1.60-1.81, bill .30-.47.

Remarks. - - The siskin is easily recognized in the field, as the yellow
wing and tail patches show in flight.

Distribution. — Breeds in Canadian and Hudsonian zone forests in the
mountains of western North America, also in the northeastern United
States ; may occur in winter in almost any part of the United States and
Mexico.

Nest. — Usually rather flat though compactly made of fine twigs, root-
lets, and plant fibers, lined with fine rootlets and hair. Eggs : usually 3
or 4, pale greenish blue, speckled, chiefly around the larger end, with red-
dish brown, usually with a few small black markings.

Fig. 4U'J.

324 FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC.

The pine finch resembles the goldfinch in general, but its home is
in the evergreen mountain forests, and after the nesting season it
wanders erratically over the country in high-flying flocks, giving its
plaintive cha, cha, as it goes, and coming to earth when a weed
patch or the cones of an evergreen offer it a meal. It might easily
be mistaken for a striped sparrow, but as it spreads its wings and
tail to get its balance in feeding, the yellow patches identify it at a
glance. When disturbed at a meal the flocks often make short
circling flights, loath to give up their harvest.

In Colorado, Prof. Cooke says it is a common resident, abundant
along the foothills during migrations, and from 7000 feet to timber-
line in summer. Some stay near timberline through the winter,
but the bulk scatter over the lower valleys and plains. In southern
California Mr. Grinnell finds it irregularly in the willow regions
and lowlands in winter.

GENUS PASSER.

Passer domesticus (Linn.). ENGLISH SPARROW.

Form stout and stocky ; bill very stout, curved, side outlines bulging- to

near the end ; wing1 pointed ; tail shorter than
wings, nearly even ; feet small. Adult male : lores,

throat, and chest patch black ; rest of under parts

Fig. 410. Male. grayish ; top of head and ear coverts grayish, with
bright chestnut patches between eye and nape ; wing

with chestnut patch and two white bands ; rest of upper parts brown, back

streaked with black ; upper parts dull brown ;
under parts dull gray. Adult female : crown and

hind neck grayish brown or olive ; entire under

Fig. 411. Female. parts brownish white or gray ; back browner, less

refuscent than in male. Length : 5.50-6.25, wing
about 2.85-3.00, tail 2.35-2.50.

Distribution. — Europe in general, except Italy ; introduced and natural-
ized in Canada and the United States, from the Atlantic west to Utah and
New Mexico, with colonies in central California, Portland, Oregon, and
Seattle, Washington ; also Bahamas, Cuba, Bermudas, Nova Scotia, and
southern Greenland.

Nest. — About houses or in trees, bulky, made largely of dried grasses.
Eggs: 4 to 7, thickly spotted with dark brown and purplish.

"The introduction of the English sparrow is one of the most
familiar examples of acclimatization. Brought over to the United
States in 1850, the bird developed such a marvelous ability to
adapt itself to new surroundings and increased so rapidly that by
1870 it had gained a foothold in twenty states and the District of
Columbia, as well as in two provinces of Canada. At the present
time [1899] it is found in every state and territory except Alaska,
Arizona, .Montana, and Nevada." (Palmer.)

FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC. 325

GENUS PASSERINA.

534. Passerina nivalis (Linn.). SNOWFLAKE.

ruder mandible thicker than upper, gonys very short, nostrils concealed
by plumules ; wing- nearly five times as long1 as tarsus ; tail eraarginate,
about two thirds hidden by coverts ; hind claw about as long- as its toe.
curved. Adult male in summer : white, with black on bill, middle of back,
scapulars, greater part of primaries,
and four to six middle tail feathers.
Adult male in winter : washed with rusty
on upper parts, sides of head, and chest ;
bill yellow, with dusky tip. Adult fe- Fig. 412.

male in summer: upper parts broadly

streaked with black ; wing- and tail with black of male replaced by black-
ish brown ; wing- with much less white. Adult female in winter : like sum-
mer female, but upper parts more or less stained with rusty brown and
feathers of back more edg-ed with buff y. Young : under parts dull whit-
ish ; upper parts gray ; wings and tail mainly dusky and brown ; white of
wing- much restricted. Male: length (skins) 5.85-7/21, wing- 4.19-4.58.
tail 2.40-2.91, bill .3S-.45. Female: length (skins) 5.95-6.62, wing 3. 90-
4.10, tail 2.39-2.62, bill .S8-.43.

Remarks. — The September birds may be distinguished by feathers of
head, nape, and rump, which are basally white in the male, basally black
in the female.

Distribution. — Breeds in the arctic regions of the northern hemisphere ;
in North America south in winter to the northern United States, irregu-
larly to Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Colorado, and Oregon.

Nest. — On ground, composed of dried grasses, lined with finer grasses
and feathers. Eggs: usually 5, whitish, varying- from dull purplish to
greenish, speckled chiefly on larger end with shades of brown, usually
with a few small black markings.

Food. — Largely weed seed, grass seed, and refuse grain in winter, and
small crustaceans, mollusks, insects, and seeds in summer.

" The snowflake is a well known summer bird in all the circum-
polar regions, and none of the various arctic expeditions have ex-
tended their explorations beyond the points where this handsome
species is found. It chooses indifferently the bleak shores of the
arctic islands encircled by an icy sea, or the warmer shores to the
south as far as the Aleutian Islands, and nearly as far on the
opposite Siberian shore of Bering Sea. Although it rears its young
far from the usual haunts of man, it passes to the south and is one
of the most familiar and well-known birds through the northern
states." (Nelson.)

GENUS CALCARIUS.

General Characters. — Bill small, acutely conical, deeper than broad at
base ; nostrils exposed ; wing long, pointed ; tail more than half hidden
by pointed upper coverts ; hind claw about length of its toe. slender, and
nearly straight.

32G FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC.

KEY TO SPECIES OF CALCARICS.

1. Tail feathers chiefly white at base ornatus, p. 328.

1'. Tail feathers chiefly dusky at base.

'2. Inner web of outer tail feather chiefly white . . . pictus, p. 327.
2 . Inner web of outer tail feather chiefly dusky.

3. Darker lappoiiicus, p. 326.

3'. Paler alascensis, p. 327.

536. Calcarius lapponicus (Linn.). LAPLAND LONGSPUR.

Inner web of outer tail feather chiefly dusky. Adult male in summer:

fore parts black, contrasting strikingly with
white of belly, and white or buffy line from
eye to hind neck ; hind neck deep rufous ; back
streaked black, brown, buffj7, and whitish ;
Fig. 413. Summer male. wingg dusky, with brown and whitish edg-
ings ; tail chiefly blackish brown. Adult male in winter : black area and
rufous nape patch greatly restricted, and more or less obscured by white

or brownish tips to feathers ; sides of head
mainly light brownish. Adult female in sum-
mer : like winter male but smaller, markings
sharper, black of chest more restricted, and
hind neck streaked with blackish. Adult female

in winter : similar to summer female, but browner and less sharply streaked
above ; hind neck often without trace of rufous ; under parts dingy white,
chest markings only suggested. Young : upper parts tawny buff, broadly
streaked with black except for wings and tail ; under parts pale buffy.
throat, chest, and sides broadly streaked with black. Male: length (skins)
:>.<i8-6.SO, wing 3.55-3.96, tail 2.35-2.62, bill .41-.48. Female: length
(skins) 5.34-6.20, wing 3.45-3.63, tail 2.30-2.55, bill .41-.45.

Remarks. - -The long, nearly straight hind claw distinguishes this genus
and Rhynchophanes from the other Fringillidce, and the black-tipped tail
marks off Rhynchophanes. In Calcarius the white breast and belly distin-
guish the Lapland from the buff -breasted Smith longspur.

Distribution. — Breeds far north in the northern hemisphere ; migrates
in North America south to Texas, but most abundantly to Kansas and
Colorado.

Nest. — On ground, composed mainly of dried grasses, lined largely with
feathers. Eggs: 3 to 6, dull whitish, spotted or speckled with brown.

Food. — Insects such as weevils, grasshoppers, and beetles ; locust eggs,
weed seed, and grain.

The Lapland longspurs reach Colorado in October, Prof. Cooke
states, going up into the lower mountain parks at first but descend-
ing to the plains when severe weather comes.

Colonel Goss says that they wander over the prairies and treeless
plains of Kansas in enormous flocks, subsisting on seeds of weeds
and grasses. In looking for food, he says, "they skim over the
ground in a wavy, zigzag form, and on alighting run swiftly and
heedlessly about, squatting close to the ground at the near approach
of an intruder and remaining motionless, hoping to be passed un-
observed. When started they rise in a quick, uncertain manner."
which prairie falcons and other enemies often take advantage of.

FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC. 327

"dashing in and striking down many of the birds before the flock is
well under headway."

In their summer home, Mr. Nelson says the lougspuris "a widely
spread circumpolar bird, whose presence is recorded from nearly
• •very point visited by explorers along the shores of the arctic coast.
. . . When they arrive early in May/' he adds, " the ground is still
largely covered with snow with the exception of grassy spots along-
southern exposures and the more favorably situated portions of the
tundra, and here may be found these birds in all the beauty of their
elegant summer dress. The males, as if conscious of their handsome
plumage, choose the tops of the only breaks in the monotonous level,
which are small rounded knolls and tussocks. The male utters its
song as it flies upward from one of these knolls, and when it reaches
the height of ten or fifteen yards it extends the points of its wings
upwards, forming a large V-shaped figure, and floats gently to the
ground, uttering, as it slowly sinks, its liquid tones, which fall in
tinkling succession upon the ear, and are perhaps the sweetest
notes that one hears during the entire springtime in these regions."

536a. C.I. alascensis Ridgw. ALASKAN LONGSPUR.

Similar to the Lapland longspur. but decidedly paler, especially in
winter ; summer adults with ground color of upper parts light buffy gray-
ish brown, with little if any rusty tinge, even on wings ; and the black
streaks relatively narrower. Male: length (skins) 5.75-6.55. wing 3.59-
3.92, tail 2.30-2.68, bill .41-.49. Female: length (skins) 0.34-6.25. wing
:;.39-3.67, tail 2.19-2.48, bill .40-.47.

Distribution. - - Breeds in Alaska, migrating in the United States to
Nevada. Colorado, and western Kansas.

537. Calcarius pictus (Swains.). SMITH LONGSPUR.

Inner web of outer tail feather chiefly white. Adult male in summer:
top and sides of head black marked with three
white stripes — behind eye. across ear coverts,
and down sides of neck ; hind neck and entire

under parts brownish buff', bind neck streaked Fig 4]- ^umraer male.
with black ; rest of upper parts streaked buffy

brown and black. Adult male in winter: black of head replaced by
streaked brownish, like rest of upper parts : throat and chest also more or
less streaked. Adult female in summer : like winter male, but smaller,
paler, and grayer, and without clear black or white on wing- coverts ; entire
upper parts streaked brown and blackish. In winter, similar, but more
buffy. Young : similar to winter adults, but marking's wanting- or obscure,
entire under parts yellowish brown or buffy ; throat obscurely streaked ;
tail white only on two or three outer feathers. Male : length (skins) 5.84-
(5.81, wing- 3.40-3.79. tail 2.33-2.71. bill .40-.44. Female.: length (skins)
5.53-5.76, wing 3.41-3.54, tail 2.1S-2.32. bill .40-.45.

Distribution. — Interior of Nortb America, breeding north to the arctic
coast and migrating in the United States to Texas and southern Arizona.

Eggs. — Like those of the Lapland longspur, but averaging lighter, the
whitish distinctly spotted style prevailing.

Food. — In winter largely weed seed.

328 FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC.

In winter, Colonel Goss says, the Smith lougspur is often asso-
ciated with other species of lougspurs and horned larks. "Their
favorite resorts," he states, "are along old trails and abandoned
wagon roads upon the prairies, where the grass is short."

538. Calcarius ornatus (Toivns.). CHESTNUT-COLLARED LONG-

SPUK.

Tail feathers with bases of all but middle pair white. Adult male in

summer : throat and sides of head white or buffy,
in striking contrast to black under j)^rts ; black
sometimes invaded by reddish brown ; upper
parts with black crown, marking's on sides of
Fig. 41G. Summer male. head ftnd shoulder patch . nape bright rufous ;

rest of upper parts streaked ; in full plumage shoulder patch deep black
tipped with white. Adult male in u- inter : similar, but black and rufous

obscured or concealed by brownish or buffy tips
to feathers. Adult female: buffy brownish,
streaked with blackish on upper parts and some-
times lightly streaked on breast and belly.

41T" Plumage softer and colors more blended in

winter. Young: blackish feathers bordered with whitish and brownish;
wing coverts tipped with whitish ; superciliary indistinct ; ear coverts
streaked ; throat white, flecked with dusky ; rest of under parts dull buff,
streaked, especially on breast. Male : length (skins) 4.63-5.89, wing 3.20-
3.55, tail 2.00-2.39, bill .3S-.44. Female: length (skins) 4.67-5.64. wing
2.1)7-3.33, tail 1.89-2.25, bill .39-.43.

Itemarks. — The female is an obscure bird, but may be recognized by its
generic characters and extensively white tail.

Distribution. --Breeds in Transition and Upper Sonoran zones on the
Plains from Assiniboia to Kansas ; winters from Nebraska south through
Texas. New Mexico, and Arizona, to Orizaba. Mexico.

Ne*t. — On ground, made largely of dried grasses, lined with feathers.
Eggs : 3 to 6, white, tinged with pink, buff, or green ; distinctly spotted
with blackish or shades of brown.
Food. — Largely weed seed.

In a list of the birds of Fort Hays, Kansas, Dr. Allen states that
the chestnut-collared is abundant over the plains, being " one of the
most interesting and characteristic species." He adds that it has a
"short, shrill, but very sweet song, which is often uttered on the
wing."

Flocks of several hundred have been seen by Mr. Bailey in south-
ern Arizona in October and November.

GENUS RHYNCHOPHANES.

539. Rhynchophaiies mccownii (Lairr.). McCowN LONGSPUR.

Hill stout, conical; nasal plumules nearly concealing nostrils; wings

nearly five times as long as tarsus ; tail more
than half hidden by pointed coverts ; tarsus
longer than middle toe with claw : hind claw
about equal to its toe. nearly straight ; tail
Fig- 418. feathers, except middle pair, white broadly

FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC. 329

tipped with black — outer feather almost entirely white. Adult male in
summer : crown black in sharp contrast to white superciliary ; shoulder patch
reddish brown ; back brownish gray, streaked with black ; sides of head and
throat whitish, with black streak from bill along-side of throat ; chest tcith
black crescent ic patch ; rest of under parts white, more or less mixed with
black, especially on sides. Adult male in winter: upper parts uniform brown-
ish buff, streaked with blackish brown ; black of chest largely hidden by
buffy tips to feathers. Adult female : like winter male, but without black
chest patch or rufous shoulder patch, brownish above and buffy below ; in
summer grayer above and whiter below. Young : upper parts dusky, the
feathers broadly bordered with pale buff ; under parts white, distinctly
washed with buff across chest, chest sometimes indistinctly streaked. Male :
length (skins) 5.26-5.71, wing 3.50-3.09, tail 1.90-2.20, bill .44-.52. Fe-
male: length (skins) 5.02-5.41, wing 3.15-3.42, tail 1.80- 1.98, bill .42-.4T.

Distribution. — Breeds on the interior plains from the Saskatchewan
south to eastern Nebraska ; winters south through Texas and Arizona to
northern Mexico.

Nest. — On ground in open places, composed largely of dried grasses,
lined usually with hair and feathers. Eggs : 3 to 6. similar to those of
the chestnut-collared lougspur, but usually with ground color more olive.

Food. — Largely weed seed.

The habits of Rhynchophdnes are very similar to those of the other
longspurs. When disturbed at a meal they circle in undulating
flight uttering, Colonel Goss says, 'a chip note at each stroke of the
wing.' In the breeding season they have a flight song like that of
the Lapland longspur, hovering with wings pointed almost straight
upwards.

GENUS POCECETES.

General Characters. — Bill small, conical ; wing long and pointed ; tail
emarginate ; tarsus longer than middle toe with claw.

KEY TO SPECIES.

1. Larger, coloration grayer above. Plains to Pacific . COiifinis. p. 329.
1'. Smaller, coloration browner above. In California and Oregon.

affinis, p. 330.

540a. Pooecetes gramineus confinis Baird. WESTERN VES-
PER SPARROW.

Upper parts brownish gray narrowly streaked with dusky ; bend of u-ing
reddish brown; outer tail feathers partly white; under parts
dull white, more or less tinged with pale buffy ; streaked
along sides of throat and across chest. Male : length
Fig. 419. (skms) 5.50-6.25. wing 3.12-3.41, tail 2.49-2.70, bill .43-
.46. Female : length (skins) 5.21-6.00, wing 3.00-3.30, tail 2.27-2.68, bill
.41-.49.

Remarks. — The western vesper sparrow may be distinguished from the
eastern by its grayer color, narrower streaks, and usually more slender bill
and longer wing and tail.

Distribution. — Upper Sonoran and Transition zones from the Plains to
the Pacific, and from British Columbia, Assiniboia, and Manitoba south to
Lower California and southern Mexico. Breeds from northern New Mexico
and Arizona northward.

330 FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC.

Nest. — On the ground, made of grass. Eggs : 3 to 0, greenish or brown-
ish white, spotted, and often blotched, and streaked with reddish brown
and lavender.

In the San Francisco Mountain country, Dr. Mearns says the west-
ern vesper sparrow is a common summer resident in the upper pines,
and was found breeding in the grassy openings up to 10,000 feet.
It is also common in the sagebrush districts, and in settled parts of
the west is commonly seen on roadside fences. It may be recognized
by its white outer tail feathers as it flies, or, as it sits on a post, by
its dull coloration and pale bay shoulder patches.

When it flies to the ground it is lost in the dry grass or disappears
on bare ground, so perfectly do its dull streaks and rnottlings blend
with the earth colors.

In spring and early summer the vesper sparrow perches on a post
or tall weed and trolls over his sweet, simple song at regular inter-
vals for hours at a time. At its best, at sunset, the song has a rich,
serene melody.

540b. P. g. affinis Miller. OREGON VESPER SPARROW.

Like con/i?ii's,but smaller, bill more slender, coloration browner; ground
color of upper parts biiffy brown rather than grayish brown, and all the
light areas of the plumage, including under side of wings, suffused with
pinkish buff. Male : length (skins) 5.17-5.55, wing 2.90-3.15, tail 2.08-
2.38, bill .40-.45. Female : length (skins) 5.04-5.65, wing 2.85-3.00. tail
2.20-2.27, bill .40-.46.

Distribution. — Breeds in California and western Oregon.

GENUS AMMODRAMUS.

General Characters. — Tail feathers narrow, the middle ones, at least,
pointed ; primaries exceeding secondaries by less than length of tarsus ;
middle toe with claw not shorter than tarsus.

KEY TO SPKCIES.

•",

1 . Tail rounded or graduated.

2. Nape marked with rusty brown.

3. Median crown stripe pale buff y ; back streaked with rusty and black.

leconteii, p. 335.

3'. Median crown stripe slaty gray ; back streaked with chalky white.

nelsoni. p. 335.
2'. Nape marked with olive.

3. Back rusty brown streaked with black . occidentalis. p. 334.
3'. Back grayish olive streaked with chalky white and dusky.

sermetti, p. 3:!.").

1'. Tail emarginate.

2. Hind toe little if any longer than inner toe ; wing exceeding tail by
decidedly more than length of tarsus ; tail feathers broader, less
sharp pointed.

3. Upper parts not distinctly streaked or spotted . rostratus. p. 33:!.
.'!'. Upper parts distinctly streaked or spotted.

FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC. 331

4. Upper parts olivaceous. Coast of southern California.

beldingi, p. 33:.'.
4'. Upper parts grayish or grayish brown.

5. Larger. Alaska ; south along Pacific coast in winter.

saiidwicheiisis, p. 331.
5'. Smaller.

6. Paler and grayer. Western North America.

alaudinus, p. 332.

6'. Darker and browner. Coast of central California in summer.

bryanti, p. 332.

2'. Hind toe decidedly longer than inner toe ; wing exceeding tail by
little more than length of tarsus ; tail feathers narrower, more
sharp pointed.
3. Edge of wing white ; head and neck yellowish brown or buffy.

bairdii, p. 333.

3'. Edge of wing yellow ; head not yellowish brown or buffy : nape
rufous . bimaculatus, p. 334.

Subgenus Passerculus.

Hind toe little if any longer than inner toe ; wing exceeding tail by
decidedly more than length of tarsus ; tail feathers broader, less sharply
pointed.

542. Ammodramus sandwichensis (GW.). SANDWICH SPAR-
ROW.

Adults. — Crown stripe and superciliary well marked, and superciliary

usually decidedly yellow ; upper parts
grayish brown, heavily streaked with
black, the streaks in sharp contrast
to feather edgings of whitish, grayish.
__ or buffy ; under parts white, some-

.0() times, especially in fall and winter,

tinged with buffy on sides and chest ;
sides of throat, chest, sides, and flanks streaked with blackish ; longer under
tail coverts with concealed streaks. Young : similar, but light streaks of
upper parts buffy. dark streaks of lower parts less defined, superciliary
usually without yellow, and finely streaked with dusky. Male : length
(skins) 4.93-5.75, wing 2.92-3.14, tail 2.00-2.20. bill .44-.50. Female:
length (skins) 4.8S-5.74, wing 2.70-3.0(>, tail 1.85.-2.10, bill .44-.50.

Remarks. — The sandicichensis group is distinguished by black streaks
on upper parts in connection with distinct superciliary and median crown
stripe, and streaks on under tail coverts being concealed. The exposed
culmen is also longer than hind toe without claw, and wing less than seven
times as long as exposed culmen, the bill straight or even concave in the
middle.

Distribution. — Northwest coast, from Alaska to the Columbia River,
rarely to northern California.

Nest. — On the ground, in meadows or other grassy places. Eggs : 3 to
6, pale brownish, varying to dull whitish or greenish white, spotted with
brown, occasionally with a few darker marks.
Food. — Insects, and weed and grass seed.

In Alaska Mr. Nelson found the Sandwich sparrow mainly on
rocky beaches, though it also frequented grassy flats. He describes

332 FIXCHES, SPARROWS, ETC.

its song as a "short, weak succession of notes, somewhat similar to
those of

542b. A. s. alaudinus (Bonap.). WESTERN SAVANNA SPARROW.

Similar to sandwickensis, but smaller and averaging' grayer, superciliary
stripe often white. Male : length (skins) 4.50-5.58. wing 2.50-3.06, tail
1.80-2.25, bill .3S-.43. Female: lengtli (skins) 4.50-5.20. wing 2.56-2.87,
tail 1.7(>-±10, bill .3S-.45.

Distribution. — Breeds from the Plains to the Pacific coast, and from the
arctic coast to southern end of Mexican tablelands ; in winter south to
highlands of Guatemala.

Among the many inconspicuous, plain, little striped-backed spar-
rows of the western United States, <tl«i«linu.8 is one of the common-
est, plainest, and most inconspicuous. Anywhere in the meadows,
prairie grass, or weed patches, one may dart out from under your
feet, zigzag over the grass-tops for a little way, and drop into the
grass, hopelessly lost until he is again forced to take wing. At a
distance you see and hear the birds giving their plain little song
from the top of a tall weed or fence stake, but on nearer approach
they drop into the grass and are lost. While really abundant they
often escape notice until you tramp ' cross lots' through the meadows.

YEKXON BAILEY.

542c. A. s. bryanti Eidgw. BRYANT MARSH SPARROW.

Like sandicichensis, but darker and browner, with under parts more
heavily streaked with black, and in winter plumage, chest, and sides
strongly tinged with brownish buff. Male : length (skins) 4.53-5.00, wing
2.51-2.80. tail 1.74-2.00, bill .40-.45. Female: length (skins) 440-4.65,
wing 2.47 -2.69, tail 1.70-1.U2. bill .40-43.

Distribution. — Breeds in salt marshes about San Francisco Bay ; south
in winter along the coast to southern California ; occasional in winter in
Valley of Mexico.

543. Ammodramus beldingi Eidgw. BELDINU MARSH SPAR-
ROW.

Adults. — Median crown stripe and superciliary usually very indistinct
or wanting ; ground color of upper parts olivaceous, streaked with black
very broadly on back ; lower parts thickly and broadly streaked with
black ; fore part of superciliary stripe olivaceous yellow ; umtt-r tail coverts
with concealed stnuk*. Young : similar, but upper parts with more huffy;
dusky streaks of lower parts less sharply defined, and superciliary finely
streaked and usually without yellow. M^a/t •: length (skins) 4.54-5.50.
wing 2.52-2.S2. tail 1.85-2.00, hill .41-.50. Female: length (skins) 4.35-
5.50, wing 2.40-2.66, tail 1.67-1.*.°.. bill .40-.45.

Eemarks. - - The Belding sparrow may be distinguished from the sand-
trirfn nsis group by tin1 absence of distinct superciliary and crown stripes,
and darker general coloration.

Distribution. — Salt marshes along coast of southern and Lower Califor-
nia from Santa Barbara to San Qucntin Bay and Todos Santos Island.

Nest. — In salt grass about 6 inches from the ground ; made of straws
and horsehair or feathers. Eggs : usually 3. light blue, irregularly marked
with lilac and reddish brown at larger end or over entire surface.

FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC. 333

The Belding marsh sparrow is an abundant resident of the salt
water marshes along the coast of southern California, nesting in the
marsh grass just above the reach of the tide.

544. Ammodramus rostratus Cass. LARGE-BILLED SPARROW.

L'/iper parts light grayish broirn. indistinctly streaked ; under parts exten-
sively streaked with sandy brown ; bill
long and su:ollen and regularly rtirnd
from base. Male: length (skins) 5.10-
o.70. wing 2.72-2.112, tail 1.1)5-2.17,
bill .48— .54. Female : length (skins)
0.20-5.70. wing 2.52-2.83, tail l.S:1,- Fig. t'l.

2.14, bill .42-.51.

Remarks. — The large bill and nearly uniform light brown coloration of
upper parts distinguish this sparrow from the rest of the group.

Distribution. — Breeds in salt marshes on the coast of southern and
Lower California ; migrates to Cape St. Lucas and northwestern Mexico.

Mr. Stephens reports that the large-billed sparrow is a common
winter resident of the seacoast of southern California, where it is
seldom found more than half a mile from the water's edge, but that
it prefers streets and the neighborhood of buildings to marshes. In
San Pedro Harbor, Mr. Grinnell tells us, it "frequents the wharves
and breakwaters, and even hops fearlessly about the decks of vessels,
feeding on crumbs and flics."

Subgenus Centronyx.

Hind toe decidedly longer than inner toe ; wing exceeding tail by little
more than length of tarsus ; tail feathers narrow, sharp pointed.

545. Ammodramus bairdii (And.). BAIRD SPARROW.

Adults. — Head yellowish brown or buffy. crown streaked with black
laterally ; back light brown, spotted with black, feathers with light edgings ;
under parts white, throat bordered by
black stripes ; chest, sides, and flanks
streaked with black ; tail deeply emargi-
nate. the lateral feathers long'est. the
feathers all narrow and pointed at tip.

Young : similar, but feathers of crown p^ 499.

and back distinctly bordered with buffy
and streaks on chest less sharply defined. In n-inter the buffy color more
pronounced than in summer, strongly tinging chest, and sides. Male :
length (skins) 4.80-5.40. wing 2.80-2.86, tail 2.0.5-2.10, bill .41-.43. Fe-
male: length (skins) 4.0.5-4.95, wing 2.CO-2.70, tail l.DO-2.10. bill AO-A'2.

Remarks. — The feathers of the members of the subgenus Passerculus
are streaked, the dark center of the feather being a narrow shaft streak ;
but in A. bairdii and others of the sharp-tailed group the darkest part of
the feather instead of being a line is a wide stripe, an oval, or a terminal
eye spot, narrowly and quite uniformly bordered with lighter, giving an
effect of spotting rather than streaking.

Distribution. — Breeds from the Saskatchewan plains to Nebraska and
migrates through Colorado. Texas. New Mexico, and Arizona, to northwest-
ern Mexico ; casually westward to Washington.

334 FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC.

Nest. — On ground in open situations, composed of dried grasses. Eggs :
3 to 5, whitish, varying in tint, and spotted with reddish brown and lined
with black.

In North Dakota, Dr. Fisher has found the Baird sparrow common
in " low depressions of the prairie where the high grass has been left
standing. "

Subgenus Coturniculus.

Tail weak, of narrow lanceolate feathers ; wing short, with inner sec-
ondaries reaching nearly to tip when closed, seventh secondary much the
longest.

546a. Ammodramus savannarum bimaculatus (Swains.).

WESTERN GRASSHOPPER SPARROW.

Adults in summer. -- Under parts buffy on throat and sides, unmarked ;
upper parts reddish brown, black, gray, and buffy ; crown with median

buffy stripe between two blackish stripes ;
nuchal patch ash gray, marked with reddish
brown ; feathers of back with black eye spots
nicked wkh reddish brown ; edge of wing
Fig. 423. yellow ; tail double rounded and feathers

sharp pointed. Adults in winter: brighter colored, chest and sides sometimes
indistinctly streaked with brown. Young: with little or no reddish brown
on vipper parts, the feathers being more conspicuously bordered with buffy
and whitish ; median crown stripe more ashy ; lower parts entirely dull
buffy whitish, chest distinctly streaked with dusky. Male : length (skins)
4.20-5.10, wing 2.25-2.61, tail 1.69-2.02, bill .40-.46. Female: length
(skins) 4.40-4.85, wing 2.39-2.51, tail 1.82-2.00, bill .40-.44.

Distribution. — Breeds in the western United States from the Plains to
the Pacific coast, from British Columbia, Dakota, and Montana south to
southern California and Arizona ; migrates to Cape St. Lucas, Lower Cali-
fornia, and Central America.

Nest. — On ground, bulky, with deep cavity, often more or less arched
over on top, and composed of dried grasses. Eggs : 3 to 5, white, spotted,
chiefly on larger end, with reddish brown, sometimes mixed with a few
small black markings and touches of lilac gray.

The western grasshopper sparrow lives in grassy fields, where it
often sings from the top of a tall weed for an hour at a time. When
startled, instead of flying, it drops down and runs off through the
grass. Like most members of the genus Ammodramus, Dr. Judd
says, it feeds much less on vegetable matter than most other spar-
rows. "Insects form their staple diet, and of these, beetles, grass-
hoppers, and caterpillars are the most important. As a destroyer
of insect pests the grasshopper sparrow is most efficient."

547a. Ammodramus henslowii occidentalis Brewst. WEST-
ERN HENSLOW SPARROW.

Adults. - - Top of head and nape grayish olive, head with two broad
stripes of black spots, nape more finely and sparsely spotted ; feathers of
back with coarse median streaks of black, bordered with pale chestnut,
changing to a broad grayish margin ; under parts dull white, breast and

FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC. 335

sides finely streaked, flanks more broadly ; sides of head buffy white, with
a touch of yellow above the eye ; two narrow black stripes from bill, and
one back of eye ; shoulders tinged with greenish yellow and bend of wing-
yellowish white. Length: (skins) 4.50-4.59, wing 2.12-2.13, tail 1.88-1.90,
bill .45-.4S.

Distribution. — South Dakota in summer, and probably other regions
along the eastern border of the Plains.

548. Amniodramus leconteii (A ud.). LECONTE SPARROW.

Adults. — Crown with two blackish stripes in sharp contrast to buffy
and grayish median stripe ; sides of head and superciliary buffy or yellow-
ish brown ; hind neck chestnut, feathers edged with grayish ; rest of upper
parts brownish, marked strikingly with blackish and buffy, the feathers
black, notched with grayish, with rufous and buffy cream U-shaped
edgings ; throat, breast, and sides buffy ; belly white ; sides and flanks
streaked ; bill small and slender ; tail graduated. Young : much more
buffy. deeper above, paler beneath, body streaked with blackish, more
narrowly on under parts. Male: length (skins) 4.15-4.74, wing 1.94-2.12,
tail 1.81-2.05. bill .33-.40. Female: length (skins) 4.35-5.00, wing- 1.93-
2.10. tail 1.83-2.20. bill .33-39.

/ 'istribution. — Breeds in prairie marshes of Transition and Upper
Sonoran zones, from Assiniboia and Manitoba southeast to Indiana ; win-
ters in the southern states ; accidental in Idaho.

Nest. — Near the ground in dense fallen grass, made of grass, cup-
shaped. Eggs : 4 or 5, pale greenish white, heavily spotted with reddish
brown and lavender.

Subgenus Ammodramus.

Tail rounded, feathers sharp pointed ; wing short and
rounded, secondaries nearly even.

Fig. 424.

549.1. Ammodramus nelsoni (Allen). NELSON SPARROW.

Adults. — Superciliary bright buff, sharply contrasting with dark brown
or blackish sides of crown ; middle of crown, back of head, and hind neck
gray, more or less mixed with rusty ; middle of back dark brown, strikingly
marked with chalky white streaks ; edge of wing yellow ; tail rounded ;
under parts white, sides of throat, chest, and sides washed with buffy or
yellowish brown, and indistinctly streaked with darker. Young : upper
parts dull yellowish brown ; sides of crown chiefly black ; back broadly
streaked with black : under parts buff, streaked on chest with dusky.
Male: length (skins) 4.50-4.90, wing 2.10-2.48. tail 1.80-2.07, bill .40-.42-
Female : length, (skins) 4.40-4.80, wing 2.05-2.20, tail 1.70-1.90. bill .40-
.42.

Distribution. — Breeds in prairie marshes of the interior from Manitoba
to northern Illinois ; migrates to the Atlantic coast, and winters south to
Gulf coast of Texas ; accidental in California.

Eggs. — Similar to those of leconteii.

Food. --Insects, especially leaf-hoppers, midges, and horseflies, together
with weed seed.

550b. Ammodramus maritimus sennetti Allen. TEXAS

SEASIDE SPARROW.

A Id nits. — Upper parts olive gray, streaked with black and whitish ; lores
and edge of wing bright yellow ; throat white ; rest of under parts grayish

336 FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC.

or buffy, faintly streaked with gray. Young : upper parts grayish brown,
streaked with black ; under parts pale fulvous white, strongest on sides of
neck and flanks. Male : length (skins) 5.20-5.50, wing 2.30-2.42, tail
1.92-2.27, bill .50-. 53. Female : length (skins) 4.95-5.40, wing 2.15-2.30,
tail 2.00-2.15, bill .49-. 52.

Distribution. — Coast of Texas.

Eggs. — 3 or 4, pale greenish white, finely spotted over entire surface
and wreathed around larger end with reddish brown and plum color.

GENUS CHONDESTES.

General Characters. — Bill conical ; wing long and pointed ; tail long,
rounded ; tarsus about twice as long as exposed culnien.

KEY TO SPECIES.

1. Averaging darker and grayer grammacus, p. 336.

1'. Averaging paler and browner strigatus, p. 336.

552. Chondestes grammacus (Say). LARK SPARROW.

Similar to the western lark sparrow, but averaging darker and grayer,
with black streaks on back broader and chestnut on head rather darker ;
wings and tail shorter. Male : length (skins) 5.50-6.40, wing 3.23-3.69,
tail 2.54-3.08, bill .41-.48. Female : length (skins) 5.80-6.15, wing 3.20-
3.38, tail 2.54-2.70, bill .44-.47.

Distribution. — Breeds in Upper Sonoran zone in southern Ontario and
through the Mississippi Valley region to Texas and Alabama ; and from
Ohio west to western Nebraska ; casually to Atlantic coast and (during
migration) Florida.

Nest and eggs like those of strigatus.

55 2 a. C. g strigatus (Swains.). WESTERN LARK SPARROW.

Adults. — Sides of head ivith chestnut patch and black and white streaks ;
crown chestnut, with white or buffy median stripe ; rest of upper parts
brownish gray, the back streaked with blackish ; tail blackish brown with
white corners, all but middle feathers tipped with white ; under parts white,
with a small black central spot on breast. Young : without chestnut patch
or black and white streaks on head ; entire upper parts buffy or brownish,
streaked ; chest with wedge-shaped blackish streaks. Male : length (skins)
5.60-6.60, wing :;.20-3.62, tail 2.52-3.00, bill .41-.54. Female: length
(skins) 5.50-C..75, wing :}. 12-3.51, tail 2.40-2.81, bill .42-.51.

Distribution. -- Breeds in Transition and Upper Sonoran zones, from
British Columbia and Manitoba south to the plateau of Mexico, and from
the plains to California ; migrates to Guatemala.

Nest. - - On ground or in bushes or trees, sometimes in mistletoe or
mesquite, made of dried grasses, plant stems, and fibers. Eggs : 3 to 6,
white, sometimes with a faint bluish or brownish tinge, speckled and lined
chiefly on larger end with black and brown.

Food . — Grasshoppers, locusts, and weevils, with seeds of weeds and
grass, and waste grain.

The lark sparrow is one of the commonest, most familiar western
birds, seeming equally at home when Avalking over the smooth lawn
of a Pasadena millionaire, singing from the top of the sagebrush, or
perching on a Spanish bayonet on a rocky Texas mesa.

WESTERN LARK SPARROW

FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC. 337

As lie sits he has a trick of raising his crown every few minutes,
calling especial attention to his directive face marking, and the
moment he flies his white tail crescent shows conspicuously.

He is much in evidence, not only from his abundance and his con-
spicuous markings but from his musical song, which is heard almost
continuously wherever he is found. The song is long and varied and
has a purring phrase which is especially characteristic. Like the
house finch he sings with fine fervor when dancing before his mate
with spread tail and quivering wings.

GENUS ZONOTRICHIA.

General Characters. — Bill small, compressed, conical ; tail nearly or quite
as long1 as wing, slightly rounded ; tarsus not more than a third the length
of tail.

KEY TO ADULT MALES.

1. Top of head wholly black or mottled querula, p. 337.

1'. Top of head striped.

2. Crown with yellow patch coronata, p. 339

2'. Crown striped black and white.

3. Throat with white patch albicollis. p. 340.

3'. Throat without white patch.

4. Lores black leucophrys, p. 338.

4'. Lores not black.

5. Back ashy, marked with brown .... ganibelii. p. 331).
5 . Back olivaceous, marked with blackish . . nuttalli. p. 339.

553. Zonotrichia querula (Nutt.). HARRIS SPARROW.

Adults. — Top of head and throat solid black, black streaking down
over middle of breast ; rest of under parts
white; sides and flanks buff y brown, streaked
with darker brown : upper parts brown :
back and scapulars streaked with blackish ;
wings with two white bars. Young, ^first

plumage (described by Preble) : upper parts blackish, feathers edged with
buffy and brown : wing- quills edged with buffy and brown : tail feathers
edged and tipped with whitish ; sides of head and under parts buffy :
malar stripe conspicuous : chest and sides streaked with black. Male :
length (skins) 6.46-7.33. wing 3.43-3.60. tail 3.14-3.3$. bill .50-52. Fe-
male: length (skins) 6.66-6.95. wing 3.15-3.35. tail 3.04-3.16, bill .4S-.51.

Remarks. — Some specimens have black throat patch and crown feath-
ers tipped with grayish. Mr. Ridgway thinks these may be young birds.

Distribution. — Interior of British America (Fort Churchill and Hudson
Bay), wintering south over the interior plains to southern Texas; acci-
dental in British Columbia and Oregon.

The breeding range of the Harris sparrow is unknown except for
Mr. Treble's Fort Churchill record. The last of July among the
dwarf spruces of Fort Churchill he found an adult male and female
with young just from the nest.1

1 " Biological Investigation of Hudson Bay Region." By Edw. A. Preble. Fauna 2'2,
Biol. SUIT.

338

FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC.

The habits of the Harris sparrow are largely common to those of
the genus. In describing them Colonel Goss says : ' ' The birds
inhabit the thickets bordering streams and the edges of low wood-
lands. They are usually met with in small flocks. A favorite resort
is in and about the brush heaps, where the laud is being cleared.
They seldom mount high in the trees, but keep near the ground,
upon which they hunt and scratch among the leaves for seeds and
insect life.

" They commence singing early in the spring, and upon warm,
sunshiny days their song can be heard almost continually, as one
after the other pours forth its pleasing, plaintive, whistling notes, in
musical tone much like the white-throated sparrow, but delivered
in a widely different song." Prof. Cooke says that in addition to
their albicollis whistle they have a 'queer, chuckling note.' (See
Cooke on " Distribution and Migration of Zonotrichia querula,"
The Auk, i. 332.)

554. Zonotrichia leucophrys (Forst.). WHITE-CROWNED SPAR-
ROW.

Adult male. - - Top and sides of head striped with black and white, white

median stripe usually as wide as
adjoining- black stripes ; lores black,
white superciliary stripe not extend-
ing- forward of eye ; edge of wing
irhite ; under parts plain gray ; back
with fore parts gray ; rump brown.
Adult female : like male and some-
times indistinguishable, but usually
with median crown stripe narrower
and grayer. Young : like adults, but
head stripes brown and buff y instead
of black and white ; under parts
buffy. and chest, sides of throat, and
sides streaked. Male : length (skins)
r>.84-<>.74, wing- 2.98-3.28, tail 2.68-
3.23, bill .4S-.47. Female: length
(skins) (LOO-lUxl. wing- 2.S9-3.17, tail
2.09-3.00, bill .41-.47.

Distribution. — Breeds in Upper
'Canadian zone in the United States
and Canada, from Quebec and Labra-
dor north to Hudson Bay and Greenland and throughout most of the
Sierra Nevada and Rocky Mountains, south to New Mexico and Arizona ;
winters south through the United States and Lower California to Guana-
juato, Mexico.

Nest. — On or near ground, in sub-alpine meadows, often in willows
along streams, made of fine twigs, rootlets, and grasses. Eggs : 3 to •">,
pale greenish blue, varying to brownish, spotted with reddish brown.

Foot I. — Caterpillars, ants, wasps, and weed seed, including that of
Johnson grass and ragweed.

The white-crowned sparrow is preeminently the sparrow of the

FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC. 339

mountains. Along the willow bordered streams that run through
the mountain meadows in the Sierra its thin, sharp chip of parental
anxiety is often heard, and it's song dominates the bird chorus. The
song is composed of two long whistled notes, the first sliding up to
the second with grace notes, the second followed by a lower note
repeated rapidly three times. The two long whistled notes are rich
and plaintive in tone, suggesting the whistle of the pine woods
sparrow, and as they ring through the cool, pure air day after day
seem to give expression to the deep pervading peace and serenity of
the mountains.

554a. Z. 1. gambelii (Nutt.). GAMBEL, SPARROW : INTERMEDIATE
SPARROW.

Similar to leucophrys, but lores not black, white superciliary stripe reach-
ing- to bill. Male : length (skins)
5.85-6.48, wing- 3.00-3.28, tail 2.58-
2.92, bill .39-.44. Female: length
(skins) 5.73-6.4:-]. wing- 2.90-3.25, tail
2.64-2.93, bill .39-48.

Distribution. — Breeds from Alaska
to Montana and eastern Oregon ; mi-
grates south through the western
United States to Lower California
and Central Mexico ; straggling east
to Iowa.

Eggs. — Similar to those of the
white -crowned, but cinnamon colored
or rusty style prevailing.

Food. — Cutworms, caterpillars, and
other insects as well as weed seed.

Fig. 4-27.

554b. Z. 1. nuttalli Eidgw. NUTTALL SPARROW.

Adults. — Like leucophrys, but lores not black and superciliary stripe
extending to bill ; median crown stripe usually narrower than lateral
stripes, edge of wing yellow, and adults with upper parts brown instead of
gray, streakings dark brown or blackish, and under parts broivnish gray.
Young : ground color of upper parts light buffy olive ; under parts pale
yellowish. Male : length (skins) 5.86-6.67, wing 2.83-2.96, tail 2.68-2.96,
bill .41-.47. Female: length (skins) 5.37-6.40. wing 2.0IJ-2.7U, tail 2.50-
2.73, bill .39-.47.

Remarks. — Ofvthe three sparrows, the white-crown, the Nuttall, and the
Gambel, the white-crown may be distinguished by its black or dark brown
lores ; the adult Xuttall sparrow by brownish instead of grayish coloration ;
and usually a median crown stripe that is narrower than the lateral
stripes ; and the adult Gambel by the combination of white lores, gray
coloration, and broad median crowrn stripe.

Distribution. — Breeds from British Columbia to Monterey, California;
migrates to Lower California.

Food. — Insects, grain, and weed seed.

557. Zonotrichia coronata (Pall.). GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW.
Adults, — Crown inclosed by black stripes, icith median stripe yellow in

340 FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC.

front, ash gray behind: rest of upper part olive brown, streaked on back

with blackish brown : rump and tail plain ;
wing with two white bands ; under parts
gray ; sides and flanks washed with brown.

Young : similar, but black crown stripes
Fig. 428. Golden-crowned sparrow. replaced by brown streaked with bla£k?

and median stripe dull brownish yellow flecked or streaked with dusky,
the ash gray wanting ; upper parts washed with brownish ; under parts
soiled whitish. Male : length (skins) 5.93-7.13, wing 2.99-3.28, tail 2.89-
3.28, bill .44-.52. Female: length (skins) 0.15-6.05. wing 2.90-3.17, tail
2.71-3.25, bill .45-.50.

Distribution. — Breeds in Alaska ; migrates south along the Pacific coast
to Lower California, straggling east to Nevada. Colorado, and Wisconsin.

Nest. --In alder patches. Eggs: usually 5, colored like the more dis-
tinctly spotted style of the white-crowned sparrow.

In winter the golden-crowns are among the common birds of the
San Francisco parks and cemeteries and are so tame they will hop
over the grass and down the paths close to the bench on which you
are sitting. The sparrow flock usually includes more white-crowns
than goldens, but all are equally and delightfully familiar. In some
of the parks the birds seem especially fond of sunning themselves
on the budding lauresUum bushes.

Though the golden- crowns live mainly on seeds, you often see
one jump up from the ground for an insect or run after one and
swallow it as unconcernedly as if he were not supposed to be a
vegetarian.

In Los Angeles County, Mr. Grinnell says, they winter commonly
from the mesas up to 5000 feet on the bushy mountain sides.

558. Zonotrichia albicollis (Gmel). WHITE-THROATED SPARROW.

Adult male. — Throat pure white sharply contrasted with gray of breast ;
head striped with black and white ; superciliary yellow from bill to eyes;
edge of wing yellow ; back and scapulars rusty brown streaked
with blackish ; rump olivaceous or brownish. Adult female ;
sometimes indistinguishable from male, but usually with col-
oration of head and under parts decidedly duller, crown stripe
tinged with brown and buffy. Young in jirst winter : like
'*-'• adult female, but duller, cro\vn stripes browner. Young :
throat not distinctly whitish, and stripes on head brown and buffy instead
of black and white ; yellow in front of eyes more or less distinct ; under
parts brownish white, streaked, except on belly. Male : length (skins)
r,.12-(>.5<>, wing 2.85-3.04, tail 2.80-3.00, bill .42-.4S. Female: length
(skins) 5.9 1-IUJO, wing 2.74-2.88, tail 2.0S-±90. bill .44-.40.

Remarks. - -The young of albicollis can be distinguished from that of
leucophrys by their deeper brown lateral crown stripes and more rusty
back and wings.

Distribution. -- Breeds in Canadian and Hudsonian zones from Hudson
Bay and Labrador south to the northern United States, chiefly east, but
also in Montana and Wyoming : winters to Florida and southern Texas,
straggling west to Oregon and California.

Nest. — On the ground or in bushes, made largely of coarse grasses,

FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC. 341

rootlets, moss, and strips of bark, lined with finer grasses. Eggs : 4 or 5,
finely and evenly speckled or heavily and irregularly blotched with
brown.

Food. — Insects, weed seed, and wild berries.

The white-throated sparrow is one of The best whistlers of the
musical genus Zonotrichia, his clear /. /, pea-body, pea-body, pea-
body, ringing finely through the spring air. Though chiefly an east-
ern bird, he may be seen in Montana and Wyoming.

GENUS SPIZELLA.

General Characters. - - Wing- less than 3 ; bill small, conical ; tail emar-
ginate or double rounded, middle feathers shorter than longest : tarsus
about length of middle toe with claw.

KEY TO SPECIES.

1. Bill reddish brown or orange.

2. Chin black, head slaty gray atrogularis, p. 345.

2'. Chin whitish, head rufous and buffy .... arenacea. p. 344.
1'. Bill black or yellowish brown.
'2. Crown rufous.

3. Breast with pectoral blotch ochracea. p. 341.

3'. Breast without pectoral blotch.

4. Forehead and streak behind eye black. Rocky Mountains to

Pacific coast arizoiiae. p. 342.

4'. Forehead without black and no black streak behind eye.

wortheni. p. 344.
2'. Crown without rufous.

3. Head and back grayish brown, uniformly and finely streaked with

black breweri. p. 343.

3'. Head and back gray and buffy. coarsely and irregularly streaked
with black. Plains pallida. p. 342.

559a. Spizella monticola ochracea Brewst. WESTERN TREE
SPARROW.

Adults. — Bill yel'low in adults ; crown, stripe behind eye, and patch
on sides of chest rufous, crown often, especially
in winter, with ashy median stripe, or rufous
obscured by grayish edges to feathers ; middle of
back buffy, streaked with black and rusty ; wings
with two conspicuous white bars ; under parts grayish, chest icith small
dusky spot. Younq : streaked beneath. Male: length (skins) 5.61-0.00,
wing 2.87-3.24, tail 2.59-2.88, bill .38-.41. Female : length (skins) 5.41-
5.69. wing 2.87-3.10. tail 2.60-2.70, bill .S5-.39.

Distribution. — Breeds from near the arctic coast through Alaska:
migrates as far east as the eastern border of the Plains, and south to New
Mexico. Texas, and Arizona.

.Nest. — On ground or in low bushes, composed largely of dried grass
and feathers. Eggs : 3 to 5. pale greenish blue, varying to brownish,
speckled with reddish brown.

Food. — Mainly seeds, largely weed seed.

In its Alaskan home Mr. Nelson says the western tree sparrow is
the most numerous of the sparrows that frequent the bushes, espe-

342 FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC.

cially along the coast of Bering Sea, where, on entering a thicket,
the protesting tsip of the gentle bird may be heard on all sides.
Comins: south in fall, ocJiracea reaches Colorado in October and

o

spends the winter, Prof. Cooke says, on the Plains and the lower
part of the mountains, being common up to 7000 feet and occa-
sionally seen as high as 9000 feet.

560a. Spizella socialis arizonse Coues. WESTERN CHIPPING
SPARROW.

Adults in summer. - - Bill black ; top of head rufous, sometimes with in-
dication of ashy median line and dark streak-
ing- ; forehead blackish, cut by median white
line ; superciliary stripe white or grayish,
bordered below by narrow black eye stripe ;
back brownish or pale buffy, streaked with
black : rump and upper tail coverts gray ;
sides of head dull gray ; under parts white or
ashy. Adults in winter : similar, but colors dul-
ler and darker, tinged with brown on lower
parts, black on forehead obscure or wanting1,
crown usually streaked with dusky, bill
brown. Young : top of head brownish,
Fig 431 streaked with blackish ; superciliary buffy,

streaked ; breast streaked ; tarsus less than

twice as long- as bill. Male : length (skins) 4.82-5.43, wing- 2.64-3.00, tail
2.11-2.57, bill .3(J-.41. Female: length (skins) 4.87-5.26, wing- 2.62-2.98,
tail 2.12-2.42, bill .35-.-40.

Remarks. — The paler coloration of the western chipping- sparrow dis-
tinguishes it from the eastern, while the absence of pectoral blotch and
striking- wing bars distinguishes it from the western tree sparrow, and
the black marks on the forehead and behind the eye still further separate
it from the Worthen sparrow.

Distribution. --Breeds in Transition and Upper Sonoran zones from
Alaska, perhaps to northern Mexico, and from the Rocky Mountains and
western Texas to the Pacific coast ; migrates to Lower California and
southern border of Mexican tablelands.

Nest. — In trees or bushes, made of grass stems and lined with horse-
hair. Eggs : 3 to 5, light greenish blue, speckled chiefly around the
larger end with black and brown.

Food. — Mainly caterpillars and other injurious insects and weed seed.

In southern California, Mr. Griunell says the western chippy is
common about gardens and orchards in the mesa regions, breeding
in the conifers on the mountains to 8500 feet. In Colorado and
Arizona it breeds up to nearly 10,000 feet, though most commonly
from 6000 to 7000 feet.

At St. Mary's Lake, Montana, Mr. Howell heard one sing near his
camp several nights as late as nine o'clock.

561. Spizella pallida (Swains.). CLAY-COLORED SPARROW.

Adults in summer. — Crown light brown with pale median stripe and
black-streaked sides ; superciliary buffy or whitish ; sides of head buffy

FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC. 343

brown bordered above and below by narrow blackish streak ; malar region
whitish, bordered below by dusky streak along side of throat ; hind neck
gray, narrowly streaked ; back and scapulars brown, broadly streaked
with black ; wing bars btiffy ; under parts whitish, washed with brown on
chest and sides. Adults in winter : crown streaks narrower, and plumage
more buffy. Young : upper parts buffy or clay-colored ; chest and sides
buffy, streaked with black. Male: length (skins) 4.64-5.41. wing 2.34-
2.49, tail 2.18-2.44, bill .S4.-.39. Female: length (skins) 4.64-5.25. wing
2.28-2.51, tail 2.08-2.40, bill .S5-.39.

Remarks. - - The clay-colored and the Brewer sparrow both have
streaked upper parts, but the clay-colored has only a median crown stripe
and plain gray hind neck, while the Brewer is uniformly streaked on head,
neck, and back.

Distribution. — Breeds in Transition and Canadian zone from the Sas-
katchewan plains south to Iowa and Nebraska and from Illinois west to
western Montana ; migrates south to Lower California and southern end of
Mexican tablelands.

Nest. — In bushes in open situations. Eggs : usually 4, light greenish
blue, speckled chiefly around the larger end with brown.

The clay-colored sparrow is said to be almost exclusively terres-
trial, though during the nesting season the males sing from the tops
of bushes almost continually. The song Coues gives as three notes
and a slight trill. Along the Red River in Dakota, he says, they
nest in "open low underbrush by the river side and among the
innumerable scrub-willow copses of the valley."

562. Spizella breweri Cass. BREWER SPARROW.

Adults- — Entire upper parts streaked with black on grayish brown
ground ; under parts soiled grayish. In
winter, similar but more buffy. Young :
like adults, but chest and sides streaked,
streaks of upper parts broader and less
sharply defined, and wings with two dis-
tinct bands. Male : length (skins) 4.74- * 'X..t
5.13, wing 2.37-2.59, tail 2.26-2.44, bill .34-
.35. Female: length (skins) 4.60-5.19,
wing 2.20-2. 59, tail 2.26-2.50. bill .34-.36.

Distribution. — Breeds in Transition zone
sagebrush from British Columbia south to

southern Arizona, and from western Nebraska and western Texas to the
Pacific coast ; south in winter along the western border of the Mexican
tablelands.

Nest. — In sagebrush, made of fine grass stems and leaves, lined with
long horsehairs. Eggs : usually 4. and generally like those of the clay-
colored sparrow, but more distinctly marked.

The Brewer sparrow, known locally as the sagebrush chippie, is
marked down as an ' arid transition ' species, and, true to his zonal
colors, if any arid transition sagebrush strays to the sunny side of a
high mountain ridge he will appear there with it, though his normal
home is in the bottom of a desert. We once found him sins-ino- at

o o

8400 feet on the snowy crest of the Sierra, but on the sunny slope
below was the inevitable sage.

344 FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC.

When among its favorite bushes the small sparrow is hard to see,
for its quick darting flight ends on the earth and it runs over the
ground like a mouse. The best view you can get of it is when it
mounts a bush and throws up its finely striped head to sing. And
what an odd little song it gives ! It has the metallic, insect-like
quality of a marsh wren's song, and something the jingle of a
canary's, but though unmusical the ditty is so cheery and bright as
to be distinctly pleasing.

The sparrows' morning and evening choruses are especially interest-
ing, the evening the more so perhaps when the birds are feeding
young, as they have more time when their broods are attended to
for the night. I heard the chorus for the first time in Sierra Valley,
California, when we rode in through the sagebrush and camped on
the edge of the pines just at sunset. The curious little tinkling
song was coming up from all over the brush, and it seemed as if we
had come upon a marsh full of singing, though subdued, marsh
wrens.

563a. Spizella pusilla arenacea Chadb. WESTERN FIELD SPARROW.

Adults. -- Bill rufous or orange; broad median crown stripe and some-
times whole crown gray between reddish brown lateral stripes, which are
sometimes indistinct ; postocular streak rufous ; back grayish, rufous, and
buffy, streaked with black ; wing1 with two distinct bars ; under parts
whitish, slightly tinged with rufous. Young : similar but colors duller
and more suffused ; markings of head less distinct and lower parts streaked.
Male: length (skins) 5.58-6.02, wing 2.69-2.80, tail 2.60-2.83. bill .37-.39.
Female : length (skins) 5. wing 2.44, tail 2.47, bill .37.

Remarks.-- The reddish bill and absence of pectoral blotch are enough
to distinguish this sparrow from the western tree sparrow.

Distribution.-- Breeds in the northwestern part of the Plains in Ne-
braska, South Dakota, and Montana ; migrates to northern Mexico.

Nest. — On or near the ground, in old weed grown fields and thickets,
made mainly of grass stems. Eggs : 3 to 5, white, tinged with green or
buff, and speckled with reddish brown.

Food. — Insects and weed seed.

564. Spizella wortheni Ridgir. WORTHEN SPARROW.

Top of head dull reddish brown, indistinctly streaked with darker, rest

of head, including forehead, ashy ; back pale
tawny, broadly streaked with black ; under
parts whitish, tinged with buffy gray on cheeks
and sides ; bill pinkish brown or cinnamon
rufous. Male: length (skins) 4.98-5.07, winy
2.63-2.76, tail 2.35-2.53, bill .37-.30. Female:
length (skins) 5.06-5.25, wing 2.55-2.69. tail
2.27-2.50, bill .35-.36.

Remarks. - - The Worthen sparrow may be
distinguished from the western chipping by the
absence of black on forehead and black streak
behind eye.

Distribution. --From Silver City, New Mexico, south on plateau of
northeastern Mexico to southern Puebla.

FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC. 345

565. Spizella atrogularis (Cab.). BLACK-CHINNED SPARROW.

Adult male. — Throat and ring around bill black ; head, neck, and lower
parts gray, becoming- white on belly and under
tail coverts; back and scapulars rusty brownish
narrowly streaked with blackish ; bill pinkish
brown. Adult female : like male, but usually Fig. 434.

with black of chin restricted, often wanting'. Young : similar, but black

.39.

Distribution. — Breeds from the desert ranges of California. Arizona, and
southern New Mexico south to Lower California and to southern end of
Mexican tablelands.

Nest. — In bushes. Eggs : 3 to 5, plain light greenish blue.

The black-chinned sparrow is common in Los Angeles County,
California, in summer, on brushy mountain sides from the base of
the foothills up to 7000 feet. Its song is said to resemble closely
that of the eastern field sparrow.

GENUS JUNCO.

General Characters. — Bill conical ; wing- rounded, primaries exceeding1
secondaries by much less than length of tarsus ; tail double-rounded :
tarsus decidedly longer than middle toe with claw ; hind claw nearly or
quite as long as toe.

KEY TO ADULT MALES.

1. Head black or blackish.

2. Black of head not sharply contrasted with brown of back.

connectens. p. 347.
2'. Black of head sharply contrasted with brown of back.

3. Back dark brown oreganus, p. 347.

3'. Back light brown.

4. Sides of head and throat deep black . . . thurberi, p. 347.
4'. Sides of head and throat slaty black .... pinosus. p. 348.
1'. Head gray or brownish.
2. Upper parts wholly gray.

3. Wing with two white bars aikeni, p. 345.

3'. Wing unmarked hyemalis. p. 346.

2'. Upper parts gray and brown.
3. Back bright rufous.

4. Wing coverts and tertials rufous .... pallia tus. p. 340.
4'. Wing coverts and tertials not rufous.

5. Under parts uniform ashy white .... dorsalis, p. 349.
5'. Under parts not ashy white.

6. Sides gray caniceps. p. 349.

6'. Sides pinkish aniiectens. p. 348.

3'. Back dull brown.

4. Sides slightly pinkish montanus, p. 348.

4'. Sides broadly pinkish mearnsi, p. 348.

566. Junco aikeni Eidgw. WHITE-WINGED JUNCO.

Adult male. — Entire body almost uniform light slaty gray except for

[1

346 FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC.

abruptly white belly ; wing's usually with two white bars and tail with three
outermost feathers almost wholly white. Adult female : similar, but
paler, upper parts tinged with brownish ; wing- bars less distinct, often
obsolete. Young: entire body profusely streaked; under parts with
whitish ground. Male : length (skins) (5.18-6.69, wing 3.21-3.66, tail
2.9(3-3.10, bill .46-.51. Female: length (skins) 5.89-6.62, wing 3.19-3.32,
tail 2.80-3.00, bill .45-. 49.

Remarks. — This is the only junco with white wing bars, and there is
only one other in the west in which back and chest are of the same color.

Distribution. — Breeds in northwestern Nebraska, the Black Hills, North
Dakota, and Wyoming ; migrates to Colorado and Kansas ; casually to
Indian Territory and Wisconsin.

]\fest. — On the ground, usually near canyon bottoms, made of grass, lined
with grass and hair. Eggs : greenish white, lightly spotted with reddish
brown and lavender.

The white-winged junco winters in Colorado from the Plains to
an altitude of 8000 feet in the mountains, where Professor Cooke
finds it the commonest winter junco.

567. Junco hy emails (Linn.}. SLATE-COLORED JUNCO.

Adults. — Whole body, except white belly, dark slaty gray, often blackish
on head in male and washed with brownish in imma-
ture male and female, when the sides are also washed
with pinkish brown ; two pairs of outer tail feathers
white ; bill in life pinkish white or flesh-color. Young
in first plumage : streaked on brown upper parts, and
buffy white imder parts, wings with brownish band.
Male: length (skins) 5.44-6.23, wing :). 02-3.24, tail 2.49-
2.80, bill .40-.46. Female: length (skins) 5.22-6.10, wing
Fig. 435. 2.78-3.08, tail 2.45-2.64, bill .39-.46.

Distribution. — Breeds in Transition and Canadian zones of North
America, chiefly east of the Rocky Mountains, and south in the mountains
of northeastern United States to Pennsylvania ; winters south to the Gulf
States ; casual in Arizona and California ; straggling to Siberia.

Nest . — Usually on the ground, rather bulky, composed largely of
dried grass stems and rootlets, lined with softer materials. Eggs: usu-
ally 4 or 5, white, greenish, or buffy, speckled with reddish brown.
Food. — Insects and weed seed.

Juncos are foresters or mountaineers who are driven down from
the mountains into the mild valleys when the severe snows come.
In this way the Sierra species spends the winter in the parks and
cemeteries of San Francisco. Others come from the far north and
go on to spend their winters in the south. Several species winter
in the Great Basin country. Some members of the west coast con-
tingency spread out over the interior valleys or even go to such
popular resorts as Pasadena, where they hop about over the ground
under the pepper-trees as if finding the pink aromatic berries a feast
spread to their taste.

When seen away from home, or at any time except the nesting
season, they are quiet, social birds, always sitting around in flocks,

FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC. 347

flying up together with a twitter and a flash of their white outer
tail feathers, or singing in concert a sunny, pleasing warble.

In the breeding season the gray-headed juuco may be found nest-
ing on the cold crests of the desert ranges in Nevada and the Great
Basin, the pink-sided in grassy parks in the pine forests of Mon-
tana, and the Point Pinos at Monterey, where the fragrance of the
pines is mingled with the distant roar of the Pacific. In their homes
you find them more interesting than when in flocks, because they
are now leading individual lives, but they are still the same trustful,
gentle birds; ready to come into camp or to let you examine their
nests. On Mt. Shasta and in the Sierra Nevada the Thurber junco
nests in the fir forests and mountain meadows from an altitude of
TOGO to 8000 feet, frequently building near a brook under shelter of
a broad-leafed hellebore. One nest found on Donuer Peak was sunk
in a bed of blooming heather. The brooding birds as a rule are very
tame, though they sit around and tsip at you when you come near,
and on rare occasions the mother will decoy.

56 7a. J. h. oreganus (Towns.). OREGON JUNCO.

Adult male. — Head, neck, and chest black or dark slaty, the black
chest pattern outlined on the white of the under parts as a black convex ;
middle of back dark brown; sides deep pinkish brown; three outer tail
feathers with white, outside pair wholly white. Adult female : black of
male replaced by slaty ; crown and hind neck washed with brown, and
rest of upper parts brownish ; sides and flanks duller ; bill in life pinkish,
tipped with dusky, and iris dark brown or claret color. In winter : colors
stronger, and feathers of chest tipped with whitish. Young: streaked,
on brown above, buffy below. Male : length (skins) 5.50-6.07, wing 2.86-
3.08, tail 2.43-2.69, bill .41-.45. Female : length (skins) 5.17-5.79, wing
2.78-2.86, tail 2.34-2.46, bill .41-.45.

Remarks. — The subspecies of hyemalis are black-headed and chested
instead of gray as in hyemalis, aikeni, and annectens, and the chest line is
convex instead of straight across from wing to wing. Of the hyemalis
subspecies oreganus is the darkest, the head, neck, and chest of the adult
male being deep black and the back dark chestnut brown.

Distribution. — Breeds on the Pacific coast from Alaska to British Co-
lumbia ; winters south to California ; straggling to eastern Oregon and
Nevada.

567b. J. h- connectens Coues. INTERMEDIATE JUNCO.

Similar to oreganus, but head and neck blackish slate instead of jet
black, back dull brown and sides pinkish brown. Male : length (skins)
5.55-6.20, wing 3.00-3.22, tail 2.62-2.84, bill .42-.46. Female: length
(skins) 5.40-5.92, wing 2.82-3.08, tail 2.30-2.71, bill .41-43.

Distribution. — Breeds in the Rocky Mountain region from British Co-
lumbia and Alberta to Washington and northern Oregon ; east probably to
Montana and Idaho ; winters over the Rocky Mountain plateau to western
Texas and northern Mexico ; straggling to California.

567c. J. h. thurberi Anthony. THURBER JUNCO.

Similar to oreganus, but wings and tail longer ; head, throat, and breast

348 FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC.

deep black, sharply contrasting with light brown of back ; sides buffy rather

than pink ; young1 resembling- oreganus, but
upper parts lighter. Male : length (skins)
5.32-5.95, wing- 2.94-3.12, tail 2.48-2.68, bill
Thurber Junco. -40-.46. Female: length (skins) 5.00-5.67,

wing 2.82-2.94, tail 2.38-2.56, bill .41-.43.
Distribution. — Breeds from southern Oregon south through the Sierra
Nevada, desert, and coast ranges, probably to northern Lower California ;
straggles to Arizona in winter. Migration mainly vertical.

Nest. — On the ground, usually under a weed or bush or in a bank,
made largely of fine grass and other plant stems, shreds of inner bark,
lined with vegetable fibers and long porcupine or horse hairs.

567d. J. h. pinosus Loomis. POINT PINOS JUNCO.

Like thurberi, but black replaced by slaty on sides of head and throat ;
bill longer, general dimensions somewhat less. Young much more strongly
tinged with buff below. Male : length (skins) 5.00-5.49, wing 2.40-2.90,
tail 2.30-2.55, bill .40-.45. Female: length (skins) 4.90-5.65, wing 2.62-
2.79, tail 2.31-2.39, bill .40-.45.

Distribution. — Southern coast range of California (Point Pinos, near
Monterey).

Nest. — As described by Emerson, in a slight hollow at the foot of a
bunch of grass, made of leaves and lined with dead grass and a few cow
hairs.

567.1. Junco montanus Ridgw. MONTANA JUNCO: MOUNTAIN
JUNCO.

Adult male. — Head, neck, and chest slate color; back. dull light brown ;
sides pale pinkish ; belly white ; outer tail feathers largely white. Adult
female : similar, but duller, and brown of back extending up over crown.
Adults in winter : plumage softer. Young injirst winter : similar to winter
adults, but duller, feathers edged largely with brownish. Male : length
(skins) 5.49-6.00, wing 3.02-3.28. tail 2.58-2.78, bill .39-.44. Female:
length (skins) 5.25-5.69, wing 2.88-3.03, tail 2.35-2.65, bill .39-.44.

Remarks. — Montanus resembles connectens, but is paler. It also sug-
gests mearnsi, but its wings and tail are shorter, and the color of the
head, neck, and chest darker.

Distribution. --Breeds from Alberta south to Montana and Idaho; win-
ters south to Texas, Arizona, and Chihuahua. Mexico ; irregularly or
casually to the Mississippi Valley and eastward.

568. Junco mearnsi Eidgw. PINK-SIDED JUNCO.

Adult male. -- Head, neck, and chest clear light slaty gray ; sides exten-
sively pink ; lores blackish ; back and scapulars dull brown. Adult female :
similar, but brown of back extending up on crown ; sides less pinkish.
Younq : head and back brownish, streaked with blackish ; wings with

^ _ _ _ _ - ~» » •• i -m r 1

brownish
length
male :

Distribution. — Breeds in Rocky Mountain region of Idaho and Mon-
tana ; migrates to Arizona, New Mexico, and northern Mexico.

568.1. Junco annectens Baird. RIDGWAY JUNCO.

Similar to caniceps, but with sides and flanks pinkish vinaceous as in
mearnsi. Length : 6.40, wing 3.13, tail 3.05, bill .47.

FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC. 349

Distribution. — Not well defined ; has been taken in Nevada. Wyoming,
Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico.

569. Junco caniceps (Woodh.). GRAY-HEADED JUNCO.

Adults. — Ash gray, except for white on middle of belly, bright rufous
back, black lores, and white outer tail feathers ; iris dark brown or claret
color. Young : streaked ; ground color of upper parts brown. Male :
length (skins) 5.02-6.19, wing 3.21-3.41, tail 2.7<>-2.94, bill .42-.4T. Fe-
male: length (skins) 5.54-5.94. wing 2.95-3.30, tail 2.48-2.81. bill .41-.46.

Remarks. — The gray sides distinguish this junco from all but the adult
male hi/emails, which has no reddish brown back patch.

Distribution. — Breeds in Rocky Mountain region, from the Black Hills
to the Guadalupe Mountains in New Mexico and Texas ; west from Col-
orado to Nevada ; migrates to northwestern Mexico ; casually to southern
California.

570. Junco pheeonotus palliatus Ridgu-. ARIZONA JUNCO.

Adults. — Top of head and rump ash gray ; back bright brown ; greater
wing coverts and tertials irith outer icebs chiefly rusty or rufous : under parts
whitish ; outer tail feathers largely white : iris yellow. Young : streaked.
Male : length (skins) 5.91-6.53. wing 3.00-3 26. tail 2.72-3.01. bill .44-
4S. Female : length (skins) 5.56-5.94. wing 2.91-3.00. tail 2.46-2.82,
bill .44-.-K

Remarks. — The Arizona and the red-backed juncos have the under
parts nearly uniform, but the brown on the wings distinguishes palliatus
from dorsalis. These two. with caniceps and male hyemaiis. are all with-
out pink on the sides.

Distribution. — Breeds in mountains of southern Arizona and probably
of northern Mexico.

570a. J. p. dorsalis (Henry}. RED-BACKED JUNCO.

Adults. — Upper parts ashy gray, except for bright rufous back ; under
parts ashy white ; iris brown. Young : streaked;
back reddish brown. Male : length (skins)

5.81-6.45. wing 3-22-3.41, tail 2.87-3.03. bill

.44-.50. Female : length (skins) 5.49-6.12. Fio. 43-

wing 3.00-3.21. tail 2.69-2.92. bill .45-.4S.

Remarks. — The absence of brown on the wings distinguishes this sub-
species from palliatus.

Distribution. --Breeds in Transition and Canadian zones in mountains of
New Mexico and northern Arizona ; winters south to western Texas and
northern Mexico.

Nest. — In clumps of oaks on hillsides, or. as described by Dr. Mearns.
on ground in pine woods, concealed by bunch of wire grass, composed of
loosely put together roots, stems of plants, grasses, and an occasional
feather. Eggs : 4, greenish white, marked with lilac and reddish brown
around one end.

The coloration of most of the juncos is not particularly protective
except as the color pattern disguises the bird's form, but the red-
backed on the pine plateau of San Francisco Mountain, Arizona,
spends a large part of its time about the fallen pine -tops, where the
red of its back and the red of the dead pine needles and old bark
make a protective combination that, added to the gray of the body.

350 FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC.

which offsets the gray of the branches, results in a most effective

disguise.

GENUS AMPHISPIZA.

General Characters. — Bill small, nearly straight ; wing1 slightly rounded,
but without elongated inner secondaries ; tail not shorter than wings,
feathers rounded at ends ; tarsus longer than middle toe and claw, side
toes of unequal length.

KEY TO SPECIES.

1. Throat black.
2. Smaller ; upper parts darker. Kansas to central Texas.

bilineata, p. 350.

2'. Larger, upper parts paler and browner. Western Texas to California.

deserticola, p. 350.
1'. Throat white.

2. Smaller and darker. West of Sierra Nevada . . . belli, p. 351.
2'. Larger and paler. Sagebrush plains . . . nevadensis, p. 351.

573. Amphispiza bilineata (Cass.). BLACK-THROATED SPARROW.
Adults. — Lores and throat patch black ; sides of head dark gray with
«>?*»_ two white stripes, tinder parts mainly white ;

upper parts plain grayish brown ; tail, except
middle feathers, marked with white. Young:
without distinct black markings ; throat white,
often marked with gray ; chest streaked ; wing
coverts and edges of tertials light buffy brown.
Male : length (skins) 4.80-5.25, wing 2.43-2.60,
tail 2.27-2.47. bill .3S-.39. Female: length
(skins) 4.75-5.35, wing 2.38-2.60, tail 2.18-2.45,
bill .38-.40.

Distribution. - - From Avestern Kansas south
to middle and eastern Texas and northeastern
Mexico.

Nest. — In bushes, sagebrush, and other
desert shrubs, composed of fine shreds of bark.
Eggs : 3 or 4, plain greenish or bluish white, rarely lightly spotted.

573a. A. b. deserticola Ridyw. DESERT SPARROW.

Adults. --Similar to ^1. bilineata "but averaging larger; upper parts
paler and browner, and white spot at end of inner web of outermost tail
feather much smaller." (Ridgway.) Young: feathers of back edged
with buffy rufous ; breast streaked with gray ; belly white. Male : length
(skins) 4.00-5.45. wing 2.52-2.78, tail 2.40-2.69, bill .30-.42. Female :
length (skins) 4.SO-5. '_'<>. wing 2.45-2.60, tail 2.32-2.49. bill -36-.41.

Distribution. -- Breeds in Lower Sonoran zone on the arid plains from
western Texas and New Mexico — west of 103° -to the coast of south-
ern California, and from northern LTtah and Nevada south to northern
Mexico and Lower California.

Nest. - - In sagebrush, cat's-claw, cactus, or other bushes, loosely made
of dry grass and fine plant stems, lined with feathers, horsehair, and wool.
Eggs : 3 or 4, bluish white.

On long hot rides over the larrea and low mesquite plains of New
Mexico the desert sparrow is the commonest bird of the way, its

FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC. 351

black tail always disappearing in the bushes ahead of the horses as
you pass.

When we were camped on the arid mesa of the Pecos River,
among the sounds that were oftenest in our ears were the songs of
the mockingbird and nonpareil, the iterant pe-cos of the scaled quail,
and the calls of the verdin and roadrunner, while, mingled with them,
always tinkling from the bushes, was the cheery little tune of
AuipMspiza. Tra-ree -rali, ree'-rah-ree was one of the commonest of
its varied modifications, and it was generally given with a burr like
that of the lark sparrow. On all our walks through the thorn brush
and climbs over the agave-speared hills we found the lovely little
bird everywhere, sitting on top of the bushes singing with head
thrown back in fine enjoyment of his bright lay.

One small father bird, trying to attract us when we were taking
notes on the first plumage of his brood, after twittering and calling
in vain, flew excitedly to a bush top and fairly burst into song while
his mate was trailing over the ground beside us, with the result that
the brood grew so unmanageable that they popped out of the nest
faster than we could put them back !

574. Amphispiza belli (Cass.). BELL SPARROW.

Adults. — Throat bordered -with black and white stripes: breast with
black blotch ; rest of under parts white ; orbital ring- and spot above
lores white ; upper parts brownish gray, grayer on head, usually without
distinct streaks ; wing coverts and tertials edged with buffy ; edge of wing
yellowish ; tail feathers black, indistinctly marked with lighter. Young :
upper parts light grayish brown, streaked with black ; under parts buffy,
streaked except on throat ; wing with two rather distinct buffy bands.
Male : length (skins) 4.90-5.70. wing 2.32-2.79, tail 2.32-2.87, bill .32-.41.
Female: length (skins) 5.00-5.60, wing 2.40-2.61, tail 2.30-2.70, bill .31-
.39.

Distribution. — From about latitude 38° in valleys and foothills of Cali-
fornia, west of the Sierra Xevada and San Bernardino Mountains, to north-
ern Lower California.

Nest. — About 3 feet from the ground, made of grasses and slender
weeds, lined partly with hair. Eggs : 4. pale greenish, thickly spotted
with reddish brown dots.

In Los Angeles County, California, Mr. Grinuell finds the Bell
sparrow locally common on the brush-covered washes of the mesas,
extending up to 5000 feet in summer.

574a. A. b. nevadensis (Eidgu:). SAGE SPARROW.

Adults. — Sides of throat with a series of narrow blackish streaks, but no
continuous stripe ; chest with black spot ; sides and flanks faintly tinged
with light brown ; rest of under parts whitish : upper parts light grayish
brown, back usually streaked narrowly but clearly ; outer web of lateral
tail feather white. Young : like adults but upper parts and chest streaked,
and wings with two buffy bands. Male : length (skins) 5.50-6.20, wing

352 FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC.

3.05-3.20, tail 2.78-3.09, bill .37-.41. Female :
length (skins) 5.40-6.20, wing 2.85-3.15, tail
2.65-2.98, bill .37-41.

Remarks. — The absence of a continuous
stripe on the side of the throat is enough to
distinguish the sage sparrow from the Bell.

Distribution. — Breeds on sagebrush plains
of Upper Sonoran zone from Oregon and Idaho
south to California and New Mexico ; winters
in western Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and
southern California.

Nest. — In sage and other low bushes, made
largely of fine shreds of sagebrush bark and
Fig. 439. Sage Sparrow. dried grass stems. Eggs : 3 or 4, greenish

white or dull grayish white, speckled, chiefly
around larger end, with reddish brown, mixed with a few darker markings.

As Amphispiza Mlineata is the bird of the creosote and mesquite
deserts of the Lower Sonoran zone, so nevadensis is one of the most
characteristic birds of the sagebrush deserts of the Upper Sonoran.
He is indeed well named, for you find him everywhere throughout
the sagebrush valleys of the Great Basin. His soft gray tones and
faint streakings blend in well with the gray green brush. As he sits
on top of the tallest bushes his long black tail and its gently tilting
motion are good long range recognition marks.

Most of the year the birds are silent, but during the breeding sea-
son the sagebrush fairly rings with their simple but exquisitely
sweet song. VERNON BAILEY.

GENUS PEUC^EJA.
General Characters. — Similar to Aimophila, but edge of wing yellow.

KEY TO SPECIES.

1. Upper parts ashy, back spotted and barred with sandy brown.

cassiui. p. 352.
1'. Upper parts gray, streaked with dull rufous and spotted with black.

botterii, p. 352.

576. Peuceea botterii (Sclat.). BOTTERI SPARROW.

Adults. — Upper parts grayish, streaked with dull rufous and spotted
with black ; edge of wing yellow ; under parts plain dull buffy. 1 oung :

tail 2.22-2.53. bill .4:!-..J().

Distribution. — From southern Arizona and the lower Rio Grande Valley
in Texas south over the plateau of Mexico to Chiapas.

Nest. — On or near the ground. Eggs : ( 1 set) 4, pure white.

578. Peucaea cassini (Woodh.). CASSIN SPARROW.

. - - Upper parts ashen, streaked with sandy brown ; feathers of back

FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC. 353

sandy brown with black shaft streak and black cross bar near tip, the edges
gray ; upper tail coverts with transverse, round-
ish, or crescentic dusky streaks ; middle tail
feathers with indication of transverse bars

from median black shaft streak ; edge of wing

, , ,, , .. Fig. 4-10. Cassm Sparrow.

yellow, and shoulder tinged with yellow ; under

parts grayish, tinged with brown on chest and sides. Young : chest and
upper parts distinctly streaked. Male : length (skins) 5.15-5.80, wing 2.35-
±05. tail 2.40-2.82, bill .40-.40. Female: length (skins) 5.30-5.80. wing
2.40-2.53, tail 2.50-2.75, bill .40-.47.

Remarks. — In the field the sandy brown streaking of the gray upper
parts is characteristic.

Distribution. — Breeds in Lower Sonoran zone from Kanzas south to
Arizona and northern Mexico, and from Texas northwest to Nevada.

Nest. — On ground, in low bushes, or tufts of grass. Eggs : 3 to 5, white
or bluish white.

When going quietly through the stunted bushes that make up a
large part of the mesquite plains you often find yourself in the midst
of a chorus of Cassin sparrows. Scattered through the bushes around
you the little brown choristers one by one spring up several feet
above the brush and with heads high and wings .outspread in a rap-
ture of song give themselves to the air, floating slowly down as
they sing. The song is always melodious and pleasing, but at its
best has something of the uplift and fine spiritual quality of that of
the pine woods sparrow, gaining impressiveness from the abandon
with which it is uttered.

The birds sing in spring and early summer, and through the breed-
ing season at least keep it up all day, closing with a blithe sunset
concert.

GENUS AIMOPHILA.

General Characters. - - Wing short, much rounded or truncate at tip,
primaries exceeding secondaries usually by less than length of bill ; ter-
tials not elongated ; tail graduated ; feathers narrow, but with rounded
tips ; tarsus longer than middle toe with claw.

KEY TO SPECIES.

1. Wing with bright rufous patch carpalis. p. 353.

1 . Wing without bright rufous patch.
2. Upper parts mainly gray. In southwestern Texas.

eremceca, p. 355.
2'. Upper parts mainly rufous.

3. Smaller. In California ruficeps. p. 354.

3'. Larger. Western Texas to Arizona scottii, p. 354.

579. Aimophila carpalis (Coues). RUFOUS-WINGED SPARROW:
BENDIRE SPARROW.

Adults. — Wings with conspicuous bright rufous patch ; crown heavily
streaked with rufous, mixed with gray, and divided by narrow gray line ;
rusty streak behind eye, and two blackish stripes from bill down side of

354

FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC.

Fig. 441. Rufous-winged
Sparrow.

throat ; back buffy brown, sharply streaked
with black ; under parts grayish white. Young :
entire upper parts grayish brown, broadly
streaked with blackish ; patch on wing coverts
dusky, margined with pale brownish buff ;
under parts whitish, chest and sides broadly
streaked with dusky. Male : length (skins)
5.00-5.35, wing 2.40-2.60, tail 2.50-2.68, bill
.40-.42. Female: length (skins) 4.85-5.25,
wing 2.34-2.50, tail 2.43-2.65, bill .3S-.42.

Remarks. - - The uniform bright rufous wing
patches of the adults of carpalis are diagnostic.

Distribution. — Arizona and northwestern Mexico.

Nest. — On or near the ground. Eggs : 3 to 5, plain bluish white.

In the foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains, Arizona, Mr.
Scott found small flocks of the rufous-winged sparrows from an alti-
tude of 3000 to 4500 feet. They were sometimes associated with
the chipping sparrows, whose habits are similar.

580. Aimophila ruficeps (Cass.). RUFOUS-CROWNED SPARROW.

Adults. -- Crown chiefly reddish brown; rest of upper parts grayish or

grayish brown, broadly streaked with reddish
brown ; throat bordered by black stripe ; sides
of head and neck and under parts pale buffy or
brownish. Young : like adult, but upper parts
dull brownish, streaked ; under parts dingy
buff, chest and sides streaked. Male : length
(skins) 5.00-5.55, wing 2.20-2.40, tail 2.25-
2.65, bill .41-50. Female: length (skins)
5.00-5.20, wing 2.18-2.30, tail 2.32-2.60, bill

Fig 44". .43-.50.

Remarks. - - The prevailing dull reddish

brown of the upper parts, together with the size, marks the rufous-crowned
sparrow.

Distribution. --From northern California — latitude 40° -south along
the Pacific coast to northern Lower California.

Nest. -- On or near the ground, made of grasses, lined with stems and
sometimes a few hairs. Eggs : 3 to 5, plain white or bluish white.

In Los Angeles County, Mr. Griunell says, the rufous-crowned is
tolerably common locally in the foothills throughout the year, but is
most abundant in April. In the Crafton Hills, where Mr. Williams
found it nesting, it was very shy and rarely seen, the brooding bird
gliding from her nest and dodging around ihe tufts of grass until
hidden behind a bush.

580a. A. r. scottii (Senn.). SCOTT SPARROW.

Similar to ruficeps, but larger, and sometimes not quite so bright. Male :
length (skins) 5.30-6.10 win 2.50-2.77, tail 2.60-2.92, bill .45-.r>5. Fe-

length (skins) 5.:50-5.oO, wing 2.37-2.52. tail 2.5d-2.<>7. bill .45-.50.
Distribution. -- From western Texas to southern Arizona and south to
Durango. Mexico.

FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC. 355

Nest. — As described by Scott, on bare ground, bulky, loosely made of
coarse dried grasses. Eggs : 3, white.

In the Santa Catalina Mountains of Arizona, Mr. Scott found the
Scott sparrow a common resident from 2000 to 4000 feet in winter,
and nearly up to 10,000 feet in summer. When flushed, he says,
instead of hiding in the thick grass it flies to the nearest tree, making
little effort to conceal itself.

In New Mexico we found it about rocky ledges of the Guadalupe
Mountains. Its song in August was short and rather mechanical.

580b. A. r. eremoeca (Brown). ROCK SPARROW.

Similar to rujiceps, but prevailing color of upper parts ashy, feathers of
back dull brownish centrally with black shaft streaks. Male: length
(skins) 5.40-6.00, wing 2.58-2.70, tail 2.150-2.80, bill .46-.51. Female:
length (skins) 5.45-5.90, wing 2.41-2.57, tail 2.45-2.85, bill .45-.51.

Distribution. — From middle and southwestern Texas to Orizaba, Mexico ;
breeds in limestone hills of middle Texas ; migrates to Vera Cruz. Mexico.

Nest. — On or near the ground, usually sheltered by a bush. One —
in Chisos Mountains — under soto. bulky, made of grass and lined with
fine plant fibers ; with 4 bluish white eggs.

GENUS MELOSPIZA.

General Characters. — Wing short, rounded, primaries exceeding second-
aries by much less than length of tarsus ; tail rounded ; tarsus about equal
to middle toe with claw.

KEY TO SPECIES.

1. Chest buffy.

2. Streaks on upper parts finer, not so black . . . lincolnii, p. 359.
2'. Streaks on upper parts coarser and blacker . . . striata, p. 360.
1'. Chest not buffy.

2. Chest faintly if at all streaked georgiana. p. 360.

2'. Chest distinctly streaked.

3. Upper parts mainly pale rufous fallax, p. 357.

3'. Upper parts not pale rufous.

4. Upper parts sooty, rusty, brown, or olive.
5. Upper parts dark sooty or rusty.

6. Sooty, larger. Alaska ; to Olympics in winter.

rufina. p. 358.
6'. Rusty, smaller.

7. Bill larger ; darker. Southern Alaska to Oregon ; to south-
ern California in winter morphiia. p. 35S.

7'. Bill smaller ; lighter. Idaho to northern California ; to
Mexico and Arizona in winter . . merrilli. p. 359.
5'. Upper parts brown or olive.

6. Larger; wing (male) 2.42-2.80. Central valleys of Cali-
fornia 'heermarmi. p. 357.

6'. Smaller; wing (male) 2.21-2.51. Santa Cruz to Humboldt

County, California samuelis, p. 358.

4'. Upper parts grayish.

5, Interscapulars streaked with black and brown.

356 FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC.

6. Wing (male) 2.49-2.84 ; bill stouter. Atlantic watershed.

melodia, p. 356.
6'. Wing (male) 2.58-2.91 ; bill more slender. Rocky Mountain

plateau moiitaiia, p. 357.

5'. Interscapulars without distinct brown streaks.

6. Larger; wing (male) 2.45-2.60. San Clemente, San Miguel,

and Santa Rosa Islands, California . clemeiitae, p. 359.

6'. Smaller; wing (male) 2.29-2.41. Santa Barbara and Santa

Cruz Islands, California gramiiiea, p. 358.

581. Melospiza melodia (Wilson). SONG SPARROW.

Adults. — Crown brown, narrowly streaked with black and with a nar-
row gray median stripe ; scapulars and interscapulars streaked with black ;
wings and tail brown ; middle and greater wing coverts
brown, edged with lighter ; middle tail feathers with
blackish shaft streaks ; superciliary olive gray ; malar
stripe dull white or pale buffy ; under parts white ; chest
with wedge-shaped streaks of black edged with rusty
brown, forming an irregular median spot ; sides and
flanks streaked with black and rusty brown. Young:
like adults, but without gray on upper parts ; ground
color of back and scapulars buffy brownish or dull buffy ;
under parts duller white, often quite buffy, with the streaks narrower,
less distinct. Male: length (skins) 5.30-6.48, wing 2.49-2.84, tail 2.44-
2.79, bill .45-.S2. Female: length (skins) 5.15-6.10, wing 2.42-2.81, tail
2.19-2.77, bill .45-.51.

Remarks. — 'In summer the colors are grayer and streaks on chest nar-
rower, sometimes with brown edgings worn off ; in winter the general
coloration is browner, the brown more rusty, the gray more buffy.

Distribution. -- Eastern United States west to the Rocky Mountains,
north to Norway House, Lake Winnipeg.

Nest. — In low bushes or on the ground, made chiefly of grasses lined
with slender stems. Eggs : 4 or 5, dull greenish white, spotted with red-
dish brown, sometimes concealing ground color.
Food. — Mainly injurious insects and weed seed.

As his name denotes, the song sparrow is one of the most tuneful
of the sparrow family. He is not a great or showy musician, but a
singer of songs, plain every-day home songs with the heart left in
them. His content and good cheer are so contagious that you wel-
come his voice wherever you hear it. And you may hear it in every
state of the Union, for, under whatever name he is known, he is a
song sparrow still.

At Neah Bay, Washington, where the rainfall reaches the maxi-
mum for the United States, and the vegetation is dense and the soil
dark, we find him almost sable brown, but on the deserts of the
southwest his colors are pale sandy to match the light open ground.
Indeed, his coat is so sensitive to slight changes of environment
that lie is a sore problem to makers of subspecies. But whatever
trouble he unwittingly makes in the ornithological world, he is the
same quiet, gentle bird, sunning himself in the bushes, running over
the ground when attending to his affairs with wings close at his sides

FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC. 357

.and tail perked up ; guarding his family with watchful care, and
between times, as at all times, singing his glad little lay

58 la. M. m. fallax (Baird). DESERT SONG SPARROW.

General color light rufous ; upper parts light gray, streaked on back with
rusty, usually without blackish shaft streaks ;
streaks ou chest clear rusty or rufous. Youny :
dull brown or huffy above, back streaked with
brown ; buffy white below, chest streaked.
Male: length (skins) 5.3t>-tU:J, wing 2.50-

2.71, toil 2.59-2.81, bill .44-.50. Female: length (skins) 5.10-5.82, wing
2.47-2.02. tail 2.39-2.78, bill .45-.4S.

Remarks. - - The light color and rusty streaking distinguish this from
all other song sparrows.

Distribution. — Breeds in Lower Sonoran zone from southern Nevada
and southeastern California to Lower California and Sonora. Mexico.

Nest. — In tufts of grass, low bushes, or on the ground. Eggs : 4, light
greenish or dull bluish white, more or less spotted with brown.

58 lb. M. m. montana (Hensh.). MOUNTAIN SONG SPARROW.

Upper parts grayish streaked with black and brown ; wings and tail
brown ; under parts white, chest and sides
streaked with brown, streaks more or less
confluent on breast, Male : length (skins)
5.58-6.49. wing 2.58-2.91, tail 2.50-3.02, bill
.44-.55. Female : length (skins) 5.35-6.34, Fig. 445.

wing 2.46-2.75, tail 2.40-2.86, bill .41-.50.

Remarks. -- Montana is like melodia, but wings, tail, and tarsus average
longer, bill smaller and relatively more slender ; coloration grayer ; the
young paler, whitish instead of buffy below, less tawny above than in
young of melodia.

Distribution. — Breeds in Transition zone in the Rocky Mountain and
Sierra Nevada region of the United States ; migrates to western Texas
and northern Mexico.

581c. M. m. heermanni (Baird). HEERMAN SONG SPARROW.*
Ground color brown or olive, streaked both above and belowr with blackish ;

Remarks. — The seasonal changes in plumage are marked, the summer
birds being much more sharply and narrowly streaked than winter ones.
Heermanni is like melodia. but smaller and browner, streaks on back
averaging broader, those on chest darker ; young like that of melodia. but
deeper tawny above, streaks broader ; under parts tinged with brownish
buff, chest streaks broader.

Distribution. — Breeds in Lower Sonoran zone in central valleys of Cali-
fornia ; migrates southward ; casually to Nevada.

1 Melospiza fasciata cooperi Ridgw. SAN DIEGO SONG SPARROW.

Like heermanni, but slightly smaller and much lighter and grayer.

Distribution. — Southern coast district of California (north to Monterey Bay, east to
Fort Tejon. San Bernardino, etc.), and Pacific coast of northern Lower California. (The
Auk, xvi. 35.)

Melospiza melodia santsecrucis Grinnell. SANTA CRCZ SONG SPARROW.

Like cooperi, but smaller, with weaker bill, and brown markings deeper and more
extensive.

DixtrihiiHon. — Along fresh water streams heading in the Santa Cruz mountain region,
from San Francisco south to Monterey Bay. (The Condor, i. 92.)

358 FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC.

58 Id. M. m. samuelis (Baird). SAMUELS SONG

Like heermanni, but smaller, with slenderer
bill. Male : length (skins) 4.99-5.90, wing- 2.21-
2.51, tail 2.09-2.43, bill .43-.50. Female : length
(skins) 5.05-5.61, wing 2.21-2.38, tail 2.10-2.35,
44°- bill .45-.40.

Distribution. -- Breeds on the coast region of California from Santa Cruz
to Humboldt County.

581e. M. m. morphna Oberh. RUSTY SONG SPARROW.2

Adults. — Upper parts rusty olive, the rusty brown and black streaks

obscured ; chest widely marked with heavy
dark rufous streaks ; flanks olivaceous instead
of tawny. Young : back dark brown streaked
with blackish ; under parts whitish or buffy
grayish : chest and sides buffy or brownish

streaked with sooty brown. Male : length (skins) 5.69-6.46. wing 2.55-

2.81. tail 2.39-2.87, bill .47-.54. Female: length (skins) 5.58-6.19, wing

2.45-2.70, tail 2.28-2.67, bill .45-.S2.

Distribution. — Breeds in Canadian zone in the Pacific coast region from

southern Alaska to Oregon ; migrates to southern California.

Nest. — As described by Kobbe", on horizontal branch of a small spruce,

about 5 feet from the ground, made of coarse grass stems lined with fine

grass.

The rusty song sparrow is said to be an especially water-loving
subspecies, being found in swanips, brush patches along streams,
and coast waters.

58 If. M. m. rufina (Bonap.). SOOTY SONG SPARROW.S

Like morphna, but decidedly larger (except bill), darker, and more uni-
form sooty rather than rusty ; back obsoletely streaked. Male : length
(skins) 5.85-6.85, wing 2.63-3.02. tail 2.60-2.90, bill .48-.50. Female:
length (skins) 5.50-6.00, wing 2.52-2.77, tail 2.30-2.70, bill .42-.50.

Distribution. — Southern Alaska ; in winter to coast of British Colum-
bia. Vancouver Island, and Olympic Mountains, Washington; accidental in
California.

58 lh. M. m. graminea (Towns.}. SANTA BARBARA SONG SPARROW.
Similar to samuelis, but decidedly grayish above, the streaks both above

1 MelospizafasciatapusUlula'R.i&gvr. SALT MARSH SONG SPARROW.

Like M. in. s<inim-lis, but smaller, especially wings and tail ; less rusty above, super-
ciliary and under parts tinged with yellowish.

Distribution. — Salt marshes of San Francisco Bay. ( The Auk, xvi. 35.)

Melospiza rnelodia clroiiensis McGregor. MENDOCINO SONG SPARROW.

Size of sdnnii'li.t, but lighter and more rusty.

Distribution. — Coast of Mendocino County, California. (Bull. Cooper Orn. Club,
i. 87.)

2 Melospiza fasciata ingersolli McGregor. TEHAMA SONG SPARROW.
Similar to morplma, but darker and without rusty wash.

Distribution. — Northern Sacramento Valley, south in winter to San Francisco Bay.
(Bull. Cooper Orn. Club, i. 3.">.)

3 Mi'los)>izn ciiirri'd ptm-u Fisher. OREGON SONG SPARROW.

Almost identical with ntjina in color and markings, but between cJeonensis and
morphna in size.

Distribution. — Immediate vicinity of coast from Rogue River to Yaquima, Oregon.
(The Condor, iv. 3G.)

FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC. 359

and below blackish and narrower, contrasting- more sharply with the
groundcolor; about the size of samue/is, but with shorter tail and larger
feet. Young : like those of montana, with grayish instead of brownish
ground color. Male: length (skins) 5.1S-5.40. wing 2.2U-2.41. tail 2.11-
2.31, bill .47-.4K. Female: length (skins) 5.30-5.48, wing 2.30-2.37. tail
2.UI-2.31. bill .46-.4T.

Distribution. — Santa Barbara Islands, and. in winter, adjacent mainland
of California.

5811. M. m. clementse (Towns.). SAN CLEMENTE SONG SPARROW.

Similar in color and markings to graminea, but much larger, the bill
longer. Male : length (skins/ 5.70-6. IS, wing 2.45-2.60, tail 2.35-2.64,
bill .4T-.49. Female : length (skins) 5.44-5.81, wing 2.40-2.50, tail 2.39-
2.50. bill .45-.50.

Distribution. — San Clemente. San Miguel, and Santa Rosa Islands, Cali-
fornia ; and Coronados Islands. Lower California.

581k. M. m. merrilli (Brewst.). MERRILL SONG SPARROW.

Similar to morphna, but with smaller bill and ground color of upper
parts lighter and more ashy ; dark markings — especially on back —
blacker and more sharply defined : the white of under parts clearer and
more extended. Male: length (skins) 5.65-6.40. wing 2.5(5-2.75, tail 2.51-
2.83, bill .45-.51. Ft male : length (skins) 5.48-6.21, wing 2.50-2.68, tail
2.40-2.76, bill .44-.50.

Remarks. — Merrilli is like montana, but slightly darker and more uni-
form above, the gray and brown of interscapulars less strongly contrasted.

Distribution. — Breeds from Fort Sherman. Idaho, south through Oregon
and Washington east of Cascades to northern California ; migrates to
Nevada. Utah. Arizona, and northern Sonora.

583. Melospiza lincolnii (And.). LINCOLN SPARROW.

Adults. — Upper parts dark brown and olive, finely and sharply streaked
with black ; crown with light median stripe ; malar
region, chest, and sides buffy ; sides and broad buff]/
chfst band narrowly streaked with black. Young:
colors more suffused and streaks less sharply de- Fig. 448.

fined. Male: length (skins) 4. 88-5. 70, wing 2.26-

2.62. tail '2.07-2.44, bill .41-.47. Female: length (skins) 4.54-5.43, wino-.
2.15-2.45. tail 2.01-2.34, bill .3S-.46.

Distribution. --Breeds in Boreal zone of North America from Fort
Yukon east to York Factory, Hudson Bay. and south to the higher parts
of the Rocky Mountains and Sierra Nevada; winters from southern United
States to Panama.

^Xest. — On the ground, made of grass. Eggs : as described by Davie,
light greenish white, heavily marked, chiefly around larger end, with
chestnut and lavender gray.

Food. — Mainly insects and grass and weed seed.

The Lincoln sparrow might bo mistaken for a song sparrow but for
his buffy chest band, finely penciled breast, and wholly individual,
vibrant song.

Willows in mountain meadows attract him, and when you sur-
prise him on a willow stalk with his bill full of insects for his brood,

360 FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC.

he will cliug there switching his tail and uttering his sharp call -note
till you leave.

583a. M. 1. striata Brewst. FORBUSH SPARROW.

Similar to lincolnii, but superciliary stripe and upper parts more strongly
olivaceous, and dark streaks, especially on back and upper tail coverts,
coarser, blacker, and more numerous. Wing : 2.35, tail 2.23.

Distribution. — British Columbia and western Washington; migrates to
California.

584. Melospiza georgiana (Lath.). SWAMP SPARROW.

Adults. — Crown chestnut, forehead black or broadly streaked with black
and divided by a gray or buff y median line ; rest of upper parts rusty
brown, back broadly streaked with black ; tail with middle feathers with
narrow blackish median stripe ; under parts gray, darker on chest, but
unstreaked or very indistinctly streaked ; sides and flanks brown. Young :
upper parts heavily streaked and under parts streaked on chest and sides.
Male: length (skins) 5.11-5.79. wing 2.30-2.58. tail 2.18-2.51. bill .43-.47.
Female : length (skins) 4.80-5.54, wing 2.27-2.45, tail 2.06-2.41. bill .42-.47.

Distribution. — Breeds from the Hudson Bay south to the northeastern
United States ; west to the Plains ; winters from Massachusetts south to
the Gulf states and to western Texas.

Nest. — On low, wet, grassy land, made of grasses and lined with leaves
and stems. Eggs : 4 or 5, pale bluish to greenish white, spotted with
lilac and shades of yellowish and brown, most thickly about larger end.

Food. — Mainly insects and seeds.

GENUS PASSERELLA.

General Characters. — Bill moderate or swollen, conical ; feet and claws
large, side claws reaching much beyond end of middle toe ; tarsus about
twice as long as bill, stout.

KEY TO SPECIES,

1. Back brown or marked with brown.

2. Back streaked or spotted with brown. Winters from Atlantic to

Rocky Mountains iliaca, p. 360.

2'. Back plain brown. Alaska ; in winter to southern California.

unalaschceiisis.1 p. 361.
1'. Back gray.
2. Smaller, with more slender bill. Rocky Mountain district.

schistacea, p. 362.
2'. Larger, with thicker bill.

3. Depth of bill at base .49. Sierra Nevada and Coast Range. Cali-
fornia megarhyiicha, p. 3ii2

3'. Depth of bill at base .56. San Bernardino Mountains, California.

Stephens!, p 363.

585. Passerella iliaca (Merr.). Fox SPARROW.

Adults. — Upper parts mixed with strongly contrasting slate gray and
reddish brown in varying proportions amounting to gray and brown
phases ; brown brightest on wings, rump, and tail ; wings with two white

1 Mr. Ridgway has restricted unalaschcensis to Alaska. See Birds of North and Mid-
dle America, i. 381).

FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC. :',r,i

bars ; under parts white, sides of throat and chest spotted and blotched
with reddish brown ; flanks streaked with rufous. Young :
similar, but colors duller and .markings less sharply de-
fined. Malt : length (skins) 5.1)4-6.80, wing- 3.40-3.61, tail
±64-2.91, bill .42-.51. Female: length (skins) 6.18-6.7".
wing- 3.30-3.46, tail 2.63-2.88, bill .42-.48.

Distribution. — Northern North America, breeding- from
Magdalen Islands to Bering- Sea ; south in winter to Florida.
middle Texas, and eastern base of Rocky Mountains.

Nest. — On ground or in bushes, made largely of moss Fig.'-ny. FOX
and leaves. Eggs: 3 to 5, bluish green spotted with red- Sparrow,
dish brown.

Food. — Insects, a large proportion of ragweed and polygonnm seed, and
wild fruit.

585a. P. i. unalaschcensis (GmeL). TOWNS END SPARROW. l

Upper parts reddish brown, more or less mixed u-ith slaty gray, becoming-
dark brown or foxy on rump, wings, and
tail ; under parts white, thickly marked
with triangular spots of dark brown converg-
ing on breast. Male : length (skins) 6.50-
6.70. wing 3.28-3.39, tail 2.88-2.98, bill .49- Fig. 450.

.50. Female: length (skins) 6.20-6.68. wing 3.14-3.19. tail 2.71-2.80, bill
.50-.52.

Remarks. -- The dark reddish brown upper parts, converging spots on
the breast, and the long wings distinguish this subspecies.

Distribution. — Breeds on Alaskan peninsula and islands, and migrates
to southern California ; casually to Lower California.

Nest. — Near the ground in dense thickets, made largely of moss and
leaves. Eggs : 3 or 4, pale bluish green, or greenish gray, speckled and
blotched with brown and lilac.

The members of the genus Passerella are large, strongly marked
sparrows, with loud, rather rich voices. As the size and strength of
their feet show, they are diggers. A bird that I watched in Golden

1 Mr. Ridgway has restricted unalaschcensis to Alaska and separated from it the form
which comes to northern California as townsendi, adding several new subspecies which
winter in California.

Passerella iliaca insularis Ridgway.

Like unalaschcensis, but back warm sepia brown, spots on chest large and deep brown,
under tail coverts strongly tinged with buff.

Distribution. — Kadiak Island (and Middleton Island "), Alaska, in summer ; south to
California in winter. (The Auk, xvii. 31.)

Passerella iliaca annectens Ridgway. YAKUTAT Fox SPARROW.

Similar to insularis, but smaller, especially the bill, and coloration slightly browner.
Distribution. — Coast of Alaska, from Cross Sound to Prince William Sound (to Cook
Inlet ?), south in winter to California. (The Auk, xvii. 30.)

Passerella iliaca meruloides (Vigors).

Like insularis, but bill smaller and coloration throughout darker.

Distribution. — Breeds in Yakutat Bay district (?) and winters in Santa Cruz district.
(The Condor, iv. 45.) Perhaps a synonym of annectens.

Passerella iliaca townsendi (And.). TOWNSEND SPARBOW.

Like annectens, but darker, spots on chest larger.

Distribution. — Coast of southern Alaska ; in winter to northern California.

Passerella iliaca fuliginosa Ridgway. SOOTY Fox SPARROW.

Like toivnsendi, but darker and less rufescent, spots on under parts larger and more
confluent than in other forms.

Distribution. — Breeds in coast district of southwestern British Columbia and north-
western Washington : south in winter to coast of northern California. ( The Auk. xvi. 36.)

362 FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC.

Gate Park, San Francisco, one day gave a good exhibition of their
methods. He took a little run forward and then kicked back with
both feet, and if there were any diminutive hillocks back of him,
leveled them, sending a shower of sand up behind him. Sometimes
he used his bill to push a bit of earth aside. After working in this
way with artisan-like regularity for some time, he hopped up on a
plant label and sat there with his long toes over the edge looking up
with winning friendliness.

The fox sparrows were to be found through the winter not only in
Golden Gate Park, but also in the small parks and cemeteries of the
city, with the white-crowned and golden-crowned sparrows. But
though with the others, Passerella was not of them, and while the
crowned sparrows were in goodly flocks he shoveled alone or possi-
bly with a few comrades. When chased by a white-crown he
gathered his feathers trimly about him and ran meekly back into the
bushes. He was evidently not as used to city life as they, for when
he came out in view it was with his red tail perked up, his wings
close at his sides, and a conscious air of appearing in public, and at
the least alarm he would scud back to cover in nervous haste.

When at home the thick-billed sparrows live in dense laurel or
evergreen thickets, Major Bendire says, but the slate-colored prefers
the more open country, living in rose and willow thickets along
streams near foothills.

In the Sierra Nevada one of the loudest and richest of the finch
songs that brighten the Transition zone forest can be traced to the
thick-billed, perched on top of a bush, his big bill and mixed reddish
brown and gray plumage distinguishing him. His song is not of the
high grade of the white-crown, but is particularly pleasing on ac-
count of its loud, cheery quality. His call-note is a sharp chip.

585b. P. i. megarhyncha (Baird). THICK-BILLED SPARROW.

Upper parts plain slaty or brownish gray, becoming1 rusty on wing's, upper
tail coverts, and tail ; under parts with chest spots smaller, more scattered ;
tail longer than wing", bill thick. Male : lengih (skins) (5.00-
7.20, wing- 3.12-3.42, tail 3.02-3.42, bill .4S-.54, depth of bill
at base .49— .52. Female: length (skins) 0.50-7.50. wing1 2.97-
3.37. tail 3.02-3.49, bill .45-.53, depth of bill at base .48-.50.

Remarks. - - Tbe gray back and tbe thick bill distinguish
megarhyncha from una/aschcensis. and its larger size and thicker
bill from schistacea ; while its smaller bill distinguishes it from Stephen si.

Distribution. — Breeds in Transition zone in the Sierra Nevada and Coast
Range ; migrates to Los Ang-eles County. California.

A est. - - In evergreens and thickets, usually on or near the ground, made
of plant fibers and willow bark, lined with grasses and horsehair. Eggs :
3 or 4, marking's tending1 to run longitudinally.

585c. P. i. schistacea (Baird). SLATE-COLORED SPARROW.

Jake megarhyncha , but. smaller body and bill. Male : length (skins)

FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC. 363

6.23-7.16, wing- 3.08-3.43. tail 2.8S-3.43, bill .44-. 50. Female: length
(skins) 0.02-0.58, wing 3.02-:!.21, bill 45-.50.

Distribution. — Breeds in Transition zone in the Rocky
Mountain region of British Columbia and the United States ;
from Colorado to California ; wanders in winter to Kansas.
Arizona, Nevada, and California. Fig. 452.

Nest .-- Usually less than 3 feet from the ground, bulky Slate-colored
and well made of plant fibers, willow bark, and grass, lined
with horsehair. Eyys : usually 4, green or olive btiff. marked with purple
and browns.

585d. P. i. Stephens! Anthony. STEPHENS SPA K ROW.

x- Like megarkyncha, but averaging larger, -with much larger

O bil1' Male : le»S'th (skins) 6.01-7.34. wing 3.30-3.37, tail
~ 3.17-3.58, bill .59-.6S. Female: length (skins) 0.01-0.92,
£ wing 3.13-3.30, tail 3.10-3.41. bill .52-59.

Distribution. — Mountains of southern California.

Fig. 453.

GENUS ARREMONOPS.

586. Arremonops rufivirgatus (Laivr.). TEXAS SPARROW.

Tail shorter than wing ; wing short and much rounded. Adults: upper
parts plain olive green, wings and tail brighter ; top of head with wide
olive median stripe bordered by dark brown or blackish brown stripes ;
superciliary grayish ; lores and stripe back of eye brown ; edge of uing
bright yellow ; under parts dull whitish, chest, sides, and flanks tinged
with pale buffy. Young : dull brownish ; head without distinct stripes ;
wings and tail with greenish edgings ; belly buffy or fulvous. Male : length
(skins) 5.30-6.00, wing 2.45-2.65. tail 2.45-2.75, bill .48-55. Female : length
(skins) 5.50-5.85, wing 2.32-2.45. tail 2.23-2.50. bill .47-.52.

Distribution. — Valley of the Lower Rio Grande, in Texas, and eastern
Mexico ; casually to Louisiana.

Nest. — In open thickets, made of dried weed stems, bark, grasses, and
leaves, sometimes lined with hair. Eggs : 4. dull white.

GENUS PIPILO.

General Characters. -- Bill moderate; wings short, greatly rounded;
primaries exceeding secondaries usually by much less than bill : tail long,
rounded ; feet large and strong, claws stout, and much curved.

KEY TO ADULT MALES.

1. Upper parts light grayish brown.

Fig. 454.

2. Lores and chin blackish aberti. p. 368.

2'. Lores and chin not blackish.

3. Crown rufous, throat buffy mesoleucus. p. 366.

3'. Crown not rufous, throat rufous.

4. Smaller. Southern California senicula. p. 36"£.
4'. Larger crissalis, p. 367.

1'. Upper parts black.

T.ff

Fig. 455.

364 FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC.

2. Scapulars and wing1 coverts almost always wholly black. Eastern.

erythrophthalmus, p. 364.
2'. Scapulars and wing- coverts marked with white.

3. White markings inconspicuous oregoiius, p. 365.

3'. White marking's conspicuous.

4. White on outer tail feathers covering more than exposed half

(beyond coverts) arcticus. p. 364.

4'. White on outer tail feathers not covering1 more than exposed half.
5. White on outer tail feather covering1 more than an inch.

6. Darker ; bill and feet relatively smaller. Rocky Mountains

to Pacific megalonyx, p. 365.

6'. Lighter colored; bill and feet relatively larger. San Cle-
mente Island, California .... clemeiitae, p. 366.
5'. White on outer tail feather reduced to less than an inch.

atratus, p. 366.

587. Pipilo erythrophthalmus (Linn.). TOWHEE: CHEWINK.

Adult male. — Black, except for white belly, brown sides, and white
patch on primaries, white edgings to tertials, and white
corners to tail ; iris bright red. Adult female : sim-
ilar, but black replaced by brown. Young : similar
to adults of same sexes, but streaked, and without
dark chest patch. Male: length (skins) 7.36-8.10,
wing- 3.20-3.72, tail 3.48-3.91, bill .53-.5S. Female:
length (skins) 6.80-7.52, wing 3.00-3.30, tail 3.17-
3.52, bill .51-.58 ; white on end of outer tail feather
Fig. 456. 1.30-1.60.

Remarks. — The absence of white on the scapular and wing coverts dis-
tinguishes the eastern towhee from the western forms.

Distribution. — Breeds from southern Canada to the Lower Mississippi
Valley, and from the Atlantic to the western parts of Dakota and Ne-
braska ; winters from the middle districts southward.

Nest. — On the ground or occasionally in low bushes, bulky, made of
leaves, twigs, and vines, and lined with grass stems and rootlets. Eggs :
usually 4. white, pinkish white, or brownish, thickly speckled with reddish
brown.

Food. — Insects and seeds.

588. Pipilo maculatus arcticus (Swains.). ARCTIC TOWHEE.
Adult male. — Head, neck, and chest black ; back black, more or less

mixed with olive gray ; belly white ;
flanks reddish brown ; wings and
tail with extensive white markings ;
wing bai-s and white edgings of
primaries sometimes forming a con-
spicuous patch, and scapulars heav-
ily streaked with white ; white on

outer tail feather covering more than half exposed portion beyond coverts
(1.30-1.70). Adult female : Black, replaced by dull olive brown; back
streaked with black ; throat and chest grayish brown ; white markings
obscured. Young : streaked with black over brownish ground above, buffy
below ; lighter in female ; markings of wings and tail as in adult, more or
less restricted on wings. Male : length (skins) 6.90-8.34, wing 3.33-3.59,
tail 3.58-4.10, bill ,47-.55. Female : length (skins) 7.19-8.30, wing 3.10-
3.58, tail 3.40-4.10, bill .48-. 55.

FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC.

Distribution. -- Breeds in Transition and Upper Sonoran zones on the
Plains and eastern foothills of the Rocky Mountains from the Saskatche-
wan south to southern Colorado, and from the Missouri west to Avestern
Montana ; winters south to Texas and west to Washington ; casually to
Iowa and Wisconsin.

Xest. — On the ground, made at times of pine needles and lined with
grass.

The townees of the maculatus group are shy birds of the chap-
arral, and when caught singing on top of a bush, where you can
study the amount of white mixed with the black and brown of
their plumage, they are liable to stop short in their song and pitch
down to the ground with only an aggravating flash of the white
tail corners. And though you wait patiently, all the reward you
are likely to get is a nasal wlmnk or a mewing totr-hee as they rattle
the dead leaves, scratching for worms under the dense cover of
brush.

Both their call-notes and songs have a quaint twang that give
them peculiar zest. One of the commonest songs in general time
and emphasis may be given as yang' ' , kit-er-er.

588a. P. m. megalonyx (Baird.}. SPURRED TOWHEE.

Like arcticus. but with tail, tarsus, and hind claw longer, bill larger,
and coloration darker ; upper parts
black, except for grayish rump ;
white markings much restricted, and
rufous of sides deeper ; middle of
back and tertials usually without
white ; white edgings of primaries
not developed into a patch, and white space on outer tail feather not
occupying more than half of space beyond coverts (1.1 0-1 .35 long). Adult
female : darker than female arcticus. streaks on back less conspicuous,
white tail patch smaller. Young : similar to young of arcticus. but darker.
Male: length (skins) 7.12-8.30. wing 3.29-3.65, tail 3.55-4.39, bill .48-
.58. Female : length (skins) 7.12-8.09, wing 3.13-3.48, tail 3.42-4.16, bill
.40-.59.

Distribution. — Breeds in Transition and Upper Sonoran zones from the
Rocky Mountains to California and from British Columbia south to Lower
California and northern Mexico.

Xest. — On the ground or in a bush, made variously of inner bark,
leaves, and small sticks, lined with grass. Eggs : 4 or 5. pale greenish or
bluish, finely specked with brown and lavender, massed around larger end.

588b. P. m. oregonus (Bell). OREGON TOWHEE.

Adult male. - - Upper parts mainly black, white markings inconspicuous ;
streaks on back mainly obsolete or
concealed ; wing bars reduced to
disconnected round white spots,
white of outer tail feather reduced
to ' thumb mark.' less than an inch
in length, outer web mainly black :
rufous of sides very dark. Adult female : black replaced by dark sooty

366 FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC.

brown or sooty black, indistinctly streaked with black'; rufous of sides
deep. Young: Darker and more uniform than young megalonyx ; throat
and chest sooty, not streaked. Male: length (skins) 7.08-8.18, wing 3.22-
3.47, tail 3.42-3.87, bill .S4-.59. Female : length (skins) 6.95-8.00, win«-
3.03-3.38, tail 3.31-3.85, bill .52-.5S.

Remarks. — In the Oregon towhee the general size and hind claw are
much smaller than in the spurred, while the absence of white markings
makes a good field character.

Distribution. — Breeds in humid Transition zone from British Columbia
to San Francisco ; winters south to southern California.

588c. P. m. clementse (Grinn.). SAN CLEMENTE TOWHEE.

Adult male. — Like megalonyx, but bill and feet relatively larger and
coloration grayer ; upper parts sooty, washed with olive gray ; rump
lighter, upper tail coverts finely barred with dusky. Adult female : head
and neck dull dark brown ; wings and tail darker ; rump gray, feathers
with dark centers and light edgings. Male: length (skins) 7.44-8.10,
wing 3.14-3.50, tail 3.48-4.06, bill .55-. GO. Female: length (skins) 7.02-
8.30, wing 3.06-3.24, tail 3.45-3.76, bill .54-.5S.

Distribution. — San Clemente Island, southern California.

588d. P. m. atratus Eidgw. SAN DIEGO TOWHEE.

Adult male. — Deep glossy black ; wings and scapulars heavily marked
with white ; outer tail feathers with white thumb marks. Adult female :
upper parts clove brown ; throat and chest clove brown or sooty black.

Remarks. — The San Diego towhee is like the spurred, but decidedly
darker, and with white markings more restricted.

Distribution. — From coast district of southern California south to Lower
California.

591. Pipilo fuscus mesoleucus (Baird). CANYON TOWHEE.

Adults. - - Top of head light rufous; rest of upper parts and sides plain
dull grayish brown ; throat buffy, finely spotted, obsolete chest patch
formed by large spots; middle of belly whitish, hinder part of belly,
flanks, and lower tail coverts yellowish brown. Young : upper parts dull
grayish brown, indistinctly streaked with darker ; wing coverts largely
edged and tipped with pale rufous ; lower parts dull white, changing to
brownish on under tail coverts, largely streaked with dusky. Male : length
(skins) 7.64-8.77, wing 3.49-3.94, tail 3.77-4.23, bill .56-66. Female:
length (skins) 7.75-8.72. wing 3.39-3.92. tail 3.71-4.31. bill .57-.64.

Distribution. — Upper and Lower Sonoran zone from western Texas to
Arizona, and from eastern Colorado south to Sonora and Chihuahua.

Xest. - - In mesquite trees rarely over 8 feet from the ground, sometimes
in thick bunches of cholla cactus and between the leaves of yuccas, deep,
bulky, and loosely made of coarse grasses lined with rootlets and horsehair.
Eyys : usually 3. bluish white or pearl gray, spotted and scrawled with
brown and sometimes black, and with purple shell markings.

The fuse us group of towhees, while chaparral birds of the same
general habits as the iiHirnl<ilnx group, seem more like big fluffy
brown sparrows than chew inks.

The canyon towhee, when sitting on a bush, shows his rufous
under tail coverts and raises his crown so that the color shows there.
He has a loud metallic chip, a call of four loud repetitions of the

FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC. 367

same note, and in flight the robin-like screep' -eep-eep of his group.
In the mountains, the canyon towhees are found among rocks and
along ledges of canyons. At Mineral Park, Arizona, Mr. Bailey
found them abundant in February. They were noisy and so tame
that they would come into camp to feed on scattered crumbs and
grain. In New Mexico outside of the mountains, Mr. Batchelder
found them about Mexican villages and irrigated fields.

59 lb- P. f. crissalis (Vig.). CALIFORNIA TOWHEE.

Adults. — Entire upper parts plain dull grayish brown, slightly deeper on
head ; throat light rufous, usually marked with dusky ;
middle of belly whitish or dull buffy. sides grayish
brown ; under tail coverts reddish brown. Youn;/ : like
adults, but browner, wing bars and edgings pale brown-
ish ; under parts dull buffy. deepening to tawny on
throat and belly, and grayish brown along sides; ante-
rior lower parts streaked. Male: length (skins) 8.35-
9.50. wing 3.75-4.08, tail 4.22-4.:>5. bill .56-65. Female : FiS-

length (skins) 8.24-8.60, wing 3.57-3.88, tail 4.14-4.38, bill .56-.6S.

Remarks. — Crissalis is like mesoleucus, but larger and darker.

Distribution. — California, west of Sierra Nevada, north to Mendocino
and Shasta counties, south to Santa Barbara and Kern counties, and north-
ern paj"t of San Bernardino County.

Nest. -- In bushes or trees, usually 2 to 6 feet from the ground, made of
inner bark, twigs, and weed stems, lined with plant stems and sometimes
horsehair and wool. Eggs : 4 or 5, pale blue, spotted with purplish brown.

The California members of the fuscus group have a thin chip
which gives them the name of brown chippies, the robin-like call of
mesoleucus, and a song which, though a trifle squeaky for such a
large bird when heard too close at hand, has a quiet, contented qual-
ity that matches the bird's disposition and is very pleasing. When
given in concert in the canyons at dusk the song is said to be
most effective. Though shy and wary about his nesting grounds,
when his family cares are over the brown chippie comes to the door-
yard and stays there more familiarly than the Brewer blackbird.
Although he also makes himself at home on city lawns and in parks,
he is especially fond of barnyards and hay lofts, where he can
scratch in the straw and pick up seeds to his heart's content. When
he flies his short wings and long tail give him a bobbing, awkward
motion, but when sitting about the dooryard his plump, fluffy figure
affords him a most comfortable domestic look.

59 lc. P. f. senicula Anthony. SAN FERNANDO TOWHEE: ANTHONY
TOWHEE.

Like crissalis. but smaller, upper parts darker, and lower parts grayer.
Male: length (skins) 8.05-8.12, wing 3.48-3.97, tail 3.95-4.42, bill .56-.62.
Female: Wing 3.38-3.56, tail 3.93-4.02, bill .57-60.

Distribution. — From southern California south to Lower California.

368 FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC.

592. Pipilo aberti Baird. ABERT TOWHEE.

Adults. — Lores and chin blackish ; upper parts plain grayish brown,
darkest on head ; quills edged with grayish ; lower parts pinkish brown,
lighter on belly, and deepening to tawny on under tail coverts. Young :
paler and duller, breast indistinctly streaked. Male : length (skins) 8.22-
9.14, wing 3.54-3.81, tail 4.17-4.72, bill .S9-.64. Female: length (skins)
7.97-8.68, wing 3.36-3.62, tail 3.97-4.31, bill .S9-.62.

Distribution. — Breeds in upper and lower Sonoran zones from Colorado
to southeastern California, Arizona, and New Mexico.

Nest. — Rarely more than 5 feet from the ground, in willow thickets,
canebrake, low bushes, or mesquite ; bulky, loosely made of weed stalks,
inner bark, grass, and sticks, sometimes lined with inner bark or horse-
hair. Eggs: 2 to 4, pale blue, sparsely marked with dark brown and
black.

The cinnainou colored aberti is the largest of the plain towhees.
It is said to be extremely shy. Major Bendire gives its alarm note
as huit Jiuit. At Phoenix it is common among the mesquites and cot-
tonwoods.

GENUS OREOSPIZA.

592.1. Oreospiza chlorura (Aud.). GREEN-TAILED TOWHEE.

Bill small, conical ; wing rather long and pointed ; tail long, rounded ;
tarsus long, nearly a third the length of wing ; hind claw
longer than its toe. (Structurally intermediate between
Zonotrichia and Pipilo.) Adult male: top of head bright
rufous ; throat white ; upper parts olive gray, becoming
bright olive green on wings and tail; malar stripe and
middle of belly white ; edge of wing, under wing coverts,
and axillars bright yellow. Adult female : usually slightly
Fig. 461. duller. Young: olive grayish, streaked with dusky;

lower parts dingy white, chest and sides streaked with dusky ; wings and
tail like adults, but wing bars brownish buffy. Male : length (skins) 6.21-
7.05, wing 3.01-3.28, tail 3.14-3.43, bill .48-. 51. Female: length (skins)
6.52-7.10, wing 2.80-3.10, tail 2.93-3.33, bill .45-.51.

Distribution. — Breeds in Transition zone in the interior plateau region
from the western edge of the Plains to Coast Range in California, and north
to Montana ; migrates to southern Lower California and central Mexico.

Nest. — On or near the ground in sagebrush, chaparral, or cactus, made
of sticks lined with grass. Eggs : 4, whitish, speckled or sprinkled with
reddish brown.

The name Oreospiza calls to mind one of the most attractive and
gentle of birds, with the memory of warm days when the smell of
the aromatic, mint and Ceanothus filled the air. The green-tail fol-
lows the Transition zone chaparral from the zonal level, where a
dense brush thicket covers wide areas, and where he is one of a
number of brush birds, up to the extreme limit of the chaparral, where
there are only scattered patches of dwarf brush on high rock slides,
and where he is the one brush bird, conspicuous among the boreal
solitaires and nutcrackers.

His mewing call-note, a soft mew, mew-ah-eep, seems his most

FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC. 369

chewiuk-like character and proclaims his presence, as does his song
when the ear has caught the difference between it and that of the
frtwrelltt. Though phrased somewhat like the song of the nutculatus
group, it is wholly different in quality and rendering, being more
of the bright finch type with the Chondestes-like burr heard in so
many finch songs, and its two emphasized notes standing out in a
medley of short notes.

His familiar voice is often heard from a wall of chaparral, but
he may generally be found perched on top of a bush, and at sight of
you will raise his rufous cap inquiringly, turning to look down so
that his white chin shows to good advantage. When seen hopping
over the ground he is as trim and alert as a song sparrow, looking
about and flashing his green tail till he disappears to scratch in the
brush. When surprised on the ground he will often run rather than
take wing. One that Mr. Bailey found on its nest at 7900 feet on
Donner Peak, California, ran silently for five or six rods through the
brush, and then stopped, to tempt him away from its brood.

GENUS CARDINALIS.

General Characters. — Head with conspicuous crest ; bill stout, conical,
much deeper than broad at base ; wing- short, much rounded, primaries
exceeding secondaries by less than length of exposed culmen ; tail longer
than wing.

KEY TO ADl'LT MALES.

1. Feathers all around base of bill black.

2. Black frontlet wider. Eastern United States . cardinalis, p. 369.

2'. Black frontlet narrower. Texas to Mexico . canicaudus, p. 370.

1'. Feathers around base of bill not black across forehead. Arizona to

Mexico superbus, p. 370.

593. Cardinalis cardinalis (Linn.). CARDINAL.

Adult male. — Crest, head, and lower parts bright red, feathers around
base of bill black ; back dull red, feathers tipped with olive gray, wearing
away in midsummer. Adult female : wings and tail dull
red ; crest partly red ; upper parts olive grayish ; under
parts grayish buffy ; chest often tinged wTith red ; feathers
around base of bill and upper parts of throat dull grayish ;
under wing coverts pinkish red. Young : like adult female,
but duller, the bill blackish. Male : length (skins) 7.40-
8.40. wing 3.60-3.93, tail 3.78-4.35, bill .71-.SO. Female:
length (skins) 7.40-8.15. wing 3.48-3.78, tail 3.70-4.22, bill
.65-.80.

Distribution. — Resident in eastern United States from the Gulf north
regularly to about latitude 41° ; casually northward to Ontario ; west to
edge of great Plains, rarely in western Kansas and Colorado.

Nest. — A rather frail structure of sticks or fine rootlets, leaves, grasses,
or strips of bark, sometimes covered with gray moss ; placed in bushes,
brambles, grapevines, or low trees. Eggs : 2 to 4. white, irregularly spotted
with purple and reddish brown.

Food. - - Insects, berries, seeds, and grain.

370 FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC.

The cardinals are the most striking of chaparral birds where they
occur. Seen against a background of dingy brush their red plumage
fairly glows in the sun till you are led to marvel at its brilliancy.

Then how their loud whistle pierces the air ! How exquisitely
rounded comes their cue-cue,, and with what force follows the rapid
hip -ip-ip-ip-ip-ip-ip.

593a. C. c super/bus Ridgw. ARIZONA CARDINAL.

Adult male. — Top of head and long crest brilliant red ; lores and
chin black, black of lores not connected across forehead unless by narrow
black line ; rest of under parts brilliant red ; back dull red Avashed with
gray ; wings and tail dark red ; bill very heavy. Adult female: crest, wings,
and tail partly red ; under parts dark buffy. chest tinged with red ; lores
and chin gray ; forehead dull yellowish mixed with red ; back dull gray ;
under wing coverts bright rose. Young : similar to adult female, but colors
duller ; bill blackish. Male: length (skins) 8.40-9.00, wing 8.92-4.11, tail
4.67-5.00, bill .80-.89. Female: length (skins) 7.85-8.30, wing 3.79-4.00,
tail 4.48-4.75, bill .82.

Remarks. — Superbus differs from cardinalis in larger size, relatively
shorter bill, pale red of male, and broken ring around bill.

Distribution. — From southern Arizona south to Sonora, Mexico.

The Arizona, like the eastern cardinals, are birds of the thickets
and brush patches, making themselves known by brilliant flashes of
color and their rollicking, spirited song. At Phoenix they build in
the thickets just out of town, and, though shy birds, seem not to
object to civilization. VERN.ON BAILEY.

593c. C. C. canicaudus Chapm. GRAY-TAILED CARDINAL.

Male similar to cardinalis, but with less conspicuous black frontlet ;
female averaging grayer than female of cardinalis, and with the tail feath-

length
Female :

Distribution. — From Texas south to Central Mexico.

GENUS PYRRHULOXIA.

General Characters. — Head with conspicuous crest ; bill very short,
thick, and deep, culmen convex ; wing short, much rounded ; tail long,
rounded.

KEY TO ADULT MALES.

1. Ring around bill conspicuously marked with black . texaiia. p. 371.
I'.Ring around bill rose red siliuata. p. 370.

594. Pyrrhuloxia sinuata Jionap. ARIZONA PYRRHULOXIA.

Bill short and parrot-like, yellow or orange in summer, duller in winter.
Adult, male : ring around bill, throat, breast patch, thighs, and under side
of wing light rose red ; lateral under parts light gray ; tip of crest darker
red; ring around bill with only faint trace of black ; upper parts light gray
tinged irith brown ; wings and tail blackish and dark red. Adult female :
like male, but red of face and under parts wanting or only suggested;
under parts buffy brown. Young male : like adult female, but paler.

TEXAS PYRRHULOXIA

FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC. 371

buffy below and on wing- bands ; median under parts and face more or less
tinged with red. Young female : like young- male, but without red. Male :
length (skins) 7.45-8.41, wing- 3.52-3.88, tail 3.72-4.25. bill .S9-.63. Fe-
male: length (skins) 6.90-7.94, wing- 3.46-3.67, tail 3.69-3.82, bill .58-.G2.

Distribution. — Lower Sonoran zone from southern Arizona to western
Texas and northwestern Mexico.

Nest and eg-gs similar to those of the cardinals, but eg-g-s averaging-
smaller.

Though not so brilliant as the Cardinal-is group, the Pyrrliuloxias
when among their native mesquites seem even more beautiful. The
rose-colored vest that lights up their soft gray plumage gives an
exquisite delicacy and freshness that adds charm to their individual-
ity and sprightliuess. Their expression changes astonishingly with
the movement of their crest. When it is flattened the short curved
bill and round head suggest a bored parrot in a cage, but when the
crest is raised to its full height and thrown forward, the beautiful
bird is the picture of alert interest and vivacity.

The call-note of the Pyrrliuloxias, instead of a single chip, is made
up of several flat, thin notes. Their whistle, though of similar char-
acter to the cardinals', instead of being a scooped cue note is a clear
straight whistle.

A pair whose nest we stumbled, on in the rnesquite showed their
mutual solicitude in such a charming manner, the male bursting into
song to draw our attention from his mate and nest, that it seemed as
if rare pleasure lay in store for the bird student with leisure to study
their attractive ways.

594a. P. S. texana Eidgw. TEXAS PYRRHULOXIA.

Adult male. — Similar to sinuata, but bill much heavier and coloration
darker; ring round bill conspicuously marked with black; upper parts darlc
gray. Adult female : similar to female sinuata, but under parts grayish on
front and sides. Male: length (skins) 7.54-8.10, wing 3.48-3.88, tail 3.68-
4.21, bill .60-.G7. Female : length (skins) 7.10-8.10, wing 3.39-3.79, tail
3.30-4.26, bill .60-.65.

Distribution. — Lower Sonoran zone in northeastern Mexico and southern
Texas, north to Nueces, Bee, Bexar, Kendall, and Tom Green counties.

Nest. — In mesquite and other thorny biishes, small and compact, made
of inner bark, grasses, and twigs, lined with a few rootlets. Eggs : 3, spotted
with brown and lavender massed at the larger end.

GENUS ZAMELODIA.

General Characters. — Bill heavy, short, conical, much deeper than broad
at base ; nostrils exposed ; wing pointed ; tail even or slightly rounded ;
tarsus about as long as middle toe with claw.

KEY TO ADULT MALES.

1. Under parts brown and yellow melanocephala. p. 372.

1'. Under parts white and rose pink ludoviciana, p. 372.

372

FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC.

595. Zamelodia ludoviciana (Linn.). ROSE-BREASTED GROS-
BEAK.

Adult male in breeding plumage. — Head and upper parts black, except
for white rump and white markings on wings and tail ; under parts white,

except for rose red patches on
breast and under wing-s. Adult
female : dusky brown, streaked ;
head with whitish median stripe
and superciliary ; under parts
grayish or buff y brown, streaked
on breast and sides : under w ing

in

coverts yellow. Adult male
/(•inter plumage : wing's, tail, and
upper tail coverts as in sum-
mer ; upper parts reddish brown ;
head with buffy median crown
stripe, superciliary, and malar
.stripes ; back streaked with
black ; under parts brownish,
more or less streaked, and with
pale rose on breast and under
wing's. Young male in first winter : like adult winter male, but wing's,
rump, upper tail coverts, and tail brownish, tail without white ; wings
with white marking's reduced and ting-ed with brown ; chest, sides, and
flanks deeper brown and more heavily streaked ; chest with little if any
pink; under wing- coverts rose pink as in adult. Male: length (skins)
6.50-7.20, wing 3.85-4.10. tail 2.87-3.08. bill .59-.6<>. Female: length
(skins) 6.75-7.00, wing- 3. 75-3.08. tail 2.75-2.95, bill .61-.70.

Distribution. — Breeds in Transition and Upper Sonoran zones from
Canada south to Kansas, and from the Atlantic to Colorado ; winters in Cuba,
Central America, and northern South America ; accidental in California.

Nest. — A thin saucer-shaped structure made largely of wiry rootlets,
placed in bushes or low trees. Eggs : 2 to 4. bluish green or greenish blue
spotted with brown.

Food. — Potato bugs and other insects, with seeds, and buds and blossoms
of forest trees.

While the female rose-breasted grosbeak is brown and streaked
like the female black-headed, the male is a rare beauty, the clear
black, white, and rose of his plumage being handsomer than the
black and brown of inelanorcjilmln. His song lacks the exquisite
finish of the westerner's, but is loud and musical and sung with a
joyous swing. His thin ccl\ like that of the black-headed, announces
him, whether he be in an apple-tree or hidden in a thicket by a river.

596. Zamelodia melanocephala (.SV^'H.O. BLACK-HEADED
GROSBEAK.

Adult male.-- l~nd< r /xirts cinnamon brown brightening
to lemon yellow on btiii/ and under iring corerta : upper
parts mainly black, with cinnamon brown collar and
rump, and sometimes brown stripes back of eye. through
middle of crown, and on back : winus and tail black,
wing's with two white bars and white patch at base of
quills, tail with white corners. Winter male: lighter

Fig. 464.

FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC. 373

brown on upper parts. Adult female : upper parts blackish brown,
streaked with pale brownish or buffy ; collar buffy white ; wing- bar white ;
under parts dull butt'y, yellowish on belly, flanks, and sometimes breast;
sides streaked ; under wing- coverts lemon yellow. Winter female : with
buri'y or brown stronger; lateral crown stripe streaked with black. Young :
much like adult female, but under parts paler, without yellow on belly;
back spotted ; crown stripes uniform blackish brown. Male : length
(skins) »U50-7.7<>. win"- :-J.7i'-4.:Jn, tail i'.7U-:J.:-JS. bill Jill- SO. Female:
length (skins) 6.15-7.80, wing 3.72-4. 12. tail 2.70-3.40. bill .01-.7S.

Distribittion. — Breeds in Transition and Upper Sonoran zones of the
western United States, from eastern Nebraska to California, and from
Britisli Columbia to northern Lower California and southern part of
Mexican plateau.

Nest. — Usually in chaparral, made loosely of sticks and weeds. Eggs :
3 or 4, pale bluish white, thickly spotted with brown.

Food. — Similar to that of the rose-breasted grosbeak.

When you hear the call-note of the black-headed grosbeak for the
first time, you naturally hunt through the greenery for a small
bird, for the note is a peculiarly insignificant eek, and when you dis-
cover the goodly sized bird with strongly marked black and golden
brown coat and great bill, his small voice seems much out of char-
acter. You marvel at it still more when you hear his wonderful
song. At its best, given from a poplar or live-oak top in the leisure
of a sunny afternoon, it is one of the most varied, exquisitely finished,
and musical of bird songs. It has the swinging rhythm and clear-
ness characteristic of grosbeak songs, but is smooth and rounded,
and its highest notes are dwelt on and trolled over with rare tender-
ness, repeated not as a thrasher's notes are repeated, but with the
enjoyment of an artist consciously perfecting his work. In Arizona
Mr. Ilenshaw has heard the birds give sunset concerts from the tops
of the tallest pines.

The nature of the grosbeak is not belied by his song, for like
others of the family he has a gentle spirit. His devotion to the nest
is shown by his habit of brooding in the absence of his mate.

GENUS GUIE-ACA.

597 a. Guiraca cserulea lazula (Less.). WESTERN BLUE GROS-
BEAK.

Bill large, conical, compressed ; nostrils exposed ; wing longer than tail ;
tarsus about as long as middle toe with claw. Adult mole in summer :
plain bright blue ; wing with two brownish bands, that, across tips of
greater coverts usually .2<>-.30 wide, and decidedly paler than the anterior
band; under tail coverts with white borders. Adult male in winter: blue
of body more or less obscured by brownish or buffy tips to feathers. Fe-
male and young : grayish brown, usually more, or less tinged with blue.
Immature males : plumage of adult male and female mixed in various pro-
portions, according to age. Male : length (skins) 5.90-7.00. wing 3.40-
3.80. tail 2.62-3.10, bill .55-.70. Female: length (skins) 5.60-6.50. wing
3.02-3.48. tail 2.41-2.80. bill .5S-.68.

374 FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC.

Distribution. — Breeds in Upper and Lower Sonoran zones from eastern
Texas to southern California ; north to northern Colorado and central
valleys of California to about 40° ; migrates to southern Mexico and south
to Costa Rica.

Nest. — A compact, cup-shaped structure, composed largely of dried
grasses and plant fibers, placed in bushes and tall weeds. Eggs : 3 or 4,
plain pale greenish blue or bluish white.

Food. — Insects, seeds, buds, and berries.

The blue grosbeak is less arboreal than its relatives, being found
mainly in brush, often along streams in foothill canyons. Its song,
Mr. Henshaw says, while suggesting the songs of other grosbeaks and
possessing much sweetness, " lacks the full rich mellowness of tone
and variety of modulation" of its relatives.

GENUS CYANOSPIZA.

General Characters. — Bill small, under mandible conspicu-
O ously deeper than upper ; wing pointed ; tarsus about equal to
i middle toe with claw ; side claws not reaching to base of mid-
dle claw.
Fig. 465.

KEY TO ADULT MALES.

1. Under parts partly or wholly red.

2. Back yellowish green ciris. p. 376.

2'. Back purplish red versicolor, p. 375.

1'. Under parts not red.

2. Upper parts light blue amoeiia, p. 375.

2'. Upper parts dark purplish or greenish blue . . . cyaiiea, p. 374.

598. Cyanospiza cyanea (Linn. ). INDIGO BUNTING.

Adult male. — Head, throat, and sometimes median under parts purplish
blue ; rest of body cerulean blue changing to bluish green in some lights ;
lores, wings, and tail black or dusky, tinged with blue. Adult female :
upper parts olive brown ; wings and tail faintly tinged with blue ; under
parts dull whitish washed with buffy, faintly streaked on chest. Imma-
ture males : variously intermediate in coloration between fully adult males
and females. Younq : similar to adult female, but browner, obsoletely
streaked. Male : length (skins) 4.59-5.21, wing 2.58-2.81, tail 1.91-2.13,
bill .40-.44. Female : length (skins) 4.46-5.23, wing 2.47-2.62. tail 1.86-
1.92, bill .39-.43.

Distribution. - - Breeds chiefly in Upper Sonoran and Transition zones of
the northeastern United States, but extends west to Colorado, and from
southern Canada to the Gulf ; migrates to Central America.

Nest. — In low bushes, made of leaves, plant fibers, and grasses, lined
with grass stems and horsehair. Eggs: usually 4, white, with faint bluish
tinge.

Food. — Largely insects and seeds.

The indigo bunting, the eastern representative of the genus, has
been found in Colorado and western Texas, but comes west regu-
larly only as far as eastern Kansas. In habits it is the counterpart
of the la/Aili bunting.

FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC. 375

599. Cyanospiza amoena (Say). LAZI-LI BUNTING.

Adult male. - - Upper parts bright turquoise blue, changing to greenish
blue, darker and duller on middle of back ; wings with two white bars ;
breast and sometimes sides broicnish ; belly white. Adult female : upper
parts grayish brown, tinged with blue on rump ; back sometimes streaked ;
wing- bars dingy ; anterior lower parts pale bnffy, deeper on chest, fading
to white on belly and lower tail coverts. Youny : like female, but with-
out blue tinge on rump, and chest and sides usually streaked. Male :
length (skins) 5.01-5.54, wing 2.78-3.01, tail 2.07-2.27, bill .39-41. Fe-
male: length (skins) 4.W-0.38, wing 2.59-2.8:1, tail 2.00-2.31, bill .3G-.41.

Distribution. — Breeds in Transition and Upper Sonoran zones of the
western United States from Kansas to California ; and from British
Columbia to Arizona and New Mexico ; migrates to Lower California and
the Valley of Mexico.

Nest. — Usually near water in weeds, willows, manzanitas, and other
bushes. Eggs : 3 or 4, plain bluish white, or pale greenish blue.

The natural home of the blue-coated, brown-breasted lazuli is in
the chaparral of warm valleys like those of southern California or in
village shrubbery in climates like that of the Salt Lake plain, but like
the green-tailed towhee it follows the chaparral to the higher levels,
and though nominally a Transition and Upper Sonoran zone bird, is
sometimes found in willows of the Canadian zone. In the Sierra
above Dormer the middle of July we found it as high as 7900 feet,
singing gayly in a patch of willows in a tiny mountain meadow
surrounded by firs and overhung by snowbanks ; and one of the
hardy little fellows has even been reported from Fremont Pass.

The song of the lazuli is of the bright, musical finch type, and like
that of Oreospiza, and Ghondestes has a marked burr. The call-note
is an emphatic quit' or sometimes chuck.

Though less demonstrative than the house finch, the lazuli some-
times spreads his blue feathers before his mate in pretty gallantry ;
and as a parent, though not boldly aggressive, he is watchful and
devoted, singing on his way to the nest even with a bill full of
insects.

600. Cyanospiza versicolor (Bonap.). VARIED BUNTING.

Upper mandible curved. Adult male in summer: forehead and rump
bright bluish purple, or purplish blue ; back of neck bright red, changing
to purplish red on middle of back ; under parts .plum red fading to plum
purple on belly. Adult female in summer: upper parts brownish, tinged
with olive and sometimes with bluish, becoming dull bluish on rump ;
wings and tail with gray or blue edgings ; under parts dull whitish and
brown. Adult male in winter : color of crown, back, and scapulars partly
obscured by grayish brown tips to feathers ; under parts with buffy tips.
Adult female in winter : browner. Young : brown ; wing wTith buffy
bands ; under parts whitish medially, brown on chest and sides. Male :
length (skins) 4.55-5.46, wing 2.49-2.80, tail 1.97-2.26, bill .37-.44. Fe-
male: length (skins) 4.44-5.38, wing 2.39-2.55. tail 1.93-2.10, bill .37-41.

Distribution. - - From southern Arizona and the valley of the Lower
Rio Grande in Texas south to Lower California and Guatemala.

376 FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC.

601. Cyanospiza ciris (Linn.). PAINTED BUNTING: NONPAREIL.

Adult male. — Entire under parts bright red ; head and back of neck pur-
plish blue, in sharp contrast to yellowish green of back and scapulars ; rump
and tail dull red ; wings green and reddish. Adult female: upper parts,
including tail, plain olive green ; under parts dull greenish yellow, brighter
on belly. Young: grayish brown, tinged in places with greenish ; wings
with buffy bands; under parts dull buffy. Male: length (skins) 5.00-
5.60, wing 2.72-2.91, tail 2.00-2.24. bill .40-.44. Female: length (skins)
4.70-5.47, wing 2.51-2.80, tail 1.90-2.18. bill .40-.42.

Remarks. — Individuals are sometimes found having yellow feathers.

Distribution. — Breeds in the south Atlantic and Gulf States west to
southern Arizona and north to southern Kansas ; winters south to Panama.

Nest. — In hackberry. cat-claw, or chaparral, made of grasses and
sometimes leaves, lined with finer grasses and hairs. Eggs : 4 or 5, creamy
to bluish white, spotted with purple and reddish brown.

When we were working on the Pecos River, in southern New
Mexico, the loud bright song of the- nonpareil was heard at camp all
through the middle of the hottest days, and from the mesa we could
look down on the chaparral by the river and see sometimes the red
breast and sometimes the green sheen on the back of the cheery song-
ster. His song, though short, has a clear, carrying quality, and is
very pleasing.

On the mesquite prairie of southern Texas the nonpareils were
common, and we often heard their song and caught glimpses of
them as we drove along.

The courtship of the male is said to be very entertaining. To
attract the attention of the female he hops to the ground, spreads
his wings and tail, and struts around with all his colors flying. It is
said that he takes little part in domestic matters, but this may be
due to his dangerously striking plumage.

GENUS SPOROPHILA.

602. Sporophila morelleti sharpei Later. SHARPE SEED-

EATEK.1

Bill short and greatly swollen ; upper mandible convex above, concave
below ; wings short and rounded ; tail shorter than wings, slightly rounded ;
tarsus equal to middle toe and claw. Adult male : upper parts and chest
band black ; sides of neck, under parts and markings on wings, and rump
white. Adult female : upper parts olive brown with two buffy wing-
bands ; tinder parts buffy In-own. Immature males: intermediate between
adult male and female. Immature females : lighter, tinged with olive.
Male: length (skins) :5.(iS-4.42, wing 1.88-2.15, tail 1.58-1.86, bill .32-
.8<J. Female: length (skins) 3.72-4.28, wing 1.89-2.02, tail 1.52-1.78, bill
.32-.S5.

Distribution. -- Southeastern Texas and adjacent parts of Texas.

At Lomita, Mr. Scnnctt found the little seed-eater frequenting
low bushes and weeds.

1 Mr. Ridgway recognizes only one form of Sporophila morflleti. (Birds of North

and Middle America . r»7.~>.)

LARK BUNTING

FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC. 377

GENUS SPIZA.

604. Spiza americana (Gmel.). DICKCISSKL.

Bill stout, conical, compressed; wing' Ions;' :uid pointed; tarsus longer
than middle toe with claw. Adult /nan : under parts whit-
ish, with variable black throat patch and yellow breast,
yellow sometimes deepening" to salmon in the breeding'
season ; wing- with deep nitons patch ; forehead, lores,
superciliary, and malar stripe washed with yellow ; head
and neck gray, top of head usually olivaceous ; hack
brownish, streaked with black. Adult female : similar.
but duller, yellow more restricted, often wanting-, except
on breast ; throat white, bordered by dusky streaks ; the black of the
male usually wanting-. Young in Jirst innt^r : like adult female, but
everywhere tinged with dull huffy or clay color. Male : length (skins)
5.55-6.31. wing- 3.1I-3.3S, tail 2.17-2.42, 'bill .58-.61. Female: length
(skins) 5.50-5.74, wing- 2.94-3.05, tail 1.97-2.17. bill .50-.">ii.

Distribution. — Breeds chiefly in Upper Sonoran zone of the central
eastern United States from the Alleghanies to the Rocky Mountains.
Colorado, and Wyoming-; and from Ontario south to Texas; casually
southwest to Arizona and Lower California ; migrates to northern South
America.

Nest. — Largely of dried grasses, built near the ground in bushes or
low weeds, on meadowrs or prairies. Eggs : 3 to 5. plain pale blue.

Food. — Largely grasshoppers and crickets ; also grain and weed seed.

When in southern Texas during the spring migration we met with
flocks of dickcissels on their way to the north. In places on the
open prairie two or three hundred would be sitting in rows on the
wire fences like swallows on telegraph wires. They could be re-
cognized at a distance by their outlines — round heads and straight
hanging tails. When not in compact flocks they were scattered
through the chapparal singing on the tops of the bushes. Their song
had a mouthed, furry quality, but was none the less sunny and enjoy-
able. When they are on their breeding grounds their song is one of
the pleasantest features of the big grain fields.

GENUS CALAMOSPIZA.

605. Calamospiza melanocorys Stejn. LARK BUNTING.

Bill conical, much deeper than broad at base, gently convex at tip and
base, nearly straight in middle ; wing- about four times as long as tarsus,
its tip almost truncated ; tail about three fourths as long as wing, much
more than basal half overlaid by upper coverts: slightly double-rounded
or nearly even, feathers rather narrow. Adult male in summer: whole bird
black or slaty except for white patch on Avings and sometimes white marks
on tail feathers. Adult female in summer: above grayish brown, streaked
with blackish ; wing patch restricted and tinged with huffy : tail except
middle feathers spotted with white ; under parts white, streaked on breast
and sides. Adult male in winter: similar to female, but wings and tail
blackish instead of brown, and feathers of lower parts black beneath the
surface and showing through more or less; chin black. Adult female in
u-inter : like summer female, but less grayish and more buffy. Young:

378 FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC.

similar to adult female, but more buffy, feathers of lower parts bordered
with buffy white, streaks on lower parts narrower. Male : length (skins)
6.10-7.25, wing 3.35-3.02, tail 2.58-2.80, bill .52-.5S. Female: length
(skins) 5.70-0.50, wing- 3.22-3.35, tail 2.38-2.70, bill .50-.52.

Distribution. -- Breeds in Upper Sonoran and Transition zones of the
high plains from Assiniboia south to Colorado and Kansas ; migrates
through New Mexico, Arizona, and southern and Lower California to
plateau of Mexico ; occasional west of Rocky Mountains, and accidental
in Atlantic states in migration.

Nest. — Sunk in ground, sometimes under a bunch of weeds, made of
grass and fine roots. Eggs : 4 or 5, plain pale blue.

The striking black and white of the lark bunting probably ac-
counts for its shyness. While in southern Texas we could almost
drive alongside of a flock of dull-colored dickcissels sitting on the
roadside fence, but a flock of the northbound whitewings would fly
in instant alarm on our approach. They fed on the ground among
the prairie flowers, but it was hard to get near enough to observe
their habits, for at the least unguarded motion or footfall they
would arise simultaneously and dash into the brush. When not
disturbed they scattered through the chaparral, and, as a man aptly
observed, were always sitting around as if they had nothing to do.

A flock of forty or fifty in April showed great variety of plumage,
for many of the males were only in process of donning their black
summer plumage. The young males showed the white on their
wings when sitting and on their tails in flight, but the dull gray
females showred the white wing patch only when flying.

On the prairies, where there wrere neither bushes nor fences to
perch on, the buntings, and doves also, sat on the oval slabs of the
tuni cactus, and it was amusing to see the whitewrings sidle gingerly
along the spiny edges.

The buntings sang in chorus, and sometimes we wrould catch a
delightful wave of song from them as we drove along. On their
breeding grounds they are said to have a ' rich and varied flight
song.'

Having met the birds on their way north in Texas one year,
the following year wre wrere overtaken by them in New Mexico on
their way south. During the last of July the flocks were mixed
black and brown, but from the last of August they were mainly
brown. In the Guadalupe Mountains bands passed our camp every
day, with their soft hoo-ee, a peculiarly sweet note given with a
cheery, rising inflection.

TANAGERS 379

FAMILY TANAGRIDJE: TANAGERS.

GENUS PIRANGA.

General Characters. — Bill straight, stout, conoidal ; nostrils exposed ;
rictal bristles well developed ; wing of nine primaries lengthened and
pointed ; tail shorter than wings, emarginate ; tarsus not longer than mid-
dle toe. scaled.

KEY TO ADULT MALES IN SPRING.

1. Upper mandible with a tooth-like projection on cutting
edge.

2. Plumage marked with black. Flg- 4G7'

3. Plumage scarlet and black erythromelas, p. 380.

3'. Plumage red, black, and yellow .... ludoviciana, p. 379.

2'. Plumage not marked with black ; red, with grayish back and
brownish ear coverts hepatica, p. 381.

-O—

fc — —-3

1'. Upper mandible without tooth-like projection.

Fig. 468.

2. Under parts vermilion or poppy red rubra, p. 382.

2'. Under parts rose pink cooperi, p. 382.

607. Piranga ludoviciana (Wils.). LOUISIANA TANAGER: WEST-
ERN TANAGER.

Upper mandible with a tooth-like projection on cutting edge. Adult
male in summer : head and neck bright orange or red ; rest of under
parts bright yellow ; upper parts black, with yellow rump and wing
patches. Adult female in summer: upper parts olive green, back and
scapulars grayish ; wing bars dull yellowish ; under parts pale grayish
yellow, becoming sulphur yellow on under tail coverts ; anterior part of
head sometimes tinged with red. Adult male in winter : like summer
female, but with head yellow or slightly tinged with red, more or less
obscured on occiput and hind neck with olive green or dusky tips to
feathers ; feathers of back usually more or less distinctly edged with yel-
lowish olive ; tertials broadly tipped with white or pale yellow ; tail feath-
ers more or less tipped with white. Young male in first autumn : like adult
female, but clearer yellow below and rump yellower. Young female in
Jirst autumn: like adult female, but duller; upper parts more brownish
olive, under parts washed with brownish olive ; wing bars narrower, and
huffy. Young m ale, Jirst plum age : upper parts olive green ; wings black-
ish, with yellow wing bars ; tail with outer webs of feathers edged with
olive green ; throat and chest grayish, chest tinged with yellow and
streaked ; chin and under tail coverts yellow ; rest of under parts white.
Male : length (skins) 6.20-6.95, wing 3.71-3.83. tail 2.64-2.98, bill .57-62.
Female : length (skins) 6.30-6.90. wing 3.54-3.88, tail 2.68-2.89, bill .53-
.63.

Distribution. — Breeds in Canadian zone in mountains from British
Columbia to Arizona, and from northwestern Nebraska to California ;
straggles eastward in migration to the Atlantic states ; winters south to
Guatemala.

380 TANAGERS

Nest. — Usually on the horizontal branch of a fir, pine, or oak, 15 to 30
feet from the ground, made of twigs, sometimes with mosses and coarse
grass, lined with rootlets and horsehair. Eggs : 3 or 4, pale bluish
green, lightly spotted with browns and purples.

Food. — Insects.

The western tanager breeds abundantly in the high mountain
forests, being common at 10,000 feet in Colorado. In the forests of
British Columbia on their first arrival the males have been found
singing at daybreak from the tops of the tallest trees, sometimes
300 feet from the ground. In the Sierra Nevada they are common
from an altitude of 3000 feet to the summit, and in the heavily tim-
bered parts, though a flash of red and yellow between the treetops
is often the most you get, their calls and songs are among the com-
monest bird notes heard.

Their song has the rough- jointed, swinging rhythm characteris-
tic of the tanagers, but there are also a chattering call which sug-
gests the scold of an oriole, rendered a,s pttic, pitictic, and a plaintive
tu-weep', which is particularly noticeable when the birds are going
about with their young. At that time the tanagers descend to the
lower levels. I have seen them on the scrub oak and sagebrush of
the Wasatch foothills in cottonwood hedges, and even along barbed
wire roadside fences, making sallies to the ground for insects. On
San Francisco Mountain they come to the springs for water, and I
have seen one drinking from a pan in a ranch dooryard.

The tanagers must eat a large variety of insects, for they are not
only expert fly-catchers and glean from the treetops, but are also
especially fond of caterpillars, judging by the numbers we have
seen probing tent-caterpillars' nests.

608. Piranga erythromelas Vieill. SCARLET TANAGER.

Adult male in spring and summer. — Brilliant scarlet; wings and tail

deep black ; under wing coverts white. Adult
female in spring and summer: upper parts yel-
lowish olive green, usually grayer on back and
scapulars ; under parts light yellow, washed with
olive green on sides : under tail coverts canary
yellow. Adult mttl< hi fall und winter: similar
to adult female, but wings and tail black. Young
Fig. 4G9. male in first autumn : like adult female, but yel-

low of under parts clearer ; wings with two yellow-
ish bands ; black first appearing on wing coverts and scapulars. Young
male, nestling plumage : upper parts olive green, faintly mottled with dusky :
wings and tail with olive green edgings; wings with two yellowish bands;
under parts white, tinged with yellow behind ; chest and sides streaked.
Male: length (skins) 6.25-6.75, wing 3.62-3.91, tail L\:)(5-'J.Si\ bill .57-.<>2.
Female : length (skins) 6.20-6.70, wing 3.4")-: J. 72, tail l'.;V2-2.77, bill .57-
.62.

Distribution. — Breeds in Upper Sonoran and Transition zones of the

TANAGERS 381

eastern United States from Canada and Manitoba south to the Tennessee
Mountains, and from the Atlantic west to the Plains ; casually or occa-
sionally to Colorado and Wyoming ; winters in the West Indies, eastern
Mexico, Central America, and south to northern South America ; accidental
in Bermuda.

.\est. — On a horizontal branch, 10 to 30 feet from the ground, a flat,
loose structure, made of stems and plant fibers, lined with fibers and root-
lets. Eggs : 3 to 5, essentially like those of the summer tanager.

Food. — Insects and wild berries.

The songs of the tanagers have a strong resemblance, but their
call-notes are very different. That of the scarlet tanager is a dis-
tinctly enunciated chip-churr, and so unique that it will identify him
when his glowing scarlet body and black wings and tail are hidden
in the greenery.

609. Piranga hepatica Swains. HEPATIC TANAGER.

Upper mandible with tooth-like projection on cutting edge. Adult male
in spring and sum vier : under parts scarlet, brownish on sides; ear cov-
erts brownish, with white shaft streaks ; crown bright red ; rest of upper
parts dull red ; back and scapulars tinged with grayish brown ; lower man-
dible bluish gray in life. Adult female in spring and summer : upper parts
olive green, grayer on back ; under parts olive yellow, darker on sides.
Adult male in fall and winter : back and scapulars more brownish gray;
red of under parts duller, some of the feathers with paler tips. Adult fe-
male in fall and winter: like summer female, but brighter. Young, nest-
ling plumage : streaked, on grayish olive above, pale buffy below ; wings
with buffy bars. Male : length (skins) 6.90-7.80, wing 3.96-4.13, tail 3.12-
3.37. bUl.66-.73. Female: length (skins) 6.90-7.74, wing 3.85-3.99, tail
2.94-.3.:U, bill .07-.71.

Remarks. - - The hepatic tanager may be distinguished from the Cooper
by its dull grayish red back and the scarlet tone of its under parts, com-
pared with the nearly uniform coloration and rose pink tones of the Cooper.
Its gray cheeks are a good field character. The males are three years in
acquiring the brilliant adult plumage, and breed in a mixture of the red
and yellow of their parents.

Distribution. — From southwestern Texas, southern New Mexico, and
Arizona south to Guatemala.

^Xest. — On low oak branches, a slight structure made of coarse rootlets
and dried plant stems, lined with finer materials. Eggs : 3 or 4, very pale
bluish green, lightly spotted chiefly around larger end with browns and
purples.

In the wooded bottom of the Pecos River canyon, near where the
river flows into the Rio Grande, we found the hepatic tanager in
May, evidently at home and established for the summer. Its song,
strikingly like that of the scarlet tanager, rang out so loud that
across the river it seemed to be close at hand. The call was a single
note.

In the Guadalupe Mountains, New Mexico, we found the beauti-
ful bird quite common in the oaks and pines on the edge of the
Transition zone, at about 6700 feet, especially on the rocky wooded
hillsides.

382

SWALLOWS

Fig. 470.

610. Piranga rubra (Linn.). SUMMER TANAGER.

Adult male (summer and winter). — Upper parts dull dark red ; wings

and tail brownish red ; under parts vermilion or
poppy red. Adult female (summer and winter) :
upper parts plain yellowish olive ; under parts
dull yellow. Immature male : red mixed with
patches of yellowish green. Young male in first
autumn: like adult female, but colors richer,
upper parts more ochraceous ; crown, upper tail
coverts, tail, and edges of wing quills tinged
with dull orange. Male : length (skins) 6.40-

7.20, wing 3.64-3.92. tail 2.80-2.94, bill .66-.76. Female : length (skins)

6.50-7.20, wing 3.50-3.77, tail 2.62-2.91, bill .69-.72.

Distribution. — Breeds in Upper and Lower Sonoran zones in the eastern

central United States, west to western Texas ; migrates to Cuba and through

eastern Mexico south to Peru.

Nest. — In trees, 6 to 60 feet from the ground, made of weeds, grasses,

leaves, and catkins. Eggs : 3 or 4. green, spotted with browns and purples.

610a. P. r. cooperi Ridgw. COOPER TANAGER.

Similar to rubra, but larger, with relatively longer bill, wing, and tail,
and under parts rose pink.

Remarks. — The Cooper tanager differs from the hepatic by the absence
of gray on the back and by the rose pink tone of its under parts. Male :
length (skins) 6.60-7.50, wing 3.66-4.18, tail 2.98-3.38, bill .72-78. Fe-
male : length (skins) 7.00-7.85, wing 3.80-4.02, tail 2.95-3.26, bill .73-.80.

Distribution. — Breeds from southwestern Texas to the Colorado Valley,
California, and from Arizona and New Mexico to northwestern Mexico ;
south in winter to western Mexico ; casually to Colorado.

The Cooper tanager seems to be especially fond of the cotton woods
of the lower levels, and migrates early in the fall.

Fig. 471.

FAMILY HIRUNDINIDJE : SWALLOWS.

KEY TO GENERA.

1. Tail forked for more than length of tarsus.

2. Tail forked for about half its length.

Hirundo. p. 384.

2'. Tail forked for less than half its length.

Progne, p. 3S3.
1'. Tail forked for less than length of tarsus.

2. Under parts entirely pure white Tachycineta. p. 3S5.

2'. Under parts not entirely pure white.

3. Tarsus with tuft of feathers above hind toe . . Riparia, p. 386.
3'. Tarsus without tuft of feathers.

4. Wing witli outer quill ^^_^aiaae^s^rmm>m^m-n^ •.•g5aeMan^_a<|[

hooked in male, rough- , ^p

Hiied in female.

Stelgidopteryx. p. 387. F'g- «2.

4'. Wing with outer quill normal ; forehead white, huffy, or brown.

Petrochelidon, p. 383.

SWALLOWS 383

GENUS PROGNE.

General Characters. — Bill long, stout, and convex ; feet large, with
strong, curved claws ; tarsus shorter than middle toe and claw ; tail forked
for less than half its length.

KEY TO SPECIES.

1. Females with under tail coverts streaked subis, p. 3s:-j.

1'. Females with under tail coverts not streaked . . . hesperia, p. 383.

611. Progne subis (Linn.). PURPLE MARTIN.

Adult male. — Whole body glossy blue black; wings and tail black;
feathers of ventral region entirely sooty grayish beneath the surface.
Adult female and immature males with forehead grayish and upper parts
sooty glossed with blue black, interrupted by grayish collar ; lower parts
grayish in front, whole under parts streaked, the feathers, especially on
chest, with distinctly sooty grayish centers. Length : 7.25-8.50, wing 5.65-
6.20, tail 3.00-3.40 (forked for .70-.90).

Distribution. — Temperate North America from Ontario and Hudson
Bay south to the southern end of Mexican tableland ; wintering in South
America.

Nest. — In holes of trees or about buildings and in bird boxes. Eggs :
3 to 5, plain white.

Food. — Insects.

The peculiar vibrant ami at the same time mouthed quality of the
martin's song tells of his presence, even when his big steel blue body
is not seen floating around overhead. His song, though unpreten-
tious, is a talkative twitter very pleasant and companionable.

But, although we usually associate him with bird boxes and towns,
large numbers, especially of the western subspecies, still nest in
hollow trees in the mountain forests.

61 la. P. S. hesperia Brewst. WESTERN MARTIN.

Adult male. — Indistinguishable from male of subis. Adult female :
similar to female subis. but light gray of forehead extending back into
crown ; feathers of back and rump conspicuously edged with grayish or
pale brown ; bend of wing and under coverts mottled profusely with
whitish ; anterior under parts and nuchal collar grayish white ; and whole
tract from abdomen to under tail coverts almost immaculate white.

Distribution. — Breeds in Pacific coast region from Oregon south through
California and Arizona to southern Lower California ; migrates to Nica-

ragua.

The examination of birds from British Columbia may show that
the}' should be referred to this form.

GENUS PETROCHELIDON.

General Characters. — Tail short, nearly even ; nostrils without nasal
scale, opening directly upward ; tarsus with tuft of feathers above hind
toe.

KEY TO SPECIES.

1. Forehead white or pale Isabella limifroiis. p. 384.

1'. Forehead rich chestnut; rarely fawn color . melanogastra, p. 3S4.

384 SWALLOWS

612. Petrochelidon lunifrons (Say.). CLIFF SWALLOW.

Adults. — Forehead white, bujfy, or brown ; crown, back, and patch or
chest glossy blue black ; throat and collar chestnut, sides
and flanks brown ; rest of under parts white. Young : sim-
ilar, but colors duller and pattern less sharply defined ;
throat usually, and other parts of head sometimes, spotted
with white ; tertials and tail coverts edged with brown,
chestnut of head partly or wholly wanting ; upper parts
r 4."> dull blackish. Length : 0-6, wing 4.05-4.00, tail 2.00-

2.20.

Distribution. -- North America, from the limit of trees south to the
southwestern United States ; migrates to Central and South America.
Not recorded from Florida or the West Indies.

Nest. - - A gourd or retort shaped structure made of pellets of mud
mixed with a few straws, lined with feathers ; attached to cliffs or build-
ings. Eggs : 3 to 0, white, speckled or spotted with brown and lilac.
Food. -- Ants and other insects.

Ill regions where there are no houses, the retort-shaped nests of
the cliff swallows are usually found in colonies massed on the side

m

of a cliff, under the roof of a cave, or plastered to the branches of
a giant tree ; but in the settled part of the country the birds seem
to prefer eaves of barns and houses, and their nests have been
found in deserted buildings plastered to ceilings and walls.

There is such a common prejudice against these swallows that
boys are often encouraged to shoot them with sling-shots in the
cities, and ranchmen drive them away from their barns, fearing
that the parasites which infest them will spread to the stock. But,
as a matter of fact, bird parasites will not live on mammals, and
the swallows do great good by eating annoying insects.

612.2. Petrochelidon melanogastra (Swains.). MEXICAN
CLIFF SWALLOW.

Like lunifrons. but •" smaller, with forehead chestnut, like throat and
sides of head (rarely fawn colored), and rump deep cinnamon." (Ridg-
way.) Length : 4.50-5.00, wing 3.90-4.30, tail 2.00-2.20.

Distribution. - - Mexico, south to Guatemala, north to southern Arizona.

The Mexican cliff swallow lias recently been added to the list of
United States birds by Dr. E. A. Mearns, who found it breeding in
southern Ari/ona.

GENUS HIRUNDO.

613. Hirundo erythrogastra Bodd. BARN SWALLOW. 1

Tail forked for about half its length, outside feather tapered to point;

1 Jlinn/t/o r n/t//r»</nx/i-<i /ttiltnrri Grinnell.

Like ei'ythrogastrd, but color of under parts deeper, and frontal chestnut band broader
and darker ; wing and tail .--omewhat longer and bill smaller.

Distribution. — Western North America, summering from southern California to Kot-
zebue Sound, Alaska ; west to Unalaska and east to and including the Rocky Mountains.
(The Condor, iv. 71.)

SWALLOWS

385

tarsus shorter than middle toe
and claw; upper part
feathered. Adults : under
Fig. 474. parts taicny broicn. darkest
on throat ; forehead dark
brown, rest of upper parts glossy
steel bine ; wings and tail tinged
with purple and green : tail feath
ers — except middle pair — marked
with large whitish spots. Yonnff :
fork of tail shorter; upper parts
paler, under parts duller, brown of
forehead indistinct or wanting ;
throat and chest light rusty.
Length : 5.75-7.75, wing 4.60-4.90,
tail 3.70-4.10, forked in adult male
for about 1.85-2.10.

Distribution. — Breeds from the
Arctic Circle south to southern end
of Mexican tableland ; migrates

Fig. 475. Barn Swallow.

through the West Indies and Mexico to Central and South America.

Xest. — A bowl-shaped wall-pocket, made of pellets of mud mixed
straws and lined with feathers, attached to side or roof of a cave
timbers in barns or other buildings. Kygs : 3 to 5, white, speckled
brown and lavender.

Food. — Insects, largely flies.

with

or to

with

The long forked tail of the barn swallow gives it a peculiarly
easy, graceful flight, and one of its favorite feats is to catch the

%/ * cj

insects that accompany a horse and carriage along the road, easily
circling around and around them as the horse carries the wagon
along at full swing.

While the other swallows hunt more habitually in the sky, the
barn swallow is usually seen beating low over a meadow. When
resting on a telegraph wire it sings a bright, squeaky little warble.
Its call-note is given as a soft tritt, icitt, and its alarm-note as a
harsh fr'-fr, t'rrr.

Though generally associated with barns and meadows, it is often
found in towns, and along the line of the Canadian Pacific is one of
the commonest birds seen in the mountain canyons.

GENUS TACHYCINETA.

General Characters. — Tail forked for less than length of tarsus ; tarsus
entirely naked.

KEY TO SPECIES.

1. Upper parts metallic steel blue or greenish . •. . . bicolor. p. 385.
1'. Upper parts green and purple lepida. p. 386.

614. Tachycineta bicolor (Vieill.). WHITE-BELLIED SWALLOW:
TREE SWALLOW.

Adult male. — Under parts pure ichite ; upper parts burnished steel blue ;

386 SWALLOWS

lores deep black ; wings and tail blackish, slightly tinged with green.
Adult female : upper parts usually duller than in male,
but sexes often indistinguishable. Young : above entirely
dull brownish slate. Length : 5.00-6.25, wing about 4.50-
4.80, tail 2.30-2.50.

Distribution. — Breeds from the limit of trees south to
New Jersey, the Ohio Valley, Kansas, and California ;

Fig. 476. White- winters from South Carolina and the Gulf States south

bellied Swallow, to the West Indes and Guatemala.

Nest. — In holes, usually of trees, lined with grasses,

leaves, and feathers. Eggs : usually 4 or 5, pure white.

The white-bellied swallow, wTith its shining white breast and
metallic bluish green back, may be seen skimming over the water
or sailing about in the sky in almost any suitable place in North
America. In southern California it is said to be abundant in the
lowland willow regions, especially about ponds and marshes, while
in Colorado it breeds up to an altitude of 10,000 feet.

615. Tachycineta thalassina lepida (Mearns). NORTHERN

VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOW.

Adult male. — Top of head parrot green ; nape with a narrow purple
collar ; back bottle green, glossed with violet in some lights ; rump and
upper tail coverts violet, shaded with purple ; wing and tail quills black,
glossed with indigo ; wing coverts violet, edged with green ; rump with
white patches on sides almost confluent in life ; under parts white. Adult
female : similar, but smaller and duller. Young : like those of bicolor,
but feathers of under parts grayish beneath the surface, and bill smaller.
Length : 5.30, wing 4.65, tail 1.97, bill .26.

Distribution. — ; Breeds in western United States to the eastern base of the
Rocky Mountains ; north to Alaska ; migrates to Guatemala and Costa Rica.

Nest. — In cliffs or hollow trees, lined with feathers. Eggs : 4 or 5, white.

Let a violet green swallow once come fleeing down a canyon past
you, so that you see its remarkable violet back as it flashes by, and
you will always have a vivid interest in the handsome bird.

It is especially fond of the oaks and pines of the mountains, but
nests not only in hollow trees and woodpecker holes but often in the
walls of canyons. Dr. Mearns has found it breeding in limestone
cliffs about the hot springs and geysers of the Yellowstone. It is
not exclusively a bird of the wilds, however, but sometimes comes
about ranches.

GENUS RIP ARIA.

616. Riparia riparia (Linn.). BANK SWALLOW.

Tarsus with a small tuft of feathers on back near toes ; bill
small, nostrils opening- laterally; tail much shorter than
wings, emarginate. Upper parts sooty, darkest on head and
wings ; under parts white, with sooty band across chest and
sides, and sometimes sooty spot on breast. Young : similar,
but feathers of wings and rump with buffy or whitish edg-
Fig. 477. i,lgs. Length : 4.75-5.50, wing 3.70-4.25, tail 2.10-2.25.

WAXWINGS AND PHAINOPEPLAS 387

Distribution. — Northern hemisphere ; in America breeding1 from the
limit of trees south to the central United States ; wintering1 from the
southern border of the United States south to the West Indies. Central,
and northern South America.

Nest. — In horizontal holes or burrows, excavated in sand banks, cuts,
and banks of streams. Eygs : 3 to (>, white.

Food. — Insects.

The colonies of chattering little bank swallows with dull colored
backs and dark chest bands seem to require little more than a sand
bank and a telegraph wire for complete happiness, and given these,
blow the wind east or blow the wind west, they gossip merrily on.

GENUS STELGIDOPTERYX.

617. Stelgidopteryx serripennis (And.). ROUGH-WINGED SWAL-
LOW.

Bill small ; tail short and slightly emarginate ; tarsus slightly feath-
ered above ; lateral claws curved
and not reaching-
beyond the base of

the middle claw ; Fig. 478

outer ireb of outer primaries saw-toothed in male, roughened
in female. Adults : upper parts dull grayish brown, darker
on wings and tail, tertials usually margined with grayish ;
under parts soiled gray, belly and under tail coverts white.
Young : like adults, but plumage more or less washed with brown ; wings
witli broad cinnamon tips and margins Length: 5.00-5.75, wing 4.00-
4.70, tail 2.05-2.35.

Distribution. — Breeds in Sonoran and Transition zones of British Colum-
bia, Ontario, the United States, and Mexico ; migrates to Guatemala.

Nest. — In holes, usually in banks, but often in abutments of bridges,
Eggs : 3 to 0, white.

Food. — Flies and other insects.

The dingy rough wings are less sociable than the bank swallows
during the nesting season, but afterwards assemble in large flocks
and are in less of a hurry to start for the south.

In Nevada, during a shower, Mr. Oberholser once found a flock
congregated about a small cliff in a cave.

FAMILY AMPELIDJE: WAXWINGS AND PHAINO-
PEPLAS.

KEY TO GENERA.

1. Wings pointed Ampelis, p. 387.

1'. Wings rounded Phainopepla, p. 390.

GENUS AMPELIS.

General Characters. — Head crested ; bill short, broad, flat, rather
obtuse, plainly notched near tip of each mandible ; wings long and pointed,
much longer than tail ; primaries apparently only nine, the first being

388 WAXWINGS AND PHAINOPEPLAS

minute ; inner quills generally, and tail feathers sometimes, tipped with
red horny appendages like sealing- wax ; tail short ; feet rather weak ;
tarsus shorter than middle toe and claw.

KEY TO ADULTS.

1. Forehead and cheeks dark brown in contrast to crest.

garrulus, p. 38S.
1'. Forehead and cheeks fawn color like crest . . . cedrorum, p. 388.

618. Ampelis garrulus Linn. BOHEMIAN WAXWING.

Adults. — Whole body, including high crest, soft fawn color, fading to
grayish on rump and flanks, and washed with yellowish on middle of
belly ; forehead, cheeks, and under tail coverts deep brown ; chin, lores,
and eye streak extending back under crest, velvety black ; wings and tail
blackish, wing coverts extensively tipped with whitish or yellow, the ter-
tials sometimes with red wax-like appendages ; tail with a terminal band
of yellow. Young : duller ; under parts streaked. Length : 7.40-8.75,
wing 4.40-4.60. tail 2.7-J-2.90.

Distribution. — Northern parts of northern hemisphere ; breeds in north-
ern North America to Fort Churchill, Hudson Bay ; migrates into the
United States as far as Pennsylvania, Illinois, Colorado, and California.

Nest. — In trees, 6 to 20 feet from the ground, bulky, made of twigs,
rootlets, leaves, grass stems, and sometimes lichens and mosses ; lined with
rootlets, grasses, and feathers. Eggs : 3 to 5, bluish white to purplish
gray, spotted with lilac and dark brown, most thickly about the larger
end.

Food. — Insects, fruits, and berries, including juniper and mountain ash
berries.

The Bohemian waxwing, though an irregular wanderer from the
north, is not uncommon in the mountains of Colorado in winter,
going as high as 8000 feet. It comes in November and leaves in
February or March.

619. Ampelis cedrorum (Vidll.). CEDAR WAXWING.

Atlidtx. -- Streak through eye velvety black; crest, head, and under
parts fawn color, fading to olive yellow on flanks ; upper parts olive gray
becoming blackish on wing quills and tail ; tail tipped with yellow and
both wing and tail sometimes tipped with red wax -like appendages. Young :
similar, but duller, and under parts strongly, upper parts lightly, streaked.
Length: 6.50-7.50, wing 3.60-3.90, tail 2.30-2.00.

JiV marks. — The Cedar waxwing differs from the Bohemian in being
smaller, and in lacking the dark brown of forehead, cheeks, and under tail
coverts, and the yellow and white wing markings.

Distribution. --Breeds mainly in Transition and Upper Sonoran zones of
North America, from Saskatchewan south to Virginia, western North
Carolina, and the mountains of New Mexico and Arizona ; winters from
the northern border of the United States to the West Indies and Costa Rica.

Nest. -- In bushes or low trees, a deep, bulky structure, made of twigs,
weed stems, grasses, and vegetable fibers, lined with leaves and fine
rootlets. Eggs . usually 4, bluish or purplish gray, spotted with brown or
black.

Food. -- Insects, including elm-leaf beetles and bark or scale lice, with
seeds or berries of trees, such as pepper, juniper, mulberry, and mistletoe.

WAXWIXGS AND PHAIXOPEPLAS

389

Fig. 480. Cedar Waxwing.

Like the Bohemian wax wing the cedar-birds are wanderers, travel-
ing over the country in flocks except during their late breeding sea-
son. Sometimes they appear in small bands of less than a score, at
others in such large companies that when they alight in a pepper-
tree and fall to eating the berries their plump, moving forms seen
through the foliage make the trees seem alive with their numbers.

Though they all talk at once, as they usually do, their sibilant
notes are so soft and subdued that a passer-by would scarcely heed
their presence.

However much romance there may be in the famous stories recit-
ing the politeness and affection of these gentle birds, they merit all

390

WAXWINGS AND PHAINOPEPLAS

the study that can be given them, and if watched through a nesting
season win their own place in the affections of the bird-lover.

.-

GENUS PHAINOPEPLA.

620. Phainopepla nitens (Swains.). PHAINOPEPLA.

Head with long thin occipital crest ; wing rounded, of ten feathers, but

first only about half as long
as second ; tail long and fan-
shaped ; hind toe very short.
Adult male : glossy blue
black except for white
patch on inner webs of pri-
maries. In winter : many of
the feathers bordered with
white. Adult female and
young: plain brownish gray,
lighter below ; white on pri-
maries restricted, but wing
coverts, secondaries, and
lower tail coverts with whit-
ish edgings. Length : 7.00-
7.75, wing 3.60-3.80, tail
3.80-4.10.

Remarks. — In the field the
Phainopepla may be recog-
nized at a distance by his
black body and white wing
patches.

Distribution. — Breeds in
arid Lower Sonoran zone
from southwestern Texas to
the Pacific, and from south-
ern Utah, Nevada, and Cali-
fornia south to Cape St. Lucas and the Valley of Mexico.

Nest. — Saucer shaped, compactly made of plant fibers, stems, and
blossoms, small twigs and plant down ; placed in elders, peppers, oaks,
and blue gums, and often in parasitic plants. Eggs : 2 or 3, grayish or
greenish white, thickly spotted with brown, blackish, or faint lilac.

Food. — Insects and berries such as those of the pepper, choke cherry,
elder, sumac, the mistletoe and other parasitic plants.

The phainopepla is a bird of the southwest desert country, and in
Arizona Mr. Scott has found flocks of fifty or more gathered in
juniper covered canyons when the berries were ripe; but when a
single individual strays up to the foothills of the Sierra it is a de-
lightful surprise to meet him. In" southern California the phaino-
pepla seems as much at home on the telegraph wires of Pasadena and
in the parks of Riverside as in the canyons, and wherever found is
the same dashing, distinguished beauty.

When flying at an intruder he lowers his crest threateningly, but
ordinarily it stands as a high plume adding distinction to his refined,

Fig. 481.

SHRIKES 391

dignified presence. Though so reserved in bearing he is full of
vivacity and song, and will sometimes dart up in the air and come
down singing.

His sallies often appear to be made for insects, being in regular
kingbird manner, and at times in southern California when the
brush is full of millers, the birds seem to be "catching them. But
berries are their ordinary food, the mistletoe, pepper, and juniper
being prime favorites.

In the breeding season in leaving the trees to go back to their
nesting grounds, they often rise obliquely for perhaps a hundred
feet and then fly on evenly straight to their destination, though
sometimes while flying level and high they change their course by
odd, sudden jerks. When near the nest the male often closes his
wings and shoots obliquely down with tilting tail.

About the nest the birds have a variety of notes. The commonest,
which resembles the call of a young robin, is given by both male
and female, with a flash of the tail. The male has also a scold, a
meadowlark-like note, and a harsh alarm-call drawn out like ca-rack
or ca-mc-ai'k. His ordinary song, though with weak, squeaky
notes, has phrases of rich quality suggesting the o-ka-lee of the red-
wing ; and taken as a whole, jumbled notes, flutelike tones, musical
outbursts, and all, the song is most pleasing because of its vivacity
and brightness.

The nests of the few individuals I have watched were built mainly
by the males, the females of a brush patch going off by themselves
while their lords worked at home.

FAMILY LANIIDJB: SHRIKES.

GENUS LANIUS.

General Characters. — Bill large and powerful, notched, toothed, and
hooked ; wing1 with ten primaries ; wing- and tail rounded ; feet large and
strong ; tarsus distinctly scaled.

KEY TO ADULTS.

*~

:o

Fig. 482.

1. Lores and nasal tufts never wholly black .... borealis. p. 892.
1'. Lores and nasal tufts always wholly black.

'2. Under parts pure white excubitorides, p. 392.

2 . Under parts dull white, grayish, or brownish, often finely barred with
grayish.

3. Upper parts tinged with brownish gambeli. p. 39:).

3'. Upper parts dark slate gray aiithoiiyi. p. 393.

392

SHRIKES

621. Lanius borealis Vieill. NORTHERN SHRIKE.

Adults in summer. -- Wide streak on side of head, and wings and tail
black, wings and tail extensively marked with white ; under parts white,
barred or undulated with grayish; upper parts pale ash gray becoming
whitish on forehead, superciliary, and rump ; lores black and grayish,
a whitish spot on lower eyelid. Adults in winter: similar, bnt basal half
of lower mandible lig'ht brownish horn color, grayish in life, and lores

Fig. 483.

chiefly light grayish or whitish. Young: largely washed with brownish.
Length : 9.25-10.75, wing 4.35-4.60, tail 4.50-4.70, bill from nostril .50-
.55.

Distribution. — Breeds from Labrador, Hudson Bay, and Cook Inlet,
Alaska, northward ; migrates south in winter as far as Virginia. Kansas,
Arizona, and northern California.

Nest. — In bushes or thorny trees, a rude, bulky structure of twigs,
grasses, and stems, lined with mosses, lichens, and feathers. Eygs : 4 to
6, pale bluish green, spotted with brown and purple.

Food. — In winter, mice. English sparrows, grasshoppers, and other
birds and insects.

The northern shrikes reach Colorado in October. Prof. Cooke
says, first appearing on the mountains above timberline. Some of
them winter as high as 9500 feet in the mountain parks, but most
of them work their way down to the plains, where they find abun-
dant food in the shape of horned larks. In other regions they are
often tempted to visit, cities by the unfailing supply of English
sparrows, for in habits they are miniature birds of prey.

622a. Lanius ludovicianus excubitprid.es (-Swains.). WHITE-

R r M P K D S H K 1 K I . .

Ail ults. --Bill, lores, and nasal t/if/s irlioll/i Hack : upper parts light slate

gray : upper tail coverts whitish ;
under parts pure \vhite, very lightly,
if at all. marked. Young : like adults,
but base of lower mandible light-
FI-. 484. colored, general colors less strongly

SHRIKES 393

contrasted, washed with brown and narrowly barred, the wing- coverts
tipped with buffy. Length : S-10. winy 3.75-4.103 tail 3.75-4.3O. bill from
nostril .42-.50. depth of bill at base .3t I-.35.

Distribution. — Breeds from British Columbia and Hudson Bay south to
Lower California and over the northern tablelands of Mexico.

Xest. — In thorn-trees, hedges, briers, and cactus ; bulky, made of sticks
and stems, leaves, wool, and feathers ; lined with stems of grass and
weeds, and sometimes hairs. Egys : 4 to 0, grayish to yellowish white,
spotted with brown and lilac.

Food. — Mice, birds, and insects — chiefly grasshoppers.

A shrike may be recognized as far as seen by his level flight, the
beating of his short little wings, and the way he holds up his big
head : and when he alights his clear grays and sharply contrasting
blacks and whites mark him afar. He is partial to Sarc<>hiitns flats,
hedges, thorny bushes, and barbed wire fences, even when not using
the barbs as letter files for his superfluous catch of grasshoppers. In
spite of all accusations the shrike probably impales his victims less
because of original sin than because of original scarcity of supplies,
and only a short time ago Le was seen by a California observer re-
turning to his catch and eating it with marked relish. (The Condor.
iv. 49.) Xor is he such a villain as to be wanting in sound domestic
virtues, and harsh and strident as his voice may be in the main, it
has interesting if not musical moments.

622b. L. 1. gambeli Eidgw. CALIFORNIA SHRIKE.

Upper parts slate gray, tinged with brownish : upper tail coverts some-
times abruptly whitish as in excubitoride* ; under parts dull white or gray-
ish, darker on sides, breast usually distinctly vermiculated and sometimes
tinged with pale brown. Length : 8-10. wing 3.70-4.00, tail 3.75-4.50, bill
from nostril .43-.48. depth at base .30-.35.

Remarks. — The California shrike may be distinguished from the white-
rumped by the darker coloration of the under parts. In excubitorides they
are pure white, in gambeli usually vermiculated, darkened on the sides and
sometimes tinged with pale brown.

Distribution. — Coast region of California.

Xest. — 5 to 30 feet from the ground in willows, cypress, or oak ; bulky,
made of coarse twigs and soft materials such as straw, grass, feathers,
cotton, and wool. Eggs : 4 to 7. gray, sometimes tinged with green, spotted
with light brown and sometimes purple, usually heaviest around the larger
end.

Mr. Grinnell says that the California shrike is such a persistent
destroyer of the Jerusalem cricket and other injurious insects that
it is undoubtedly one of our most beneficial birds from the agricul-
turalist's standpoint and should be protected.

622c. L. 1. anthonyi Mearns. ISLAND SHRIKE.

Similar to gambeli. but much darker and smaller ; under parts gray, be-
coming white on throat and under tail coverts ; upper parts dark slate gray ;
white areas on wings and tail more restricted than in any of the ludovi-
cianus group. Length : 8.77. wing 3.74, tail 4.00. bill .63.

Distribution. — Santa Barbara Islands, California.

394 VIREOS

FAMILY VIREONIDJE: VIREOS.

GENUS VIREO.

General Characters. — Bill similar to that of the shrikes, distinctly
hooked and notched at tip ; rictal bristles conspicuous ; wings equal to or
longer than tail ; tail nearly even ; claws stout, strongly curved ; side toes
unequal in length.

KEY TO ADULTS.

1. Head strikingly marked.

2. Lores and orbital ring white in sharp contrast to gray or black of
head.

3. Top and sides of head black, atricapillus, p. 397.

Fig. 485.
3'. Top and sides of head gray.

4. Back gray. Southern Rocky Mountain region.

plumb eus, p. 397.
4'. Back olive green.

5. Brighter olive green. Eastern United States.

solitarius. p. 39(1

5'. Duller olive green. Western United States.

cassiiiii. p. 390.

Fig. 4SC
2'. Lores and orbital ring not white in sharp contrast to

head. -ss^S

3. Sides and flanks tinged with olive gray. v^pl

olivaceus, p. 395.

r

Fig. 487.

J-- M.^ * Ttt^J I >

3'. Sides and flanks bright olive yellow . . . flavoviridis, p. 395
1 '. Head not strikingly marked.
2. Upper parts gray. Western Texas to southern California.

vicinior, p. 400

2'. Upper parts bright olive green or tinged with olive.
3. Upper parts bright olive green.

4. Larger and brighter iioveboracensis, p. 39S

4'. Smaller and duller. Rio Grande Valley . . micrus. p. 3'.»9
3'. Upper parts tinged with olive green. _r^^b*_

4. Wings unmarked gilvus. p. 395.

\

4'. Wings marked with white. Fig. 488.

5. Wing about 2.18.

6. Wing with two distinct bands. Mississippi Valley and Plains.

bellii, p. 399.

6'. Wing usually with only one band. Arizona and California.

pusillus, p. 400.
5'. Wing about 2.50.
0. Wing bars white.

VIREOS 395

7. Darker, wing- bars narrower. California.

huttoni, p. 399.

7'. Paler and grayer, wing- bars broader. Texas and Arizona.

Stephens!, p. 399.

6'. Wing bars tinged with yellow. Washington and Oreg-on,
wintering in California obscurus. p. 399.

Subgenus Vireosylva.

Spurious primary if present decidedly shorter than tarsus ; wing1 without
bands.

624. Vireo olivaceus (Linn.). RED-EYED VJREO.

Adults. — Top of head gray, conspicuously bordered by white superciliary
and narrow black line ; blackish line through eye ; rest of
upper parts olive green ; wings without bands or spurious
primary ; under parts clear white. Young : similar, but back
brownish ash ; sides washed with brown. Length : 5.50-6.50,
wing about 3.10-3.30, tail 2.15-2.30, exposed culmen, .50-
.55.

Distribution. — Breeds from the arctic regions south chiefly in the north-
eastern United States, but extending- through Florida and to the Gulf of
Mexico ; west to Montana and Washington ; migrates to South America.

Nest. — Hung rather low from a forked twig of a tree, made of strips
of birch and inner bark, dead leaves, and vegetable fibers, often patched
with bits of wasp nest and lined with pine needles, or stems and rootlets.
Eggs : 3 to 5, white, lightly specked with reddish brown, chiefly around
the larger end.

Food. — Insects and small berries.

The eastern red-eyed vireo is found occasionally in Colorado at the
base of the foothills, and has been recorded as far west as British
Columbia.

625. Vireo flavoviridis (Cass.). YELLOW-GREEN YIREO.

Like olivaceus, but sides and flanks bright olive green, axillars and
under tail coverts sulphur yellow. Length : 6.25-6.75, wing 2.80-3.20, tail
2.05-2.50.

Distribution. — Valley of the Lower Rio Grande in Texas, south to South
America ; accidental in Quebec and at Riverside, California.

627. Vireo gilvus (VieilL). WARBLING VIREO.

Adults. — Upper parts olive 'gray.gvajest on head and most olive on rum})
and upper tail coverts ; white streak through eye ; wings and
tail dusky brown, unmarked, wing with a well-developed spu-
rious primary ; sides of head pale brownish or buffy ; under
parts white, shaded with olive yellow on sides. Young : top
Fig. 490. of head and hind neck pale grayish buff ; rest of upper parts
buffy. wings with buffy bars ; under parts pure white, except
for yellowish tail coverts. Length : 5.00-5.50, wing 2.65-2.95, tail 2.10-
2.40, bill from nostril .30-. 32. depth at base .15-.18.

Distribution. — North America in general from Great Slave Lake to
northern Mexico ; breeds throughout the greater part of this range. In
winter to southern Mexico. ,

Nest. — Similar to that of the red-eye, but smoother and more compact ;
hung in trees, usually at a considerable height, in open copses, along banks

396 VIUEOS

of streams, or in shade-trees along1 streets. Eggs : 4 or 5, white, spotted
around larger end with reddish, dark brown, and lilac.

Colorless as this small leaf-tinted bird may seem in coat, character,
and song, its voice is nevertheless one of the sunny warbled rounds
that gives good cheer to the western mountain forests.

In Colorado, Prof. Cooke says, it breeds sparingly on the plains
and abundantly in the mountains up to 10,000 feet, especially in the
aspens. On San Francisco Mountain. Arizona, Dr. Mearns found it
in fall in the rank growth of annuals along streams in company with
terrestrial warblers.

But, though a mountain dweller, the little vireo is also a village
bird, leaning over and craning its neck to examine the leaves for
worms as carefully in a Utah garden as in the retirement of the

forest.

Subgenus Lanivireo.

Spurious primary if present decidedly shorter than tarsus ; wing with two
white bars.

629. Vireo solitarius (Wils.). BLUE-HEADED "S7iREO.

Adults. — Top and sides of head dark gray in sharp contrast to white loral
streak, orbital ring and throat ; back olive green ; wings with two white bars ;
under parts clear white, shaded with olive and yellow on sides and flanks.
Young injirst winter : anterior upper parts grayish brown, under parts dull
buffy white. Length : 5-6, wing 2.90-3.00, tail 2.10-2.20, bill from nostril
.28-.30.

Distribution, — Breeds from Great Slave Lake and Hudson Bay to south-
ern New England and the northern part of the lake states, and from the
Atlantic coast to Dakota ; migrates to Guatemala.

Nest. — In woods, in undergrowth, or hung from lower branches of small
trees, like that of the red-eye, but often decorated with catkins. Eggs :
usually 5, white, spotted mainly with reddish brown around the larger end.

Food. — Chiefly insects.

629a. V. s. cassinii (Xantus). CASSIN VIREO.

Adults. — Top and sides of head gray in sharp contrast to white of loral

streak, orbital ring, and throat; back dull
olive green ; wings with two clear white
bands ; under parts clear white, washed
with yellow and olive on sides and flanks.
Young in Jirst winter : dull grayish brown
above, dull buffy below. Length : 5.00-
5.00. wing 2.85-3.00, tail 2.10-2.30, bill
from nostril .2S-.31, tarsus .70-.7S.

Distribution. — Breeds from British Co-
lumbia and Idaho south along- the Pacific
coast, region and Nevada to Lower Cali-
Fig. 491. fornia; migrates to Arizona, New Mexico,

and northern Mexico.

Nest. - - In oaks, manzanita, and buck brush, pendant, compactly woven
and lined with light-colored grasses, decorated with pieces of white cocoon.
Eggs : 4 or 5.

VIREOS 397

The Cassiii vireo is more often heard in the oaks and conifers than
the warbling, though it also frequents alders and aspens. In south-
ern California, Mr. Grinnell finds it breeding in the mountain eauyons
from the foothills to 4000 feet, and Mr. Anthony, writing from Ore-
gon, says, "Its clear, metallic notes ring through our forests from
earliest dawn until dark."

629b. V- S. plumbeus (Coues). PLUMBEOUS VLREO.

Adults. -- Entire upper parts and sides of head dark gray, in sharp con-
trast to white loral streak, orbital ring1, throat, and wing1 bars ; under
parts white, sides and flanks strongly tinged with olive g'ray. Young :
similar, but upper parts more or less tinged with brown, and sides with
more olivaceous. Length: 5.75-0.15, wing1 3.05-3.30, tail 2.30-2.55, bill
from nostril .30-.35.

Remarks. -- In the plumbeous vireo the contrasts between the gray and
white markings of the head and under parts are the same as in other
members of the soliiarius group, but in plumbeus there is hardly a trace of
the olive on back and sides which mark the other members of the group.

Distribution. — Breeds in the southern Rocky Mountain region from the
Black Hills westward to the desert ranges of the Great Basin ; also in
northern Mexico ; migrates from southern Wyoming to southern Mexico.

Nest. — In pine or oak, pendant, made of inner bark and vegetable fibers,
lined with fine grass stems and rootlets, and decorated with lichen, cocoon
cases, web. plant blossoms, and sometimes feathers. Eggs : often 4, white,
lightly specked around the larger end with black and brown.

In the \vooded canyons of the Guadalupe Mountains in Texas the
loud, rich whistle of plumbeus often calls your attention to the gray
bird with the white eye rings who stops his work to sing in a sunny
pine top. There is something peculiarly attractive about him ; it
may be the harmony of his quaker garb writh his swreet, rich voice
and quiet ways.

In Xew Mexico, through the breeding season, Mr. Henshaw found
the birds as high as 10,000 feet ; but in migration he found that they
scattered over the country, taking to the deciduous trees along
streams.

Subgenus Vireo.

Spurious primary equal to or longer than tarsus.

630. Vireo atricapillus Woodh. BLACK-CAPPED VIREO.

Adult male. — Top and sides of head black in sharp contrast to white
loral streak, orbital ring, and median under parts ;
back bright olive green ; wing bar yellowish white.
Adult female : similar, but duller, and black of
head usually slaty. Young in first winter: top and
sides of head dull brownish ; lores, orbital ring,
and median under parts dull buffy ; upper parts
brownish green. Length : 4.40-4.75, wing 2. 15-
2.30, tail 1.80-2.00.

Distribution. — Breeds from southwestern Kan- Ficr

sas to central and western Texas ; winters in south-
ern Mexico.

398 VIREOS

Nest. — Hung in thickets, in bushes, or small trees, 2 to 6 feet from the
ground, made of dry leaves, cocoons, and spiders' webs, lined with fibers of
grass and bark. Eggs : usually o, plain white.

Food. — (3 stomachs) caterpillars.

At Pecos High Bridge, in the bottom of the Pecos River canyon,
which rang with the songs of an hepatic tanager, canyon wrens, and
cardinals, we were delighted to find the rare little spectacled black-
cap actually common, adding his loud song to the rich canyon
chorus. His song was unusually varied for a vireo, though of the
general character of the white-eye or bellii type rather than that of
gilvus. One song contained a run, and its last notes were liquid,
loud, and emphatic, something like come here, right -now '-quick' ', or
there now, wait-a-bit. The alarm-note was hoarse.

The calm deliberation of the vireo blood seems wanting in the
black-cap even though he does live in Texas. He hops about or
flies around in the most alert, energetic way. A pair were busy
building in a dense vine grown thicket against one of the canyon
walls, that is to say, the male was busy singing near by while his
mate worked on the nest, weaving spider web over the skeleton
leaves and cocoon cases.

Though the black-caps are partial to ravines, Mr. Bailey found
them common on scrub-oak ridges about Kerrville, hunting low in
the scrub oaks and jumpers.

631- Vireo noveboracensis (GmeL). WHITE-EYED VIREO.

Adults. — Upper parts bright olive green, wings with two sharply
marked bands ; lores, forehead, and orbital ring bright yellow ; throat and
chest white, sides and flanks bright sulphur yellow. Young: olive gray,
greener posteriorly ; wings crossed with two buffy bands ; under parts
white, buffy on flanks ; loral streak white. Length : 4. 50-;"). 00, wing 2.35-
2.50, tail 1.90-2.10, bill from base .55-. 58, bill from nostril .27-.30, tarsus
.T2-.78.

Distribution. — Breeds in Upper and Lower Sonoran zones from New
England south to Louisiana and northern Texas, west to the Rocky Moun-
tains ; winters from Florida to Guatemala and Honduras.

Nest. - - Hung in bushes or vines, in thickets or along borders of woods
or swamps, seldom over 4 feet from the ground ; made of vegetable fibers,
leaves, mosses, and lichens, lined with stems of weeds and grasses. Eggs :
4 or 5, white, lightly spotted with purple and reddish brown around the
larger end.

Food. --Insects and their larvae.

The white-eyed vireo ranges west as far as the Rocky Mountains,
and in Kansas, Colonel Goss says, lives in thickets of briars and
vines on the low prairies, and also on the edges of woods bordering
streams and swamps. In Bermuda, where its jolly little relative
abounds, it is known as the ' chick of the village,' and its song is
rendered as CMck-a-da-cli ick' -de-mUct.

VIREOS 399

63 Ic V. n. micrus Nelson. SMALL WHITE-EYED VIREO.

Like noveboracensis, but smaller and duller colored, with a paler wash
of yellow on flanks. Wing: 2.29, tail 1.97, bill .38, tarsus .78.

Distribution. — Rio Grande Valley, Texas, to central Tamaulipas, Mex-
ico.

The breeding range of the small white-eyed vireo in Texas extends
from Kiuuey and Uvalde counties to the Gulf of Mexico.

632. Vireo huttoni Cass. HCTTON VIREO.

Adults. -- Lores and orbital ring dull whitish; upper parts dull olive
brown, greener on rump, wings, and tail ; wing bars narrow, white ; under
parts dingy, tinged on sides with olive yellow ; spurious primary well
developed. Young : similar, but upper parts lighter brown, sides of head
buffy brown, under parts paler. Length : 4.25-4.75, wing 2.40-2.45, tail
2.00-2.10, bill from nostril .20-.29, tarsus .72-.76.

Distribution. — Southern and central California, west and south of the
Sierra Nevada.

Nest. -- As described by Cohen, hung in scrub oak heavily draped with
moss : made mainly of moss. Eggs : usually 4, white, lightly dotted
around larger end with shades of brown.

Mr. Grinnell says that the Hutton vireo is common throughout
the year in Los Angeles County. Wrhile occurring from the willow
regions of the lowlands up to 6000 feet in the mountains, it prefers
the oak regions of the mesas and foothills.

632a. V. h. Stephens! Brewst. STEPHENS VIREO.

Similar to huttoni, but paler ; olive gray above, greenish toward tail ; wing-
bands pure white, broader. Length : 4.90-5.20, wing 2.50-2.65, tail 2.10-
2.20, bill from nostril .25-.30. tarsus .70-.75.

Distribution. — Mountains of western Texas, Arizona, Mexico, and Lower
California.

632b. V. h. Obscurus Anthony. ANTHONY VIREO.

Like huttoni, but averaging smaller, with plumage darker and olive
tints brighter.

Distribution. — Breeds on the Pacific coast from British Columbia south
to Oregon, and winters in California.

Nest. - - As described by Bowles, hung from twigs of a young fir, 9 feet
from the ground, woven of hanging moss and lined with fine dried grasses
thickly interwoven. Eggs : 2. Avhite. marked about the larger end with
black spots.

633. Vireo bellii And. BELL VIREO.

Loral streak and orbital ring dull white ; upper parts brownish olive,
olive green on rump ; wings and tail brownish, wing bars narrow, dull
white ; throat white ; rest of under parts washed with sulphur yellow ;
under tail and wing coverts yellow. Length : 4.20-5.25, wing 2.05-2.30,
tail 1.80-1.95, bill from nostril .28-.30, tarsus .70-.75.

Distribution. — Breeds in the Mississippi Valley and on the Great Plains,
from Indiana to Dakota, and south through Texas to Mexico ; accidental
in New Hampshire.

Nest. --Hung from vines or forks of twigs, made of plant fibers and

400 VIREOS

dead leaves, lined with stems and sometimes hairs. Eggs : usually 4,
white, thinly spotted around larger end with reddish brown.
Food. — Insects and their larvae.

The Bell vireo is a common bird in its range, abounding in the
pium thickets of Nebraska, dense patches of brush and briers in
Kansas, and the tangled mesquite woods of southern Texas.

Its song, like that of many vireos, is heard all through the hot
noonday hours. It resembles that of the white-eye, but leaves off
the interrogative eh? after the icho-are-you? It has a harsh, scold-
ing note, Mr. Heushaw says, which it often repeats as it goes
through the brush searching for food.

633.1. Vireo pusillus Coues. LEAST VIREO.

Adults. — Upper parts gra)', faintly tinged with olive on rump, wings,
and tail ; wings with one and sometimes two narrow bars; lores gray and
white; under parts white, sides washed with olive. Young: lores wholly
white ; top of head and hind neck pale brown ; back dull green, rump
greenish. Length: 4.80-5.25, wing 2.10-2.30, tail 2.03-2.20, bill from
nostril .25-.2U, tarsus .70-. 80.

Distribution. - - Upper and Lower Sonoran zones in Arizona and Califor-
nia ; south to Cape St. Lucas and northwestern Mexico.

Nest. — In bushes, in thickets. Eggs : 3 or 4, white, lightly dotted with
brown, more thickly around the larger end.

The least vireo is common in southern California in the willow
regions and along streams up to the foothills.

634. Vireo vicinior Coues. GRAY VIREO.

Adults. - - Upper parts and sides of head dull gray, with faint tinge of
greenish on rump ; lores and orbital ring white ; wings brownish with
wing band indistinct or wanting ; under parts clouded grayish white.
Young : like adults, but upper parts with brownish tinge and wing bar
buffy white. Length • 5.60-5.75, wing 2.50-2.60, tail 2.40-2.55.

Remarks. - • The gray vireo differs from the plumbeous in its duller,
less sharply contrasted coloration and absence of striking wing bars.

Distribution. - - From western Texas to southern California and from
southern Nevada to northwestern Mexico.

Nest. — In thorny bushes or trees, 4 to 6 feet from the ground, some-
times supported underneath or on sides so that it is not pensile ^ made of
loosely woven coarse grass and mesquite bark lined with fine grasses.
Eggs : 3 or 4, white, sparsely marked with irregular spots, chiefly around
larger end.

In the foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains Mr. Scott found
the gray vireo breeding in comparative abundance where the oaks
begin at the upper edge of the mesquite.

Mr. Henshaw found it in New Mexico frequenting rocky hills cov-
ered with scanty growth of bushes and scrub. In hunting, he says
it takes a middle line between that of the treetop solitary vireos
and the low hunting white-eyed group, spending most of its time

WOOD WARBLERS

401

from six to twelve feet from the ground. The gray vireo's song
Mr. Henshaw considers the finest of all vireo songs, as it has not only
beauty and variety of note but mellowness of expression.

FAMILY MNIOTILTIDJE : WOOD WARBLERS.

KEY TO OENERA.

1. Gape with conspicuous bristles.

2. Under parts mainly clear yellow Wilsoilia, p. 427.

2'. Under parts marked with red, orange, or yellow (except
young- Cardellina).

3. Bill broad and much flattened at base

o
i

2

Fig. 493.

Setophaga, p. 429.

3'. Bill narrow and deep at base. Face and throat red in
adults, brown in young- . . . Cardellina. p. 430.

1 . Gape without conspicuous bristles.

2. Tarsus about equal to middle toe and claw ;
upper parts conspicuously streaked with
black and white . . Mniotilta. p. 402.

2'. Tarsus longer than middle toe with claw ;
upper parts not distinctly streaked with
black and white.

Fig. 495.

Fig. 496.

Fig. 497.

3. Bill deep, and strongly curved . . Icteria. p. 426.

3'. Bill not deep, nor strongly curved.
4. Bill narrowly wedge-shaped.

5. Rictal bristles obvious ; upper parts blue with
olive patch . . . Compsothlypis. p. 406.

Fig. 499. 5'. Rictal bristles obsolete ; upper parts not blue
with olive patch . Helmiiithophila. p. 402.

4'. Bill slenderly conical.

5. Tail marked with white or yellow. Fig. 500.

Dendroica, p. 407.
5'. Tail not marked with white or yellow.

6. Tarsus less than one third as long as wing ;
under parts streaked . . Seiurus, p. 423.
t'> . Tarsus decidedly more than one third as long-
as wing ; under parts not streaked ; partly
yellow . . , . . Geothlypis. p. 424.

402 WOOD WARBLERS

GENUS MNIOTILTA.

636. Mniotilta varia (Linn.). BLACK AND WHITE WARBLER.

Bill shorter thau head, very slender, notched and slightly decurved at
tip ; rictal bristles minute ; wing- long, pointed ; tarsus about
one fourth as long' as wing' or less, its scutella rather indistinct ;
middle toe with claw about equal to tarsus. Adult male: whole
_ bird streaked glossy blue black and white except for plain white

Fig. 501. on middle of belly ; throat closely streaked, sometimes solid
black; wing with two white bars ; tail with white spots near end
on inner webs of two outer feathers. Young male : similar to adult male,
but throat white, unstreaked, and markings duller. Adult female : similar
to young male, but duller, the black not so deep, and white of under parts
dingy. Male : length (skins) 4.30-4.75, wing 2.62-2.79. tail 1.68-2.01, bill
.40-.51. Female: length (skins) 4.30-4.65, wing 2.56-2.66, tail 1.79-1.91,
bill .40-.48.

Distribution. — Breeds from the Atlantic to the Plains and from Fort
Simpson to Virginia and southern Kansas ; winters in the Gulf states,
West Indies, and south to South America ; accidental in California.

Nest. — Imbedded in ground in woods, made of plant fibers, grasses,
moss, and leaves, lined with stems and hair ; sometimes partially roofed
over. Eggs : 4 or 5, creamy white, thickly speckled, chiefly on larger end,
with reddish brown.

Food. — Insects and their eggs and larvae.

GENUS HELMINTHOPHILA.

General Characters. — Bill much shorter than head, narrowly wedge-
shaped, straight, tip without notch, very acute ; rictal bristles obsolete ;
wing with three or four outermost primaries abruptly longest ; tarsus
nearly one third as long as wing (except in H. peregrina), its scutella
indistinct.

KEY TO ADULT MALES.

1. Crown patch chestnut.

2. Rump chestnut luciee, p. 402.

2'. Rump yellowish green.

3. Under parts white with yellow chest patch . . virginiae. p. 403.

'. Under parts bright yellow. Rocky Mountains to
California gutturalis, p. 404.

1'. Crown patch orange or wanting. Fig. 502.

2. Crown patch orange ; under parts yellow.

:!. Under parts dull yellow. Rocky Mountains. . . celata, p. 404.
3'. Under parts bright greenish yellow. Rocky Mountains to Pacific
coast.

4. Lighter. Western States lutescens. p. 405.

4'. Darker. California Islands . . . ... sordida. p. 4<)5.

2'. Crown patch wanting ; under parts grayish white.

peregrina, p. 406.

643. Helminthophila lucise (Cooper). LUCY WARBLER.

Adult male in s/>ring and summer. — Upper parts gray, crown chestnut,
feathers more or less tipped with gray ; upper tail coverts bright chestnut ;

WOOD WARBLERS 403

lores, eye ring-, and under parts white, tinged with brownish on sides and
buffy on chest. Adult female in spring and summer: like summer male,
but chestnut of crown and upper tail coverts lighter, crown patch re-
stricted, sometimes obsolete. Adult male in fall and winter : upper parts
tinged with brown ; crown patch concealed by gray tips to feathers ;
under parts brownish buff, becoming whitish on belly. Young in first
plumage : like adults, but without crown patch ; upper tail coverts buffy
brown instead of chestnut ; wings with two bars ; under parts white.
Male: length (skins) 3.60-4.05, wing 2.17-2.29, tail 1.02-1.73, bill .33-.3S.
Female: length (skins) 3.02-3.75, wing 2.03-2.08. tail 1.47-1.57, bill .30-
35.

Distribution. — Breeds in Lower Sonoran zone from the Santa Clara
Valley, Utah, south through Arizona and Sonora to Jalisco. Mexico.

Nest. — Usually in deserted woodpecker holes, behind bark of trees, in
giant cactus, or by roots along river banks, 2 to 20 feet from the ground,
made of fine straws, leaves, horsehair, and feathers. Eggs : 3 to 5, white
or creamy, finely speckled, usually in dense ring around larger end, with
reddish brown.

Mr. O. W. Howard found the Lucy warblers fairly common along
the river-bottoms throughout southern Arizona, especially in the
willow and rnesquite thickets, and Mr. Scott found them breeding
at the base of the Santa Catalina Mountains up to 4000 feet.

Among the nests found by Mr. Howard some were in deserted
verdin and woodpecker nests. He says that many are destroyed by
wood rats and snakes.

644. Helminthophila virginise (Baird). VIRGINIA WARBLER.

Adult male in spring and summer. — Upper parts gray, rump and upper
tail coverts bright yellowish green ; crown with chestnut patch concealed by
gray tips in fresh plumage ; orbital ring white, conspicuous ; under parts
dull white with chest and usually throat yellow. Adult female in spring and
summer : Like adult male, but duller, especially on rump and upper tail
coverts ; crown patch restricted, sometimes almost obsolete ; back browner.
Adult male in fall and winter : like summer male, but yellow duller, crown
patch concealed by grayish tips to feathers; upper parts and flanks
strongly tinged with brown. Young in first plumage : two wing bars dull
buffy ; under parts brownish gray ; median parts of breast and belly
white. Male : length (skins) 4.08-4.30, wing 2.40-2.42. bill .3S-.39. Fe-
male: length (skins) 4. wing 2.26-2.38, tail 1.79-1.84, bill .37.

Distribution. -- Rocky Mountain region of the United States from Wy-
oming to Nevada and south to Guanajuato and Jalisco.

Nest. — On the ground under a bush or tuft of grass ; made of straws,
rootlets, and fibers, loosely put together. Eggs : often ' 4, creamy white,
finely and rather densely speckled over whole surface or around larger end
with chestnut and purplish gray.

Mr. Ridgway found the Virginia warbler common in the Hum-
boldt and Wasatcli Mountains, and Mr. O. W. Howard states that it
is quite common in the pine regions of Arizona above 5000 feet. In
Colorado Mr. Aiken rarely finds it above 7500 feet, and he thinks that
it prefers the foothills.

Unlike other warblers found in Arizona, Mr. Howard says, during

404 WOOD WARBLERS

the suminer it stays almost wholly in the underbrush, where it keeps
continually on the move, uttering a quick chirp as it goes.

During the migrations, Mr. Aiken reports, it has been found
among cottonwoods and willows bordering streams, and often among
the pines. He says : " The male is very musical during the nesting
season, uttering his sweet little ditty continually as he skips through
the bushes in search of his morning repast ; or, having satisfied his
appetite, he mounts to the top of some tree in the neighborhood
of his nest, and repeats at regular intervals a song of remarkable
fullness for a bird of such minute proportions."

645a. Helminthophila rubricapilla gutturalis (Eidgw.).
CALAVERAS WARBLER.

Adult male. -- Under parts bright yellow; upper part of head gray, with

conspicuous white orbital ring- and chestnut
crown patch, but feathers tipped with gray ;
back olive green, brightening to yellowish
green on rump and upper tail coverts ; wings
and tail unmarked. Adult female : similar,
but duller, and crown with little if any chest-
nut. Young : thi'oat. chest, and under tail
coverts dull yellowish ; belly buffy brown ;
upper parts brownish gray, becoming olive
gray on rump. Male : length (skins) 4.05-

4.75, wing 2.32-2.46. tail 1.70-1.88, bill .37-40. Female: length (skins)

3.85-4.10. wing 2.12-2.19, tail 1.53-1. 02, bill .34-.3S.

Remarks. — The sharply contrasting yellow throat and gray sides of

head make a striking field character.

Distribution. -- Breeds on mountains in Transition and Canadian zones

from the Pacific coast of North America eastward during migrations to

the Rocky Mountains and central Texas, and from British Columbia south

to Lower California and northern Mexico.

Nest. — On or near the ground, made of weed stems, grasses, and bark,

lined with soap-root fiber. Eggs: usually 5, creamy white, spotted with

reddish brown mixed with lavender in wreath around larger end.

In California the Calaveras warbler is often met with in the
chaparral. It looks up at you shyly as it clings to the stalk of a
bush, and you have barely time to note howr the dark sides of its
throat contrast with its yellow body before it has hopped off to a
twig and is making its way through its dense little forest. In the
breeding season, at Fort Klamath, Oregon, Dr. Merrill says, it hunts
mostly among the aspens, though flying up occasionally into the
pines. He compares its song, which is loud and constant, to that of
the yellow warbler.

646. Helminthophila celata (X«y). ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER.

Adult male. — Upper parts dull olive green, brighter on rump ; ^some-
times tinged with gray, especially on head; crown with dull orange patch
concealed except in worn midsummer plumage by grayish olive tips to
feathers ; orbital ring and superciliary yellow ; under parts dull yellowish.

WOOD WARBLERS 405

indistinctly streaked with darker on throat and chest. Adult female: crown
patch usually duller and restricted, sometimes obsolete. Young : generally
without crown patch. Young in Jirst plumage : crown patch wanting" ;
upper parts dull olive ; wing's with two light bands ; belly white ; rest of
under parts brownish gray, tinged with butfv. Mule : length (skins) 4.25-
4.SD. wing- 2.39-2.49, tail* 1.92-2.07, bill .37-.41. Female: length (skins)
4.85-4.05, wing -J.20-2.o3, tail 1.78-1.94, bill .37-.42.

Distribution. — Breeds from the Yukon and Mackenzie River districts
south through the Rocky Mountains to New Mexico ; migrates to south-
eastern United {States and central Mexico.

Nest. — On the ground, hidden in a bank or among- bushes ; made of
strips of bark, plant stems, and grasses, lined with grasses, or hair and fur.
Eggs: 4 to 0. white or creamy, finely speckled, chiefly around the larger
end writh reddish brown.

Food. — Leaf worms and other insects.

646a. H. c. lutescens (Eidgw.}. LUTESCENT WARBLER.

Similar to celata, but brighter colored; upper parts bright olive green;
under parts bright greenish yellow, streaks on under parts dull olive greenish.
Young in Jirst plumage : upper parts olive green, wing bars paler or buffy ;
under parts buffy or straw color shaded with olive on chest, sides, and
flanks. Male : length (skins) 4.20-4.45, wing 2.29-2.41, tail 1.76-1.93, bill
.37-.3S. Female: length (skins) 4.00-4.40, wing 2.24-2.40, tail 1.80-1.85,
bill .39-.40.

Distribution. — Breeds along the Pacific coast from Kadiak to the moun-
tains of southern California ; east in migrations to the Rocky Mountains,
south to Mexico and Central America.

Nest. — On the ground, in cavities in banks or in ferns along small
streams. Eggs : 4 or 5, colored like those of the orange-crowned.

The lutescent warbler is often seen during migration stretching
up for an insect on top of the chaparral, or darting out from the
blooming top of an oak, with whose golden brown tassels the pretty
bird harmonizes. He seems a peculiarly dainty, airy little creature,
his wings lifting him off his feet if an insect is a bit beyond his
reach, and holding him up like a hummingbird under an oak tassel,
or carrying him about from branch to branch while he looks for
food, warbling his short lay in the intervals. In the breeding season
he goes to the mountain sides where he is found in the shrubbery,
in aspens, or on the ground, sometimes above an altitude of 11,000
feet.

646b. H. c. sordida Towns. DUSKY WARBLER.

Like lutescens. but decidedly darker, bill and feet larger, wing shorter,
tail longer. Male : length (skins) 4.35-4.70, wing 2.27-2.30, tail 1.94-1.97,
bill .42-.47. Female : length (skins) 4.60-4.70, wing 2.23-2.26, tail 1.93-
1.97, bill .41.

Distribution. — Santa Barbara Islands, California; visiting adjoining
mainland after the breeding season.

Mr. Grinnell states that dusky warblers appear in the vicinity of
Pasadena in July or August in large numbers in the oak regions
and along the arroyos.

406 WOOD WARBLERS

647. Helminthophila peregrina (Wils.). TENNESSEE WAR-
BLER.

Adult male. — Crown and hind neck dark gray : rest of upper parts olive
green, brightest on rump ; loral streak dark gray bordered by white above ;
wings and tail iinmarked, tail gray, feathers with outer webs edged with
olive green, inner webs with white, outside feather usually with a white
spot. Adult female : similar, but gray of head more or less mixed with
green, and superciliary and under parts lightly washed with olive yellow.
Young male injirst autumn: upper parts olive green, including crown and
hind neck ; under parts strongly tinged with olive yellow except for white
belly and under wing and tail coverts. Young female injirst autumn : like
young males, but yellow brighter. Male : length (skins) 4.05-4.70, wing
2.46-2.67, tail 1.61-1.81, bill .37-.30. Female : length (skins) 4.20-4.70,
wing 2.30-2.40, tail 1.54-1.67, bill .37-40.

Distribution. — Breeds from Alaska, British Columbia, Great Slave Lake,
and Hudson Bay south to the northern United States ; migrates mainly
through the Mississippi Valley south to Cuba and northern South America ;
accidental in southern California.

Nest. — On or near the ground, made largely of grass, leaves, and moss,
sometimes with hair lining. Eggs : 4 or 5, white, spotted with reddish
brown around the larger end.

Food. — Winged insects, caterpillars, and other leaf -eating insects.

The Tennessee warbler is a rare migrant in the eastern part of
Colorado, passing north the latter half of May. In Kansas, Colonel
Goss says, it is found in low bushes, in tall weeds, about gardens
and orchards, along banks of streams, and the edges of woodland.

GENUS COMPSOTHLYPIS.

General Characters. — Bill much shorter than head, narrowly wedge-
shaped and acute, but distinctly curved, at least toward tip ; rictal bristles
distinct ; wing tip decidedly shorter than tarsus ; tarsus decidedly less
than one third as long as wing, its scales indistinct.

KEY TO SPECIES.

1. Eyelids white usiieae, p. 406.

1'. Eyelids dusky. Lower Rio Grande Valley, Texas, iiigrilora, p. 407.

648a. Compsothlypis americana usneae Brewster. NORTHERN
PARULA WARBLER.

Adult male. — Sides of head and upper parts bluish gray, with triangular
olive green patch on back ; wings with two white bars, tail with
white spots on inner webs of two outer feathers ; throat and
breast yellow, chest more or less tinged with orange brown, and
often crossed by blackish band ; feathers sometimes tipped
with chestnut; eyelids white; lores black. Adult female :
Fig. 504. similar, but colors duller, less pronounced. Young in first
ant a inn : whole Tipper parts tinged with olive green, under
parts pale yellow. Young : yellow of under parts replaced by grayish,
chin tinged with yellow ; upper parts grayish, more olive on back. Male :
length (skins) :).S2-4.45. wing 2.24-2.48, tail 1.55-1.77, bill .3.V.43. Fe-
male: length (skins) 3.00-4. 13, wing 2.13-2.34, tail 1.52-1.65, bill .35-.41.
Distribution. - - Breeds chiefly in Canadian zone north of 41°, but locally

WOOD WARBLERS 407

from the Atlantic to the base of the Rocky Mountains ; migrates to the
West Indies, eastern Mexico, and Nicaragua ; casual in Greenland.

Xest. - - Placed within hanging tufts of lichens or ' beard ' mosses,
bunches of dead leaves or other rubbish, caught on hanging branches
during freshets. Eggs: 3 to 5. white or creamy, thickly speckled with
reddish brown, chiefly around larger end.

Food. — Insects.

The parula warbler is taken occasionally in southeastern Colorado.
It is most at home in swampy woods, where it may be seen in the
treetops quietly looking for insects, raising its head as it hunts so
that the dark chest band shows to good advantage.

649. Compsothlypis nigrilora (Coues). SENNETT WARBLER.

Adult male : Upper parts bluish gray with olive green patch on back ;
wings with two broad white bands; throat, breast, and sides yellow, be-
coming saffron on chest ; rest of under parts white, sides tinged with gray-
ish and sometimes brown; eyelids dusky; lores blackish. Adult female :
similar, but slightly smaller and much duller ; upper parts tinged with
olive green ; lores grayish dusky, under parts paler yellow. Length : 4.25-
4.75. wing 2.00-2.20, tail 1.58-1.75.

Distribution. — Lower Rio Grande Valley in Texas and southward to
Xuevo Leon, Tamaulipas. and southeastern San Luis Potosi.

Nest. — As described by Sennett, a cavity excavated in a mistletoe-
like air-plant, lined with cottony wood fibers. Eggs : dull white, flecked
with lilac and brown over the whole surface, and with a broad band around
the larger end.

GENUS DENDROICA.

General Characters. — Bill slenderly conical, tapering gradually to tip ;
rictal bristles obsolete ; tarsus a quarter to a third as long as

wing ; scutella indistinct.
z

Fig. 505. KEY TO ADULT MALES IN SPRING-

1. Throat yellow or orange yellow.

2. Throat orange blackburniae. p. 417.

Fig. 506.

2'. Throat yellow.

3. Tail with yellow patches on outer tail feathers.

4. Under parts yellow, broadly streaked with reddish
brown . aestiva. p. 411.

Fig. 507.

4'. Under parts yellow, narrowly streaked with reddish

brown.

5. Upper parts yellowish green. sonorana, p. 411.
5'. Upper parts olive green . . rubigiiiosa. p. 412.
3'. Tail without yellow patches on outer tail feathers.
4. Rump yellow.

408

WOOD WARBLERS

5. Crown plain gray .... maculosa, p. 415.

Fig. 508. 5'. Crown gray with yellow patch.

0. Forehead and cheeks black. Arizona.

iiigrifrons, p. 41.">.

6'. Forehead and cheeks not black. AVestern States.

auduboiii, p. 41o.
4 . Rump not yellow.

5. Crown chestnut ... . palmarum. p. 422.

5'. Crown gray streaked with black; superciliary and

spot on lower eyelid yellow . . gracise. p. 4 is.

1'. Throat black, white, or brown.

2. Throat brown.

olivacea.p. 410.

2'. Throat black or white. Fig. 509.

3. Throat black.

4. Sides of head black, or black and white.

5. Sides of head black. Eastern United States.

caerulescens, p. 412.

5'. Sides of head black and white, nigresceiis. p. 418.

4'. Sides of head partly or wholly yellow.

Fig. 510.

Fig. 511.

'4 5. Sides of head wholly yellow.

occidentalis. p. 421.

Fig. 5l'_>. ,")'. Sides of head not wholly yellow.

6. Sides of head marked with olive. Eastern United
States virens. p. 420.

6'. Sides of head marked with black.

7. Cheeks crossed by narrow black eye streak.

chrysoparia. p. 419.

7. Cheeks crossed by wide black band.

townsendi. p. 421.

Fig. 514.

Fig. 515.

WOOD WARBLERS

409

3 . Throat white.

4. Crown blue or black.

"). Crown blue. Eastern United States, rara, p. 410.

r* 5 '.Crown black . striata. p. 416.

4'. Crown yellow or with yellow patch.

). Rump yellow ; under parts white, black, and yellow.

coronata, p. 412.

Fig. 517.

5'. Rump not yellow ; under parts white, with chestnut
sides pensylvanica. p. 410.

Fig. 518.

KEY TO ADULT FEMALE DENDROICA IN SPJRING.

1. Tail with yellow on inner webs.

2. Upper parts grayish yellow. Arizona to Texas, soiiorana. p. 411.
2'. Upper parts greenish.

3. Upper parts greenish yellow aestiva, p. 411.

3'. Upper parts dull olive green rubiginosa, p. 412.

1'. Tail without yellow on inner webs.
2. Rump yellow.

3. Under parts bright yellow, streaked with black. Eastern United

States maculosa. p. 415.

3'. Under parts mainly whitish.
4. Throat yellowish.

5. More heavily streaked on darker ground, nigrifrons. p. 415.
5'. Less heavily streaked on lighter ground. auduboni. p. 413.

4'. Throat whitish coronata. p. 412.

2'. Rump not yellow.

3. Plumage not conspicuously marked with yellow or green.

4. Upper parts gray and black iiigrescens. p. 418.

4'. Upper parts streaked black and white . . . striata. p. 416.
3'. Plumage conspicuously marked with yellow or green.

4. Sides of head or throat marked with bright lemon vellow.
5. Sides of head gray or white.

6. Throat, chest, and loral streak yellow . . graciae. p. 418.
6'. Under parts white, with chestnut sides.

peiisylvanica. p. 416.
5 . Sides of head yellow, or yellow and olive.

0. Upper parts grayish occidentalis. p. 421.

6'. Upper parts mainly or partly olive green.
7. Upper parts olive green and gray. Texas.

chrysoparia. p. 419.
7'. Upper parts plain olive green.

410 WOOD WARBLERS

8. Upper parts bright green, unstreaked. Eastern United

States virens. p. 420.

8'. Upper parts dull green, streaked, towiisendi, p. 421.
4'. Neither sides of head nor throat marked with bright lemon yel-
low.
5. Upper parts olive brown or greenish.

6. Upper parts olive brown. Eastern United States.

palmarum, p. 422.
6'. Upper parts greenish.

7. Wings and tail edged with greenish. Eastern United States.

rara. p. 416.
7 . Wings and tail not edged with green.

8. Under parts greenish buff . . caerulescens, p. 412.
5'. Upper parts neither olive brown nor greenish.
6. Head with yellow or orange crown patch.

blackburniae, p. 417.
6'. Whole head buffy yellow. New Mexico and Arizona.

olivacea, p. 410.

Subgenus Peucedramus.

651. Dendroica olivacea (Giraud). OLIVE WARBLEK.

Adult male in summer. — Head, neck, and chest orange brown, sometimes

tinged with olive ; belly soiled whitish ; lores
and ear coverts black ; nape olive, sometimes
extending over back of head ; rest of upper
parts gray ; wings with two white bars and white
patch at base of primaries ; tail with two outer
pairs of feathers mainly white. Adult female in summer and male of second
year : crown and hind neck olive green ; sides of throat and chest yellowish,
throat sometimes nearly white ; lores grayish ; wing bars narrower than in
adult male ; white spot at base of primaries smaller, sometimes obsolete.
Adult male in winter : like summer male, but head, neck, and chest duller,
more clay color ; sides and flanks browner ; back more olivaceous. Adult
female in winter: like summer female, but plumage softer in texture and
posterior wing band more or less tinged with yellowish. Young male, first
plumage : like adult female, but upper parts dull olive or brownish olive ;
sides of head and neck dull buffy. neck tinged with olive ; throat and chest

Distribution. — Breeds in Upper Transition and Canadian zones from
mountains of New Mexico and Arizona south to Guatemala.

Nest. — In fork of a conifer, 30 to 50 feet from the ground, made some-
times like a gnatcatcher's nest, of rootlets, flower stalks, moss, lichens, or
fir blossoms and spider's web. lined with rootlets. Eggs : 3 or 4, olive
gray or sage green, thickly covered with black specks, sometimes almost
obscuring the ground color.

Mr. Scott found the olive warblers in southern Arizona associated
with Mexican bluebirds in the pines. In looking for food, he says,
their motions were very deliberate, though occasionally suggesting
kinglets or titmice in their way of hunting over the tips of the
boughs.

Mr. W. W. Price found them breeding in the mountains of Ari-

WOOD WARBLERS 411

zona between 9000 and 10,000 feet, the male following the female
about while she collected material for the nest, uttering at times ' a
liquid quirt, quirt, quirt, in a descending scale.'

Subgenus Dendroica.

652. Dendroica sestiva (Gmel.). YELLOW WARBLER.

Adult male. — Under parts yellow ; breast and belly streaked with rufous ;
forehead bright yellow, front of crown often tinged with
orange ; hind neck and rest of upper parts yellowish
green, brightest on rump ; wing edgings yellow ; inner
webs of tail feathers, except middle pair, light yellow.
Adult female and male in first autumn : upper parts plain
yellowish green, usually darker than in male, lighter on
forehead and rump ; under parts paler and duller, visually
unstreaked. Young female in first autumn : like adult female, but duller
olive green above, olive whitish slightly tinged with yellow below ; under
tail coverts pale yellow. Male : length (skins) 3.94-4.92, wing 2.36-2.80,
tail 1.05-2.09, bill .39-.43. Female: length (skins) 4.02-4.57, wing 2.24-
2.68, tail 1.54-1.77, bill .39-.43.

Remarks. — The yellow on the inner webs of the tail feathers, together
with the general yellow coloration, are enough to distinguish the cestiva
group in all ages and sexes.

Distribution. — North America, except Alaska and southwestern United
States ; mig-rates to Central America and northern South America. Breeds
nearly throughout its North American range.

Nest. — Compact and cup-shaped, made largely of gray plant fibers,
lined with down and feathers ; placed in bushes or trees. Eggs : 2 to 6,
greenish, spotted usually around larger end with brown, black, and lilac

grav.

Food. — Insects.

The yellow warblers are birds of the chaparral, of willows, and
thickets along streams in uninhabited regions, and of parks and
gardens where the gods provide. When seen in the chaparral thick-
ets the glimpse of yellow tail patches is enough to identify them as
they disappear, but in towns where they are tame the bricky streak-
ing of the breast can be seen as they stand on a flowering bush and
lift their heads to sing. They have so much singing to do and so
many insects to catch that it keeps them busy. Their song is loud
and cheery and they have the fine chip of their family. In their
manner of life they belong to the quiet part of the warbler tribe,
hunting usually in a leisurely way as if they knew that their song
was needed to add the real summer feeling to the blooming shrubs.

652a. D. a. sonorana Brewst. SONORA YELLOW WARBLER.

Like a?stiva, but imich paler ; adult male lighter, more yellowish olive
green above, back often streaked with brown, crown usually clear yellow ;
under parts lighter yellow than in estiva; chest and sides more narrowly
streaked ; adult female conspicuously paler than in estiva, upper parts often
largely pale grayish ; under parts usually pale buffy yellow. Male : length
(skins) 4.21-4.76, wing 2.32-2.60, tail' 1.77-2.20. bill .39-43. Female:
length (skins) 4.33-4.57, wing 2.24-2.40. tail 1.65-1.77. bill .39.

412 WOOD WARBLERS

Distribution. — From southern Arizona to western Texas and south to
northwestern Mexico ; in winter to Guatemala and Nicaragua.

652b. D. a. rubiginosa (PalL). ALASKAN YELLOW WARBLER.

Like (Estiva, but slightly smaller and much duller ; adult male with
upper parts darker, duller olive green, crown like back or only slightly
yellower on forehead ; adult female duller olive green above, duller yellow
below. Male: length (skins) 4.02-4.45, wing 2.40-2.48, tail 1.57-1.81. bill
.39. Female : length (skins) 3.90-4.33, wing 2.24-2.44, tail 1.61-1.73, bill .39.

Distribution. — Alaska, south to Vancouver, migrating southward.

654. Dendroica cserulescens (GmeL). BLACK-THROATED BLUE

WARBLER.

Adult male in spring and summer. — Face, throat, sides, and flanks black,
sides and flanks streaked with white ; rest of under parts white ;
upper parts grayish blue ; wing ivith conspicuous white patch at
base of primaries. Adult female in spring and summer: upper
parts olive, usually with white spot at base of primaries ; tail
feathers edged with bluish or greenish gray ; inner web of
Fig. 521. outside feather sometimes with paler or whitish spot; eyelids
witli whitish streaks, that of upper lid extending over ear coverts ; under
parts pale olive yellowish, shaded with olive laterally. Adult male in fall
and winter : like spring male, but white of flanks faintly tinged with brown-
ish buff and bill brownish instead of black. Adult female in fall and winter :
like summer female, but upper parts greener ; under parts yellower.
Young male in first fall and winter: like adult winter male, but white of
under parts more or less tinged with yellowish, bluish gray of upper parts
tinged with olive green ; black feathers of throat edged with whitish.
Young male, first plumage : wings and tail as in fall males ; white spot at base
of primaries fully developed ; lores black ; rest of upper parts dark olive
brown ; throat and superciliary buff y ; breast and sides ashy ; belly sul-
phur yellow. Young female, Jir si plumage: wings and tail like winter fe-
male ; spot at base of primaries soiled white ; rest of upper parts light olive
brown ; lores dull black ; under parts buff y, olive buff on breast and sides.
Male : length (skins) 4.33-4.72, wing 2.44-2.64, tail 1.93-2.13, bill .33-.39.
Female : length (skins) 4.33-4.76, wing 2.36-2.48, tail 1.87-2.01, bill .35-.S7.
Distribution. — Breeds in Transition and Canadian zones from Hudson
Bay to the northeastern United States, south to Pennsylvania in the
mountains ; migrates casually to base of Rocky Mountains ; winters in
Guatemala, the West Indies, and northern South America ; accidental in
Colorado and on the Farallone Islands.

Nest. — In bushes, compact and deep ; made of fine grass, spider's web,
lichen, and strips of fine bark. Eggs : usually 4, biiffy whitish or greenish
white, more or less heavily spotted with reddish brown.
Food. — Insects.

655. Dendroica coronata (Linn.). YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER.

Adult male in spring and summer. — Crown patch and runt]) bright yellow ;
rest of upper parts bluish gray, streaked with black ; wings
with two white bars ; tail black with gray edgings ; outer pair
of tail feathers with large spots of white ; throat white ; rest of
under parts black, yellow, and white. Adult female in spring
and summer: similar, but smaller and duller; upper parts
tinged with brown ; color patches restricted. Adult mole in fall
Fig. 522. and icinter : upper parts grayish brown, streaked with black

WOOD WARBLERS 413

on back and scapulars ; yellow crown patch concealed by brown tips to
feathers ; throat and chest brownish white or buffy brown, chest streaked
with black ; yellow patches obscured, black patches with white edges to
feathers. Adult female in fall and w inter : like winter male, but smaller,
upper parts browner, yellow crown patch restricted or obsolete ; under
parts pale buffy brown in front and on sides ; median parts of breast and
belly yellowish white ; yellow breast patches indistinct or obsolete. Young,
Jirst plumage : streaked above and below ; wing's and tail much as in
adults. Male: length (skins) 4.72-5.51, wing 2.76-3.07, tail 1.07-2.36,
bill .35-.43. Female: length (skins) 4.65-5.51. wing 2.64-2.95, tail 2.02-
2.32, bill .32-.41.

Remarks. - - The yellow-rumped and Audubon warblers are similar, but.
can be distinguished by the throat, which is white in coronata and yellow
in auduboni.

Distribution. — North America, chiefly east and north of Rocky Moun-
tains (to Hudson Bay region), straggling westward to the Pacific; breeds
from Alaska to northern United States, wintering from southern New
England and the Ohio valley south to the West Indies and Panama ;
accidental in Greenland and eastern Siberia.

Ifest. — Usually low in coniferous trees, made of grasses, twigs, and root-
lets, lined with finer grasses, feathers, and hair. Eggs : 3 to 6, white,
creamy, or buffy, spotted or blotched chiefly on or around larger end with
brown and lilac, sometimes mixed with small black markings.

Food. — Insects, their eggs and larva?, and wild berries.

The yellow-rump, the eastern representative of the Audubon
warbler, migrates through Colorado, and Prof. Cooke says it is not
uncommon for two or three weeks on the plains along the foothills
of the Rocky Mountains, where a few range up to 9000 feet. It mi-
grates from ten days to two weeks ahead of auduboni, but in May
the two species are often found together.

656. Dendroica auduboni (Towns.). AUDUBON WARBLER.

Adult male in spring and summer.-- Throat and rump yellow ; under parts
with patches of white, yellow, and solid black ; upper parts bluish gray,
streaked with black ; wing coverts with
large white patches ; tail black, inner
webs of four or five outer feathers with
large subterminal patch of white. Adult
female in spring and summer : like sum-
mer male, but duller, and with less black
on under parts : upper parts usually more
or less tinged with brown : yellow crown
patch restricted, and partly tipped with
brownish gray ; wings with narroAver
bands ; chest and sides grayish, marked
with black ; color patches restricted.
Adult male in fall and it-inter: duller
and browner than summer males, upper
parts washed with brown, wing mark-
ings tinged with brown ; black of chest

and sides mostly concealed by brownish white edges to feathers. Adult
female in fall and winter : like winter male, but smaller and duller, back
without sharply defined streaks ; yellow patches paler and more restricted ;

414 WOOD WARBLERS

black chest spots more sharply defined. Young, first plumage : upper parts
thickly streaked with dusky on brownish gray ground ; lower rump gray-
ish white, narrowly streaked with dusky ; under parts grayish white,
streaked. Male: length (skins) 4.80-5.39, wing 2.95-3.19, tail 2.09-2.42,
bill .39-. 43. Female : length (skins) 4.80-5.08, wing 2.87-3.07, tail 2.13-
2.32, bill .39-.43.

Remarks. — The yellow throat distinguishes the adult Audubon warbler
from the yellow-rump, and the amount of white on the tail distinguishes
the young, auduboni having four or five feathers marked with white, coro-
nata, only two or three.

Distribution. — Breeds in Canadian and Transition zones from British
Columbia south to Arizona, and from California to Sioux County, Ne-
braska ; winters from western United States to Guatemala, and eastward
to western parts of Texas and Kansas ; accidental in Massachusetts and
Pennsylvania.

Nest. --Usually in pines or spruces, but sometimes in deciduous trees and
bushes a few feet from the ground, made largely of strips of fine bark and
pine needles, lined with fine roots, hair, and a few feathers. Eggs : usu-
ally 4, generally olive white or greenish, sparsely spotted and dotted with
black, brown, and lilac gray.

Food. — Similar to that of the yellow-rumped warbler.

The Audubon warbler in its dull, streaked winter dress is a com
mon winter bird in the warm valleys of the west, and one of the
commonest in the San Francisco parks. Its flight and all its move-
ments seem to be regulated by gnats, its days one continuous hunt
for dinner. When insects are scarce it will fly hesitatingly through
the air looking this way and that, its yellow rump spot always
in evidence, but when it comes to an invisible gauzy-winged throng
it zigzags through, snapping them up as it goes ; then, perhaps,
closing its wings it tumbles down to a bush, catches itself, and
races pellmell after another insect that has caught its eye. In the
parks it is especially fond of the palm tops frequented by the golden-
crowned sparrows, and dashes around them in its mad helter-skelter
fashion. The most straight-laced, conventional thing it ever does is
to make flycatcher sallies from a post of observation when it has
caught its insect. If it actually sits still a moment with wings hang-
ing at its sides, its head is turning alertly, its bright eyes keen for
action, and while you look it dashes away with a nervous quip' into
midair, in hot pursuit of its prey.

Auduboni is so preoccupied with its hunting that it pays little
heed to observers. At Stanford, in December, when the birds were
common, one has flown in from the rosebushes to the piazza rail near
me, looked around for a moment, and then ignoring my presence
flown down to the floor and gone hopping jauntily about in the
shadow of the vines looking for insects.

When spring conies these warblers are off to the mountains, for
they are true Canadian zone birds. In July we have met them near

WOOD WARBLERS 415

the crest of the Sierra in full plumage and full song. There is little
to suggest the dull, streaked bird of winter in this warbler, whose
handsome yellow pointed plumage makes such a brilliant showing
against the dark green of the tirs.

1J V_7

His song is of a strong warbler type, opening toward the end,
<'lt<r(t, c/urec-c/tirtc-fih, f/uree, between the song of the yellow war-
bler and that of the junco.

By the third week in July we saw the Audubons feeding a trailing
family of streaked young in the fir tops, the abstracted chase for
insects going on more strenuously than ever.

656.1. Dendroica nigrifrons Brewst. BLACK-FRONTED WARBLER.
Like auduboni. but larger and darker ; adult summer male with fore-
head, sides of crown, and cheeks mainly black instead of gray ; back black
with feathers edged with bluish gray ; under parts more solidly black ;
winter male with less black on upper parts, forehead only streaked with
black, bluish gray of upper parts with little if any brown, black of under
parts with only narrow whitish tips to feathers ; adult female more heavily
streaked on darker ground ; young more heavily streaked with dusky.
Male : length (skins) 5.00-5.55, wing 3.05-3.31, tail 2.28-2.53, bill .37-
.38. Female : length (skins) 5.00-5.10, wing 2.97-3.04, tail 2.26-2.35, bill

Distribution. — From Huachuca and Chiricahua Mountains, Arizona,
south to northwestern Mexico.

657. Dendroica maculosa (GmeL). MAGNOLIA WARBLER.

Adult male in spring and summer. — Under parts bright yellow, strikingly
marked by black necklace and black streaking down breast; top of head
<in<l hind neck plain gray, sides of head and back black;
rump yellow, partly streaked with black and sometimes
partly olive green ; upper tail coverts, wings, and tail
black ; wings with conspicuous white patch and tail with
snbterminal band of white. Adult male in fall and win-
ter : crown and hind neck brownish gray, back and p. 5.^

scapulars olive green, feathers with mostly concealed
black centers ; wing patch replaced by two narrow wing bars ; chest with-
out black streaks or spots. Adult female : duller ; back mainly olive
green ; wing with two white bands ; streaks on under parts narrower.
Young male in first fall and winter: chest with broad grayish or whitish
band. Young female in first fall or winter: like young male, but smaller
and much duller, crown browner, back without concealed black markings,
white of tail restricted, flanks indistinctly streaked. Male : length (skins)
4.13-4.65, wing 2.24-2.52, tail 1.80-2.04, bill .34-.49. Female: length
(skins) 4.25-4.41, wing 2.14-2.28. tail 1.81-1.91, bill .35.

Remarks. - - The white subterminal tail band is enough to distinguish the
magnolia warbler in any plumage.

Distribution. - - Breeds in Boreal zone in eastern North America, west to
the Rocky Mountains ; from Hudson Bay south to northern parts of New
England and Michigan and southward in the Alleghanies ; casually to Cali-
fornia ; winters in Cuba, the Bahamas, and south through Mexico to Pan-
ama ; accidental in Greenland.

Nest. — Largely of fine twigs, grass, and weed stalks, lined with fine

416 WOOD WARBLERS

black rootlets ; placed in small spruces and hemlocks, 3 to 35 feet from
the ground. Eggs : 4 or 5. creamy, blotched or spotted with lilac and
shades of brown.
Food. — Insects.

The handsome magnolia warbler is a rare migrant in Colorado,
but whenever seen may be recognized as it goes about with wings
drooping and tail spread enough to show its black terminal tail band.

658. Dendroica rara (Wils.}. CERULEAN WARBLER.

Adult male.-- Upper parts light grayish blue, crown bordered by two
blackish stripes ; back streaked with black ; wings and tail black with gray-
ish blue edgings, wings with two clear white bands ; tail feathers broadly
spotted with white ; under parts white, with narrow bluish throat band and
bluish streaking along sides. Adult female : upper parts from light bluish
gray to grayish olive green ; superciliary stripe, if present, pale greenish
yellow like under parts ; wings and tail as in male, but edgings greenish
instead of bluish. Fall and winter adults : more highly colored. Young
male in Jirst autumn : like female, but whiter below and more bluish above.
Young male, nestling plumage : upper parts gray, crown with median
stripe, and dark postocular stripe ; sides of head and under parts white.
Male: length (skins) 4.05-4.05. wing 2.44-2.66, tail 1.70-1.88, bill .37-4').
Female: length (skins) 4.10-4.35, wing 2.29-2.47, tail 1.62-1.68, bill .3<>-
.41.

Distribution. — Breeds in Upper Sonoran zone of the eastern central
United States and Canada from Tennessee and Missouri to Michigan,
western New York, and southern Ontario ; south in migration to western
Texas, southern Mexico, Central America, northern South America, and
rarely Cuba ; occasionally to Rocky Mountains.

Nest. — In trees in high deciduous woods, 20-50 feet or more from the
ground ; compact, cup-shaped, composed largely of plant fibers, strips of
fine bark, and spider web. Eggs : usually 3 or 4. white or dull greenish
or bluish white, speckled with brown, chiefly around the larger end.

Food. -- Insects.

659. Dendroica pensylvanica (Linn.}. CHESTNUT-SIDED WAR-

BLER.

Adult male. — Crown yellow, bordered with black; sides of head and
neck and under parts white ; sides with broad stripe of cfn .-./-
nut ; back striped with black and olive, mixed with yellowish.
Adult female : like male, but duller, upper parts greener,
black markings on head indistinct, and chestnut restricted.
Young in Jirst autumn : upper parts bright olive green ; wing
525. bars yellowish ; sides of head and body ash gray ; median
under parts white. ' Length: 4.60-5.25. wing 2.40-2.65, tail 1.95-2.10.

Distribution. — Eastern United States and southern Canada, west to
Manitoba and the Plains, accidentally to Cheyenne ; south in winter to the
Bahamas, eastern Mexico, Central America, and Panama.

Xest. --In small trees or undergrowth near clearings, loosely woven of
stems, grasses, and plant fibers, lined with hairs. Eggs : usually 4, white
or creamy, spotted with reddish brown and lilac, thickest around the larger
end.

661. Dendroica striata (Forst.). BLACK-POLL WARBLER.

Adult male in xfiriinj and summer.-- Crown black, ivst of upper parts

WOOD WARBLERS 417

olive, gray, or brown, streaked with black except sometimes on rump ; wings
and tail dusky, wings with two white bands and greenish edgings ; inner
webs of two or three outer tail feathers with subterminal
white patches ; under parts white, chin usually black and
sides heavily streaked with black. Adult female in spring and
summer : similar, but upper parts dull olive green, streaked
with black ; wing bars tinged with yellow ; under parts washed
with pale yellowish, sides streaked with dusky. Adult male Fig. 526.
in fail and it-inter : upper parts olive green shading to gray Black-poll
on upper tail coverts ; back and scapulars, sometimes crown Warbler,
and rump, streaked with black ; wing bars usually tinged with yellow :
superciliary olive yellowish ; throat, breast, and sides yellowish ; sides and
flanks indistinctly streaked; belly white. Young in first fall and winter:
like adult fall male, but under parts yellow except on under tail coverts ;
upper tail coverts olive green instead of gray, back less distinctly streaked.
Young. Jirst plumage : upper parts light grayish brown, streaked with black
except on rump, which is barred or mottled with black ; under parts whitish,
tinged with olive yellow in front, and mottled with dusky ; wings and tail as
in winter birds. Male : length (skins) 4.65-5.51, wing 2. 81-3.05, tail 1.91-2.13.
Female .; length (skins) 4.53-5.00, wing 2.72-2.95, tail 1.77-2.01, bill ,35-.43.

Distribution. — Breeds from northern New England and the Catskill
Mountains west to the Rocky Mountains and north to Hudson Bay and
Alaska ; migrates west to New Mexico. Colorado, and Montana, and south
to northern South America, through West Indies ; not recorded from Mex-
ico or Central America ; accidental in Greenland.

Nest. — On lower branches of coniferous trees, in the north often on the
ground ; bulky, warmly lined with feathers. Eggs : usually 4. white,
creamy, or buffy, spotted or blotched, often wreathed with brown and lilac

grav.

Food. — Insects.

The eastern black-poll, Prof. Cooke says, comes regularly, but in
small numbers, west to the Rocky Mountains, occasionally being
common during migrations both on the plains and at the base of
the foothills. There is one breeding record for Seven Lakes, near
Manitou, Colorado, at an altitude of 11,000 feet.

662. Dendroica blackburnise (GmeL). BLACKBURNIAN WAR-
BLER.

Adult male in spring and summer. — Throat brillant orange yellow; rest
of under parts pale yellowish ; sides streaked with black ;
crown black with yellow or orange patch ; superciliary yel-
low- or orange ; rest of upper parts black, streaked with white
on back ; wings with broad white patch ; tail with three outer
feathers white except shafts and tips. Adult female : similar, Fig- 527.
but black replaced by olive brown, streaked ; orange replaced by yellow ;
wings and tail duller, white markings restricted. Young male in Jirst fall
and icinter : like adult female, but without yellow spot on crown ; yellow
of throat and chest paler. Young female in jirst fall and ir inter : similar
to adult female, but upper parts browner, streaks less distinct ? white
markings restricted ; under parts buffy ; throat sometimes pale buffy ;
streaks on sides dull brownish. Young, Jirst plumage : upper parts brown,
middle of crown lighter ; back and rump indistinctly streaked ; supercil-
iary stripe and throat pale buffy ; chest darker, faintly spotted ; rest of

418 WOOD WARBLERS

under parts white, sides spotted ; wing- and tail as in fall birds, but wing
bars brownish buff. Male: length (skins) 4.40-4.70, wing 2.57-2.73, tail
1.83-1.94, bill .37-41. Female^: length (skins) 4.25-4.60, wing 2.48-2.58,
tail 1.82-1.87, bill .38.

Remarks. — The young may be distinguished by buffy superciliary and
throat.

Distribution. — Breeds in Canadian and Transition zones of the southern
British Provinces, northeastern United States, and mountain regions south ;
casually to Utah, western Texas, and New Mexico ; migrates to the Ba-
hamas, and through eastern Mexico to South America ; accidental in
Greenland.

Nest. -- In evergreen trees, bulky, composed of downy materials, espe-
cially cat-tail down, lined Avith fine lichens, and horsehairs. Eggs : 4 or 5,
greenish white or pale bluish green, speckled or spotted chiefly on or
around larger end with brown, reddish brown, or lilac gray.

Food. — Largely winged insects.

664. Dendroica gracise Baird. GRACE WARBLER.

Adult male in spring and summer. — Superciliary, spot on lower lid, throat
and chest bright yellow ; re*st of under parts white, streaked with black ;
upper parts including ear coverts and sides of neck ash gray ; crown and
back narrowly streaked with black ; wings with two white bands ; two
outer tail feathers largely white on inner webs. Adult female in spring and
summer: like male, but duller, gray of upper parts tinged with brown,
black streaks indistinct, wing bars narrower, yellow paler, white of under
parts duller. Adult male in fall and winter : upper parts slightly tinged
with brown, streakings on back more or less concealed ; under parts
brownish buffy. Adult female in fall and winter : like winter male, but
washed with olive brown above, wing bars brownish buff, and white of
under parts strongly buffy. Young male in Jirst fall and ivinter : upper
parts strongly tinged with brown, black streaks on back concealed, and
flanks strongly brownish buff. Young female in first fall and winter : colors
duller, streaking indistinct or obsolete. Male : length (skins) 4.33-4.(iO.
wing 2.52-2.60, tail 1.85-1.97, bill .39. Female : length (skins) 4.45-4.53,
wing 2.37-2.44, tail 1.81-1.85, bill .39.

Distribution. — Southwestern United States and adjacent parts of north-
western Mexico, breeding from Colorado to Chihuahua and Sonora. Mexico ;
casual in southern California.

Nest. - - By two specimens, in pines. 50 to 60 feet from the ground,
made of vegetable fibers, straws, and horsehair ; also, in one case, strings.
oak catkins, bud scales, wool, vegetable down, and insect webbing. Eggs :
3 or 4, white, lightly spotted with reddish brown.

The Grace warblers are birds of the coniferous forests of the south-
western mountains. In the Guadalupe Mountains, Texas, we met
a small flock of them passing through the pines at about 8000 feet.

665. Dendroica nigrescens (Towns.). BLACK-THROATED GRAY

WARBLKR.

Ail nit male in spring and summer. — Whole head, throat, and chest black.
except for white streaks on side of head and along throat, and bright ycllmr
spat over lores ; breast and belly pure white : sides streaked with black :
back gray, more or less streaked with black ; wings with two white bars ;
tail with inner webs of two outer feathers mainly white. Adidt female
in spring and summer: similar, but colors duller; crown usually gray,

WOOD WARBLERS 419

streaked with black ; black of throat largely mixed with white. Adult male
in fall and irinti-r: like summer male, but gray of upper parts tinged with
brown, and black markings restricted, some-
times nearly obsolete. Adult female in fall
and winter : like summer male, but plumage
softer and streaks on back and upper tail
coverts obsolete or wanting. Young male in
Jirst fall and winter : like adult winter male,
but gray of upper parts browner ; crown
brownish gray except on front and sides ;
streaks on back and upper tail coverts ob-
solete or concealed ; black of throat with

white tips to feathers ; white of under parts Mack-throated

tinged with yellowish. Young female in first

fall and winter : entire upper parts brownish gray, crown bordered with
dusky ; white of under parts strongly tinged with brown. Male : length
(skins) 4.13-4.65, wing 2.35-2.02, tail 1.92-2.17, bill .32-.3S. Female :
length (skins) 4.21-4.80, wing 2.13-2.47, tail 1.85-2.01, bill .33-.3S.

Remarks. — The yellow spot over lores is diagnostic.

Distribution. --Breeds in Transition and Upper Sonoran zones from
British Columbia to Lower California and southern Arizona, and from
Colorado to the Pacific coast ; migrates to southern Mexico.

Nest. — Low down in dense thickets of scrub oak, or high up in pines,
compact, cup-shaped, like that of D. (estiva, made of gray plant fibers,
lined with feathers. Eggs : 3 or 4, white, tinged with pink or cream,
spotted on or around larger end with reddish brown and lilac gray,
usually mixed with a few darker specks.

Food. — Frequently green caterpillars.

The quiet little black-throated gray warbler is a restful contrast to
the whirligig of perpetual motion, the omnipresent Audubon warbler
of the Sierra Nevada. It seems to be especially a bird of Transition
low growth, such as scrub oaks, pinons, junipers, and manzanitas.

Along the North Fork of the Yuba River in the Sierra we found
it singing in the bushes along the road, and in the junipers on a
hillside near camp. Its song is a simple warbler lay, zee-ee-zee-ee,
ze, ze, ze, with the quiet woodsy quality of mrens and candescent.
so soothing to the ear.

666. Dendroica chrysoparia Scl $• Salv. GOLDEN-CHEEKED
WARBLER.

Adult male in spring and summer. — Upper parts and throat black, upper
parts sometimes tinged with olive green ;
sides of head bright yellow, interrupted by
narrow black streak through eye ; forehead
usually with yellow spot or streak ; breast
and belly white, sides streaked with black :
wings and tail black, wings with two white
bands and tail with three outer pairs of
feathers with inner web largely white.
Adult female in spring and summer: like Fi

summer male, but upper parts olive green,
indistinctly streaked ; throat yellowish, black showing through ; wings

420 WOOD WARBLERS

and tail duller, wing' bands narrower. Adult male in fall and winter:
like summer male, but feathers of black throat patch edged with white or
yellowish. Young male in Jirst fall and winter : like adult fall male, but
upper parts streaked with olive green and black, upper tail coverts edged
with olive green and gray, wings and tail duller, wing bars with black
shaft streaks. Young female in first fall and winter: like adult female,
but upper parts plain olive green, or indistinctly streaked ; throat and
chest grayish, throat tinged with yellow; sides and flanks indistinctly
streaked with dusky. Young, Jirst plumage : upper parts grayish brown
or brownish gray ; sides of head, throat, chest, and sides pale brownish
gray ; rest of under parts whitish, breast indistinctly streaked ; wings and
tail like adults, but \ving coverts with dark mesial wedge-shaped marks.
Male: length (skins) 4.61-4.84. wing 2.45-2.58, tail 2.04-2.15, bill .36-
.40. Female : length (skins) 4.57-4.92, wing 2.28-2.43, tail 1.87-2.05, bill
.3S-.42.

Remarks. — The black eye line through the bright yellow cheeks marks
both sexes of the golden-cheeked warbler.

Distribution. — From western, central, and southern Texas south to
Guatemala.

Nest. -- Usually in red cedars, 10 to 20 feet from the ground, between
upright branches ; made of strips of inner cedar bark fastened with web
and lined with hair and feathers. Eggs : 3 or 4, white, spotted with red-
dish brown, sometimes mixed with lavender.

The golden-cheeked warbler is said to be common among the juni-
pers or 'cedar brakes/ as they are called locally, in central Texas.
It is said to be always on the alert for insects, hunting over the
branches and occasionally darting out for a passing insect. The
song of the male is given as tserr weasy-iceasy tweah.

667. Dendroica virens (Gmel.). BLACK-THROATED GREEN WAR-
BLER.

Adult male in spring and summer. — Throat and chest black, sides
streaked with black ; rest of under parts white or yellowish
white ; forehead sometimes with yellow spot ; sides of head
bright yellow, olive streak through eye; upper parts bright olive
green ; back sometimes narrowly streaked with black ; wings
with two white bars, tail with inner webs of two outer feath-
r>:;<>. ers mainly white. Adult female in spring and summer : similar
to male, but black of throat and chest obscured by yellowish, and whitish
tips to feathers. Young male in Jirst fall and winter : like adult female,
but olive green of upper parts and yellow of sides of head brighter, and
under parts yellower. Male : length (skins) 4.33-4.72, wing 2.40-2.52,
tail 1.77-1.93, bill .35-.3<). Female: length (skins) 4.10-4.53. wing 2.28-
2.40. tail 1.77-l.s:>. bill.35-.43.

I! onarks. - -The bright olive green upper parts and whitish belly dis-
tinguish virens in all plumages.

Distr fhiit ion. -- Breeds in Transition and Canadian zones from Hudson
Bay to northern Illinois and Connecticut, and along the Alleghanies south
to South Carolina; migrates to Cuba and through western Texas and
Mexico to Central America and Panama.

Nest. - In coniferous trees, usually at considerable height, made of strips
of bark, plant stems, leaves, twigs, and feathers, lined with hair and plant
down. Eggs : usually 4, white or creamy, spotted with reddish brown and
lilac gray, mixed with a few darker specks.

Food. — Largely leaf worms, spiders, beetles, and flies.

WOOD WARHLKRS 421

•

668. Dendroica townsendi (Towns.). TOWNSEND WARBLER.

Adult male in spring and summer. --Head and throat black, except for
brig-lit yellow superciliary and malar streak
bordering1 throat ; breast bright yellow fading
to white on middle of belly ; sides streaked
with black ; back bright olive green, with
black arrow-point streaks ; wings and tail
blackish, wing- with two white bars, tail with
inner webs of three lateral feathers white at
ends. Adult female in spring and summer :
like winter male, but black streaking of
upper parts and sides restricted or obsolete ;

crown sometimes blackish ; throat often blotched with black. Adult male
in fall and winter : like summer male, but black obscured ; crown and hind
neck with olive green edges to feathers; cheek patch with olive green tips
to feathers ; throat lemon yellow ; chest and sides spotted with black.
Adult female in fall and winter : like summer female, but upper parts
slightly brownish, streaks indistinct ; sides and flanks brownish. Young
male in first fall and winter: like adult winter male, but streaks on crown
and back obsolete, and yellow of throat paler. Young female in first fall
and winter : like adult fall female, but yellow paler, and markings less
distinct. Male: length (skins) 4.21-4.80.' wing 2.:>t>-2.72, tail 1.S9-2.01,
bill .32-.3S. Female: length (skins) 4.25-4.92, wing 2.48-2.00, tail 1.93-
1.97, bill. 32-.30.

Remarks. — The wide band of black or olive on the sides of the head,
green back and bright yellow breast, are enough to distinguish townsendi
in any plumage.

Distribution. — Breeds in Transition and Boreal zones in western North
America north to Sitka and east to Oregon and Idaho ; migrates to Col-
orado, western Texas, and south to Guatemala ; accidental in Pennsylvania.

Nest. — Attributed to townsendi by Bendire. in willows, about 4 feet
from the ground, made of rotten plant fibers and roots, lined with rootlets,
hair, and plant down. Eggs : 3, pinkish white, spotted mainly about the
larger end with brown, lavender, and dark amber.

The Townsend warbler is a difficult bird to study, as it affects the
tops of lofty firs and spruces, hurrying from one to the other in
what may well appear unseemly haste to the observer below.

Dr. Merrill ascribes to it a virens-like drawled dee' -dee' -dee' -de de.

669. Dendroica OCCidentalis (Towns.}. HERMIT WARBLER.

Adult male in spring and summer. -- Top and sides of head bright yellow,
crown spotted with black, occiput usually mainly or wholly black ; throat
black ; rest of under parts white, some-
times streaked on sides ; hind neck streaked
black and olive green ; rest of upper parts
gray, tinged with olive green and streaked
with black ; wings and tail black, wings
crossed by two white bands ; tail with two
outer pairs of feathers largely white. Adult
female in spring and summer: like winter
male, but forehead and crown largely yel-
low ; streaks on back restricted ; body less Fjir -3.>
brownish ; throat and chest often with

422 WOOD WARBLERS

dusky patch. Adult male in fall and winter: like summer male, but yel-
low of crown and occiput obscured by olive tips to feathers, black streaks
of back obscured by grayish edges to feathers, and black throat patch
with whitish tips. Adult female in fall and winter : upper parts plain
grayish olive, crown with traces of yellow ; under parts brownish white,
throat and chest with feathers dusky below the surface. Young male in
Jirst fall and winter : like adult fall male, but crown olive green, back
more olive, streaking concealed or obsolete ; sides of head paler yellow
washed with olive ; throat and chest whitish or yellowish, feathers black
under the surface ; rest of under parts soiled white ; sides and flanks
tinged with olive brown. Male : length (skins) 4.41-4.80, wing 2.48-2.72,
tail 1.93-2.05, bill .3T-.43. Female: length (skins) 4.37-4.72, wing 2.44-
2.48, tail 1.83-2.01, bill .35-.30.

Remarks. - - The adult males of this group of warblers may be distin-
guished by the color pattern of the side of the head. In the hermit it is
plain yellow ; in the black-throated green, crossed by an olive eye streak ;
in the yellow-cheeked, by a narrow black streak ; and in the Towusend
by a wide black band between superciliary and malar streaks.

Distribution. — Breeds in high mountains from British Columbia to Cali-
fornia, and from the Pacific coast district of the United States to the
Rocky Mountains ; migrates to Lower California, Mexico, and Guatemala.

Nest. — In coniferous trees, made of weed stems and pine needles, bound
by cobwebs and woolly materials, and lined with strips of cedar bark.
Eggs : dull white or grayish, spotted or blotched with lilac gray or browns,
chiefly around larger end.

"The hermit warbler is a frequenter of the conifers, although it
feeds in the bushes and black oaks in common with other species.
Its song is different from that of any other Sierra warbler, and seems
well represented by the words zeeyle-zeegle-zeegle-zeek, which I borrow
from Mr. Bowles, of Waldo, Oregon. At close range the song of
the hermit warbler appears weak rather than otherwise, yet at Fyffe
I was impressed with its penetration. The bird will often mount to
the higher branches of the conifers by successive hops, much after
the manner of the blue-fronted jay." (Barlow.)

672. Dendroica palmarum (GmeL). PALM WARBLER.

Adults in summer. — Crown chestnut, bordered by yellow superciliary;
back olive or brown, narrowly streaked with darker and becoming olive
green on rump and upper tail coverts ; two outer tail feathers with large
terminal spots of white ; throat, breast, and under tail coverts light yellow ;
chest, and sometimes sides of throat, more or less streaked ; belly whitish,
more or less mixed with yellowish. Adults in winter : chestnut of crown
obscured or concealed ; throat and chest whitish instead of yellowish.
Young in Jirst fall and winter : similar, but upper parts browner, supercil-
iary less distinct, and markings of under parts more suffused. Length :
4.50-5.50, wing 2.52, tail 2.24.

Distribution. — Interior of North America, north to Fort Churchill,
Hudson Bay, and Great Slave Lake ; migrates through the Mississippi
valley, wintering in the South Atlantic and Gulf states, the West Indies,
and eastern Mexico ; accidental at Denver, Colorado, and on the Pacific
coast, California.

Nest . — On the ground, made of grass, strips of bark, and moss, lined

WOOD WARBLERS 423

with down and feathers. Egys : yellowish or creamy white, spotted
chiefly around the larger end with brown and purple.

GENUS SEIURUS.

(1. neral Characters. — Bill with rictal bristles short, but evident ; wings
pointed, much longer than tail ; tail nearly even ; tarsus longer than mid-
dle toe and claw.

KEY TO ADULTS.

1. Crown with orange brown patch inclosed by blackish stripes.

aurocapillus, p. 423.
1'. Crown plain brown like back notabilis, p. 423.

674. Seiurus aurocapillus (Linn.). OVEN-BIRD.

Adults. — Crown icith orange brown patch bordered by tu-o blackish stripes :
rest of upper parts olive green ; under parts white, streaked
with blackish across breast and on sides. In winter, colors
rather brighter. Young : crown without stripes, back deep
brown, narrowly streaked with blackish ; under parts strong
buffy, with narrow lines of blackish. Male : length (skins)
5.00-5.65, wing 2.79-3.11, tail 2.05-2.28, bill .44-.40. Fe-
male: length (skins) 4.90-5.45, wing 2.75-3.11. tail 1.96-
2.34, bill .4S-.47.

Distribution. — Breeds in eastern North America northwest to Alaska
and from the Arctic Circle to Virginia and southern Kansas ; west to the
base of the Rocky Mountains ; winters in southern Florida, the West Indies,
and southern Mexico to Panama.

Nest. — In dry woods imbedded in ground, made of dry leaves usually
roofed over, the entrance on one side. Eggs : 3 to 6, white or creamy,
spotted with reddish brown and lilac gray.

675a. Seiurus noveboracensis notabilis (Eidgw.). GRIN-
NELL WATER-THRUSH.

Adults. — Upper parts sooty olive brown; superciliary dingy white;
stripe tli rough eye dark brown ; under parts usually white with little if
any yellow tinge ; throat finely, and breast and
sides broadly streaked with blackish. Young :
like adults, but streaks on under parts less dis-
tinct, and feathers of upper parts tipped with
light fulvous, producing a spotted appearance.

Male: length (skins) 5.14-5.84, wing 2.90-3.20, tail 2.00-2.25. bill .49-.G3.
Female : length (skins) 5.01-5.99, wing 2.88-3.11. tail 1.92-2.28, bill .48-.50.

Distribution. — From Alaska and British America (Fort Churchill) south
to Mexico, and from Illinois west to the Pacific coast ; winters from the
southern border of the United States south to Lower California. Mexico,
and northern South America.

Xest. — On or near the ground, in wet woods or on borders of swamps ;
made of moss and grass, sometimes lined with fur. Eggs : 3 to 6. white,
spotted with reddish brown and lilac gray.

The Grinnell water-thrush, like the other water-thrushes, is a soli-
tary bird walking quietly over the banks of forest brooks or wading
in their shallows tilting its tail like a pipit. When its emotions are
stirred, it bursts forth into a loud musical song.

424 WOOD WARBLERS

GENUS GEOTHLYPIS.

General Characters. — Bill slender, its greatest depth less than half the
distance from nostril to tip ; tail rounded or 'graduated, or with basal two
thirds hidden by coverts.

KEY TO ADULT SPRING MALES.

1. Head, neck, and chest gray.

2. Lores black ; a distinct white spot on each eyelid. Western.

tolmiei, p. 424.
2'. Lores not black ; a continuous white orbital ring1. Eastern.

agilis, p. 424.
1 '. Head, neck, and chest mainly yellow ; sides of head black.

2. Bill slender, its greatest depth much less than half its length from

nostril.

3. Larger, with wider frontal band . . . occideiitalis, p. 425.
3'. Smaller, with narrower frontal band. Pacific coast region.

arizela, p. 426.

2'. Bill very stout, its greatest depth much more than half its length
from nostril. Rio Grande Valley, Texas . . . ralphi, p. 426.

Subgenus Oporornis.

Wings pointed, longer than tail ; tail nearly even, more than basal half
concealed by coverts.

678. Geothlypis agilis (Wils.). CONNECTICUT WARBLER.

Adult male in spring and summer. — Head, neck, and chest ash gray ;
eye with conspicuous white ring ; gray of chest sharply contrasting with
yellow of under parts ; sides and flanks olive green ; back dark olive green.
Adult female in spring and summer : similar, but top of head uniform with
back; throat and breast brownish. Adult male in fall and winter: like
summer male, but gray of forehead and crown tinged with brown, and
feathers of throat and chest tipped with paler. Young male in first fall
and winter : like adult female, but crown brownish olive, and chest darker,
more olivaceous. Young female in first fall and winter: like young male,
but smaller, and with throat and chest more strongly tinged with brownish
buffy. Male: length (skins) 5.00-5.42, wing 2.79-2.97, tail 1.84-2.08, bill
.45-.40. Female : length (skins) 4.80-5.81, wing 2.65-2.83, tail 1.84-1.94,
bill .4G-.47.

Distribution. — Eastern North America, breeding in Manitoba and Onta-
rio ; migrating to northern South America ; accidental in Colorado.

Nest. — On ground in swampy woods ; very compact. Eggs : 4, white or
creamy, spotted with lilac gray and shades of brown.

Subgenus Geothlypis.
Wings short and much rounded ; tail rounded.

680. Geothlypis tolmiei (Towns.). MACGILLIVRAY WARBLER.

Adult male in spring and summer. — Head, throat, and breast slate gray ;
throat feathers edged with ash ; rest of under parts yellow ; lores deep
black ; eyelids with distinct white spots ; back olive green, sometimes
tinged with gray. Adult female in spring and summer: like adult male,
but crown, hind neck, and sides of head and neck mouse gray, fading to
pale grayish or grayish white on throat and breast. Adult male in fall

WOOD WARBLERS

425

and winter : like summer male, but feathers of crown and hind neck tipped

with brown and light edges of feathers on

throat and chest broader, sometimes almost

concealing' black centers. Adult female in

fall and ii'inter : like summer female, but

plumage softer, and sides of throat and chest

more grayish. Young female in Jirst autumn :

like fall adult female, but crown and hind

neck like back instead of gray, throat and

chest yellowish instead of grayish ; marks on

eyelids yellowish, and streak over lores pale

yellow. Male : length (skins) 4.67-5.44.

wing- 2.34-2.5(5, tail 2.0&-2.4S, bill .43-46.

Distribution. — Breeds in British Columbia and western United States,
from the eastern foothills of the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific coast
ranges ; winters in Lower California and Mexico, and from Central Amer-
ica to Colombia.

Xest. — Near ground in clumps of weeds or bushes, often in open places
in mountains, made of dried grasses lined with finer grass, and sometimes
horsehair. Eggs : 3. white or buff y. speckled on larger end with dark
brown and lilac gray, with a few pen lines and rusty stains.

The Macgillivray warbler is one of the commonest of western war-
blers, frequenting chaparral and underbrush especially near water,
from the lower levels to the high mountains, and the appearance of
a little gray head peering out shyly from the bushes becomes a pleas-
antly familiar mountain sight.

681a. Geothlypis trichas occidentalis Brewst. WESTERN

YELLOW-THROAT.1

Adult male. --Forehead and sides of head black, bordered above with
white, sometimes tinged with yellow ; rest of upper parts plain olive
green ; under parts deep yellow. In win-
ter, washed with brown. Adult female :
without black, ashy, or white ; upper parts
olive brown, often tinged with reddish
brown on crown, greenish on tail ; under
parts pale yellowish or yellowish white.
Young male in Jirst winter : like adult, but
black mask less distinct. Male : length
(skins) 4.53-5.00. wing 2.17-2.36. tail 2.01-
2.22, bill .43-.47. Female : length (skins)
4.33-4.76, wing 2.05-2.15, tail 1.03-2.09,
bill .41-.43.

536-

1 Geothlypis trichas scirpicola Grinnell. TULE YELLOW-THROAT.

Like occidentalis, but brighter colored and larger, with longer tail.

Distribution. — Resident in fresh water tule beds along coast of southern California.
(The Condor, iii. 65.)

(rcothlypis trichas sinuosa Grinnell. SALT MARSH YELLOW-THROAT.

Like occi'lrntrtlis, but smaller, and back and sides darker.

Distribution. — Resident about salt marshes of San Francisco Bay and vicinity. (The
Condor, iii. (J5.)

426 WOOD WARBLERS

Distribution. — Breeds from British Columbia to Arizona, and from the
Mississippi Valley to the Sierra Nevada and Cascades ; migrates to Central
America.

Nest. — On or near the ground, supported by weed or sedge stalks,
deeply cup shaped, usually with a thick foundation of grass or leaves, some-
times lined with hair. Egys : often 4, white, finely speckled on larger end
with dark brown and black, sometimes with a few larger spots or lines.

The yellow-throats are found in damp brushy thickets, swampy
patches of rank vegetable growths, and tule marshes. As they
clamber over the stalks the little yellow birds stop to raise their odd
black-masked heads, and sing out a loud penetrating, ringing wreech-
ity, wreecli-ity, wreech-ity, wreech-ity, which varies greatly with the
individual. In addition to this ordinary song they have an impas-
sioned love-song which they give in air with something of the excited
posturing of the chat.

The songs of the males are as conspicuous as their coats, and they
look out from their thickets upon passers-by with mild interest, but
their mates, with only the family chack and plain dull yellowish coats
are timid little creatures, and if they accidentally come to the edge
of their bush when you are by, slip back out of sight in a trice.

68 lc. G. t. arizela Oberh. PACIFIC YELLOW-THROAT.

Similar to occidentalis, but smaller, and with smaller bill, shorter wing
and tail, duller coloration, and white band on head narrower ; yellow of
under parts less orange. Male: length (skins) 4.49-4.92, wing 2.07-2.28,
tail 1.94-2.24, bill .39-.43. Female: length (skins) 4.25-4.72, wing 2.00-
2.08, tail 1.89-1.97, bill .39.

Distribution. — Pacific coast region from British Columbia to northern
Lower California, east to the Cascades and the Sierra Nevada ; south in
winter through Lower California and western Mexico.

Subgenus Charnaethlypis.

682.1. Gepthlypis poliocephala ralphi Eidgw. Rio GRANDE
YELLOW-THROAT.

Adult male. — Lores black; top of head bluish gray; rest of upper
parts olive green, tinged with gray, especially on tail ; under parts yellow,
becoming buff y whitish on belly and anal region. Male : length (skins)
5.16-5.63, wing 2.17-2.44, tail 2.20-2.64, bill .39-.47. Female: length
(skins) 5.00-5.31, wing 2.00-2.16, tail 2.17-2.36, bill .43-47.

Distribution. — Lower Rio Grande Valley, in Texas.

GENUS ICTERIA.

683a. Icteria virens longicauda (Lawr.). LONG-TAILED CHAT.

Bill curved, stout, higher than broad at nostrils, without notch or bris-
^ j+^ ties ; wings much rounded ; tail long, feet

fe f ~ — ""S^ stout ; outside of tarsus almost without

scales ; tarsus decidedly longer than mid-
dle toe with claw, its scutella indistinct or
obsolete on outer side. Adults : throat and
breast vivid yellow ; belly white ; upper parts olive gray ; superciliary,

WOOD WARBLERS 427

orbital ring, and malar stripe, white ; lores, and line under eye black.
Young : upper parts olive ; lores gray instead of black ; throat whitish,
chest, sides, and flanks grayish ; rest of under parts white. Male : length
(skins) 0.20-7.28, wing 2.1)5-3.31, tail 3.01-3.39, bill .53-.5U. Female:
length (skins) 0.38-0.97, wing 2.87-3.15, tail 2.S3-3.23, bill .53-.5J).

.Distribution. — Transition and Upper Sonoran zones, from British
Columbia south to Lower California and northern Mexico, and from the
Plains to the Pacific coast ; breeds south to Valley of Mexico ; United States
birds mainly migrate to southern Mexico.

Nest. — In briery thickets, made largely of dry leaves, strips of grape-
vine bark, and grasses, lined with fin'er grasses. Eggs: 3 to 5, white or
pinkish, spotted with gray and shades of brown.

Food. — Beetles and other insects, and berries.

The chat's coining in the spring is like the arrival of a brass band.
In Farmington, Utah, one May, when he appeared he fairly per-
vaded the village — that is, his voice did — his yellow-fronted person
was in sight just once, to my best knowledge. But as you went along
the streets he fairly shouted in your ears — from inside dark thickets
behind fences. And if you appeared in front of the bush on which
he was singing, he would at once raise his voice from the next bush
behind ! And so he would lead you through bush and briar, skulk-
ing out of sight and crying as if consciously deriding your awkward
attempts at intrusion, &o ! lio! tiit-tut-tut-tut-tut-tut-tut ! One of
his favorite amusements is to give a whistle, as if he were calling a
dog and meant to be obeyed. When not whistling, or scolding like
an oriole, calling like a cuckoo, or piping like a shrill-voiced rock
squirrel, he will bark like a dog.

The chat is not only moved to mock his neighbors, but performs
in most remarkable manner in his own proper person — in air. Mr.
Torrey gives a good description of chat antics. " I caught the fel-
low," he says, "in the midst of a brilliant display of his clownish
tricks, ridiculous, indescribable. At a little distance it is hard to
believe that he can be a bird, that dancing, shapeless thing, bal-
ancing itself in the air with dangling legs, and prancing, swaying
motions.''

GENUS WILSONIA.

General Characters. — Bill not more than half as long as head, broad
and flattened at base ; rictal bristles distinct ; wings pointed, longer than
tail ; tarsus decidedly longer than middle toe with claw.

KEY TO ADULT MALES.

1. Throat with black necklace ; crown gray . . caiiadensis, p. 428.
1'. Throat without black necklace ; crown black.

2. Upper parts brighter green, forehead often orange. Great Basin to

Pacific pileolata, p. 428.

2'. Upper parts duller green, forehead always yellow. From higher
Rocky Mountains northeast pusilla. p. 428.

428 WOOD WARBLERS

685. Wilsonia pusilla ( Wils.). WILSON WARBLER.

Similar to pileolata, but not so bright ; wing's and tail shorter, bill broader
and darker colored. Male : length (skins) 4.05-4.45, wing1 2.09-
LMU, tail 1.83-1.97, bill .2S-.35. Female: length (skins) 4.10-
4.45, wing 2.05-2.17, tail 1.81-1.95, bill .31-.35.

Distribution. — Breeds from the Hudson Bay region and Lake
lig. 538. Athabasca south to Maine and higher Rocky Mountains ; mi-
grates to eastern Mexico and Central America.

Nest. — Imbedded in ground in swampy woods, made of leaves and
grasses, lined with finer grasses and hairs. Eggs : 4 or 5, white or creamy,
speckled with reddish brown and purplish.
Food. — Largely winged insects.

685a. W. p. pileolata (Pall.). PILEOLATED WARBLER.!

Adult male. — Crown glossy blue black ; back bright yellowish olive
green ; under parts vivid yellow ; forehead often orange yellow. Adult
female : similar, but crown patch often wanting. Young : like adult
male, but black of crown nearly obscured by olive wash. Male : length
(skins) 4.13-4.49, wing 2.17-2.36, tail 1.85-2.05, biU.28-.35. Female:
length (skins) 4.13-4.57, wing 2.15-2.24, tail 1.87-1.97, bill .30-.35.

Distribution. — Breeds from the Great Basin to the Pacific, and north
to Alaska, migrating through western Texas to Costa Rica.

Nest. — In willow thickets and among blackberry vines, on or near the
ground, made of willow leaves, weed stems, and grasses. Eggs : 2 to 4,
creamy, spotted with reddish and lilac over entire surface or around larger
end.

Seen in migration when the dainty pileolated warbler has plenty
of leisure, his airy ways are peculiarly charming. He usually hunts
in low bushes, and as he suddenly appears through a chink in the
dull chaparral wall the intense brilliant yellow of the little beauty
set off by his shining jet black crown gives you a thrill of surprise
and delight.

He is winningly trustful and will come close to you and with
wings hanging turn his head and look up at you from under his
jaunty cap, then whip along with a jerk of his tail. As he goes he
stops to run up a twig, leans down to peck under a leaf, flutters
under a spray like a hummingbird, and then flies off singing his
happy song.

On his breeding grounds in the mountain meadows when feeding
young he has much to occupy his mind, and flies back and forth
through his willow thicket in a preoccupied way, giving his flat
chip and inspecting you with an anxious parental air in passing.

686. Wilsonia canadensis (Linn.), CANADIAN WARBLER.
Adult male. - - Under parts j'ellow ; throat bordered by black lines, and

1 Wilson in pusilla c/iryscola Ridgway. GOLDEN PILEOLATED WAKBLEE.

Like pileolaia, but slightly smaller and much brighter colored.

Dixtriluitiitn. — Pacific coast district of United States and British Columbia, breeding
from British Columbia to southern California ; migrating to eastern Oregon, Arizona,
Lower California, and northern Mexico. (Birds of North and Middle America, ii. 714.)

PILEOLATKD WARBLER

WOOD WARBLERS

429

Fig. 539.
Canadian War-
bler.

chest with necklace of black streaks ; orbital ring white or yellowish

crown black, feathers edged with gray ; rest of upper parts

gray. Adult female and young in fall : similar, but black

replaced by gray tinged with olive. Young female : chest

markings sometimes obsolete. Young, Jirst plumage : upper

parts brownish, gray below the surface ; wings with two

buffy bars ; sides of head, throat, and chest buffy brown ;

rest of under parts yellow. Male : length (skins) 4.76-5.17,

wing 2.54-2.64, tail 2.15-2.2(5, bill .40-.44. Female : length

(skins) 4.57-4.91, wing 2.38-2.54. tail 2.00-2.10, bill .S9-.45.

Distribution. — Breeds in Canadian zone of northeastern North America,
from Lake Winnipeg. Hudson Bay, southern Labrador, and Newfoundland
south to southern New England, Wisconsin, and the Alleghanies ; casually
to Colorado : winters from Mexico south to South America.

Nest. — In clumps of weeds or tussocks of grass in swampy woods, made
of leaves and lined with pine needles, rootlets, and horsehair. Eggs : 3 to
5, white or buffy white, spotted around larger end with reddish brown and
lilac, usually mixed with a few black specks or pen lines.

GENUS SETOPHAGA.

General Characters. — Bill about half as long as head, much depressed,
broad at base, sharply ridged for basal half or more, straight, decurved at
tip ; rictal bristles reaching beyond nostrils ; wings pointed, tail long and
fan-shaped, with broad flat feathers widening at ends ; feet slender ; tarsus
with scutella distinct.

KEY TO ADULT MALES.

1. Under parts mainly white, with orange patches
1'. Under parts mainly dark rose red

ruticilla. p. 429.
picta. p. 430.

687. Setophaga ruticilla (Linn.). AMERICAN REDSTART.

Adult male. — Black with bluish gloss, except for white belly and
under tail coverts, and salmon or orange patches on sides of breast,
wings, and tail. Adult female : black of male replaced by
grayish olive, and orange by yellow. Immature male: similar
to female, but smaller, browner, and color patches deeper ;
after first winter plumage interspersed with black feathers.
Immature female : like adult female, but gray more brownish,
throat and chest tinged with brownish buff ; yellow of breast „.
less distinct, and that on wings partly or wholly concealed.
Young, first plumage : upper parts grayish brown ; under parts grayish
white, pale gray on chest ; breast without yellow ; wings and tail like
older birds, but with two whitish or yellowish bands. Male : length
(skins) 4.61-5.00, wing 2.40-2.64, tail 2.05-2.28, bill .28-35. Female:
length (skins) 4.41-4.76. wing 2.28-2.60, tail 1.93-2.28, bill .81-35.

Distribution. — Breeds from British Columbia and Fort Simpson to the
Gulf of Mexico and from the Atlantic west regularly to the Great Basin ;
casually to California, Oregon, Arizona, and Lower California ; winters
in the West Indies, and from southern Mexico to northern South Amer-
ica.

Nest. — Cup-shaped, compact, made largely of plant fibers and strips of
bark and web, 7 to 30 feet from the ground. Eggs : 3 to 5, white, green-
ish or grayish, spotted chiefly around larger end with brown and lilac.

Food. — Insects.

430 WOOD WARBLERS

The American redstart is a bird of the open deciduous woods,
building usually in saplings. It goes about its work with drooping
wings, its long fan-tail opening and shutting to show its bright color
patches as it flashes about tumbling through the air after insects.
Of its two characteristic songs the longer one is hurried and accented
" at the end.

688. Setophaga picta Swains. PAINTED REDSTART.

Adults. — Black, except for .red belly, white band on wing- and white on
outer tail feathers. Young, first plumage : upper parts sooty black ; wings
and tail like adults, but white wing- patch tipped with buff ; under parts
sooty gray, becoming1 white on middle of belly ; breast spotted or streaked
with blackish. Male : length (skins) 4.84-5.04, wing- 2.68-2.95, tail 2.40-
2.68, bill .31-.35. Female : length (skins) 4.92-5.32, wing 2.64-2.76, tail
2.36-2.54, bill .33-.3S.

Distribution. — From mountains of New Mexico and Arizona south to
Mexico, Vera Cruz, Hidalgo, and Oaxaca.

Nest. — In cavities in banks or among rocks, near water ; made of vege-
table fibers and leaves, and lined with grass and hair. Eggs : 3 to 4, white,
finely speckled with reddish brown and lilac.

The red, white, and black painted redstarts frequent the evergreen
oaks and the pines and alders of the mountain ranges of southern
Arizona. They are usually found near springs and waterfalls. In
motions they are typical redstarts, Mr. Henshaw says, passing rapidly
along the branches of trees with half-shut wings and outspread tail,
now and then darting after a passing fly. Mr. H. O. Howard says
they may be seen hopping about on mossy banks and stumps of large
trees.

GENUS CARDELLINA.

690. Cardellina rubrifrons (Giraud). RED-FACED WARBLER.

Bill not more than half as long as head, high at base, curved ; rictal
bristles stiff ; wings long ; tail shorter than wings, nearly even ; feet small ;
tarsus longer than middle toe and claw.

Adults. - - Throat, forehead, and stripe back to nape bright red ; crown
black ; nuchal patch and rump white ; rest of upper parts gray ; under
parts soiled whitish. Young in first fall and winter : duller, black re-
placed by brown ; red paler ; white of under parts and nuchal patch tinged
with buffy or salmon. Male : length (skins) 4.65-5.32, wing 2.58-2.78, tail
2.24-2.40, bill .31-35. Female : length (skius) 4.45-4.96, wing- 2.48-2.76,
tail 2.18-2.40, biU .29-35.

Distribution. — From southern Arizona and New Mexico south to Guate-
mala.

Nest. — On the ground, under a vine or bunch of grass, or near a fallen
log- ; made largely of fine straws, rootlets, strips of bark, leaves, and hair.
Eggs: 4, white, spotted with reddish brown over the entire shell, most
thickly around the larger end.

The red-faced warbler is found on the mountains in the southern
parts of Arizona and New Mexico among the pines and spruces. Its
habits, Mr, Henshaw says, combine those of the chickadees, red-

WAGTAILS 431

starts, and other warblers. Its favorite hunting places are the tips
of spruce branches, over which it passes with a quick motion and a
peculiar and constant sidewise jerk of the tail. Mr. Scott says it
has a clear whistling song.

FAMILY MOTACILLIDJE : WAGTAILS.

GENUS ANTHUS.

General Characters. — Bill shorter than head, about as wide as high at
base, compressed, acute, and notched at tip ; wings longer than tail.

KEY TO ADULTS.

1. Hind claw decidedly longer than toe spragueii, p. 432.

1'. Hind claw about equal to toe . . pensilvaiiicus, p. 431.

Submenus Anthus.
697. Anthus pensilvanicus (Lath.). PIPIT.

Hind claw about equal to toe. Adults in summer: upper parts gray-
ish brown, indistinctly
streaked ; wing blackish
brown, with two buffy
Fi<r 541 wing bars and light edg-

ings ; tail blackish, inner

web of outside feather largely white, second feather
tipped with white ; superciliary stripe and under parts
light buffy. chin lighter, chest streaked with dusky.
Adults in winter : browner above, lighter below, streaks on breast usually
broader. Youna : similar, but washed with brown, and more distinctly
streaked. Length : 0-7. wing 3.20-3.50, tail 2.65-2.85.

Distribution. --North America at large, breeding in the higher parts of
the Rockv Mountains, Cascades, and subarctic districts, wintering in the
Gulf states, Nevada, California, Mexico, and Central America.

^est. — On ground, bulky and rather compact, made of dried mosses
and grasses, lined with hair and feathers. Eggs : 4 to 6, nearly uniform
brown from dense spotting.

Food. — Small shells, crustaceans, insects, and small seeds.

Flocks of these strange little northerners with demure garb, plain-
tive voices, and the ways of wanderers are often met abroad in the
land in spring and fall. In some parts of the dry country they are
seen more generally in the seasons of heavy rainfall. They may be
met in a ploughed vineyard, on a vacant city lot, or in the open
country. If startled they rise from the ground showing their white
tail feathers, with a wild cJieep fly for a short distance, wheel, and
return to their feeding ground. The earth usually matches their
tints so well that it is difficult to see them, though their wagging
heads and tilting tails help to catch the eye.

In Colorado the pipits nest above timberline at an altitude of from
11.000 to 13,000 feet, and in August many of the birds wander to the

432 DIPPERS

tops of the peaks at 14,000 feet. In the breeding season the males
have a flight song similar to that of the oven-bird, often ascending a
hundred feet singing as they go, and afterwards dropping almost
straight to the ground.

Subgenus Neocorys.

700. An thus spragueii (Aud.). SPRAGUE PIPIT.

Hind toe and claw longer than tarsus. Adults in summer : upper parts

broadly streaked with blackish brown and grayish
buff ; wings dusky, with pale edgings ; two outer
pairs of tail feathers chiefly white; outside pair
sometimes wholly white ; under parts dull buffy
white, more buffy across chest, where narrowly
streaked with dusky. Adults in winter: browner
above, more buffy below, and chest streaks broader.
Young : upper parts brownish buff, broadly streaked
Fig. 543. with black ; feathers of back and scapulars tipped

with buffy or whitish ; chin, throat, and sides of

neck whitish, lower throat and sides of neck streaked with dusky ; rest of
under parts light buff; chest and sides of breast streaked with black.
Length: 5.75-7.00, wing 3.20-3.40, tail 2.35-2.60.

Distribution. — Breeds on the interior plains of North America from the
Saskatchewan to Nebraska, and from the Red River west, probably, to the
Rocky Mountains ; winters in Louisiana, Texas, and northern Mexico ; acci-
dental in South Carolina.

Nest. — Like that of A. pensilvanicus, but eggs pale purplish buffy or
buffy white, thickly spotted with purplish brown.
Food. — Insects, and seeds of weeds and grasses.

The habits of the Sprague pipit closely resemble those of the other
pipits. In Coues's Birds of the Northwest there is an enthusiastic
description of the flight song of spragueii.

FAMILY CINCLIDJE: DIPPERS.

GENUS CINCLUS.

701. Cinclus mexicanus Sivains. WATER OUZEL: DIPPER.

Bill shorter than head, slender, and compressed ; wing short, stiff,

rounded, with ten primaries,
the first spurious ; tail shorter
than u'ing, soft, of twelve
broad rounded feathers
almost hidden by coverts ;

r ._. tarsus without scales ; claws

strongly curved. Adults in
summer: whole body nearly uniform slate gray, a trifle lighter below;
head and neck faintly tinged with brown. Adults in winter: similar,
but feathers of wings and under parts lightly tipped with white. Young :
similar to winter plumage, but under parts more or less mixed with white
and tinged with rusty. Length: 7.00-S.50, wing 3.40-3.81, tail 1.90-2.12,
bill .00-.70.

Distribution. — Mountainous parts of central and western North America

WRENS, THRASHERS, ETC. 433

from the Yukon to Guatemala ; east, in the United States, to the eastern
base of the Rocky Mountains ; mainly resident throughout its range.

Nest. — Among- rocks, near running water, often behind a cascade ; a
bulky oven-shaped structure open on the side, made of green mosses.
Eggs : 3 to 5, white.

To all his friends, the name water ouzel calls up pictures of foam-
ing cascaded streams in the heart of the srand old western moun-

^j * — '

tains. What a quickening touch of life and good cheer the songster
gives to the lonely canyons and forests ! And how fascinating it is
to watch him as he pokes about in wren-like fashion under the banks
of streams, disappearing in dark grottoes and behind miniature water-
falls or stepping off into the pools, where he sinks under water as
easily as a grebe !

When resting against the background of dark rocks he would be
almost invisible did he not keep up a persistent winking, for at each
wink you get a flash from his white nictitating membrane. He also
has a trick of bobbing, winter wren style, that tells the tale of his
whereabouts.

In a southern California canyon we once found a typical ouzel
nest on a ledge of rock opposite a waterfall whose spray doubtless
kept the moss of the nest fresh. While we were admiring the nest,
one of the old birds appeared and ran up the slippery face of the
wet rock beside the waterfall with easy unconcern.

The ouzels do not leave their breeding grounds when their family
cares are over, but stay in the mountains until the streams are
frozen, and Mr. Batchelder has seen one swim downstream under
the ice. In the Wasatch in December, one crisp, clear morning
when the still pools were frozen over and there was ice along the
edges of the streams and iced spray on the bushes, Mr. Bailey's ear
was caught by a beautiful song, and following upstream he discov-
ered an ouzel sitting on a cake of ice in the bright sun singing as
gayly as a bobolink in June.

(See Muir's Mountains of California and Olive Thorue Miller's
Bird- Lover in tlie West.)

FAMILY TROGLODYTID^J : WRENS, THRASHERS.

ETC.

KEY TO GENERA.

1. Rictal bristles conspicuous.

Fig. 545.

2. Tail shorter than wing Oroscoptes. p. 435.

'2 . Tail longer than wing.

434

WRENS, THRASHERS, ETC.

3. Exposed culmen equal to or
longer than middle toe
without claw.

Toxostoma, p. 437.

Fig. 547.

Fig. 54G.

Fig. 548.

3'. Exposed culmen decidedly shorter than middle
toe without claw.

-1 . Plumage light gray, marked with white.

Mimus. p. 435.

4 . Plumage slaty, not marked with white.

Galeoscoptes. p. 437.

Fig. 549.
1'. Rictal bristles not conspicuous.

Fig. 550.

2. Length 7-8 Heleodytes, p. 442.

2'. Length 3.50-().5U.

3. Tail equal to or longer than wing ; tail mainly blackish.

Thryomaiies. p. 446.

3'. Tail shorter than wing ; tail not mainly blackish.
4. Outside toe much longer than inner.

5. Exposed culmen longer than tarsus ;

largely rust}7 brown.
Catherpes, p. 444.

Fig. 551.

5'. Exposed ctilmen shorter than tar-
sus ; largely grayish brown.

Salpinctes, p. 443.

Fig. 552.
4'. Outside toe not markedly longer than inner.

.">. Tail less than three fourths as long as wing.
*.*3-. Olbiorchilus,p. 449,

5'. Tail more than three fourths

as long as wing.

0. Head without white supercil-
iary . Troglodytes, p. 448.

6'. Head with white superciliary.

7. Back streaked with white.

Cistothorus. p. 449.

Fig.

Fig. 555.

WRENS, THRASHERS, ETC. 435

7'. Back rusty brown.

Thryothorus, p. 440.

Fig. 550.

GENUS OROSCOPTES.

702. Ol'OSCOptes montanus (Towns.). SAGE THRASHER.

Bill much shorter than head ; rictal bristles well developed ; wings and
tail of equal length ; tail nearly even.
Adults: upper parts dull grayish
brown, indistinctly streaked ; wings
with two narrow white bars ; tail with
inner web of 2 to 4 outer feathers
tipped with white ; under parts whitish,
buffy on flanks and under tail coverts ; breast and sides heavily marked
with black spots. Young : like adults, but upper parts indistinctly streaked
with darker, and streaks on under parts less sharply defined. Length : 8-
9, wing 3.95-4.19, tail 3.20-3.35, bill .60-.65.

Distribution. — Sage plains from Montana south to northern Mexico and
Lower California, and from western Nebraska to the Cascades and the
Sierra Nevada.

Nest. — Bulky, composed largely of coarse plant stems, dry sage
shreds, and sage bark, lined with fine rootlets, and sometimes hair ; placed
usually in sagebrush. Eggs : 3 to 5, rich greenish blue, spotted with clove
brown.

The sage thrasher, and the Brewer, Bell, and lark sparrows, are
among the commonest birds of the sagebrush country, and the sage
thrasher's big gray body with its white tail corners shows from a
distance as he disappears with long undulating flight over the face
of the sage plain.

In the land of telegraph poles he often mounts one to sing, but
his commonest perch is the top of a tall sage bush, and as his song
is poured out even long after dark and sometimes by moonlight,
with scarcely less richness than the true thrasher's, you are glad he
lives in the deserts. In winter he leaves the sagebrush and wanders
south over the lower valleys.

GENUS MIMUS.

703a. Mimus polyglottos leucopterus (Vigors). WESTERN
MOCKINGBIRD.

Bill much shorter than head, notched near end ; rictal bristles well
developed ; wings rounded ; tail longer than wings, rounded ; tarsus longer
than middle toe and claw : scales of tarsus distinct. Adults : upper parts
grayish drab ; wings and tail blackish, wings with large white patch at base
of primaries, wing bars, white-tipped wing quills, and tertials with whitish
edgings ; under parts white, washed with clay color. Young : more brown-
ish above ; back indistinctly spotted or streaked : breast spotted. Male :
wing 4.29-4.72, tail 4.53-5*32, bill .61-.75. Female : wing 4.25-4.65, tail
4.43-5.08, bill .59-.71.

Distribution. — Southwestern United States from the Gulf of Mexico

436

WRENS, THRASHERS, ETC.

(Texas) to the Pacific .coast, and from Indian Territory south to Oaxaca,
Mexico, and over Lower California ; resident in the southern and lower
portions of its range ; migratory in the northern and higher portions.

Nest. — Bulky, made of sticks, often thorny ones, lined with finer ma-
terials, sometimes gray moss or cotton ; placed in thick bushes, thorny
trees, yuccas, hedgerows, and vines. Eggs : 4, pale bluish or greenish,
spotted with reddish brown.

Food. — Earthworms, insects, and berries.

The mocker almost sings with his wings. He has a pretty trick
of lifting them as his song waxes, a gesture that not only serves to
show off the white wing patches, but gives a charming touch of
vivacity, an airy, almost sublimated fervor to his love-song. His
fine frenzies often carry him quite off his feet. From his chimney-
top perch he tosses himself up in the air and dances and pirouettes
as he sings till lie drops back, it would seem, from sheer lack of

Fig. 558. Eastern Mockingbird.

breath. He sings all day, and often - - if we would believe his
audiences — he sings down the chimney all night, and when camp-
ing in niockerland in the full of the moon you can almost credit
the contention. A mocker in one tree pipes up and that wakes his
brother mockers in other trees, and when they have all done their
parts every other sleepy little songster in the neighborhood --be he
sparrow or wren — rouses enough to give a lint of his song. The
wave of song is so delightful that even the weary traveler gladly
lies awake to listen.

But in broad daylight the mocker's ebullitions are not always
pleasing. In Texas the birds are so common and their mimicry so
perfect, that it is positively tormenting to the ornithologist. They
imitate everything from the xqitock of the blue jay, the varied notes
of the Cassin kingbird, the shrike, and the gnatcatcher, to the shrill
call of the rock squirrel. Whenever you hear a new bird and hurry
through brush and briars to see it, at the end of your heated search
there sits a calm mocker! As the birds are omnipresent and always
singing somebody else's song, they sadly interfere with the ornitho-
logist's serenity of spirit.

WRENS, THRASHERS, ETC.

437

GENUS GALEOSCOPTES.

704. Galeoscoptes carolinensis (Linn.). CATBIRD.

Rictal bristles well developed ; tail longer than wing-, much rounded ;
scales of tarsus indistinct. Adults : dark slaty gray ; crown and tail
black ; under tail coverts dark rufous. Young : similar, but washed with
brownish. Length : 8.00-9.35, wing- 3.45-3.75, tail 3.70-4.25, bill .G5-.75.

Distribution. — Breeds from the Saskatchewan to the Gulf states and
from the Atlantic west over the Rocky Mountains ; occasional on the
Pacific coast. Winters in the southern states. Cuba, and from Mexico to
Panama. Resident in Bermuda.

Nest. — Largely of rootlets, placed in thickets and orchards. Eggs : 3
to 5. plain, deep bluish green.

Food. — Ants, beetles, caterpillars, grasshoppers, and other insects,
small fruits and wild berries.

In Colorado the catbird breeds from the plains to about 8000 feet,
quite commonly on the eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains, but
rarely in the western part of the state. In Utah it plays its eastern
role, Mr. Heushaw says, living in shrubbery on the edges of towns
and even coming familiarly to the gardens.

GENUS TOXOSTOMA.

General Characters. --Bill varying from shorter than head and straight
to longer than head and greatly curved ; rictal bristles well developed ;
feet large and strong ; tarsus conspicuously scaled in front ; wings and tail
rounded, tail decidedly the longer.

KEY TO ADULTS.

1. Under parts without dark markings.

2. Upper parts pale brown lecontei, p. 441.

2'. Upper parts not pale brown.

3. Under tail coverts dark rufous ....,, crissalis. p. 442.
3'. Under tail coverts buffy or tawny.

4. Throat brownish redivivuni. p. 440.

4'. Throat white pasadeneuse. p. 441.

438

WRENS, THRASHERS, ETC.

1'. Under parts with dark markings.
'2. Strikingly marked with blackish.

3. Upper parts deep rufous rufum, p. 438.

3'. Upper parts Avashed with golden brown . . . seniietti, p. 438.
2'. Faintly marked with dusky.

3. Under mandible yellowish at base bendirei, p. 439.

3 . Under mandible blackish at base.

4. Wings barred and tail strikingly tipped with white.

curvirostre, p. 439.

4 . Wings plain or obsoletely barred, and tail only indistinctly tipped
with lighter palmeri. p. 439.

Subgenus Toxostoma.
Tarsus longer than exposed culmen.

705. Toxostoma rufum (Linn.}. BROWN THRASHER.

Adults* — Upper parts reddish broivn ; wings with two white bars ; under

parts buffy white, spotted
spots on
blackish ;

with

brown. Young : spots on under
parts thicker, blackish ; rump
golden brown ; spotting on wing-
coverts fawn color. Length : 10.50-
12.00. wing 4.10-4.60, tail 5.00-
5.75, exposed culmen .90-1.10.

Distribution. — Breeds from Can-
ada to the Gulf of Mexico and from
the Atlantic to the Rocky Moun-
tains.

Nest. — In thorny trees, vines, or
bushes, a coarse, bulky structure of
sticks, rootlets, leaves, and weed stems, lined with rootlets and horsehair.
Eggs : 3 to 5, buffy, or tinged with green, minutely spotted writh reddish
brown, this sometimes becoming the prevailing color.

Food. — Beetles, grasshoppers, caterpillars, bugs, and spiders ; small
fruits and seeds.

The eastern brown thrasher is a fairly common resident of the Colo-
rado plains, breeding as high as 7500 feet,

Fig. 500.

706. Toxostoma longirostre
THRASHER.

sennetti (Eidgw.}. SEKNETT

jr. 561.

Uppe r parts golden brown, with two whitish wing bars ; under parts white,

breast and sides with black wedge-
shaped or tear-shaped marks ; bill
curved from base. Length: 10.50-
12.00. wing 3.80-4.20, tail 4.80-5.45,
bill 1.05-l.L'S.

Distribution. - - Breeds in Lower Sonoran zone in southern Texas from
Corpus Christi and Laredo south to northeastern Mexico.

Nest. — In bushes or thickets, made of sticks, vines, and sometimes
straws, lined with rootlets. Eggs : 3 or 4. whitish to greenish, closely
dotted with reddish brown, often most heavily around larger end.
Food. — Insects and larvse, and berries.

The Scnnctt thrasher occurs with r///v//vW/r in southern Texas,

WRENS, THRASHERS, ETC. 439

but is much less common, only a few of the brown birds being seen.
while the pale, clay-colored curve bill ranks as one of the commonest
brush birds.

707. Toxostoma curvirostre (Swains.). CURVE -BILLED

THRASHER.

Adults.-- Upper parts light brownish gray ; wings with two narrow white
bars ; tail blackish, four pairs of outer feathers
strikingly tipped with white ; throat white ;
breast and sides thickly spotted and clouded
with gray ; flanks huffy. Young : similar,

but wing1 coverts and rump tinged with fulvous, and markings on breast
narrower and darker. Length : 10.50-11.40, wing 4. 15-4.50, tail 4.40-4.65,
exposed culmen 1.10-1.30.

Distribution. — Lower Sonoran zone from New Mexico and western Texas
to Oaxaca. Mexico.

Nest. — In cactus and trees, made of thorny twigs lined with a few
grasses. Eggs : 3 or 4, colored like those of palmeri.

The curve-billed thrasher is abundant and tame as you go through
the thorn brush of southern Texas, especially as you approach
Mexico. Its big clay-colored figure is largely in evidence, perched
on the brush or flying on short wings with long tilting tail across the
road. Cactus, yuccas, and thorn brush are all liberally supplied
with its big thorny nests. When we were photographing one the
owner came so close that we could see the bright red of its eyes. As
the birds watched us they gave their liquid two-syllabled call, which
is one of the loud, dominant notes of the country. In a dry wash in
southern New Mexico, when we were preparing to photograph one
of the yucca nests, the brooding bird, who had been entirely hidden
by the yucca spears, quietly slipped out of the nest and disappeared
in the brush.

707a. T. C. palmeri (Coues). PALMER THRASHER.

Upper parts uniform dark brownish gray or grayish broicn : wings with
bars obsolete or wanting ; tail indistinctly tipped with lighter ; throat
whitish ; rest of under parts
grayish, obsoletely spotted with
darker. Length*: 11.00-11.50,
wing 4.20-4.C.O, tail 4.80-:>.i>0,
exposed culmen 1.18-1.40. F'g- 563-

Distribution. — Resident in Lower Sonoran zone in southern Arizona
and Sonora. Mexico.

Nest . — In cactus, of sticks, usually lined with dried grass. Eggs : 2 to
4, pale bluish green, finely and uniformly speckled with brown.

The Palmer thrasher is abundant on the cactus deserts of southern
Arizona, being resident up to 3000 feet.

708. Toxostoma bendirei (Coues). BENDIRE THRASHER.

Upper parts pale grayish bro/oi : wings with indistinct bars; tail dark

440 WRENS, THRASHERS, ETC.

brown, outer feathers tipped with white ; under parts brownish white,
indistinctly spotted with brown ; flanks brownish. Young : similar, but

wings and rump washed with tawny
buff ; under parts whiter, with nar-
rower streaks. Length : 9.50-10.50.

wing- 3.90-4.20, tail 4.25-4.90, exposed
Fig. 564. Bendire Thrasher. o_ n-'

culmen .8<-.9o.

Distribution. — Breeds in desert reg'ions of Upper and Lower Sonoran
zones, in Arizona and southeastern California ; accidental in Colorado.

Nest. — In trees, bushes, or cactus, small and daintily built for a
thrasher, of sticks and grass, lined with soft materials, such as grass,
horsehair, rootlets, wool, or feathers. Eggs : 3 or 4, generally greenish
white, spotted with pale reddish brown, usually heaviest about the larger
end ; sometimes grayish or pinkish white, spotted with salmon and lav-
ender.

Mr. Herbert Brown, who has an extended acquaintance with the
Bendire thrasher, says it is largely confined to the central part of
southern Arizona, unlike palmeri seldom or never leaving the flat
country. It is migratory, smaller and less common than palmeri,
and strangely silent for a thrasher. Only once in all his expe-
rience has Mr. Brown heard it give its splendid song, and only
rarely, when disturbed at the nest, has he heard it give its call of
tirup, tirup, tirup.

Subgenus Harporhynchus.
Bill longer than head ; breast not spotted.

710. Toxostoma redivivum (Gamb.). CALIFORNIAN THRASHER.

Upper parts dull dark grayish brown ; wings and tail unmarked, tail dark-
er ; under parts, including throat,
dull buffy or brownish, darker on
chest ; under tail coverts tawny.
Length: 11.50-13.00, wing 3.90-
4.30, tail 4.90-5.80, bill 1.35-1.75.

Distribution. — Coast region of California ; south to Lower California.

Nest. --In bushes, a rude platform of twigs, roots, grasses, and leaves.
Eggs : 3 or 4, light greenish blue, speckled with clove brown.

The California thrasher is one of the most vociferously rollicking
jolly good fellows of his tribe. Perched on top of the highest bush
in sight, he shouts out kick' ' -it-now , kick'-it-now, shut'-up, shut'-up,
dor'-o-thy, dor'-o-thy; and then with a rapid change of mood, drawls
out, whoa'-noiv, whoa'-noic. It is easy to imagine such a bird a wag
and mimic, and attention has recently been called to his imitative
power by Mr. John J. Williams. He says that interwoven with its
own song are the qnare, guare, quare of the California jay, the
quirring note of the slender-billed nuthatch, and the cackling note
of the red-shafted flicker, besides the call of the valley quail, the
kwee-kwee-kuk of the western robin, and the trill of the wren-tit,
which the mimic does so well that the birds answer back.

WRENS, THRASHERS, ETC. 441

When he is singing, the thrasher's bill makes him look comically as
if he were trying to turn himself inside out ; but the bill, awkward
as it appears, is really an admirable pickaxe. Instead of having to
depend on his feet for scratching away the leaves, as the short-
billed birds do, the thrasher clears the ground by rapid strokes of
the bill, and then probes the earth with it for his food.

710a. T. r. pasadenense GrinnelL PASADENA THRASHER.

Similar to redivivum, but duller ; throat ichite ; chest band darker than in
redivivum. Wing: 3.92, tail 5.30, bill from nostril 1.21.

Distribution. — Interior of southern California.

711. Toxostoma lecontei Lawr. LECONTE THRASHER.

Adults. — Upper parts pale brownish gray; wings unmarked ; tail dis-
tinctly tipped with lighter ; throat
white ; rest of under parts dove color
and whitish; undfr tail coverts bright
tawny broirn. Young : similar, but
upper tail coverts more rusty, and
under tail coverts paler. Length : 10.50-11.00, wing 3.70-3.90, tail 4.57-
5.20, bill 1.08-1.35.

Distribution. — Resident in Lower Sonoran zone in the desert region
from southwestern Utah to southern California, and south to Sonora.
Mexico.

Nest. — Very bulky, composed of thorny twigs, grasses, and weeds.
lined with grass and feathers, and placed in cactus bushes or mesquite
trees. Eggs : 3 or 4, pale bluish green or greenish blue, minutely and
rather sparsely speckled with reddish brown, or yellowish brown and
lavender.

In the lowest, hottest, barest deserts of the country, where
dwarfed thorn bushes, queer species of cactus, and rigid Spanish
bayonets space the baked mesas and valleys, the Leconte thrasher
is one of the most interesting bits of desert life. The sand-colored
bird seems, like all of its surroundings, to have had the color baked
out of it, or like them to have taken on the colors which best fit it
to endure the desert temperature, sometimes 130° in the shade, and
much higher in the glaring sun. After a cool night on the desert
in March, when the morning air is loaded with the fragrance of
abronias, yuccas, and primroses, and the crimson and gold cups of
the cactus are brilliant among the creosote bushes, the thrashers are
heard fairly splitting their throats from the mesquite tops, and seen
running about chasing each other over the bare stretches between
the bushes. Later in the day they rest in the shade of the chapar-
ral, and if frightened simply run from one cover to another, rarely
flying to escape pursuit. They easily outrun a man, and if followed
soon disappear, going with head low and tail straight out behind
like the road -runner, keeping always on the far side of each bunch
of bushes. With a good horse one can usually force them to take

442 WRENS, THRASHERS, ETC.

wing, if they do not get out of sight before the horse gets started,
though they have many advantages in a country where a horse is
liable to fall into badger holes and kangaroo rat dens or come to
deep washouts too wide for a jump. VERNON BAILEY.

712. Toxostoma crissalis Henry. CRISSAL THRASHER.

Adults. - - Bill long', sharply curved ; upper parts dark grayish brown ;

wings without bars ; tail faintly tipped
with rufous ; throat and malar stripe
white, in contrast to dark fawn or
grayish under parts ; under tail coverts
dark rufous. Young : similar, but
Fig. 567. more rusty above, especially on rump

and tips of tail feathers ; lower parts

more fulvous. Length : 11.40-12.60, wing 3.90-4.10, tail 4.80-6.40, exposed
culmen 1.20-1.50.

Distribution. — Breeds in the southwestern United States from western
Texas to California, and from Utah and Nevada to Lower California.

Nest. — In bushes or desert willow, made of coarse twigs, lined with
strips of plant bark. Eggs : 3, plain pale bluish green.

The crissal, or red -vented thrasher, lives on the rough sides of
rocky canyons, where there are junipers and low mesquites. In
fall he is said to eat juniper berries and other small fruits, and then,
food being plentiful, has a distinct revival of his powerful song.
Though ordinarily shy, individuals come about ranches and become
quite tame. (See The Auk, iii. 292.)

GENUS HELEODYTES.

General Characters. -- Length about 8; tail broad, with wide feathers;
tarsus scaled behind ; rictal bristles obsolete or very indistinct.

KEY TO ADULTS.

1. Belly lightly marked with linear spots . bnmneicapillus, p. 442.
1'. Belly heavily marked with ovate spots ..... bryaiiti. p. 443.

713. Heleodytes brunneicapillus (Lafr.}. CACTUS WREN.1

Adults, — Throat and breast white, heavily marked icith black roundish

spots, in sharp contrast to buffy brown
belly, which is sparsely marked with
linear spots; superciliary white; upper
parts brown, streaked on back with
black and white; tail with middle

feathers brownish, spotted with black, the rest black, only outside feather
barred with white for whole length. Young : similar, but streaks on back

1 Heleodytes brunneicapillus couesi (Sharpe). TEXAN CACTUS WREN.
Coloration dark, throat mainly black, back narrowly striped with white.

. — Rio Grande region of Texas, south over Mexican tableland. (The Auk,
xix. 143.)

Heleodytes brunneicapillus anthonyi Mearns. DESERT CACTUS WREN.

Coloration pallid, tail mostly black.

lilsti-iliiitujit: — Interior deserts of southwestern United States south to Chihuahua,
Sonora, and northeastern California. (The Auk, xix. 143.)

ROCK WREN

WRENS, THRASHERS, ETC. 1 I.",

less sharply defined, spots on under parts smaller, and colors more suffused.
Length: 8.00-8.75, wing- :5.:il )-.'!. ."lit. tail 3.25-3.50. exposed culmen .80-.U5.

Distribution. — Resident in Lower Sonorau zone, from southern Texas
west to southern California, and from southwestern Utah to central Mexico.

-Ve.s/. — In cactus, yucca, or thorny bush, bulky, flask-shaped, in hori-
zontal position, entrance at mouth of flask ; made of sticks and coarse
straw's, lined with feathers. Eggs : 4 to 7. whitish or buffy often hidden
by reddish brown spotting.

Brunneicapillus seems on first acquaintance, in a cactus and mes-
quite thicket, the most unwren-like of wrens. Its big size, black-
ish color, and grating, monotonous chut, dmt, chut, chut, have little
to suggest its small brown, sweet-voiced relatives. Its pose, how-
ever, is like that of the Carolina wren, for it sings on top of a
bare branch, with head up and tail hanging. It is a conspicuous
bird in that strange land of cactus, mesquite, and yucca, and fits
into its desert surroundings as well as its odd nest does in among
the yucca bayonets or cactus thorns. Its nests are so common that
in driving through the country one comes to pass them without
comment, unless the eye is caught by a particularly perfect retort
form for a photograph.

In New Mexico, Mr. Anthony found the wrens repairing their
nests in the fall, and thinks that they roost in them in winter, and
use them for protection against storms. He believes that each pair
of wrens keep several nests in order for this purpose.

713a. H. b. bryanti Anthony. BRYANT CACTUS WREN.

Similar to brunneicapillus, but thick ovate spotting- extending1 over belly
and sides ; iinder parts washed with rusty, and tail with middle feathers
more or less perfectly barred.

Distribution. — From southern California south to Lower California.

GENUS SALPINCTES.

715. Salpinctes obsoletus (Say). ROCK WREN.1

Bill about as long- as head, slender, compressed, decurved at tip ; wing
longer than tail : tail rounded, feath-
ers broad ; feet small and weak : tar-
sus longer than middle toe, scaled
behind. Adults : Upper parts dull
grayish broicn. finely flecked with black
and white dots ; rump light brown ;
tail graduated, tipped with buffy brown and with subtermincd band of
black ; middle tail feathers narrowly barred with blackish ; under parts
dull whitish. browrnish on flanks ; chest usually finely speckled. Young :
upper parts rusty gray ; under parts whitish anteriorly, brownish on flanks
and under tail coverts. Length: 5.12-0.35. wing 2.08-2.80. tail 2.12-2.40,
bill from nostril .44-.S4.

1 Saljiincfes obsoletus pulrprius Grinnell. SAN NICOLAS ROCK WREN.
Like obsotftHS, but entire plumage suffused with ochraceous or dust color.
Distribution. — San Nicolas Island. California. (The Auk, xv. 238.)

444 WRENS, THRASHERS, ETC.

Remarks. — The pale grayish coloration and the black crescent on the
tail are good field characters.

Distribution. — From British Columbia south to Lower California and to
Chiapas, Mexico ; from western Nebraska to the Pacific ; breeds through-
out its range and is resident from about the southern border of the United
States southward.

Nest. — Usually in clefts or crevices among rocks, sometimes in hollow
stumps or about buildings. Eggs : 7 or 8, white, finely spotted on or
around larger end with chestnut brown.

Salpinctes ! To the worker in the arid regions of the west this
name calls up most grateful memories. On the wind-blown rocky
stretches where you seem in a bleak world of granite or lava with
only rock, rock, everywhere, suddenly, there on a stone before you,
stands this jolly little wren, looking up at you with a bob and a shy,
friendly glance. The encounter is as cheering as the sight of a bird
at sea, and before such meetings have been repeated many times, you
love the little wren as you do the barking conies that give life and a
touch of companionship to the barren rock slides of the mountains.

Even his song, which at first hearing seems the drollest, most un-
bird-like of machine-made tinklings, comes to be greeted as the
voice of a friend on the desert, and its quality to seem in harmony
with the hard, gritty granites among which he lives. Its phrases are
varied, but one of its commonest - - given perhaps from the top of a
cliff while his mate is feeding their brood on a ledge below - -is little
more than a harsh kra-wee, kra-wee, kra-wee, kra-wee, given slowly
at first, then after a little bob repeated in faster time.

As you watch him he seems well fitted to escape his enemies who
soar over the mountains, for he is a perfect rock color, and his only
striking mark is the black fan-shaped band that flashes from his tail
as he disappears from view.

Altitude seems to make little difference with him if the conditions
of barrenness are met, but he is most commonly found in the moun-
tains. Dr. Mearns reported him from the summit of San Francisco
Mountain, Arizona, at a time when the hollows were filled with ice
and snow and fierce storms were raging.

GENUS CATHERPES.

General Characters. — Bill about as long as head, longer than tarsus ;
side toes of unequal lengths ; wing longer than tail.

KEY TO ADULTS.

1. Darker colored. Lower Rio Grande ..... albifrous, p. 445.
1'. Lighter colored.

2. Larger, bill longer, spotting on back not so thick. Great Basin and

Rocky Mountain region COllspersus, p. 44.").

2'. Smaller, bill shorter, spotting on back thicker. Oregon and Cali-
fornia west of Cascades and Sierra Nevada . punctulatus, p. 445.

CANYON WREN

WRENS, THRASHERS, ETC. 445

717. Catherpes mexicanus albifrons (Giraiul). WHITE-
THU< > AT KD WHEN.

Like conspersus, but larger and darker ; upper parts from dark rusty to
sepia ; wings barred with rusty. Length : 0.00-0.50, wing 2.40-2.90, tail
2.00-2.4."), exposed culmen .70-. 1C).
Distribution. — Lower Rio Grande Valley, Texas, and northeastern Mexico.

717a. C. m. conspersus Ridgir. CANYON WREN.

Adults. — Brown except for white throat and breast ; upper parts light
brown, grayish on head, speckled with
white and blackish ; tail rusty brown,
crossed by narrow black bars ; belly dark
rusty brown. Young : essentially like
adults, but usually without white specks Fig. 570.

on upper parts or posterior under parts, which are. instead, mottled, more
or less, with dusky. Length : 5.50-5.75. wing 2.20-2.40, tail 2.00-2.40,
exposed culmen .70-.S5.

Distribution. — Great Basin and Rocky Mountain region from the Sierra
Nevada and Cascades east to Colorado, and from Idaho south to Aguas
Calientes, Mexico ; breeds nearly throughout its range and is resident in
the southern parts of its United States distribution.

Nest. — In crevices of rocks, on ledge in tunnel or cave, or about build-
ings, made with thick soft walls covered with green moss. Eggs : 3 to 5,
white, spotted chiefly on larger end with reddish brown and lilac gray.

Sometimes, as at Austin, Texas, canyon wrens will stray into cities
and sing from the chimney tops with the mockingbirds, and when
they do, what cool, grateful canyon memories they awaken in the
midst of the town ! When heard afterwards on their own native
canyon cliffs it seems impossible that they could ever sing in a city,
their song is so attuned to the wild mountain fastnesses.

The bit of a wren may be on a ledge so high above your head that
you pick him out among the rocks only by the round white spot
which is his throat and which shows as his head is thrown back to
sing, but yet his voice is so powerful that the canyon fairly rings
with his song. What joyous notes ! They sound as if his happi-
ness were so great that he needs must proclaim it. His song comes
tripping down the scale growing so fast it seems as if the song-
ster could only stop by giving his odd little flourish back up the
scale again at the end. The ordinary song has seven descending
notes, but often, as if out of pure exuberance of happiness, the wren
begins with a run of grace notes, ending with the same little flourish.
The rare character of the song is its rhapsody and the rich vibrant
quality which has suggested the name of bugler for him. --and a
glorious little bugler he surely is.

717b. C. m. punctulatus Eidyw. DOTTED CANYON WREN.

Similar to conspersus, but smaller and bill shorter, and more thickly
spotted oil back.

Distribution. — Oregon and California west of the Cascades and Sierra
Nevada to Lower California ; resident from southern California southward.

446 WRENS, THRASHERS, ETC.

GENUS THRYOTHORUS.

718. Thryothorus ludovicianus (Lath.). CAROLINA WREN.

Wing" less than 3 ; tail not longer than wings, like hack in color. Adults. —
Upper parts rusty brown ; crown bordered by an indistinct
blackish line and buffy white superciliary ; broad rusty
stripe back of eye ; wings indistinctly barred with rusty
and spotted with white : under parts varying" from white
on throat to tawny buff below. Young : crown blackish ;
under parts more cinnamon brown, with indistinct cross
lines. Length : 5.25-6.00, wing 2.18-2.50, tail 1.80-2.35,
exposed culmen .60-.70.

Distribution. — Upper and Lower Sonoran zones from the Atlantic to the
Plains and western Texas, and reported by Capt. Thorne from Montana ;
from southern Michigan south to the Gulf of Mexico ; resident nearly
throughout its range.

Nest. — Usually in woods, in holes in logs and rocks ; made of twigs,
grasses, and leaves, lined with feathers. Eggs : 3 to 6, white, pinkish, or
creamy, thickly speckled on or around larger end with reddish brown.
Food. — Insects.

GENUS THRYOMANES.1

General Characters. - - Wing less than 3 ; tail longer than wings, black-
ish, outer feathers tipped with white or gray ; white superciliary stripe
conspicuous.

KEY TO THRYOMANES.

1. Large, wing averaging 2.25.

2. Upper parts reddish brown. Texas cryptus, p, 447.

2'. Upper parts grayish brown. Texas to California.

leucogaster, p. 447.
1'. Smaller, wing averaging 2.00-2.07.

2. Bill averaging .50, upper parts dark sooty brown. California.

spilurus, p. 446.
2'. Bill averaging .54-.S6.

3. Upper parts dark, rich brown. Northwest coast region.

calophonus, p. 447.
3'. Upper parts grayish brown.

4. Under tail coverts heavily barred with black. Southern and

Lower California charienturus, p. 447.

4'. Colors paler, under tail coverts less heavily barred with black.
San Clemente Island leucophrys, p. 448.

719a. Throymanes bewickii spilurus (Vig.). VIGORS WREN.

Upper parts dark broicn, with a conspicuous u-hite superciliary ; tail with
middle feathers grayish brown, barred, only sightly contrasting with color
of back, outside feathers blackish, spotted and barred ; under parts gray,
sides and flanks tinged with brown. Length : wing 2, tail 1.96, exposed
culmen .50.

Distribution. — California west of Sierra Nevada and south to Santa
Cruz Island.

Nest. — Usually around buildings except in unsettled districts; bulky,
made largely of sticks and lined with feathers. Eggs : usually 5 to 7.

1 See Oberholser's " Revision of the Wrens of the Genus Thryomaues."' Proc. U. S.
XaL Mm. xxi. 421-450. 1898.

WRENS, THRASHERS, ETC.

447

white or pinkish, finely speckled or sprinkled on or around larger end with
reddish brown and lilac.

The beicickii group are strongly marked
wrens with their striking superciliary, light
spotty cornered tails, and melodious songs.
The song of the Vigors wren, when heard
in southern California with the Parkmaii,
though not so ebullient, is richer, sweeter,
more musical, and altogether of decidedly
superior quality.

Where there are houses, Thryomanes nests
like the house wrens in odd nooks and cor-
ners about buildings, but otherwise on
brushy hillsides and in such congenial
places. One Texan Bewick was found by
Mr. Bailey nesting in a tin can turned over Fis- 57'2- vi&ors Wren-
a fence post, the entrance being through an enlarged bullet hole.

719b. T. b. leucogaster (Baird). BAIRD WREN.

Upper parts pale grayish brown, tinged with rufous on rump ; middle tail

feathers brown, barred with black, rest of feathers mainly black, the three

outer pairs with grayish white tips ; superciliary white ; under parts

whitish, purer on throat ; under tail coverts heavily barred with black.

\Ving : 2.20, tail 2.23, bill .55.

Distribution. — Western Texas to southeastern California, and from
southern Nevada, Utah, and Coloi-ado south over tablelands of Mexico to
Zacatecas.

719C. T. b. cryptus Oberh. TEXAS BEWICK WREN.

Superciliary white ; upper parts rich warm brown, more rufous on rump ;
tail with middle feathers and bases of outer webs of all but outside pair
hair brown, barred with black ; rest of tail black, faintly barred with
lighter ; two outer pairs of feathers tipped with grayish white ; under
parts grayish. Wing: 2.25, tail 2.24, exposed culmen .55.

Distribution. — Texas, except extreme western corner ; Nuevo Leon and
Tamaulipas. Mexico, and probably Kansas, Indian Territory, and Okla-
homa ; migratory north of Texas.

719d. T. b. charienturus Oberh. SOUTHWEST BEWICK WREN.

Superciliary white ; upper parts grayish brown, slightly rufous on rump ;
tail black except for middle feathers which are hair brown, barred with
black, outside feathers tipped with gray, outer webs barred with dingy
white, rest of feathers tipped with brown ; under parts white or grayish ;
crissum heavily barred with black. Wing : 2.03, tail 2.02, exposed cul-
men .54.

Distribution. — Resident from Pasadena along the coast region of Cali-
fornia to Lower California ; Santa Catalina Island.

719e. T. b. calophonus Oberh. NORTHWEST BEWICK WREN.

Superciliary white ; iipper parts rich dark brown, slightly deeper on
head ; tail black, middle feathers sepia brown barred with black, the rest

448 WRENS, THRASHERS, ETC.

tipped with gray and barred with brown, outer pair barred toward end
with whitish ; under parts grayish white, lightest on throat, tinged with
brown on sides and flanks ; under tail coverts barred with black. Wing :
2.07, tail 2.03, exposed culmen .56.

Remarks. — Calophonus is most nearly allied to spilurus, but has a con-
spicuously larger bill and averages larger and darker.

Distribution. — Pacific slope from Oregon north to southern Vancouver
Island and the Fraser River valley. Resident probably throughout its
range, at least from Puget Sound southward.

719.1. Thryomanes leucophrys (Anthony}. SAN CLEMENTE
WREN.

Similar to charienturus, but paler, grayer above and on flanks ; under tail
coverts less heavily barred ; bill longer. Wing : 2.07, tail 2 ; bill .5(5.
Distribution. — San Clemente Island, California.

GENUS TROGLYODYTES.

General Characters. — Wing less than 3, about length of tail ; stretched
feet not reaching beyond end of tail ; inner toe united at base to middle
toe.

KEY TO ADULTS.

1. Upper parts brown. Pacific coast region . . . parkmanii. p. 448.
1'. Upper parts grayish brown. Western states except coast region.

aztecus, p. 449.

72 la. Troglodytes ae'don parkmanii (And.}. PARKMAN
WREN : PACIFIC HOUSE WREN.

Upper parts dull brown, all but head barred with blackish ; tail coverts

barred with black and whitish ; under parts
dingy, lightly barred. Length : 4.25-5.25, wing
2.02, tail 1.85, exposed culmen .49.

Distribution. — Pacific coast region from
British Columbia south to California.

Nest. --In holes in trees or about buildings,
made largely of twigs, lined with feathers.
Eggs : 5 to 7, pinkish white, thickly spotted
with reddish brown or brownish purple.

The house wrens are just ordinary birds,
with no striking marks and nothing musi-
cal or brilliant about their songs, but they

are such persistently jolly little songsters that their charm is quite
irresistible. Wherever you meet them they are always singing, be
it about house or barn, deserted cabin, or old sycamore. Ebullient
is the only word that expresses them. Their notes fairly tumble
over each other, they are poured out so fast. At times the little
musicians become ecstatic, and raise their quivering wings till they
almost meet over the back. Besides their song the wrens have an
anxious scolding chatter, and the mother bird a quieting krup-iip-
i.t p which she uses to soothe her brood.

Raising a brood is a protracted process with the wrens. With one

WRENS, THRASHERS, ETC. 449

family that I watched in southern California it was six weeks from
the time they began building In- fore the young left the nest.

721b. T. a. aztecus B<dr</. AZTEC WKEN.

lake par Jemanii, but grayish brown.

Distribution. -- Western United States except the Pacific coast, east to
the Mississippi Valley ; south to southern Mexico.

Azt:.e«s is the same jolly little songster as p<ii'l,-in<iinL clambering
over your tent and balancing the twigs he carries to his nest, saying
and doing the same things at 9000 feet in the coniferous forest of the
mountains of New Mexico as theParkman at sea-level in the hot val-
levs of southern California.

*

GENUS OLBIORCHILUS.

722a. Olbiorchilus hiemalis pacificus (Baird). WESTERN
WINTER WREN.

Tail less than three fourths as long- as wing ; outstretched feet reaching
far beyond its end. Upper parts dark brown, brighter on rump and upper
tail coverts ; wings, tail, and often back and rump
narrowly barred with blackish ; superciliary stripe,
throat, and breast, tawny ; belly and under tail coverts
barred; flanks darker. Length: 3.60-4.25, wing- 1. SO-
LDO, tail 1.20-1.35, exposed culmeii .40-.45.

Distribution. — Breeds on Pacific coast from Sitka south to southern
California and east to Idaho : ranges to western Mexico in winter.

Xest. — In coniferous woods in crevices of dead logs or stumps, made of
moss and lined with feathers. Eggs : 5 to 7. white or creamy, finely but
sparingly spotted with reddish brown.

Food. — Largely worms and small white grubs found in the bark of trees.

While the voluble house wrens are always coming to the front
singing with heads up and tails hanging, loudly publishing all
their affairs, the quiet little winter wrens, with heads peering down
and stubby tails cocked over their backs, are silently creeping over
the logs and investigating all the darkest cracks and crannies of the
fallen timber. In the redwood forests Mr. Bailey has found them
bobbing out from under old logs, diving into hollow stumps or brush
heaps, their somber color blending with the brown leaves, brown
bark, and brown wood. In the deeper shade of the darker nooks and
hollows they disappear entirely, droll Lilliputians making their homes
among the giant redwoods.

GENUS CISTOTHORUS.

General Characters. — Back streaked with black and white ; tail gradu-
ated for about half its length.

KEY TO ADULTS.

1. Bill as long as head.

'2. Bars on tail coverts indistinct or wanting. East of Rocky Mountains.

palustris, p. 450.
'1 ' . Bars on tail coverts distinct.

450 WRENS, THRASHERS, ETC.

3. Paler. East of Pacific coast region to Rocky Mountains.

plesius, p. 451.

o'. Darker. Pacific coast region paludicola, p. 450.

1'. Bill much shorter than head stellaris. p. 450.

Subgenus Cistothorus.

724. Cistothorus stellaris (Licht.). SHORT-BILLED MARSH WREN.
Bill much shorter than head ; plumage brown ; top of head as well as back

streaked with black and white ; upper tail coverts barred ; under parts
buffy or brownish, whiter on throat and belly. Length : 3.75-4.50, wing
1.72-1.90, tail 1.58-1.70, bill from nostril .24-.2S.

Distribution. --Breeds from Lake Winnipeg- (Norway House) southeast
to Georgia ; in the United States west to the Plains ; casually to Utah ;
winters in the south Atlantic and Gulf states.

^N est. — In tussock of reeds or coarse grass, the tops of which are woven
into a spherical nest with entrance on one side, lined with finer grasses
and sometimes vegetable down. Eggs : 6 to 8, pure white, unmarked.

At Provo, Utah, Mr. Honshu w found that the short-billed marsh
wren bred in the marshes.

Subgenus Telmatodytes.

725. Cistothorus palustris (Wils.). LONG-BILLED MARSH WREN.

Adults. — Like paludicola. but brown of upper parts averaging more
rusty, bars on middle tail feathers usually more indistinct or incomplete,
and bars on tail coverts usually indistinct or wanting-. Length : 4.25-5.50,
wing 1.80-2.12, tail 1.00-1.90, bill .55-.61. Young: top of head, nape, and
back dull black without white spots or streaks.

Distribution. — Breeds in Transition and Upper Sonoran zones from
Manitoba and Ontario south in the eastern United States ; west to the
Rocky Mountains ; winters locally from southern New England to the Gulf
states and eastern Mexico.

Nest. — Globular, with entrance on one side, attached to upright reeds in
marshes. Eggs : 5 to 9. chocolate, sometimes nearly uniform, but usually
sprinkled with a deeper shade.

725a. C. p. paludicola Baird. TULE WREN.

Top of head and triangular patch on middle of back black ; middle of
crown washed with brown ; back patch streaked with white; rest of back
light brown ; middle tail feathers and tail coverts generally distinctly and con-
tiintously barred icith black ; under parts soiled whitish, flanks brownish.
Length': 4.50-5.75. wing l.J»5-2.22. tail 1.80-2.05. bill .48-.55.

Distribution. -- Breeds in Pacific coast region from British Columbia to
California; south in winter to extreme northwestern Mexico.

Nest.--A large giobular structure fastened to tule stalks, and woven
of wet tule stems, with wet grass and algfe matted in, and with a lining of
dry alga? and tule pith. Eggs (1 set) : 5, lavender brown, clouded or mot-
tled.

Food. — Inse'cts.

The wrens of the marshes are as full of song as the house wrens,
and as they live in colonies where they all sinti>- at once their
swamps arc as noisy as a pond full of froirs. but their voices are

By courtesy of The Osprey

LONG-BILLED MARSH WREN

CREEPERS 451

most imt'rog-like, having the tinkling machine-made quality of a
music-box. <

Like the house wrens they sing all over, and sometimes as they
cling to a tule stem bend almost double, comically swaying from side
to side.

Their big globular nests make conspicuous objects hung on the
tule sterns, and a walk among them with the birds singing at you as
well as around you is an experience quite to a bird-lover's heart.

While the tule swamps are their breeding grounds, in fall and win-
ter they are found in weed patches and rank grass.

725c. C. p. plesius Oberh. INTERIOR TULE WREN.

Like palustris, but upper parts paler, under parts grayer, middle tail
feathers heavily barred, and upper and lower tail coverts barred ; paler and
more sharply barred than paludic.ola. Wing : 2.06, tail 1.S2, bill .50.

Distribution. — From British Columbia and Alberta east of the Pacific
coast district south to Mexico ; east to the Rocky Mountains and Texas :
breeds nearly throughout its range and winters from Oregon southward.

FAMILY CERTHIIDJE: CREEPERS.

GENUS CERTHIA.

General Characters. - - Bill slender, sharp, and
decurved ; tail rounded, equal to or longer than
wing, of rigid, sharp-pointed feathers ; tarsus
Fig. 575. scaled ; claws greatly curved, and sharp. Fig. 576.

KEY TO CERTHIA.

1. LTpper parts grayish. Rocky Mountains .... montaiia, p. 451.
1'. Upper parts brownish or dusky.

2. Upper parts rusty brown. Pacific coast from California to Sitka.

occidentalis.p. 452.
2'. Upper parts not rusty brown.

3. Upper parts dark brown. Arizona and southward.

albescens. p. 451.
3'. Upper parts dusky anteriorly. Sierra Nevada and Cascades.

zelotes. p. 452.

726a. Certhia familiaris albescens (Berlepsch). ' MEXICAN
CREEPER.

Upper parts dark brown, becoming deep rusty on rump ; under parts
brownish gray, white onlv on throat ; flanks dark rusty. Length : 4.80-
5.60, wing 2.55-2.60, tail 2.65, bill .TO-.73.

Distribution. — From southern Arizona south through Sierra Madre of
northwestern Mexico.

Nest. — Behind loosened bark or in similar openings, about stumps or
dead tree trunks, made of felted materials and feathers. Eggs : 5 to 9,
white, spotted chiefly on or around larger end with reddish brown.

Food. — Insects, and their eggs and larva?.

726b. C. f. montana Bidgw. ROCKY MOUNTAIN CREEPER.

Upper parts grayish, head and back streaked conspicuously with white ;
rump tawny. Wing : 2.56, tail 2.71. bill .75.

Distribution. — Rocky Mountains from New Mexico north to Alaska.

452 NUTHATCHES AND TITS

In the stillness of the high mountain forests your ear sometimes
catches the thin, finely drawn pipe of the brown -creeper, and if you
watch patiently on the dark-shaded boles of the lofty trees you
may discover the little dark-colored creature — seeming small and
weak in the great solemn fir forest --creeping up the trunks, exam-
ining the cracks with microscopic care as he goes. If he feels that
his work has not been done thoroughly enough, he drops back and
does it over again ; and when one tree has been gone over to his
satisfaction, he often flies obliquely down to the bottom of another
trunk and creeps patiently up that. On Mount Shasta, where the
firs are decorated with yellow moss, the Sierra creeper goes around
its pads when he comes to them, but works carefully over the
dark lichen-covered branches. Sometimes he lights upside down
on the under side of a branch, and clings like a fly, but with the
aid of his pointed tail well pressed against the bark. In New Mex-
ico, Mr. Batchelder has found the creepers eating more seeds than
insects.

726c. C. f. occidentalis Eidgw. CALIFORNIAN CREEPER.

Upper parts rusty broicn. brig-litest on rump ; superciliary and streaks

on head and back often tawny. Wing : 2.47. tail
2.45, bill .72.

Distribution. Pacific coast from Sitka to
Marin County. California.

Nest. — Behind bark of redwood or cedar. 3 to
5 feet from the ground, made of soft shredded bark, lined with feathers,
cocoons, and silk.

726d. C. f. zelotes Osgoocl. SIERRA CREEPER.

Upper parts dusky anteriorly, becoming- bright rusty on rump ; super-
ciliary, streaks on scapulars, and spots on primaries white ; throat and
breast pure white, sides and flanks tinged with brownish.

Re?narks. — The Sierra creeper is intermediate between the California
and Rocky Mountain creepers.

Distribution. — Cascade Mountains of Oregon and Sierra Nevada.

Nest. — As described by Barlow, under the bark of a dead pine, about
20 feet from the ground, made of cedar bark, mixed with a few feathers.
Eggs : 5, white, spotted with flakes and confluent blotches of reddish
brown, with shell markings of lavender.

FAMILY PARIDJE: NUTHATCHES AND TITS.

KEY TO GENERA

1. Tail much shorter tliau wing Sitta, p. 4">:!.

I'.Tail equal to or longer than \\ing.

2. Tail graduated for about half its length . . . Chamaea. p. 459.
2'. Tail graduated for much less than half its length.

3. Plumage compact Auriparus. p. 402.

3'. Plumage loose.

4. Length 4.00-4.50 Fsaltriparus, p. 400.

4 '.Length 4.50-0.00 Parus, p. 455.

NUTHATCHES AND TITS 453

GENUS SITTA.

General Characters. — Bill about as long- as head, compressed, slender,
aciite, tip inclined upward ; nostrils concealed by bristly tufts ; tongue
horny, barbed ; wings much longer than short, even tail ; tarsus shorter
than middle toe and claw ; toes all long, with long curved claws ; plumage
compact.

KEY TO SPECIES.

1. Side of head striped black and white .... caiiadensis, p. 454.
I'.Side of head not striped.

•2. Top of head grayish pygmaea, p. 454.

2 '.Top of head black. ^^^HI^K^'

3. Longest tertial with black patch pointed at tip. t-JJS^l' :' ;V .-

Fig. 578.

3 ' . Longest tertial with black oblong roimded at tip.

carolinensis. p. 453.

Fig. 579.

727. Sitta carolinensis Lath. WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH.*
Similar to IS. c. aculeata. but tertials light bluish gray, with sharply de-
fined oblong black patches, patch on outer web of
longest feather rounded at tip ; white of side of head
mixed with gray. Length: 5. 25-0. 15, wing 3.50-3.75,
tail 1.95-2.20, bill from extreme base .80-.90.

Distribution. — Resident from southern Canadian
provinces south through the eastern United States to
Georgia and west to the Rocky Mountains ; casually north to Hudson Bay.
Nest. — In holes of trees or stumps, made of soft felted materials and
feathers. Eggs : 5 to 8, white, spotted with reddish brown.
Food. — Insects, their eggs and larvae, and nuts.

727a. S. c. aculeata (Cass.). SLENDER-BILLED NUTHATCH.

Adult male. — Top of head and back of neck glossy blue black in sharp
contrast to clear white of sides of head and under parts ; back bluish
gray ; wings and tail marked with black and white, tertials dark or dull
bluish gray, with black patch along shaft of longest feather pointed at tip.
Adult female : top of head grayish. Length: 5.00-G. 10, wing 3.35-3.75,
tail 1.90-2.20, bill .80-.95, greatest depth of bill .13.

Distribution. --Breeds in Transition and Canadian zones of western
North America, east to the Plains and south to Mexico.

Nest. — In oaks, in natural cavities or old woodpecker holes, lined with
grass, moss, fur, hair, and feathers. Eggs: 5 to 7. creamy white, lightly
dotted with reddish brown and lilac, usually chiefly around larger end.

As you ride through the forest in the Transition and Canadian
zones of the western mountains, the unmistakable yang, yang, lienk' -
ah, henk'-ah, are frequently heard, together with the notes of king-
lets, mountain chickadees, and Audubon warblers, for the birds are

1 Sitta carolinensis neUoni Mearns. ROCKY MOUNTAIN NUTHATCH.

Dark and large ; bill large, maxilla convex rather than straight. Length : 5.95, wing
3.70, tail 2.17.

Distribution. — Wooded mountains of northern Chihuahua and Souora, Arizona, Ne-
vada, Colorado, and northward. (Proc. U. S. Xat. Mxs. xxiv. 9:23.)

454 NUTHATCHES AND TITS

sociable little creatures, and their flocks often join the ranks of other
small foresters. If you catch sight of a nuthatch on the side of a
tree trunk and he turns his head to look at you, you are struck by
his white neck patch. It can be seen from a distance, and becomes
a striking directive mark in the dark forest, being conspicuous when
the outlines of the bird's body are almost indistinguishable. In the
Sierra Nevada, when passing the birds on horseback, I have lost
sight of one I was watching till it turned its head, and then a spot
of white stood out against the dark bole of a tree, placing it in-
stantly.

Like the brown creepers the blue-gray nuthatches are tree-trunk
birds, but they do not hunt as systematically as the creepers, and are
as likely to be found hanging head down as up, while they walk
along under a branch as calmly as flies on a ceiling, though they
have no stiff pointed tails to aid them.

728. Sitta canadensis Linn. RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH.

Adult male. — Top of head glossy black, side of head with white super-
ciliary and black eye stripe; under parts reddish brown; back bluish gray;
wing's plain ;' tail with white patches on outer feathers.
Adult female : black of head replaced by bluish gray ; under
parts lighter reddish brown. Young : similar, but duller.
Length : 4.12-4.75, wing- 2.60-2.85, bill about .60.
Fig. 581. Distribution. — Breeds in Canadian zone of North. Amer-

ica ; in the United States in the higher mountain ranges ;
wintering south to the southern border of tbe United States.

Nest. — Described by Henshaw, in stub a few feet from the ground,
lined with fine shreds of pine bark. Eggs: 4 to 8, grayish white, thinly
spotted with red at larger end.

The red-breasted nuthatch is often found with the slender-billed
in the west.

730. Sitta pygmsea Vig. PYGMY NUTHATCH.

Adults. - • Top of head grayish brown or olive gray, nape usually white ;
rest of upper parts bluish gray ; tail with basal half of middle feathers
white ; eye stripe black ; chin white ; rest of under parts dull buffy. Young :
wing coverts usually more or less distinctly edged with pale buffy. Length :
3.80-4.55, wing about 2.60, bill .60-. 65.

Distribution. - - Breeds in Transition and Canadian zones from British
Columbia south to Mt. Orizaba, Mexico ; and from the Rocky Mts. to the
Pacific.

Nest. — In crevice of bark or holes in trees 20 or more feet from the
ground, lined with feathers, down, wool, and hair. Eggs : 6 to 9, white,
covered with red spots, most thickly about the larger end.

The nuthatches are all interesting, but there is a peculiar charm
about the little pygmy. In the Sierra Nevada aculeata and pygm&a
are sometimes seen together in the pines about camp. When you
see the slender-billed coming down the tree trunk over your head

PIGMY NUTHATCH

NUTHATCHES AND TITS l.">5

you look up and think, " What an alert, bright bird," hut when the
fluffy, bob-tailed little pygmies come trooping in and alight upside
down against the tips of the pine branches, talking in soft little
liquid notes, you feel like exclaiming, " Oh, you winsome little mites,
how jolly it is to see you again I "

A pair feeding nearly grown young were discovered by Mr. Bailey
in the Sierra Nevada toward the last of July. Their small nest hole
was widened from a crack in the hard shell of a half decayed pine,
where the digging was probably easy. The old birds came freely
with food, though Mr. Bailey stood at the foot of the tree, and when
the young came up to be fed their parents passed inside, and after
feeding sat a moment talking and fluttering their wings at the door.

GENUS PARUS.

General Characters. — Bill much shorter than head, curved ; wings and
tail about equal and rounded ; plumage loose.

KEY TO SPECIES.

1. Head crested.

2. Throat black wollweberi. p. 457-

2'. Throat not black.

3. Crest black or brown, contrasting1 with gray of back.

atricristatus. p. 455.
3'. Crest gray like back.

4. Upper parts dark brownish or olive gray. Pacific coast region

of California and Oregon inornatus, p. 450.

4 . Upper parts light gray. Colorado to Sierra Nevada.

griseus, p. 450.
1'. Head not crested.
2. Top of head brown.

3. Back brownish gray columbianus, p. 451 ».

3'. Back dark rufous.

4. Sides and flanks rufous rufescens. p. 459.

4'. Sides and flanks gray, faintly tinged with rufcrr.s.

neglectus, p. 459.
2'. Top of head black.

3. With white line over eye gambeli. p. 458.

3'. Without white line over eye.

4. Tail longer than wing. Rocky Mountain plateau.

septentrionalis. p. 457.
4'. Tail equal to or shorter than wing.

5. Sides gray like back sclateri. p. 45s.

5'. Sides not gray.

6. Sides buffy (whitish in summer). Eastern.

atricapillus, p. 457.
6'. Sides brown occidentalis, p. 458.

Subgenus Lophophanes.
Crested.

732. Parus atricristatus Cass. BLACK-CRESTED TITMOUSE.
Adults. -- Forehead white or smoky brown, crest black; rest of upper

456

NUTHATCHES AND TITS

parts plain gray ; under parts white. Young : usually with black of crest
mixed with ash ; upper parts slaty gray, washed with olive ; under parts
with sides washed with brown ; throat and middle of belly lighter. Length :
5-6, wing 2.70-3.05, tail 2.50-2.90.

Distribution. — From southeastern Texas west to El Paso, south to east-
ern Mexico.

Nest. — Often in old woodpecker holes, 4 to 12 feet from the ground,
made of wool, inner bark, and snake skin. Eggs : usually 6, white, flecked
with reddish brown.

In Uvalde, Texas, I have seen this little Mexican stranger singing
on the ridgepole of a village house. His black crest gave him a
jaunty, dressed-up air, but withal he was the same winning, fluffy,
domestic little body as the rest of his race. He sang a cheery abbre-
viation of the Peter-Pete)' of his United States relatives, — a Pete-
Pete-Pete-Pete. In the Chisos and Davis mountains, Mr. Bailey
found the black-crest one of the most abundant birds of the Upper
Sonoran zone, flying about conspicuously among the junipers, nut
pines, and scrub oaks.

733. Pai'US inornatus Gamb. PLAIN TITMOUSE.

Adults. — Plain, unmarked

\

upper parts brownish or olive gray ; under
parts gray, becoming whitish on belly.
Young : upper parts washed with brown ;
under parts ashy white. Length : 5.00-
5.(»0, wing 2.68-2.90, tail 2.20-2.60, bill
.38-.40.

Distribution. — Resident in Pacific coast
region of California and Oregon.

Nest. — In holes of trees or stumps,
made of soft felted materials and feath-
ers. Eggs : 6 to 8, plain white.

There is an indefinable charm about
the slow, clearly enunciated tu-whit,
tu-whit, tu-whit, that echoes through
the oaks, telling of the presence of the
plain titmouse. Its soft quaker garb
and quiet, gentle ways suit well with
the feeling of rest and content that comes under the sun-filled live-
oaks. There is a pleasant sense of mystery, too, till one has discovered
which particular knot-hole has been intrusted with the safe keeping
of the little bird's treasures ; and after the discovery there is an added
delight in watching them, for the titmouse parents are gentle lovers
and most attractive housebuilders.

733a. P. i. griseus Ridgw. GRAY TITMOUSE.

Similar to inornatiis. but lighter; upper parts light gray; under parts
whitish gray. Lwith : 5.7.W..10. wing 2.80-3.00, tail 2.40-2.70, bill .40-

.48.

NUTHATCHES AND TITS

457

Fig. 583.

Distribution. -- Resident from the Sierra Nevada to Colorado, and south
to New Mexico and Arizona.

734. Parus wollweberi (Bonap.}. BRIDLED TITMOUSE.
Adults. — Throat and crest black; crown patch gray; sides of head

white, marked or bridled with black ; back olive
gray ; under parts dingy whitish. Young : simi-
lar, but throat gray, except for black on chin :
head markings less defined. Length : 4.50-5.00.
wing 2.00-2.80, tail 2.40-2.155.

Distribution.-- Breeds in Upper Sonoran zone
from western Texas to southern Arizona and
southward to Orizaba, Mexico.

Nest. — As described by Scott, o| to 6 feet
from the ground in oaks, cavity lined with cot-
tonwood down, ferns, grasses, and cotton waste.
Eggs : 5 to 7. plain white.

The oddly marked little -irollweberi is an
eminently social bird, Mr. Henshaw tells us,
going about, except in the nesting season, in
flocks of twenty-five or more. It hunts for food largely in oaks,
passing along more quietly than other titmice.

Subgenus Parus.
Not crested.

735. Parus atricapillus Linn. CHICKADEE.

Adults. — Top of head and throat black; back ashy or olive grayish,
sometimes tinged with buffy ; sides buffy ; rest of under
parts white. Young : upper parts dark slate ; under parts
salmon color, faintest on breast. Length : 4.70-5.75. wing
2.55-2.75, tail 2.50-2.70.

Distribution. --Breeds in eastern North America north of
the Potomac and Ohio valleys and west to western Nebraska.
Recorded from Fort Sherman, Idaho.

Nest. — In holes in trees or stumps, made of moss. fur. hair, and some-
times feathers. Eggs : 4 to 8, white, spotted with reddish brown and lilac,
chiefly around larger end.

Food. — Injurious insects and their eggs, including tent-caterpillars,
cankerworms, and plant lice ; also seeds and small fruit.

At Fort Sherman, Idaho, the chickadee appears, strangely enough,
to be practically identical with the far removed eastern black-
capped.

735a. P. a. septentrionalis (Harris). LONG-TAILED CHICKADEE.

Like atricapillus. but paler ; throat, top of head, and nape black ; back
pale ash, tinged with brownish ; wings with white patch and edgings ; tail
feathers edged with white ; sides of head and under parts white ; sides and
flanks washed with pale buffy. Length: 4.75-6.00, wing 2.55-2.80, tail
2.55-3.00.

Distribution. — From British Columbia and Lake Winnipeg south over
the Rocky Mountain plateau region, and east to the Plains.

Fig. 584.

458 NUTHATCHES AND TITS

The long-tailed chickadee is common in the mountains of Montana,
and in Colorado breeds from 7000 to 10,000 feet, wintering, Prof.
Cooke says, on the plains and foothills, occasionally up to 8000 feet.
It is sometimes found with flocks of the mountain chickadee, and is
also common in willows along streams.

735b. P. a. occidentalis (Baird). OREGON CHICKADEE.

Top of head and back of neck glossy jet black, back dark gray, tinged
with olive brown ; sides of head clear white, in sharp contrast to black of
head and throat ; median under parts white, contrasting with tawny brown
sides. Length : 4.50-5.25, wing 2,35-2.60, tail 2.30-2.55.

Remarks. — The Oregon chickadee differs from the long-tailed in darker
coloration and shorter tail.

Distribution. — Northwest coast region from Sitka to northern Califor-
nia.

737. Par us sclateri Kleins. MEXICAN CHICKADEE.

Top of head and back of neck jet black, sides of head clear white ; black
of throat spreading fan-shaped over chest; median under parts white, con-
trasting with dark gray of sides. Length : 4.70-5.20, wing 2.60-2.80, tail
2.25-2.40.

Distribution. — Mountains of southern Arizona and Mexico to Orizaba.

738. Parus gambeli Ridgiv. MOUNTAIN CHICKADEE.

Throat and top of head jet black ; black of head broken by white super-
ciliary line ; sides of head white ; back gray ; median under parts grayish
white ; sides dark gray, tinged with light brown. Length : 5.00-5.75, wing
2.70-3.00, tail 2.40-2.60.

Distribution. — Breeds in Canadian and Transition zones of the moun-
tains throughout the western United States as far east as the eastern slope
of the Rocky Mountains, and from British Columbia south to Lower
California.

\i .<tf. — In an old woodpecker hole or natural cavity, 3 to 15 feet from the
ground, usually lined with rabbit fur. Eggs: 5 to 9, plain white or
spotted with reddish brown, chiefly around the larger end.

The whistles of the mountain chickadee are perhaps the com-
monest notes heard in the forests of the Sierra Nevada, In the
usual forms of the whistle either the one long note is followed by
two or three short notes — phce'-de-de or phce' -de-de-de, or else the
long note stands between the short notes, as de-de-phce,' -de-de.

Gambeli is a typical chickadee in all its motions, making short
tilting flights from one treetop to another, and clinging upside down
to the tips of the branches. It is an unsuspicious little friend, most
pleasant to meet in the dark coniferous forests, always ready with a
cheery word.

It makes a snug nest in some old woodpecker hole. The female
usually sits very close, Dr. Merrill says, and wrhen disturbed 'keeps
up a constant hissing so much like that of some snakes, that no
prudent squirrel would venture to enter the hole.'

MOUNTAIN CHICKADEE

NUTHATCHES AND TITS 4o9

740b. Parus hudsonicus columbianus Uhontla. COLUMBIAN
CHICKADEE.

Top of head hair brown ; back lighter brown ; side* of head irltitc ; throat
blackish; flanks dark reddish brown ; median under parts whitish. ]Vint/:
2.70, tail 2.C.4.

Distribution. — Rocky Mountains from Liard River south to Montana.

741. Parus rufescens Towns. CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEE.
Adults. — Throat blackish brown ; top of head and back of neck hair

brown ; superciliary black ; back, sides, and flanks dark reddish brown ;
rest of under parts and sides of head white. Young : top of head, back of
neck, and throat dark sooty brown ; back dull chestnut, tinged with olive ;
sides ashy, partly washed with brown. Length : 4.50-5.00, wing1 2.35-2.60,
tail 2.00-2.30.

Distribution. — From Alaska south to California, east to Idaho.

Nest. — In stub, 12 to 40 feet from the ground, lined with cow hair, rab-
bit fur, feathers, or moss. Eggs : white, unmarked or minutely spotted
with reddish.

At Cape Disappointment, Washington, Mr. Kobbe found the
chestnut-backed chickadees affecting preferably the more open
woods along roads and trails. They were very common all the year
around, especially during the rainy winters, when large flocks of
them could be seen scrambling about on the branches of the drip-
ping firs in search of insects. They were often found with Oregon
chickadees and golden-crowned kinglets. Their call-note Mr.
Kobbe gives as a lisping the-tJie-the-te-te.

Mr. Walter Fisher found the birds very abundant on Mt. St.
Helena in August and September.

74 la. P. r. neglectus Eidgw. CALIFORNIA CHICKADEE.

Similar to the chestnut-backed chickadee, but sides and flanks light
grayish, only lightly ting-ed with brown. Wing: 2.30-2.60, tail 2.00-2.20.

Distribution. — Coast of California, from Monterey northward.

GENUS CHAMJEA.

General Characters. — Plumage soft and loose ; lores and gape bristled ;
rounded wings much shorter than graduated tail ; bill much shorter than
head, stout ; nostrils naked.

KEY TO SPECIES.

1. Under parts dark ruddy brown. Coast region of Oregon and California.

phaea. p. 460.

1'. Under parts light pinkish or yellowish brown. California, except north-
west coast district fas data. p. 459.

742. Chamsea fasciata Gamb. PALLID WREN-TIT.*

Upper parts gray, tinged with olive or brown on posterior part ; tail

1 Chamcf a fasciata intermedia Grinnell.

Back and upper tail coverts sepia ; throat and breast cinnamon rufous.

Distribution. — Type locality, Palo Alto. California. (The Condor, ii. 86.)

460 NUTHATCHES AND TITS

long', graduated ; under parts fawn, buffy brown, or pinkish brown, more

or less obscurely streaked with dusky. Wing :

tail 3.41, bill .42.

Distribution. - - Resident in Upper Soiioran
zone from San Francisco Bay south to north-
ern Lower California.

Nest. — In low bushes, made of twigs and straws mixed with feathers.
Eggs : 3 to 5, plain pale greenish blue.

One of the most persistent of the pleasant memories of the cha-
parral-covered hills of California is that of the bell -like descending
keep-keep-keep-keep-keep-it, keep-it, keep-it, of the wren-tit. Scale-
bird he is well called because of it, for while the song has many
variations it always contains a descending scale. But though his
voice is continually ringing in your ears the wren-tit is a secretive,
mysterious bird like the chat, and you may hunt through the cha-
parral full many a merry day before you see him run his scale.
When you accidentally come face to face with him on his own
domains, he makes it appear such a casual meeting in a neighbor-
hood in which he has no interest, that the worldly wise observer is
fairly maddened with curiosity and desire to discover his nest.

The appearance and mannerisms of the birds stimulate this inter-
est. They are brown, with light yellow eyes, and long tails which
tilt up and down as they fly, and are often held up as they hunt in a
wren-like, careful way over the chaparral branches.

742a. C. f. phsea Osgood. COAST WREN-TIT.

Upper parts dark brown becoming sooty on head ; under parts dark
ruddy brown, indistinctly streaked with dusky.

Distribution. -- Resident in Transition zone on coast of Oregon and Cali-
fornia from Astoria to Nicasio.

GENUS PSALTRIPARUS.

General Characters. — Plumage loose ; bill much shorter than head ;
nostrils concealed ; wings rounded, shorter than long, graduated tail.

KEY TO SPECIES.

1. Top of head brown.

2. Top of head sooty brown. Pacific coast region, from northern Cali-
fornia to Washington minimus, p. 460.

2'. Top of head light brown. California, except northern coast district.

californicus, p. 461.
1'. Top of head gray.

2. Sides of head black lloydi, p. 462.

2'. Sides of head brown.

3. Head with blackish streak along side of occiput.

santaritae. p. 462.
3'. Head plain bluish gray , plumbeus, p. 462.

743. Psaltriparus minimus (Towns.). BUSH-TIT.

Top of head sooty brown ; back dark grayish brown or brownish gray ;

NUTHATCHES AND TITS

461

under parts smoky brownish on sides. Length : 4.00-4.50, wing 1.95, tail

2.20,

Distribution. - - Transition zone of the Pacific coast region from Wash-
ington to northern California.

Nest. — Hung- in thickets of ash
and willow, bulky, purse-shaped,
with entrance usually on one side
near top ; made of mosses, plant
fibers, lichens, and feathers. Eggs :
5 to 9. white, unmarked.

Food. - - Black olive scale and
other insect food.

In Golden Gate Park. San Fran-
cisco, while the white -crowned
and golden-crowned sparrows are
busy on the lawns, faint notes
come from the undergrowth,
which on investigation proves to
be astir with flocks of diminutive
bush-tits, though their gray coats
disguise them so well that unless
you look sharp the oak leaves
seem to be merely rustling in the
wind. When watched carefully
the little balls of feathers are seen Fig. 586.

to be busily looking for insect eggs quite after the fashion of their
larger chickadee cousins. Flitting from branch to branch they fly
up to light upside down on the underside of a bough, and then
without taking the trouble to turn right side up drop down back-
wards to catch upside down on the tip of another twig, where they
bend double over the terminal buds looking for food.

In southern California, where the California bush-tits breed very
abundantly, their long gray hanging nests are common objects as you
ride about among the oaks, so common that the birds, which might
well be overlooked but for their nests, are known familiarly as
' hang-birds.'

In a nest which came to grief, apparently pulled down by its own
weight, I counted over three hundred little feathers in addition to
a mass of fine gray moss and oak blossoms.

743a, P. m. californicus Ridgw. CALIFORNIA BUSH-TIT.

Similar to minimus, but lighter, top of head light broicn, contrasting
more sharply with light gray of back ; under parts light brownish. Length :
4.00-4.50, wing 1.85-2.10. tail 2.00-±;tt).

Distribution. — Breeds in Transition and Upper Sonoran zones of Cali-
fornia, except along the north coast.

Food. — Black scale, weevils, caterpillars, cocoons, insect eggs, bark
lice and large numbers of other injurious insects.

462 NUTHATCHES AND TITS

744. Psaltriparus plumbeus Baird. LEAD-COLOKED BUSH-TIT.

Upper parts plain bluish gray ; sides of head brown ; under parts grayish
white, faintly tinged with pale brownish on belly. Length: 4.12-4.00,
wing 2.00-2.15, tail 2.35-2.50.

Distribution. — Upper Sonoran and Transition zones from eastern Oregon
and western Wyoming to Arizona, and from western Texas to California.

Nest. - - In Chisos Mountains, Texas, 12 to 15 feet from ground, in a
nut pine, a greenish gray bag 0 or S inches long, made of lichens, oak
flowers, and catkins, woven with cocoon silk. Eggs : 4, white.

When we were working in the Guadalupe Mountains of Texas and
New Mexico, while the ant-eating woodpecker was calling and band-
tailed pigeons were flying noisily to water, our attention would often
be attracted by small voices in the brush, and presently a large flock
of the tiny lead-colored bush-tits would swarm in and pass from
juniper to juniper and pinon to pinon through camp, disappearing
as they came, full of small talk and business.

744.1. Psaltriparus santaritse Eidgw. SANTA RITA BUSH-TIT.

Similar toplupibeus, but smaller, sides of head paler brown, and with a
more or less distinct blackish line along sides of occiput.

Distribution. — Santa Rita Mountains, southern Arizona.

745. Psaltriparus lloydi Senn. LLOYD BUSH-TIT.

Upper parts gray ; sides of head and partial collar around back of head

black; under parts grayish, faintly washed with
pale brownish.

Distribution. -- Mountains of western Texas,
between the Pecos and Rio Grande rivers ; south
to northern Mexico.

GENUS AURIPARUS.

746. Auriparus flaviceps (Sund.). VERDIN.

Bill nearly straight ; plumage compact ; wings pointed, decidedly longer
than tail. Adult male: head, neck, and chest bright yellow; olive on
crown and sometimes orange on forehead ; shoulder patch reddish chest-
nut ; rest of upper parts gray ; under parts whitish. Adult female : sim-
ilar, but yellow restricted and duller. Young : without yellow or reddish
brown, aiid gray of upper parts tinged with brown. Length : 4.00-4.00. wing
1.1)0-2.12, tail 1.75-2.05.

Distribution. — Resident in Lower Sonoran zone from southern Texas to
the Pacific and from southern Utah and Nevada to Mexico and northern
Lower California.

Next. -- Bulky, globular, flask or retort-shaped, the entrance a small
round hole on one side ; composed of sticks, thorny twigs, and coarse grass
steins, lined with feathers and down; placed in thorny bushes or low trees.
Ei/(/s : :ito (i. bluish or greenish white, speckled, chiefly around larger
end, with reddish brown.

The vcrdin lives in the lower mesquitc valleys along the Rio Grande
and the Colorado, the Gila and the Pecos rivers, seeming to prefer
brushy valleys to open desert. It is an active little body, bobbing

KINGLETS, GNATCATCHERS, ETC. 463

about in the thorn bushes like a kinglet, scolding and sputtering
when you are near its nest. Very much of a stay-at-home little per-
son it is, too, sleeping all the winter nights in the old nests, relined
with feathers and hair, or in new ones built for the especial purpose.
It shows almost as much anxiety when its winter house is ap-
proached as if it contained eggs or young. Poke your finger into
the small round hole at the side of the nest early in the morning or
after sundown in January, and you will feel a flutter of feathers or
get a sharp peck on the fingers to teach you better manners. Even
in the breeding season the bird not engaged in incubation spends the
nights in a nest not far away, probably an old one used for eggs the
previous year.

The song of the verdiu seems even more out of proportion to his
inches than his nest, and on following it up you expect to find a
big warbler or sparrow instead of such a tiny bird.

I once saw a verdin pick a scarlet lysiuni berry, and with it
grasped firmly in one foot, his tarsus resting across a branch, eat the
juicy pulp from around the seeds with more ease and grace than a
hawk could boast in picking a sparrow. VERNON BAILEY.

FAMILY SYLVIIDJE: KINGLETS. GNATCATCHERS,

ETC.

KEY TO GENERA.

1. Tail graduated, marked with white Polioptila, p. 465.

1'. Tail emarginate, not marked with white .... Regulus, p. 463.

GENUS REGULUS.

General Characters. — Bill shorter than head, straight,
slender ; nostrils concealed ; wings pointed, longer than
emarginate tail ; tarsus slender, longer than middle toe and
claw, not scaled.

KEY TO SPECIES.

1. Crown marked with black and yellow.

2. Coloration duller satrapa, p. 463.

^'.Coloration brighter olivaceus, p. 4(i4.

1'. Crown not marked with black and yellow ; male with red crown patcb.

2. Upper parts grayish olive calendula, p. 4(54.

2'. Upper parts sooty olive grimielli. p. 4(5."i.

748. Regulus satrapa Licht. GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET.

Adult male. — Crown encircled anteriorly with black, bordered inside by
yellow, with a central orange patch ; rest of upper parts gray-
ish olive, more olive toward rump ; wings with two whitish
bands ; under parts dingy whitish. Adult female : similar,
but crown patch wholly yellow. Young : crown patch want-
ing and head markings obscured : breast washed with fawn Fig. 589.

464 KINGLETS, GNATCATCHERS, ETC.

color. Length : 3.15-4.55, wing- 2.10-2.25, tail 1.60-2.00, exposed culmen
.25-.30.

Distribution. — North America generally, breeding in Boreal zone forests
of the northern parts of the United States northward ; migrating- to
Guatemala.

Nest. — A ball-like mass of green moss attached to end of branch in
pine or fir ; lined with hair and feathers. Eggs : 5 to 10, white or buffy,
faintly specked, chiefly around larger end, with deeper buffy.

748a. R. S. olivaceus Baird. WESTERN GOLDEN-CROWNED
KINGLET.

Similar to satrapa, but brighter, crown colors sharper, upper parts
greener, and under parts more washed with buffy brown.

Distribution. — Pacific coast region of North America from California
northward ; migrates to Guatemala.

In the high Sierra one of the notes that you hear most frequently
from the impenetrable tops of the highest firs comes apparently
from this bit of a kinglet ; and as you crane your neck and strain
your eyes day after day and week after week in riding under the
trees in the vain attempt to see him do it, the rolling notes shape
themselves ungrammatically to your aggravated query, who-be'-you f
who-be'-you ? who-be'-you? The call-note of the little fellow seems to
be a thin ti-ti, quite different from the chatter of the ruby-crowned
kinglet.

749. Regulus calendula (Linn.). RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET.

Adult male. — Crown patch bright red ; upper parts grayish, brightening
to greenish on rump, and with greenish yellow edges to
feathers ; wings with two narrow whitish bands ; under parts
dingy whitish. Adult female and young : similar, but with-
out crown patch. Length : 3.75-4.60, wing 2.20-2.30, tail
1.85-1.90, bill from nostril .20-.22.
Distribution. — North America from the arctic coast to Guatemala ;
breeds in Boreal zone chiefly north of the United States, and in the Rocky
Mountains. Sierra Nevada, and mountains of Arizona ; migrates to Guate-
mala.

Nest. — Semi-pensile, bulkjT, made of shreds of bark, feathers, and
green moss, lined with hair and feathers ; attached to end of pine or
spruce branch, or placed in the top of a small tree, 10 to 20 feet from the
ground. Eggs : 5 to 9, whitish or buffy, faintly spotted, chiefly around
larger end, with light brown (sometimes nearly plain).

The scolding chatter of the ruby-crowned kinglet with the plump
little figure's lift of the wing, however far overhead, always tells an
unmistakable tale. The cheery, busy little chap brings his own wel-
come in the timber, chatting sociably as he hunts with microscopic
care over the twigs and nutters hummingbird-fashion under the
green sprays ; but when he sings you regard him with a new feel-
ing of wondering admiration, - - such a volume of song and such a
well-modulated, liquid, ringing melody!

KINGLETS, GNATCATCHERS, ETC.

465

749a. R. C. grinnelli IF. Palmer. SITKAN KINGLET.

Adult male. -- Similar to calendula, but smaller and darker; upper
parts sooty olive, darkening to blackish along- sides of vermilion crown
patch ; wing with dark parts nearly black ; throat and breast dusky gray ;
belly whitish, tinged with yellowish. Young male : rich brownish olive,
much darker than corresponding- calendula, and under parts brighter.
Wing: '2.11, tail 1.70, bill .16.

Distribution. — Sitka district. Alaska ; migrating south to California.

GENUS POLIOPTILA.

General Characters. — Bill shorter than head, broad and flat-
tened at base, narrowing to slender notched and hooked tip ; £^
nostrils exposed ; wings rounded ; tail graduated ; tarsus scaled ;
toes short, side ones only about half as long as tarsus. Fig. 591.

KEY TO SPECIES.

1. Outer tail feather with exposed portion entirely white.

2. Crown light bluish gray. From Colorado east.

caerulea. p. 405

Fig. 59'2.

2'. Crown dark bluish gray. Western Texas to California.

obscura, p. 466.
1'. Outer tail feather with exposed portion partly black.

:± 2. Outer tail feather with outer web entirely white.

plumbea, p. 466.

Fig. 593.

Fig. 594.

2'. Outer tail feather with outer web black, edged with
white. Southern California . californica. p. 466.

751. Polioptila caerulea (Linn.). BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER.

Adult male. — Upper parts bluish gray, brightest on crown, fading to
lighter on rump ; forehead and
line over eye black : tail black with
exposed part of outer feathers en-
tirely white ; under parts white
washed with bluish on sides.
Adult female and young : simi-
lar, but duller, and without black
on head ; young with upper parts
washed with cinnamon. Length :
4.05-5.50, wing 2.00-2.20. tail
2.05-2.20.

Distribution. — Breeds in Up-
per Sonoran zone in the eastern
and central United States west
to Colorado and western Texas ;
winters from the southern Atlan-
tic and Gulf states to Guatemala.
Cuba, and the Bahamas.

t. — In trees, cup-shaped, Fig. 595.

466 KINGLETS, GNATCATCHERS, ETC.

compact, made of leaves, feathers, and plant fibers, and decorated with
lichens. Eygs : 4 or 5, pale greenish white, spotted with reddish brown.
lilac, and slate, confluent around larger end.

The gnatcatchers are active, high-strung little sprites, never still a
minute, but going about whipping their tails from side to side, cock-
ing their heads over to look up or gaze down, and crying tsang',
tsang', here I am, here' I am, with nervous emphasis, talking to
themselves when no one is by. They are most entertaining birds to
watch, always saying or doing something original, jaunty individual
scraps, full of their quaint airs and graces.

With all their airs they are most painstaking, skillful builders, and
parents who know no fear, flying boldly at the big birds who molest
them and driving them oft' with good set blows.

75 la. P. C. obscura Eidgw. WESTERN GNATCATCHER.

Similar to ca>rulea, but darker, less blue above, and black superciliary
less distinct ; white on tail feathers more restricted.

Distribution. - - Western Texas and New Mexico to Arizona. California.
Lower California, and Mexico.

Nest. — As described by Nelson, in a bush 3 feet from the ground, made
of shreds of bark lined with finer shreds and feathers. Eggs : 4 or 5,
marked with reddish brown and purplish, most heavily around larger end.

752. Polioptila plumbea Baird. PLUMBEOUS GNATCATCHER.
Adult male. — Top of head glossy blue black, in sharp contrast to light

gray of back ; tail black, outer tail feather with
outer web entirely ichite. inner web tipped with
___<^^ white : under parts white, washed with bluish

"j,- 596 gray on sides. Adult female and young : simi-

lar. but without black on head, and gray of

back sometimes washed with brownish. Length : 4.25-4.60, wing 1.90-2.00.
tail 2.15-2.25.

Remarks. — The plumbeous and black-tailed gnatcatchers may be dis-
tinguished by the outer web of the outer tail feather, which in the black-
tailed is black edged with white ; in the plumbeous, wholly white.

Distribution. -- Breeds in Lower Sonoran zone from western Texas to the
eastern edge of the Mohave Desert ; south along eastern coast of Lower
California.

Nest. — One near Terlingua. Texas, in fouquiera bush, made of gray
fibers of wood and bark, wound with spider web, and lined with cactus
wool. Eggs : 2, pale blue, spotted with brown, most thickly around larger
end.

The small bluish figure of plumlx n is a familiar sight in the brushy
canyon mouths of the Guadalupe Mountains in Texas and in the
orchard-like juniper and piiion pine tops of the mountains.

753. Polioptila calif orilica Jln-H-st. BLACK-TAILED GNAT-

CATCH KR.

. \diilf intile. — Crown black : rest of upper parts dark gray ; tail black,
outer feather ivith outer web black edged irith ichite. and inner web narrowly

THRUSHES, SOLITAIRES, BLUEBIRDS, ETC. 467

tipped with white ; under parts gray, tinged with brown on lower belly.
Adult female: similar, but without black on head. Young: like female,
but with browner wash and black of adult male appearing gradually.
Length: 4.15-4.50. wing l.UO-2.00, tail l'. 15-2.25.

Distribution. — From southern California along the Pacific coast of Lower
California.

Nest. — As described by Anthony, in fork of a weed, "2^ feet from the
ground, made of shreds of weeds and grass stalks lined with rabbit hair.
Eggs : 4, bluish green, lightly spotted and wreathed around larger end with
reddish brown.

FAMILY TURDIDJE : THRUSHES, SOLITAIRES, BLUE-
BIRDS, ETC.

KEY TO GENERA.

1. Plumage largely or wholly blue Sialia. p. 475.

1'. Plumage largely gray or brown.

2. Under parts reddish or yellowish brown.

3. Chest with a dark band Ixoreus. p. 473.

3'. Chest without dark band Merula, p. 472.

2'. Under parts white, buffy, or grayish.

3. Tail white ba-sally. black terminally .... Saxicola, p. 475.
3'. Tail not white basally or black terminally.

4. Wings with two light bars .....". Myadestes. p. 4(37.
4'. Wings plain Hylocichla, p. 468.

GENUS MYADESTES.

754. Myadestes townsendii (Aud.). TOWNSEND SOLITAIRE.

Bill short, flattened, widened at base, deeply cleft ; legs weak ; tail
feathers tapering. Adults : brownish
gray, paler beneath ; wings with two
whitish wing bars, bases of primaries
and secondaries buffy or yellowish

brown ; tail feathers with outer web Fig. 597

and tip of inner web grayish white.

Young : wings and tail as in adult : rest of plumage, including wing cov-
erts, conspicuously spotted with buff. Length : 7.80-9.50, wing 4.35-4.85,
tail 4. 15-4.70.

Distribution. — Breeds in mountains mainly in Canadian zone from Brit-
ish Columbia south to Zacatecas. Mexico, and from the Black Hills to the
Pacific ; winters south to southern Arizona and northern Lower Califor-
nia.

Nest. — On the ground, on logs or stumps, on banks of streams or among
rocks, bulky, made largely of sticks and pine needles. Eggs : 3 to 0, whit-
ish, spotted with reddish brown.

The name Myadestes is associated with the choicest spots of the
mountain heights. In the Sierra Nevada we found the birds on their
nesting ground on the granite knob above Donner Pass, at 7900 feet.
They evidently had a nest somewhere along a steep, wooded stream
bed, which was flanked with bare granite, from which woodckucks
whistled and conies barked. But while nutcrackers, Richardson

468 THRUSHES, SOLITAIRES, BLUEBIRDS, ETC.

pewees, green-tailed chewinks, and mountain song sparrows made
themselves conspicuous, the pair of solitaires were too conscious of
intruders to give any information. The male, who suggested a meek
mockingbird, guarded the brook in an aggravatingly non-committal
way, perching on dead branches or flying to the ground, where he
ran over the rocks with the run-and-halt motion of a robin, or sat on
a stone quivering his wings slightly at his sides. His mate would
sometimes slip away from the nest and appear on a branch by his
side, and once I followed the pair over the boulders and up the cliff,
thinking they had gone to their nest in some other place, only to be
led back over the rocks to their little brook under the evergreens.
Then, as the setting sun lit up the tops of the hemlocks that stood by
the brook, turning their yellow lichen-covered branches to golden
arms, the solitaire, perched on a sunlit branch, sang a low evening-
song in the mellow light. At other times, and when not on guard,
the bird's song would fairly ring through the air. When given
freely it is a strong, clear song with a flavor all its own. Heard
from the tips of the highest trees on the crest of the range, as it so
often is, the song has the freshness and invigoration of the air from
the snow-banks, and is given with the strong freedom of the moun-
tain tops. In the rocky solitudes of the Garden of the Gods it is said
that the solitaire's voice is sometimes all that breaks the silence.

GENUS HYLOCICHLA.

General Characters. — Bill slender, but widened and flattened at base,
notched near end ; tarsus decidedly longer than middle toe and claw.

KEY TO SPECIES.

1. Sides as well as breast heavily spotted ; head golden brown. Eastern

United States musteliiia, p. 4<i'.».

1 '. Sides gray or brown, unspotted; head not golden brown.
'1. Eye without distinct lighter orbital ring.

3. Upper parts and cheeks dark gray. Migrant in Rocky Mountains.

aliciae, p. 409.
o'. Upper parts and cheeks light brown. Rocky Mountain region.

salicicola. p. 469.

'2 '. Eye with distinct white or buffy eje ring.
3. Chest marked with narrow triangular spots.

4. Upper parts olive brown. Pacific coast region.

ustulata, p. 470.

4 . Upper parts olive gray. Oregon and California, oedica. p. 470.
3'. Chest marked with wide triangular spots.
4. Tail rufous in sharp contrast to back.
5. Tail dark rufous ; length 0 to 7.

(». Lighter. Breeds mainly north of United States ; migrates

to Colorado and Texas guttata. p. 471.

('/.Darker. Breeds from Washington to Sierra Nevada; mi-
grates to Arizona and Mexico liana, p. 472.

THRUSHES, SOLITAIRES, BLUEBIRDS, ETC. 469

5 . Tail light rufous ; length 7.50-8.25. Rocky Mountain region.

auduboni. p. 471.
4'. Tail not sharply contrasted with hack.

5. Upper parts olive. Migrant in Colorado and Texas.

swaiiisoni, p. 470.
5 . Upper parts hair brown. Alaska and Rocky Mountains.

almae. p. 471.

755. Hylocichla mustelina (GmeL). WOOD THRUSH.

Adults. — Head and back of neck rusty or golden broicn. fading to olive on
rump and tail ; under parts white, marked
with large blackish wedge-shaped spots. .
Young : like adults, but feathers of crown "^^Ifekssi^ <.
streaked with buff ; wing- coverts tipped
with rusty yellow triangular spots : breast
washed with brownish yellow. Length :
7.50-8.25. wing 4.10-4.50, tail 3.00-3.30, exposed culmen .B2-.75.

Distribution. — Breeds in the Upper Sonoran and Transition zones of the
eastern central United States west to western Kansas ; migrates to Cuba
and Guatemala.

.Xest. — Usually saddled on a horizontal branch of a small tree, very
compact, composed partly of mud. Egys : 2 to 5. plain greenish blue.

Food. — Parti}' ants, beetles, millipeds, and berries.

756a. Hylocichla fuscescens salicicola Ridgw. WILLOW
THRUSH.

Upper parts uniform olive brown, chest pale buffy. marked with triangular
brown spots ; median under parts white, sides grav. Lenqth : 6.90-7.90,
wing 3.80-4.25. tail 2.95-3.40, bill .55-.60.

Distribution. — Breeds in Transition and Canadian zones from Hudson
Bay and British Columbia south through the Rocky Mountain region to
southern Colorado, east to the Dakotas and Newfoundland, and occa-
sionally to Illinois ; winters south to southern Brazil.

Nest. — On or near the ground, made largely of leaves. Eggs : 4, plain
greenish blue, very rarely with a few specks of brown.

Food. — Caterpillars, ants, and other insects, with wild berries and
fruit.

In Montana, Mr. Williams says, salicicola is the commonest and
most widely distributed of the thrushes, ranging from the lower
valleys to the foothills and canyons, but keeping near water in
thickets of willow, rose, or box elder, away from the heavy timber.
Its notes are the same as those of its eastern representative, the veery,
who has the curious bleating call, the quiet whistle ichee-ough, and
the tremulous beautiful song.

757. Hylocichla aliciee (Baird). GRAY-CHEEKED THRUSH.

Upper parts grayish olive ; sides of head gray ; chest buffy, with wedge-
shaped spots of brown ; median under parts white ; sides olive gray.
Length : 7.00-7.75, wing 3.75-4.40, tail 2.95-3.40, bill .45-.5S.

Remarks. — In general coloration the gray-cheeked resembles the olive-
backed, but it lacks the buffy eye ring and tawny wash on sides of head.

Distribution. — Breeds north of the United States from the arctic coast,
Siberia, and Alaska, southeast through Hudson Bay region to Labrador ;

470 THRUSHES, SOLITAIRES, BLUEBIRDS, ETC.

migrates through the United States west to the Rocky Mountains and
south to Costa Rica.

Nest. — In low bushes or on the ground, bulky, and compact, composed
largely of mosses. Eggs : 3 or 4, greenish blue, spotted with rusty
brown.

758. Hylocichla ustulata (Nutt.). RUSSET-BACKED THRUSH.

Upper parts olive brown, wings and tail often browner ; buffy eye ring
distinct ; sides of head tinged with tawny ; chest pale buff, whitish in
summer, marked with narrow triangular spots ; under parts white, sides
tinged with olive brown. Length : 6.90-7.60, wing 3.60-4.00, tail 2.80-
3.30, bill .50-.60.

Remarks. - - The ustulata group is distinguished by conspicuous buffy
eye ring and tawny or buffy cheeks ; and ustulata and its subspecies oedica
and almce are to be distinguished from swainsoni by their brown tails,
that of swainsoni being olive like the back.

Distribution. — Breeds in Boreal and Transition zones of the Pacific coast
reg-ion from Alaska to California ; winters in Lower California and from

O '

Mexico to Guatemala.

Nest. — In bushes or small trees, usually near water, bulky and compact,
made largely of mosses and shreds of bark. Eggs : 4 or 5, light greenish
blue, averaging decidedly paler than those of alicice, spotted with rusty
brown.

Food. — Ants, caterpillars, weevils, beetles, moths, and other insects,
with small fruit.

At Gray's Harbor, Washington, Mr. Lawrence says, the russet-
backed thrush is very common throughout the river-bottoms, and
common on the small prairies and in the timber. It comes about
the time the salmon berry bushes blossom, and goes when their
berries are gone.

758a. H. U. swainsoni (Cab.). OLIVE-BACKED THRUSH.

Upper parts uniform olive or grayish olive ; buffy eye ring conspicuous ;
sides of head buffy, marked with darker ; chest bright buff, marked with
wide blackish streaks : under parts white, sides olive brown. Length :
6.35-7.55, wing 3.80-4.10, tail 2.80-3.10, bill .50-.55.

Remarks. - The olive-backed is distinguished from the rest of the
ustulata group by having the tail of the same or nearly the same color as
the back, and by its darker and broader chest streaks. It is also distin-
guished from the gray-cheeked by its buffy cheeks and buffy eye ring.

Distribution. — Breeds in Canadian zone in eastern North America ;
migrates to Cuba and through Colorado and Texas, south to Guatemala
and South America.

Nest and eggs. — Like those of the russet-backed thrush.

Food. - - Among other things, caterpillars, rose hips, and the fruit of
smilax and hackberry.

758b. H. U. Oedica Oberh. MONTEREY THRUSH.

Similar to swainsoni, but olive of upper parts somewhat tinged with
brown, tail and tail coverts brown, and sides and flanks browner. Com-
pared with ustulata, adieu is much less rufous.

Distribution. - - Breeds from the interior of southern Oregon south
through California, except along the northern coast ; winters in Arizona
and Mexico.

THRUSHES, SOLITAIRES, BLUEBIRDS, ETC. 471

758c. H. U. almae Oberh. ALMA THRUSH.

Similar to sicainsoni, but g-rayer, especially on rump and upper tail cov-
erts ; the upper parts hair brown, only lightly tinged with green instead
of being1 clear olive, and the tail partly clear brown and partly uniform
with back.

Distribution. — Yukon Basin south to the Rocky Mountain region of the
United States, west to Utah and eastern Nevada ; in winter south to Mex-
ico.

759. Hylocichla guttata (Pallas). ALASKA HERMIT THRUSH.*

Upper parts dark grayish brown, more olive in winter, tail deep rufous;
chest thickly marked with broad, wedge-shaped spots. Length : 0-7, wing
3.25-0.80, tail 2.<>u-3.00, bill .45-.52.

Remarks. — The Alaska hermit thrush can be distinguished from the
Audubon hermit by its smaller size and darker coloration.

Distribution. — Northwest coast region from Alaska to southern British
Columbia, and southward in winter.

Nest. — On ground in damp or swampy woods, composed largely of dead
leaves and dried grasses. Eggs : 4 or 5. plain greenish blue, paler than
in the wood and willow thrushes.

Food. — Flies, weevils, ants, caterpillars, moths, pepper berries, and
small fruits.

The hermit thrushes have a marked habit of raising and lowering
their reddish tails, and their call-note is a single chuck. As a group
their songs rank as the best of the rare thrush songs.

769a. H. g. auduboni (Baird). AUDUBON HERMIT THRUSH.

Similar to guttata. but larger, and upper parts lighter, grayer, with rufous
of tail much lighter (fulvous). Length: 7.50-8.25, wing 0.65-4.35, tail
2.95-3.45, bill .53-.60.

Distribution. — Rocky Mountain region, from near the northern border
of the United States south to Guatemala ; east to Texas and west to the
mountains of Arizona and southern Sierra Nevada in California.

Nest. — In bushes or low trees, 3 to 10 feet from the ground ; partly
made with moss.

Food. — Flies, ants, weevils, and other insects and berries.

As you travel through the spire-pointed fir forests of the western
mountains, you know the thrush as a voice, a bell-like sublimated
voice, which, like the tolling of the Angelus, arrests toil and earthly
thought. Its phrases can be expressed in the words Mr. Burroughs
has given to the eastern hermit, 'Oh, spheral, sphered! oh, holy,
holy f and the first strain arouses emotions which the regularly fall-
ing cadences carry to a perfect close. The fine spirituality of the
song, its serene uplifting quality, make it fittingly associated with
nature's most exalted moods, and it is generally heard iu the solemn
stillness of sunrise, when the dark fir forest is tipped with gold, or

1 HylocicMa guttata slevini Grinnell. MONTEREY HERMIT THRUSH.

A pale ashy form ; upper parts hair brown ; upper tail coverts and tail Isabella color ;
spots on breast few and small.

Distribution. — Breeds in humid coast belt of California from southern Monterey
County to Sonoma County. (The Auk, xviii. 'J59.)

472 THRUSHES, SOLITAIRES, BLUEBIRDS, ETC.

in the hush of sunset, when the western sky is aglow and the deep
voice rises from its chantry in slow, soul -stirring cadences, high-up-
higli-np, look-up, look-up.

75 9 c. H. g. nana (And.}. DWARF HEKMIT THRUSH.

Like guttata, but color darker aiid richer ; upper parts brownish oliva-
ceous, tending- toward raw umber ; top of head and rump browner than
back ; upper tail coverts and tail burnt umber ; under parts more buffy
than in guttata. Wing : 3.25, tail 2.75, bill .50, tarsus 1.12.

Distribution. --Pacific coast region, from Washing-ton southward, breed-
ing1 south to Sierra Nevada region ; east in migrations to Nevada and Ari-
zona, and south to Lower California and western Mexico.

GENUS MERULA.1

"O

General Characters. — Bill slender and compressed,
notched near end ; nostrils wholly exposed ; tail more than
3 three times as long- as tarsus ; under parts spotted in
Fig. 599. young1.

KEY TO SPECIES.

1. Outer tail feather with distinct white spot at tip of inner web ; colors

darker migratoria, p. 472.

1'. Outer tail feather without distinct white tip to inner web ; colors paler.

propinqua, p. 472.

761. Merula migratoria (Linn.). ROBIN.

Like M. m. propinqua. but outer tail feather with a distinct white spot

at tip of inner web ;
anterior portion of
back usually some-
what clouded with
black in fully adult
birds. Length : 9-10,
wing- 4.90-5.40, tail
4. 10-4. 50, bill .S5-.92.
D i str ibution. —
Breeds from Alaska
and the arctic coasts
southeast through
Hudson Bay region
and the Rocky Moun-
tains to Kansas, Vir-
ginia, and the Atlan-

Fig. GOO.

tic coast ; winters from southern Canada southward.

Nest and eggs.-- Like those of M. in. propinqua.

Food. -- Crickets, grasshoppers, and other noxious insects, seeds, wild
fruit, and berries.

>s

76 la. M. m. propinqua Eidgw. WESTERN ROBIN.
Adults. - - Head, wings, and tail blackish ; rest of upper parts slaty

1 A specimen of Mr ml a con finis was taken by Mr. Emerson at Hay wards, Cal., in Janu-
ary, 1882. (Zoe, i. 4G.)

THRUSHES, SOLITAIRES, BLUEBIRDS, ETC. 473

gray, black of hind neck sharply contrasting with gray of anterior part of
back ; outer tail feather without distinct white tip, often with no white ;
throat black, streaked with white ; rest of under parts, except tail coverts,
rufous ; in female paler and duller. In winter : upper parts tinged with
brown ; under parts with feathers edged with white. Young : under parts
spotted ; upper parts streaked with white. Young in first winter : head
and neck brownish gray, like upper parts ; rufous of breast paler, more
olivaceous. Length: 10-11, wing 5.20-5.70, tail 3.80-4.70, bill .S5-. ',);">.

Distribution. — Breeds in Transition and Boreal zones in the western
United States from the eastern base of the Rocky Mountains to the
Pacific, and from British Columbia south to Lower California and Oaxaca,
Mexico.

Nest. — On prairies, on the ground, and. in timber, near the ground;
compact and bulky, made of leaves, stems, twigs, and grasses, plastered
together with mud, and lined with fine stems and rootlets. Eggs : usually
4, greenish blue.

Food. — Largely ants, caterpillars, grasshoppers, and the injurious large
black crickets ; also hackberry. mistletoe and pepper berries, and other
small fruit.

In the east the robin is the familiar bird of the dooryard, like the
mockingbird of the south, or the brown chippie, the house finch, and
the lark sparrow in parts of California. But in the west he nests in
the mountains or far north, and when seen in winter is shy and
nervous. Flocks are sometimes seen eating ivy berries in the ceme-
teries of San Francisco, but are so timid they hide in the brush in
great trepidation on the approach of man.

The robin song, one of the most familiar and best loved of the
east, is not often heard, but in southern California during the spring
migration I have seen flocks of twenty birds in an oak top singing
their soft evening song, and at Stanford I once heard a wonderful
robin chorus equal to the best daybreak chorus one hears in the
east.

In the Sierra as in the mountains of New Mexico and Arizona, in
both Transition and Canadian zones, the robins breed abundantly,
and as you pass are seen shaking their tails as they chirrup in their
old familiar way. In the neighborhood of Lake Tahoe we found
large numbers of them gathered in a field alive with grasshoppers,
and they were running about in all directions, tipping forward to
catch the insects in characteristic manner.

GENUS IXOREITS.
General Characters. — Like Merula, but bill not notched.

KEY TO FEMALES.

1. Browner, with white markings restricted. Sitkan district.

naevius, p. 473.
1'. Grayer, white markings more extensive. Interior Alaska.

meruloides. p. 474.

474 THRUSHES, SOLITAIRES, BLUEBIRDS, ETC.

763. Ixoreus nsevius (GW.). VARIED THRUSH.

Adult male. — Under parts bright rusty broivn, throat crossed by blackish
necklace ; belly mixed white and gray ; upper parts dark bluish slate,
feathers edged with lighter; wings banded and edged with brown; side
of head black, bordered above by brown streak. Adult female : similar,
but much duller ; upper parts washed with brown — deeper in winter —
and collar obscured by brown feathers. Young : like female, but duller ;
collar less distinct, and more or less spotted with yellowish brown ; feath-
ers of breast edged with dusky and those of upper parts with1 distinct
paler shaft streaks. Length : 9-10, wing 4.00-5.20, tail about o.GO-3.80,
bill about 1.

Distribution. — Breeds in Boreal zone along the Pacific coast from Ber-
ing Strait to Humboldt County, Cal. ; winters from Washington to Lower
California.

Nest. — Compact and bulky, in bushes and small trees. Eggs : 4. pale
greenish blue, sparingly speckled with brown.

Food. — Caterpillars, weevils, ants, millipeds, mast, and wild berries.

The varied thrushes reach California in November, and flocks of
the splendid beauties, with orange breast and dark necklace, may be
seen in winter in the arboretum at Stanford and other places where
California holly berries are to be found. The birds are also es-
pecially fond of manzanita berries. In Placer County, Mr. Wil-
liams says, they live on insect food in winter, and are extremely shy,
rarely leaving the dark, heavily wooded canyons or hillsides. In
Oregon, Mr. Anthony tells us they are timid on their first arrival,
but grow tame enough to visit the ranches. They leave California
in March, and at that time Dr. Mearns found them abundant and
tame at Fort Klamath, coming about the houses fearlessly in great
numbers.

Mr. Fuertes, in describing the song of the varied thrush as he
heard it in Alaska, says that it is " most unique and mysterious, and
may be heard in the deep still spruce forests for a great distance,
being very loud and wonderfully penetrating. It is a single long-
drawn note, uttered in several different keys, some of the high-
pitched ones with a strong vibrant trill. Each note grows out of
nothing, swells to a full tone, and then fades away to nothing until
one is carried away with the mysterious song. When heard near
by, as is seldom possible, the pure yet resonant quality of the note
makes one thrill with a strange feeling, and is as perfectly the voice
of the cool, dark, peaceful solitude which the bird chooses for its
home as could be imagined. The hermit thrush himself is no more
serene than this wild dweller in the western spruce forests."

763a. I. n. meruloides (Swains.}. PALE VARIED THRUSH.

Adnlt fat/all . — Siniihir to female ncevius, but grayer and paler, white
markings more extended, wing longer, more pointed.

Distribution. -- Breeds in interior of northern Alaska; migrates to south-
ern California.

VARIED THRUSH

THRUSHES, SOLITAIRES, BLUEBIRDS, ETC. 475

GENUS SAXICOLA.

765. Saxicola cenanthe (Linn.). WHEATEAR.

Adult male. — Upper parts ash gray ; wings and terminal third of tail
black ; basal two thirds of tail, except, middle feathers, white ; forehead,
superciliary, and upper tail coverts, white ; side of head with black stripe ;
under parts butt'y anteriorly, white posteriorly. Adult female : duller,
black replaced by dusky. Winter plumage : upper parts brown; white on
tail as in summer ; wings with lighter edgings ; under parts rusty buff ;
side of head without distinct streak. Young : like female, but feathers
with dark bars and pale centers at tip. Hale: wing 3.58-3.98. Female:
wing 3.54-3.90.

Distribution. — Breeds in Alaska ; migrates to Asia; accidental in Col-
orado.

Nest. — Among rocks and stone walls, made of grasses, lined with feath-
ers. Eggs : 3 to 0, pale greenish blue.

A specimen of the wheatear was taken at Boulder, Colorado, by
Miuot, in 1880.

GENUS SIALIA.

General Characters. — Bill not more than half as long as head, notched
near tip ; feet short and stout ; tarsus not longer than middle toe ; side
toes unequal ; claws strongly curved.

KEY TO ADULT MALES.

1. Under parts without blue.

2. Sides of neck blue. Rocky Mountains to Atlantic . sialis. p. 475.
2'. Sides of neck brown. Southern Arizona . . . . azurea. p. 470.
1'. Under parts with blue.

2. Under parts wholly blue and white arctica, p. 470.

2'. Under parts blue and brown.

3. Back wholly chestnut bairdi, p. 470.

3'. Back blue in middle, chestnut on sides . occideiitalis. p. 470.

766. Sialia sialis (Linn.). BLUEBIRD.

Adult male. — Upper parts bright blue ; under parts reddish brown,
fading to white on belly. In winter,
feathers of back bordered with brown.
Adult female : upper parts gray, deep-
ening to blue on rump, wings, and
tail ; under parts dull brown, becom-
ing whitish on belly. Young : upper
parts dark gray, streaked with white ;
under parts gray, spotted with white.
Male: length 5.70-7.00. wing. 3.00-
4.15, tail 2.00-2.90, bill .G2-.07. Fe-
male: wing 3.80-3.90, tail 2.50-2.00.

Distribution. — Breeds in Transition
and Upper Sonoran zones from Mani-
toba and Ontario south to Gulf of „ cr
Mexico, and from the Atlantic to the

Rocky Mountains ; winters from the middle states to the Gulf states and
Cuba.

/ . ;

476 THRUSHES, SOLITAIRES, BLUEBIRDS, ETC.

Nest. — In holes in trees, stumps, posts, or bird-boxes ; made largely of
dried grasses. Eggs : 4 to 7, plain pale greenish blue.

Food. — Largely caterpillars, grasshoppers, and crickets ; also wild ber-
ries, like hackberry and woodbine.

The eastern bluebird ranges west to the base of the Rocky Moun-
tains, being a rare summer resident in Colorado.

766a. S. S. azurea Baird. AZURE BLUEBIRD.

Similar to sialis, but sides of neck brown, and under parts less ruddy
brown ; upper parts sometimes greenish blue, suggesting arciica. Length :
6.40-7.10. Male: wing 4.05-4.20, tail 2.70-2.95, biir.47-.50. Female:
wing 3.90, tail 2.55.

Distribution. — Southern Arizona and Mexico.

767. Sialia mexicana occidentalis (Towns.). WESTERN BLUE-

BIRD.

Adult male. — Upper parts dark purplish blue and chestnut ; throat pur-
plish blue ; breast dark rufous ; rest of under parts mixed brown, dull
purplish and gray. Adult female : head, neck, and upper parts gray, washed
with brown on back; rump and tail bright blue; outside tail feathers
edged with white. Youny : like young of sialis, but bill slenderer. Male :
length 6.50-7.12, wing 3.95-4.45, tail 2.62-3.05, bill .45-.50. Female:
wing about 4, tail 2.50.

Distribution. — Breeds in Transition zone of the Pacific coast, from Brit-
ish Columbia to California, and east to western Nevada and Idaho ; casu-
ally during migrations to New Mexico.

Nest . — In woodpecker hole high in a pine or other tree. Eggs : ( I set)
('). pale blue.

Food. — Largely caterpillars ; also crickets, weevils, ants, moths, locusts,
and grapes in winter months when insect food is less abundant.

The western bluebird is often seen on roadside fences from which
it flies down to pick up insects. In the pine woods it sits close to the
tree trunks on short broken-off branches. It has the soft warble of
its kind, and the delicate bluebird way of lifting the wings while
perching.

76 7 a. S. m. bairdi Eidgw. CHESTNUT-BACKED BLUEBIRD.

Similar to occidentalis. but back wholly chestnut.

Distribution. - - Transition and Canadian zones of the Rocky Mountain
district, south to Arizona, Texas, and northwestern Mexico.

Food. — Partly grasshoppers, weevils, crickets, and sumac berries.

The chestnut-backed bluebird extends east as far as Pueblo, Colo-
rado, during migration, and breeds from the base of the foothills
up to 9500 feet.

768. Sialia arctica Swains. MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD.

. \dult mali.-- Upper parts light purplish blue or greenish blue; under
parts pale greenish blue. In winter color dulled by dull brownish tips to
feathers above and below. Adult female : upper parts brownish gray, wings
and tail bright blue; under parts fawn color, with blue showing through.

THRUSHES, SOLITAIRES, BLUEBIRDS, ETC. 477

Young: brownish or grayish, streaked with white; wings and tail blue.
Male: length ti.r>0-7.l>0, 'wing 4.00-4.80. tail :5.00-o.l5. Female: length
7.00-7.20, wing about 4.2"). tail L'.75-iM)0.

Distribution. — Breeds in Boreal zone, chiefly in the interior from Great
Slave Lake south to New Mexico, and from the western part of the Plains
to the Pacific.

Uest. - - In old woodpecker hole ; among rocks or about houses. Eggs :
•3 to 7, pale greenish blue.

Food. — Largely crickets, also cicadas, grasshoppers, ants, weevils, and,
in winter, unpicked grapes and seeds of mistletoe and hackberry.

The exquisite coloring of the arctic bluebird makes it seem the
gentlest, most beautiful of all the lovely bluebirds.

In the Sierra Nevada in August, families of young are common
in the Murray pine meadows. The birds hunt largely in the open,
and are in the habit of hovering a few feet from the ground as they
look about for insects. In Colorado, Prof. Cooke says, the birds
wander up above timberliue to at least 13,000 feet.

APPENDIX.

FOR the use of beginners who do not collect and have not access to
collections of skins, and who may consequently find the technical keys
difficult, the following color key has heen made to the more conspicuous
birds one meets in the field. Its use by any one who has skins to consult
is earnestly deprecated, as it is much better to work a little harder and
learn more — to begin at the beginning, with ' Keys to Orders.' and follow
through to the species, so learning something of the classification of birds,
something of their fundamental relations, rather than to find their mere
names arbitrarily by the use of purely superficial characters.

FIELD COLOR KEY TO GENERA OF SOME OF THE
COMMON PASSERINE BIRDS.

(All birds preceding the Order Passeres are omitted, including all the
water birds, grouse, quail, turkeys, doves, hawks, owls, cuckoos, kingfish-
ers, woodpeckers, goatsuckers, swifts, and hummingbirds.)

ADULT MALES IN BREEDING PLUMAGE.

BIRDS WITH PLUMAGE PARTLY OR WHOLLY

I. BLACK. IV. BLUE.

II. YELLOW. V. GREEN.

III. RED. VI. BROWN OR GRAY.

I. BIRDS WITH BLACK IN PLUMAGE.

1. Phimage mainly or wholly black.

2. AVholly black (with more or less gloss).

3. Length about 16-20 . CROWS AND RAVENS ; see Corviis. p. 279.
3'. Length about 8.20-13.50.

4. Tail even, not folded laterally.

BREWER AND RUSTY BLACKBIRDS; see Scolecophagus, p. 299.
4'. Tail graduated, folded laterally.

GRACKLES; see Quiscalus. p. 301.
2'. Mainly black.

3. Under parts largely white.

480 APPENDIX

4. Wings and tail metallic .... MAGPIES ; see Pica, p. 269.
4'. Wings and tail not metallic.

5. Sides brown . . . (part of) TOWHEES ; see Pipilo, p. 363.
5'. Sides not brown.

6. Sides pinkish or buffy . (part of) JUNCOS ; see Junco, p. 345.
6'. Sides white like belly.

BLACK PHCEBES ; see Sayornis, p. 254.
3'. Under parts not white.

4. Head yellow or brown, in contrast to black body.

5. Head yellow . . . YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD, p. 288.

5'. Head brown COWBIRDS ; see Molothrus, p. 287.

4'. Head partly or wholly black like body.

5. Back of head whitish or buffy brown . , BOBOLINK, p. 286.
5'. Head wholly black.

6. Wings conspicuously marked with red.

RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS; see Agelaius, p. 289.
6'. Wings conspicuously marked with white.

7. Crested ; white patch on quills . PHAINOPEPLA, p. 390.
7 . Not crested ; white patch on coverts.

LAKK BUNTING, p. 377.
1'. Plumage not mainly or wholly black.
2. Under parts partly or wholly yellow.

3. Head and neck red LOUISIANA TANAGER, p. 379.

3'. Head and neck not red.

4. Back streaked on brownish or grayish.
5. Chest with black patch or crescent.

6. Under parts deep yellow, except for black crescent.

MEADOWLARKS ; see Sturnella, p. 292.
6'. Under parts mainly or partly white.

7. Under parts white or pale yellow, except for black chest
patch ; wings without brown patch.

HORNED LARKS, see Otocoris, p. 266.
7. Breast bright yellow; throat patch black; Avings with

brown patches DICKCISSEL, p. 377.

5'. Chest without black crescent, under parts black, white, and

yellow AUDUBON WARBLER, p. 413.

4'. Back not streaked on brownish or grayish.
5. Head and breast gray ; tail black.

ARKANSAS AND CASSIN KINGBIRDS ; see Tyrannus, pp.

248. 249.

5'. Head and breast not gray ; tail not always black.
6. Plumage largely black and brown.

BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK, p. 372.

6 . Plumage almost wholly black and yellow or olive green.
7. Wholly yellow or olive green, except for black on head.
8. Head with black cap . PILEOLATED WARBLER, p. 428.
8'. Head with black patch on sides of face.

YELLOW-THROATS ; see Geothlypis. p. 424.
7 . Wings and tail, if not back, as well as crown, black.
8. Length about '4.50-5.40.

GOLDFINCHES ; see Astragalinus, p. 319.
8'. Length about 6.50-10.00.

9. Bill long and slender . ORIOLES; see Icterus, p. 293.
'.)'. Bill short and thick.

WESTERN EVENING GROSBEAK, p. 307.

APPENDIX 481

"2" . Under parts without yellow.
3. Upper parts brown, streaked.

4. Crown striped black and white ; under parts gray or white.

CHOWN SPARROWS ; see Zonotrichia, p. 337.
4'. Crown black ; chest black.

LAPLAND LONGSPUR ; see Calcarius, p. 325.
3'. Upper parts not brown streaked.
4. Throat with black patch.
5. Back streaked with black.

BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER, p. 418.
5'. Back not streaked.

6. Black of throat extending' over chest.

BLACK-THROATED SPARROWS ; see Amphispiza, p. 350.
6'. Black of throat not extending1 over chest.

CHICKADEES : see Parus, p. 455.
4'. Throat without black patch.

5. Tail forked, plumage marked with salmon or red.

SCISSOR-TAILED FLYCATCHER, p. 246.

5'. Tail not forked, plumage not marked with salmon or red.
6. Back blue black or bluish gray ; length 4-6.
7. Back blue black : throat chestnut.

CLIFF SWALLOW, p. 384.
7'. Back bluish gray.

8. Tail extremely short . NUTHATCHES ; see Sitta, p. 453.
8'. Tail long . . GNATCATCHERS ; see Polioptila, p. 465.
6'. Back gray, brownish gray, or ash gray ; length 8-13.
7. Tail mainly black or white ; back of head gray.
8. Tail mainly white ; length about 12-13.

NUTCRACKER, p. 282.

8'. Tail mainly or wholly black ; length about 7.50-10.75.
9. Belly brown ....... SAY PHOEBE, p. 255.

9 . Belly gray or white . SHRIKES ; see Lanius, p. 391.
7'. Tail mainly gray ; back of head black.

OREGON AND ROCKY MOUNTAIN JAYS ; see Perisoreus,
p. 277.

II. BIRDS WITH YELLOW IN PLUMAGE.

1. Under parts mainly or wholly yellow.

2. Upper parts streaked . . . MEADOWLARKS ; see Sturnella. p. 292.
2 •'. Upper parts not streaked.

3. Plumage yellow and green, without gray or black.

YELLOW WARBLERS ; see Dendroica, p. 407.
3'. Plumage with gray or black.
4. Length about 0.50-10.50.

5. Head and neck red, yellow, black, or yellow and black.

6. Head and neck red .... LOUISIANA TANAGER, p. 379.
6'. Head and neck black, or yellow and black.
7. Upper parts olive green, lores black.

LONG-TAILED CHAT, p. 426.
7 • Upper parts black and yellow.

ORIOLES ; see Icterus, p. 293.
5'. Head and neck gray.

6. Wings and tail marked with rufous.

CRESTED FLYCATCHERS ; see Myiarchus, p. 251.

482 APPENDIX

6' Wings and tail not marked with rufous.
CASSIN AND ARKANSAS KINGBIRDS; see Tyrannus, pp. 248, 240.
4'. Length about 4.00-5.40.
5. Wings and tail black.

GOLDFINCHES; see Astragalinus, p. 319.
5'. Wings and tail green.

6. Crown black PILEOLATED WARBLER, p. 428.

6'. Patches on sides of face black.

YELLOW-THROATS ; see Geothlypis, p. 424.
1'. Under parts not mainly or wholly yellow.
2. Upper parts largely black.

3. Head and neck yellow ; under parts black and yellow.

YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD, p. 288.
3'. Head and neck black ; under parts brown and yellow.

BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK, p. 372.
2'. Upper parts not largely, if at all, black.
3. Head and neck yellow or slate gray.

4. Head and neck yellow ; wings with chestnut patches.

VKRDIN, p. 462.
4'. Head and neck slate gray ; wings without chestnut.

MACGILLIVRAT WARBLER, p. 424.
3'. Head and neck not yellow or slate gray.

4. Head with black, yellow, and red crown patch.

GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLETS, p. 463.
4'. Head without crown patch.

5. Head with black horn-like appendages, throat yellow, tail
black, edged with white.

(part of) HORNED LARKS ; see Otocoris, p. 266.
5'. Head without horn-like appendages ; throat not yellow ; tail
with yellow terminal baud.

WAX WINGS; see Ampdis.-p. 387.

III. BIRDS WITH RED OR PINK IN PLUMAGE.

1 . Under parts mainly or wholly red or pink.
2. Upper parts largely reddish or pinkish.

3. Bill crossed CROSSBILLS; see Loxia. p. 313.

3'. Bill not crossed.

4. Head crested CARDINALS ; see Cardinalis, p. 369.

4'. Head not crested.
5. Bill thick and short.
6. Length about 5.50-7.00.

PURPLE FINCHES ; see Carpodacus, p. 309.
6'. Length about 8-9.

PINE GROSBEAKS; see Puu'rola. p. .'ins.

5'. Bill not short and thick . TANAGERS : see Piranga, p. 379.
2'. Upper parts not largely reddish or pinkish.

Head purplish blue NONPAREIL, p. 376.

3'. Head red VEHMILION FLYCATCHER, p. 204.

1 . Under parts not mainly red or pink.
2. Plumage strikingly colored.

3. Plumage salmon or pink, black, and white.

4. Tail forked SCISSOR-TAILED FLYCATCHER, p. 246.

4'. Tail not forked.

5. Under parts white, with rose patch.

ROSE-BREASTED GKOSUKAK. p. 372.

APPENDIX 483

"/.Under parts black, white, and salmon or red.

REDSTART, p. 429.

3 . Plumage black or brown, marked with red or rose color.
4. Body black, with red wing' coverts.

RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS ; see Agelaius, p. 289.
4'. Body brownish, with rose on under parts.

PYRRHULOXIAS ; see Pyrrhuloxia, p. 37<>.
2'. Plumage not strikingly colored.
3. Crown with red, yellow, and black.

GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET, p. 403.
8'. Crown with concealed red patch.

4. Rest of plumage wholly black, slate gray, and white.

KINGBIRD, p. 247.
4'. Rest of plumage not wholly black and white.

5. Upper parts olive green ; under parts dull whitish.

KINGLETS ; see Reyulus. p. 403.
•">'. Upper parts grayish ; under parts gray and yellow.

ARKANSAS AND CASSIN FLYCATCHERS ; see Tyrannus,
p. 247.

IV. BIRDS WITH BLUE IN PLUMAGE.

1. Upper parts glossy steel blue.

2. Tail forked for about half its length . . BARN SWALLOW, p. 384.
2'. Tail forked for much less than half its length.

PURPLE MARTINS ; see Progne, p. 383.
1 '. Upper parts not glossy steel blue.
2. Length about 11.00-13.75.

3. Crested STELLER JAYS ; see Cyanocitta, p. 271.

3'. Xot crested.

4. Plumage blue and gray or white.

CALIFORNIA AND WOODHOUSE JAYS ; see Aphelocoma, p. 274.
4'. Plumage uniform grayish blue .... PINON JAY, p. 284.
2'. Length about 4.25-8.00.

3. Bill long and slender .... BLUEBIRDS ; see Sialia, p. 475.
3'. Bill short and thick.

4. Under parts red or partly brownish.

5. Under parts bright red, head purplish blue, back green.

NONPAREIL, p. 376.
5'. Under parts blue, white, and brown, head and back blue.

LAZULI BUNTING, p. 375.
4'. Under parts dark blue like upper parts.
5. Wings with brown patches ; length 7-8.

WESTERN BLUE GROSBEAK, p. 373.
5'. Wings without brown patches ; length 4.75-5.75.

INDIGO BUNTING, p. 374.

V. BIRDS WITH GREEN IN PLUMAGE.

1. Plumage green and yellow, marked with black.
2. Wings and tail black.
3. Length about 4.00-4.50.

(part of) GOLDFINCHES ; see Astragalinus, p. 319.
3'. Length about 7.00-8.50 . WESTERN EVENING GROSBEAK, p. 307.
2 . Wings and tail not black.

484 APPENDIX

3. Head and neck gray . . . MACGILLIVRAY WARBLER, p. 424.
3'. Head and neck yellow, marked with black.

4. Crown black PILEOLATED WARBLER, p. 428.

4'. Crown not black.

5. Face with black lores . . . LONG-TAILED CHAT, p. 426.
5'. Face with black side patches.

YELLOW-THROATS ; see Geothlypis, p. 424.
1'. Plumage not green and yellow marked with black.
2. Head with crown patch.

3. Crown patch bright red, or red, yellow, and black.

KINGLETS ; see Regulus, p. 463.

3'. Crown patch reddish brown . . GREEN-TAILED TOWHEE, p. 368.
2'. Head without crown patch.

3. Under parts red, head purplish blue, back glossy green.

NONPAREIL, p. 376.

3'. Under parts yellowish or whitish ; head and back mainly green or
gray VIREOS ; see Vireo, p. 394.

VI. BIRDS WITH PLUMAGE LARGELY BROWN OR
GRAY.

1. Back streaked.

2. Crown bright reddish brown or black.
3. Crown black.

4. Back streaked with white.

MARSH WRENS ; see Cistothorus, p. 449.

4'. Back streaked with black .... HARRIS SPARROW, p. 337.
3'. Crown bright reddish brown.

WESTERN CHIPPING SPARROW, p. 342.
2'. Crown not reddish brown or black.
3. Top of head streaked.

4. Head and back uniform ; tail feathers wholly brown, sharp

pointed CREEPERS ; see Certhia, p. 451.

4'. Head and back not uniform; tail feathers marked with white.

not sharp pointed LARK SPARROW, p. 330.

3'. Top of head not streaked.

4. Under parts heavily spotted ; outer tail feathers not white.

CACTUS WRENS ; see Heleodytes, p. 442.
4'. Under parts more or less streaked; outer tail feathers marked

with white PIPITS; see ^inthus, p. 431.

1'. Back not streaked.

2. Under parts reddish or orange or more or less spotted.
3. Under parts reddish or orange.

4. Chest with dark necklace . VARIED THRUSHES; seelxoreus,p. 473.
4'. Chest without dark necklace . . ROBINS ; see Merula, p. 472.
3'. Under parts not reddish or orange.
4. Tail strikingly marked.

5. Tail with white corners .... SAGE THRASHER, p. 435.

5'. Tail with black crescent ROCK WREN, p. 443.

4'. Tail not strikingly marked.

5. Tail cinnamon brown, barred with black.

CANYON WRENS ; see Catherpes, p. 444.
5'. Tail not cinnamon brown, nor barred with black.

6. Tail 3.00-3.40 . . . THRUSHES ; see Hylocichla, p. 468.
0'. Tail 4.25-5.80 . . . THRASHERS; see Torostoma, p. 437.

APPENDIX 485

2'. Under parts not reddish or spotted.

• >. Upper parts bluish gra> .

4. Tail very short XUTHATCHES ; see Sitta, p. 4.">:j.

4'. Tail not very short . . GNATCATCHERS ; see Poliojjtila, p. 405.

• ! . Upper parts gray or brown.

4. Throat black CHICKADEES; see Parus, p. 455.

4'. Throat not black.

•"">. Head crested TITMICE ; see Parus. p. 4.~>.~>.

5'. Head not crested.
G. Tail very short.

7. Plumage slate \ ray WATER OUZEL, p. 432.

7'. Plumage dark brown.

WESTERN WINTER WREN. p. 449.
G'. Tail not very short.

7. Wings and tail strikingly marked with white.

MOCKINGBIRD, p. 485.
7 . Wings and tail not strikingly marked with white.

8. Plumage dark slate gray .... CATBIRD, p. 437.
8'. Plumage not dark slate gray.

1'. Plumage deep brown ; wings and tail barred with

black.
10. Head with white superciliary.

BEWICK WRENS ; see Thryomanes, p. 44»».
10'. Head without white superciliary.

HOUSE WRENS ; see Troglodytes, p. 448.

i)'. Plumage dull smoky gray or brown ; wings and tail

not barred . BusH-TiTS ; see Psaltriparus, p. 460.

INDEX

Abert Towh-e, 368.
Acanthis, 304, 318.

hornemannii exilipes, 318.
linaria, 318, 319.
Accipiter, 1-47, 151.
atricapillus, 151, 152.
striatulus, 151, 153.
cooperii, 151, 152.
velox, 151.
Actitis. 88, 100.

macularia, 100.
Actochelidon, 28.
Actodromas, 91.
^Echmophorus, 5.
occidentalis, 5.
^Egialitis, 102, 103.

meloda eircumcincta, 103, 104.
montana, 103, 105.
nivosa, 103, 105.
semipalmata, 103, 104.
vocifera, 103.
wilsonia, 103, 105.
Aeronautes, 220, 232.
melanoleucus, 232.
^Esalon, 168.
Agelaius, 2SI), 289.

o-ubernator calif ornicus, 289, 291.
phoenieeus, 289, 290.
caurinns, 289, 291.
fortis, 289, 291.
neutralis. 289. 291.
richmondi. L'S'.t. 290.
soiioriensis, 289. 290.
tricolor, 289, 292.
Aiken Screech Owl. 184.
Aimophila, 30t>, 353.
carpalis, 353.
rnficeps, 353, 354.
eremoeca, 353. 355.
scottii, 353, 354.
Aix, 44, 55.

sponsa, 55.
Alaska Hermit Thrush. 471.

Alaskan Long-spur, 327.

Pine Grosbeak. 309.

Three-toed Woodpecker, 209.

Wood Pewee. 258.

Yellow Warbler, 412.
Alan da, 265.

arvensis, 265.
Alaudidse, 110, 245, 265.
Albatross, Black-footed, 32.

Short-tailed, 32.

Sooty, 33.

Yellow-nosed. 33.
Alcedinidse, 109, 193, 198.
AlcidaB, 2, 11.
Alder Flycatcher, 261.
Allen Hummingbird, 241.
Alma Thrush, 471.
Alpine Three-toed Woodpecker, 209.
American Bittern. 73.

Black Tern, 31.

Coot, 83.

Crow, 281.

Golden-eye, 59.

Goshawk. 152.

Hawk Owl, 188.

Merganser, 46.

Raven, 279.

Redstart, 429.

Scoter, 63.

Three-toed Woodpecker. 2C9.

White Pelican, 42.

Woodcock, 88.
Amizilis. 233. 243.

cerviniventris chalconota, 243.

tzacatl, 243.
Ammodramns, 30l>. 330, 335,

bairdii, 331. 333.

beldingi, 331. 332.

henslowii occidentalis, 330, 334.

leconteii, 330. 335.

maritimus sennetti, 330. 335.

nelsoui. 330, 335.

rostratns, 330, 333.

488

INDEX

sandwichensis, 331.
alaudimis, 331. 332.
bryanti, 331, 332.

savannarum bimaculatus, 331, 334.
AmpelidaB, 111,245,387.
Ampelis, 387.

cedrorum 388.

garrulus, 388.
Amphispiza, 255, 305, 350.

belli, 350, 351.

nevadensis, 350, 351.

bilineata, 350.

deserticola, 350.
Anas, 44, 47.

boschas, 48.

f ulvigula maculosa, 48, 49.
Anatidae, 3, 44.
Ancient Murrelet, 15.
Anhinga, 39.

anhinga, 39.
Aiihingidse, 3. 39.
Ani, Groove-billed, 193.
Anna Hummingbird, 237.
Anser. 45, 66.

albifrons gambeli. 66
Anseres, 1, 3, 44.
Ant-eating Woodpecker. 216.
Anthony Green Heron, 77.

Towhee, 367.

Vireo, 399.
Anthus, 431.

pensilvanicus, 431.

spragueii, 431, 432.
Antrostomus, 222.

carolinensis, 222.

vociferus, 222, 223.

macromystax, 222. 223.
Aphelocoma,'269, 274.

californica, 274, 275.

couchi, 274, 276.

cyanotis, 274.

insularis, 274, 276.

sieberii arizonpe, 274, 276.

texana, 274, 275.

woodhonseii, 274, 275.
Aphriza, 106.

viru:ita. 106.
Aphri/idse, 4, 84. 106.
Aplomado Falcon, 170.
Aquila, 147, 163.

chrysaetos, 163.
Archibuteo, 147, 162.

ferrugineus, 162. 163.

lagopus sancti-johannis, 162.
Arctic Horned Owl, 186.

Tern, 30.

Three-toed Woodpecker, 208.

Towhee, 364.
Ardea, 73, 74.

cserulea, 74, 76.

candidissima. 74, 75.

egretta, 74, 75.

herodias, 74, 75.
fannini, 74, 75.

rufescens, 75. 76.

virescens, 75, 76.

anthonyi, 75, 77.
Ardeid*, 4, 70, 72.
Ardetta, 72, 74.

exilis, 74.
Arenaria, 106.

melanocephala. 106, 107.

morinella, 106, 107.
Arizona Cardinal. 370.

Crested Flycatcher, 252.

Goldfinch, *322.

Hooded Oriole, 296, 299.

Jay, 276.

Junco. 349.

Pyrrhuloxia, 370.

Woodpecker. 206.
Arkansas Goldfinch. 322.

Kingbird, 248.
Arremonops, 305, 363.

rufivirgatus, 363.
Ash-throated Flycatcher, 253.
Ashy Petrel. 38.'
Asio, 175.

accipitrinus, 175, 177.

wilsonianus, 175.
Astragalinus, 304, 319.

lawrencei, 320. 323.

psaltria, 320, 322.
arizona. 320. 322.
mexicaiius, 320. 322.

tristis, 320, 321.
pallidus, 320, 321.
salicamans, 320, 321.
Astur, 151*.
Asturina, 147. 161.

plagiata, 161.
Asyndesmus, 217.
Atthis, 232, 237, 241.

morcomi, 241.
Attwater Prairie Hen, 131.
Audubon Caracara, 171.

Hermit Thrush, 471.

Oriole, 294.

Warbler, 413.
Anklet, Cassin, 13.

Least. 14.

Paroquet, 14.

INDEX

489

Rhinoceros, 13.
Auriparus, 452, 462.

flaviceps, 462.
Avocet, 86.
Aythya, 45, 56.

affinis, 50, 58.

americana, 56.

collaris, 50, 59.

marila. 50. 57, 59.

vallisneria. 50. 57.
Aztec Wren, 449.
Azure Bluebird, 476.

Baird Sandpiper, 92.

Sparrow. 333.

Wren, 447.
Baldpate, 50.
Baltimore Oriole. 297.
Band-tailed Pigeon, 138.
Bank Swallow, 386.
Barn Owl, 173.

Swallow, 384.
Barred Owl, 178, 179.
Barrow Golden-eye, 60.
Bartrarnia. 87. 99.

longicauda. 99.
Bartramian Sandpiper. 99.
Basilinna, 233. 243.

leucotis, 243.

Batchelder Woodpecker. 203.
Beardless Flycatcher, 265.
Becard, Xantus. 245.
Belding Marsh Sparrow, 332.
Bell Sparrow, 351.

Vireo. 399.
Belted King-fisher. 198.

Piping Plover. 104.
Bendire Sparrow. 353.

Thrasher. 439.
Bicolored Blackbird, 291.
Bittern, American, 73.

Least. 74.
Black and White Warbler, 402.

-bellied Plover, 102.
Tree Duck. 69.

-billed Cuckoo, 196.
Magpie, 270.

Brant. 68.

-capped Vireo. 397.

-chinned Hummingbird, 235.
Sparrow. 345.

-crested Titmouse, 455.

-crowned Night Heron, 77.

-footed Albatross. 32.

-fronted Warbler. 415.

-headed Grosbeak. 372.

Jay, 273.

Leucosticte, 317.

Merlin, 169.

Oyster-catcher, 107.

Petrel, 38.

Phoebe, 255.

-poll Warbler. 416.

Rail. 82.

Swift. 229.

-tailed Gnatcatcher, 466.

-throated Blue Warbler, 412.
Gray Warbler. 418.
Green Warbler, 420.
Loon, 10.
Sparrow, 350.

Turnstone, 107.

-vented Shearwater, 35.

Vulture, 146.
Blackbird, Bicolored, 291.

Brewer, 300.

Red-winged. 290.

Rusty. 290.

Tricolored. 292.

Yellow-headed, 288.
Blackburnian Warbler, 417.
Blue-bill. 57.

-eared Jay, 274.

-fronted Jay. 273.

-gray Gnatcatcher. 465.

-headed Vireo. 396.

-throated Hummingbird. 234.

-winged Teal, 52.
Bluebird, 475.

Azure, 476.

Chestnut-backed, 476.

Mountain, 476.

Western, 476.
Bobolink, 286.
Bob-white, 115.

Masked. 116.
Texan, 116.

Bohemian Waxwing, 388.
Bonaparte Gull, 25, 26.

Sandpiper, 92.
Bonasa, 114, 127.

umbellus sabiiii, 127, 128.
togata, 127.
umbelloides. 127, 128.
Botaurus, 72, 73.

lentiginosus, 73.
Brachyramphus, 12, 15.

hypoleucus, 15, 16.

marmoratus, 15.
Brant, Black, 68.
Branta, 45, 67.

canadensis, 67.

490

INDEX

hutchinsii, 07, 68.
minima, 07, 68,
occidentalis, 07, 68.
nigricans, 07. 68.
Brewer Blackbird, 300,

Sparrow, 343.
Brewsteria, 10.').
Bridled Titmouse, 457.
Broad-billed Humming-bird, 244.
-tailed Hummingbird, 238.
-winged Hawk, 160.
Bronzed Grackle, 301.
Brown-capped Leucosticte, 317.

Thrasher, 438.
Bryant Cactus Wren, 443.

Marsh Sparrow, 332.
Bubo, 175, 185.

virginianus arcticus, 185, 186.
pacificus, 185, 186.
pallescens, 185.
saturatus, 185, 186.
Bubonidse, 109,144,175.
Buff-bellied Hummingbird, 243.
-breasted Flycatcher, 263.

Sandpiper, 100.
Duffle-head, 60.
Bullock Oriole, 298.
Bunting, Indigo, 374.
Lark, 377.
Lazuli, 375.
Painted, 376.
Varied, 375.
Burrica, 312.
Burrowing Owl, 189.
Bush-Tit, 460.

California, 461.
Lead-colored, 462.
Lloyd, 462.
Santa Rita-, 462.
Buteo, 147, 155.

abbreviatus, 155, 157.
albicaudatus sennetti, 155, 158.
borealis, 155.

calurus, 155, 156.
kriderii. 155, 156.
lineatus elegans, 155, 157.
platypterus, 155, 160.
swainsoni, 155, 159.
Buteola. li 50.
Butorides. 70.

Cabanis Woodpecker, 202.
Cackling Goose, 68.
Cactus Wren, 442.
Culamospiza, .'500. 377.
melanocorys. 377.

Calaveras Warbler, 404.
Calcarius, 304. 325.

lapponicus, 326.

alascensis, 320, 327.

ornatus, 326. 328.

pictus, 320, 327.
Calidris, 87, 94.

arenaria. 94.
California Brown Pelican. 43.

Bush-Tit, 461.

Chickadee, 459.

Clapper Rail, 80.

Crow, 281.

Cuckoo, 105, 196.

Gull, 23.

Jay, 275.

Murre, 16.

Partridge. 120,121.

Pine Grosbeak, 308.

Poor-will, 225.

Purple Finch. 310, 312.

Pygmy Owl. 191.

Screech Owl, 183, 184.

Shrike, 393.

Towhee, 367.

Vulture, 144.
California!! Creeper. 452.

Thrasher. 440.

Woodpecker, 217.
Calliope Hummingbird. 241.
Callipepla, 114, 118.

squamata, 118.

castanogastris, 118. 119.
Callothrus, 285, 288.

robustus, 288.
Calothorax, 232, 242.

lucifer. 242.
Calypte, 233, 236.

anna, 237.

costse. 236.
Canachites, 114. 126.

franklinii, 126.
< 'anada Goose, 67.
Canadian Ruffed Grouse. 127,

Warbler. 428.
Canvas-back. 50, 57.
Canyon Towhee. 366.

Wren. 445.

Caprimulgidae, 110, 222.
Cararara, Audubon, 171.
Cardrllina, 401. 430.

rubrifrons, 430.
Cardinal, 369.

Arizona. 370.

Gray-tailed. 370.
Cardinalis, 305, 369.

INDEX

401

cardinalis, 369.

canicaudus, 3(>9. 370.

superbus, 3i>l>, 370.
Caribbean Clapper Kail, 80.
Carolina Kail, 81.

Wren. 446.
Carpodacus. 3n4. 300, 309, 310.

cassini, 310, 311.

niexicanns dementis, 010, 313.
frontalis. .",10. 312.

purpureus, 310.

californicus, 310.
Caspian Tern. 28.
Cassin Auklet, 13.

King-bird, 249.

Purple Finch, 310, 311.

Vireo, 396.
Catbird. 437.
Catharista, 144, 146.

nrubu, 146.
Catbartes, 144, 145.

aura. 145.

Cathartidse, 109, 144.
Catherpes. 434.

mexicanus albifrons, 444, 445.
conspersus, 444. 445.
punctulatus, 444. 445.
Cedar Wax wing. 388.
(Vntrocereus, 113. 133.

uropbasianus, 133.
Centronvx. 333.
Centhrus, 218.
Ceophlceus, 200, 213.

pileatus abieticola. 213.
Ceppbus, 1-2, 16.

columba, 16.
Cerorhinca, 12, 13.

monocerata, 13.
Certbia, 451.

familiaris albescens, 451.
moutana. 451.
occidentalis. 45 1 , 452.
zelotes, 451, 452.
CerthiidaB, 113.24;-). 451.
Cerulean Warbler, 416.
Ceryle, 198.

alcyon, 198.

americanaseptentrionalis.108.199.

torqnata. IDS. 199.
Chachalaca. 137.
Chsetura, 229, 230.

pelagica. 230.

vauxii. 230, 231.
Champa. 45'J. 459.

fasciata. 459.
intermedia. 459.

, 459, 460.
Chamaethlypia, 4-JO.
Charadriidae, 4. S4. 102.
Charadrius. 102. 103.

dominicus, 103.
Charitoiietta, 45, 60.

albeola. 60.

Chat, Long-tailed, 426.
Chaulelasmus. 44, 49.

streperus, 49.
Chen, 45, 65.

hyperborea, 65.
nivalis, 05, 66.

rossii, 05, 66.

Chestnut-backed Bluebird, 476.
Chickadee, 459.

-bellied Scaled Partridge, 119.

-collared Long-spur. 328.

-sided Warbler, 416.
Chewink, 364.
Chickadee. 457.

California, 459.

Chestnut-backed, 459.

Columbian, 459.

Long-tailed, 457.

Mexican, 458.

Mountain, 458.

Oregon, 458.
Chimney Swift, 230.
Chondestes. 304. 336.

grammacus. 336.

strigatus, 336.
Chordeiles, 222, 226.

acutipennis texensis, 22T>, 228.

virginianus, 226.

henryi. 22H. 227. 229.
sennetti. 22(>. 227. 228.
Chrysolophus, 134, 135.

pictus. 135.

Chuck-will's-widow, 222.
Ciconiidse, 4, 70, 72.
Cinclid», 112, 245, 432.
Cinclus, 432.

mexicanus. 432.
Cinnamon Teal. 52.
Circus, 147, 150.

hudsonius, 150.
Cistothonis. 434. 449, 450.

palustris. 449.450.
paludicola. 450.
plesius, 450, 451.

stellaris, 450.
Clangula, 45, 59.

clangula americana. 59.

islandica. 51 >. 60.
Clarke Nutcracker, 282.

492

INDEX

Clay-colored Sparrow. 342.
Cliff Swallow, 384.
Coast Wren-Tit, 460.
Coccothraustes, 303, 307.

vespertinus montanus, 307.
Coccyges, 2, 100, 193.
Coccyzus, 193, 195.

americanus, 195.

occidentals, 195, 196.

erythroplithalmus, 195, 196.
Cock-of-the-woods, 213.
Coalig-ena, 233, 234.

clemenciae, 234.
Colaptes, 200, 220.

auratus lute us. 220.

caf er collaris, 220, 221, 222.
saturation 220, 221.

chrysoides, 220, 222.
Colinus, 114.

ridgwayi, 114, 115, 116.

virginianus, 114, 115.

texanus, 114, 115, 116.
Columba, 138.

fasciata, 138.

flavirostris, 138, 140.
Columbse, 1, 108, 138.
Columbian Chickadee, 459.

Sharp-tailed Grouse, 132.
Columbidse, 108, 138.
Columbigallina, 138. 143.

passerina pallescens, 143.
Colymhus. 5, 6.

auritus, 6, 7.

dominicus brachypterus, 6.

holboellii, 6.

nigricollis californicus, 6, 7.
Common Tern, 29.
Cornpsohalieus, 41.
Compsothlypis, 401, 406.

americana usneae, 406.

nig-rilora, 40G, 407.
< 'ondor, 144.

Connecticut Warbler. 424.
Coutopns. 245, 256. 257.

borealis, 25(i. 257.

pertinax pallidiventris, 256, 257.

richardsonii. 'J57. 258.
saturatus. 258.

virens, 257. 258. L>5<>.
Cooper Hawk. 152.

Tanaoer. :;sl. 382.
Coot, American. 83.
Copper Pheasant, 135.
Coppery-tailed Troir<>n. 197.
Cormorant, IJaird, 42.
Brandt. 41.

Double-crested, 40,

Farallone. 40.

Mexican, 41.

Pelagic, 41.

White-crested, 40.
Corvidae, 112, 245. 269.
Corvus, 269, 279.

americanus, 279, 281.
hesperis. 281.

caurinus, 279, 282.

corax principnlis, 279, 280.
sinuatus, 279, 281.

cryptoleucus, 279, 280.
Costa Humming-bird, 236.
Cotingidse, 110, 245.
Coturnicops, 82.
Coturniculus, 334.
Couch Jay, 276.

Kingbird. 248.
Coues Flycatcher, 257.
Cowbird/287.

Dwarf, 288.

Red-eyed, 288.
Cracidae, 108, 113, 137.
Crane, Little Brown, 79.

Sandhill, 79.

Whooping-, 78.
Creciscus, 82.
Creeper, California, 452.

Mexican, 451.

Rocky Mountain, 451.

Sierra. 452.
Crissal Thrasher, 442.
Crossbill, 314.

Mexican. 314.

White-winged, 315.
Crotophaga, 193.

sulcirostris, 193.
Crow, American, 281.

California, 281.

Northwest, 282.
Cuckoo, Black-billed, 196.

California, 196.

Yellow-billed. 195.
Cuculidse, 110, 193.
Crymophilus, 84.

fulicarius. 84.
Curlew, Eskimo. 102.

Hudsonian, 102.

Long-billed, 101.
Curve-billed Thrasher, 439.
Cyanocephalus, 2C.9. 284.

cyanocephalus, 284.
Cyanocitta, 269,271.
cristata, 271.
stelleri, 271, 272.

INDEX

493

annectens, 271, 273.
carbonacea, 273.
diadenmta. 271, 272,273.
froutalis, 271. 272T 273, 27-').
Cyanospi/.a. 3'><>. 374.
anioena, 374, 375.
ciris/374, 376.
cyanea, 374.
versicolor. 374, 375.
Cyclorrhynchus, 12, 14.

psittaculus. 14.
Cypseloides, 229.

nio-er borealis. 229.
Cyrtonyx, 114. 122.

montezunise mearnsi, 122.
Cyrtopelicanus, 42.

Dabchick. 8.
Dafila, 44, 54.

acnta, 54.

Dark-bodied Shearwater. 36.
Dendragapus, 11-1, 124.

obscurus, 124, 126.
fuliginosus, 124, 125.
richardsonii, 124, 126.
Dendrocygna, 44, 69.

autumnalis, 69.

fulva. 69.
Dendroica. 401,407, 411.

aestiva, 407. 400, 411, 412.
rubigiuosa, 4i>7. 400. 412.
sonorana. 407, 409, 411.

audnboni, 408, 409, 413.

blackburnise, 407, 410, 417.

caerulesceus, 408, 410, 412.

chrysoparia. 408, 409, 419.

coronata. 409. 412. 414.

graci%, 40S. 4i>'.», 418.

maculosa. 408, 409. 415.

nigrescens, 408, 409. 418.

nigrifrons, 408, 409, 415.

occidentalis, 408, 409, 421.

olivacea, 408, 410.

palmarum, 408, 410, 422.

pensylvanica, 401 >, 416.

rara, 409, 410, 416.

striata, 409, 416.

townsendi, 408, 410,421.

virens, 408, 410, 420.
Derby Flycatcher. 250.
Desert Cactus Wren, 442.

Horned Lark. 268.

Song- Sparrow, 357.

Sparrow. 350.

Hawk. 171. _
Dicbromanassa, 70.

Dickcissel. 377.
Diomedea, 32.

albatnis, 32.
nigripes, 32.
DiomedeidsB, 3, 32. •
Dipper, 432.
Dolichonyx, 28."), 286.

oryzivorus, 286.
Dotted Canyon Wren, 445.
Dove, Inca, 143.

Mexican Ground, 143.
Mourning', 140.
White-fronted. 141.

-winged, 142.

Dowitcher, Long-billed, 89.
Downy Woodpecker, 204.
Dryobates, 200. 201.
arizonse. 201, 206.
nuttallii, 201, 204, 205.
pubescens. 203.

gairdnerii, 201.203, 204.
homorus, 201,203.
medianus, 201, 203, 204.
turati. 203.
scalaris bairdi, 201, 204.

lucasanus, 201, 205.
villosus leucomelas. 201.
harrisii, 201, 202. 203.
hyloscopus. 201, 202.
lucasanus, 201, 205.
monticola. 201. 203.
Duck. Black-bellied Tree. 69.
Fulvous Tree, 69.
Harlequin, 61.
Hawk, 167.
Lesser Scaup, 58.
Masked, 65.
Mottled, 49.
Ring-necked, 59.
Ruddy. 64.
Scaup. 57.
Wood, 55.
Dusky Grouse, 124.
Horned Lark, 269.

Owl, 186.
Warbler. 405.
Dwarf Cowbird. 288.
Hermit Thrush. 472.
Screech Owl, 185.
Dytes, 7.

de, Bald. 165.

Golden, 163.
Eared Grebe. 7.
Ectopistes, 138.

migratorius, 140.

494

INDEX

Eg-ret, 75.
Elanoides, 147, 148.

forficatus, 148.
Elanus, 147, 148.

leucurus, 148.
Elegant Tern, 29.
Elf Owl, 191.
Emperor Goose. 69.
Empidonax, 246. 259.

diffieilis, 251), 260.

f ulvif rons pygmajus, 259, 262, 263.

griseus, 259, 263.

hammondi, 259, 262.

insulicola, 259, 260.

minimus, 259. 261.

traillii, 259, 260.
alnorum, 259, 261.

wrightii, 259, 262.
English Sparrow, 324.
Ereunetes, 88, 93.

occiclentalis, 93, 94.

pusillus, 93.
Erismatura, 44, 64.

jamaicensis, 64.
Eskimo Curlew, 102.
Eugenes, 233.

fulgens. 233.
European Teal, 51.
Exantliemops, 61 i.

Falco, 147, 165.

columbarius, 106, 168.
suckleyi. 166, 169.

fusco-coerulescens, 166, 170.

mexicanus, 165. 166.

peregrintis anatum, 166, 167-
pealei, 166, 168.

richardsonii, 166, 169.

rnsticolus, 165. 166.

sparverius, 166, 170.

deserticola. 16(5, 171.
Falcon, Aplomado, 170.

Peale, 168.

Prairie. 166.

Falconid.-f. 1 <»9. 144. 146.
Farallone Rail, 82.
Ferruginous Pygmy Owl, 191.

Rough-leg, 163.
Finch, California Purple, 310.

Cassin, 311.

House, 312.

Island House, 313.

Pine, 323.

Purple, 310.
Fish Hawk. 172.
Flammulated Screech Owl. 184, 185.

Flicker, Gilded. 222.

Northern, 220.

Northwestern, 221.

Red-shafted. 221.
Floresi Hummingbird. 238.
Florida. 76.
Florida Gallinule, 82.
Flycatcher, Alder, 261.

Arizona Crested, 252.

Ash-throated, 253.

Beardless, 265.

Buff-breasted, 2P°.

Cones, 257.

Crested. 252.

Derby, 250.

Fork-tailed, 246.

Giraud. 250.

Gray, 263.

Hammond, 262.

Least, 261.

Mexican Crested, 252.

Nutting, 253.

Olivaceous, 253.

Olive-sided, 257.

Ridgway, 265.

Santa Barbara, 260.

Scissor-tailed, 246.

Sulphur-bellied, 250*

Traill, 260, 261.

Vermilion. 264.

Western, 260.

Wright, 262, 263.
Forbush Sparrow, 360.
Fork-tailed Flycatcher, 246.
Forked-tailed Petrel, 37.
Forster Tern, 29.
Fox Sparrow. 360.
Franklin Grouse, 126.

Gull, 25.

Frazar Oyster-catcher, 107.
Fregata, 43.

aquila, 43.

Fregatidae. :}. :1,9. 43.
Fringillidse. Ill, 245. 303.
Frosted Poor-will, 225.
Fulica, 79. 83.

americana, 83.
Fuligula, 57.
Fulmar, Giant. 34.

Pacific, 34.

Rodyvrs, 34.

Slender-billed. 34.
Fulmarus. :!:',, 34.

glacialis glnpischa, 34.

rodgersi, 34.
Fulvous Tree-duck. 69.

INDEX

495

Gad wall, 49.

Gairdner Woodpecker, 203.

Galeoscoptes, 4:14. 437.

carolim-iisis. 437.
Galliiw, 1. 10S. 113.
Gallinago, 87. BS.

delieata. %S.
Gallinula, 7'.». 82.

g-aleata. 82.
Gallinule. Florida. 82.
Gambel Partridge. 121.

Sparrow. 339.
Garzetta. 7~>.
Gavia, 9.

arcrica. 9. 10.

iiuber. 9.

lumme, 9, 11.

pacifica, (.>. 10.
Gaviidae, 2, 9.
Gelochelidon, 10. 27.

nilotica, 27.
Geunseus, 134, 135.

nycthemerus. 135.
Geococcyx. 193.

californianus. 193.
Geothlypis, 401, 424. 426.

agilis. 424.

poliocephala ralplii. 424.

tolmiei, 424.

trichas arizela. 424. 426.
occidentals, 424, 425.
scirpicola. 425.
sinuosa. 425.
Giant Fulmar. 34.
Gila Woodpecker. 219.
Gilded Flicker, 222.
Giraud Flycatcher. 250.
Glaucidium, 17», 190.

calif ornicum, 190, 191.

gnoma. 190.

phalsenoides, 190, 191.
Glaucous Gull. 21.

-winged Gull. 21.
Glossy Ibis. 71.
Glottis, 96.
Gnatcatcher, Black-tailed, 466.

Blue-gray. 465.

Plumbeous. 466.

Western, 466.
Godwit. Hudsonian, 95.

Marbled, 95.
Golden-cheeked Warbler. 419.

-crowned King-let, 463.
Sparrow, 339.

Eagle, 163.

-eye, American. 59.

• Barrow, 60.

-frontt-d Woodpecker, 218.

Owl. 174.

Plu'.-is.-mt. 135.

Pileolated Warbler. 428.

Plover. 103.
Goldfinch. 320.

Arizona. 322.

Arkansas. 322.

Lawrence. 323.

Mexican, 322.

Pale. 321.

Willow. 321.
Goose. Canada. 67, 08.

Cackling'. 68.

Emperor. 69.

Greater Snow. 66.

Hutcliins. 68.

Lesser Snow. 65.

Pi oss Snow, 66.

White-cheeked. 68.

White-fronted, 66.
Goshawk, American, 152.

Western, 153.
Grace Warbler, 418.
Grackle. Bronzed, 301.

Great-tailed. 302.
Gray-cheeked Thrush. 469.

-crowned Leucosticte, 315.

Flycatcher. 263.

Gyrfalcon, 166.

-headed Junco, 349.

Jay. 279.

Puiffed Grouse. 128.

-tailed Cardinal. 370.

Titmouse, 456.

Vireo. 400.
Great Blue Heron, 75.

Gray Owl, 179.

Northern Diver. 9.

Rufous-bellied King-fisher. 199.

-tailed Grackle, 302.
Greater Snow Goose, 66.

Yellow-legs, 96.
Grebe, Eared, 7.

Holboell, 6.

Horned, 7.

Least. 8.

Pied-billed, 8.

Western, 5.
Green Heron, 76.

Jay, 277.

Pheasant. 135.

-tailed Towhee. 368.

-winged Teal. 51.
Grinnell Water-Thrush. 423.

496

INDEX

Groove-billed Ani, 193.
Grosbeak, Alaskan Pine, 309.

Black-headed, 372.

California Pine, 308.

Rocky Mountain Pine, 308.

Rose-breasted, 372.

Western Blue, 373.

Evening, 307.
Grouse, Canadian Ruffed, 127.

Columbian Sharp-tailed, 132.

Dusky, 124.

Franklin, 126.

Gray Ruffed, 128.

Oregon Ruffed, 128.

Prairie Sharp-tailed, 132.

Richardson, 126.

Sage, 133.

Sooty, 125.
GruidaB, 4, 78.
Grus, 78.

americana, 78.

canadensis, 78, 79.

mexicana, 78, 79.
Guara, 70, 71.

alba, 71.

Guillemot, Pigeon, 16.
Guiraca, 305, 373.

ceerulea lazula, 373.
Gull, Bonaparte, 26.

California, 23.

Franklin, 25.

Glaucous, 21.

Glaucous-winged, 21, 23.

Heermann, 24.

Herring, 22.

Laughing, 25.

Mew, 24.

Ring-billed, 23.

Sabine, 27.

Short-billed, 24.

Vega, 23.

Western, 21, 23. 25.
Gull-billed Tern, 27.
Gymnogyps. 144.

californianus, 144.
Gyrfalcon, Gray, 166.

Haematopodidae, 4, 84, 107.
Hsematopus, 107.

bachmani, 107.

frazari, 107.
Haliaaetus, 147. 165.

leucocephalus, 165.
Hammond Flycatcher, 262.
Harelda, 45, 61.

hyemalis, 61.

Harlequin Duck, 61.
Harporhynchus, 440.
Harris Hawk, 154.

Sparrow, 337.

Woodpecker, 202.
Hawk, Broad-winged, 160.

Cooper, 152.

Duck, 167.

Fish, 172.

Harris, 154.

Krider, 156.

Marsh, 150.

Mexican Black, 160.

Pigeon, 168.

Red-bellied, 157.
-tailed, 155.

Rough-legged, 162.

Sennett White-tailed, 158,

Sharp-shinned, 151.

Squirrel, 163. ,

Swaiiison, 159.

Zone-tailed, 157.
Heermann Gull, 24.

Song Sparrow, 357.
Heleodytes, 434, 442.

brunneicapillus, 442.
anthonyi, 442.
bryanti, 443.
couesi, 442.
Helminthophila, 401, 402.

celata, 402, 404.
lutescens, 402, 405.
sordida, 402, 405.

luciae, 404.

peregrina, 402, 406.

rubricapilla gutturalis, 402, 404.

Virginia, 402, 403.
Helodromas, 88, 97.

solitarius, 97.

cinnamomeus, 97, 98.
Hepatic Tanager, 381.
Hepburn Leucosticte, 316.
Hermit Warbler, 421.
Herodias, 75.
Herodiones, 1, 70.
Heron, Anthony Green, 77.

Black-crowned Night, 77.

Great Blue, 75.

Green, 76.

Little Blue, 76.

Northwest Coast, 75.

Snowy, 75.

Yellow-crowned Night, 78.
Herring Gull, 22.
Hesperiphona. 307.
Heteractitis, 88, 98.

INDEX

497

incanus, 98.
Qierofalco, 1('»<>.

Hiniantopus, 86.
mexicanus, 86.

Hirundiniilje. Ill, 245, 382.
Ilinuulo. 3S2. 384.

erythrogastra, 384.

palraeri. 384.
Histrionicus, 4"). 61.

histrionicus. 61.
Hoary Reel-poll, 318.
Holboell Grebe, 6.
Hooded Merganser. 47.
Horned Grebe, 7.
House Finch, 310. 312.
Hudsoniaii Curlew, 102.

Godwit, 95.
Hummingbird, Allen, 241.

Anna. 237.

Black-ehinned, 235.

Blue-throated, 234.

Broad-billed, 244.
-tailed, 238.

Buff-bellied, 243.

Calliope, 241.

Costa, 236.

Floresi, 238.

Lucifer, 242.

Morcoru, 241.

Rieffer, 243.

Rivoli, 233.

Ruby-throated, 235.

Rufous, 239.

White-eared. 243.
Hutchins Goose, 68.
Hutton Vireo, 399.
Hydrochelidon, 19, 31.

nigra surinaniensis, 31.
Hylocichla. 4(37. 468.

aliciae, 468, 469.

guttata, 468, 471.
auduboni, 4(39, 471.
nana, 46$. 472.
slevini, 471.

fuscescens salicicola, 468, 469.

mustelina, 4(38, 469.

ustulata, 468, 470.
aim*, 469, 471.
cfidica, 468, 470.
swainsoni, 469, 470.

lache, 232, 244.

latirostris. 244.
Ibididaj, 4, 70.
Ibis. Glossy. 71.

White. 71.

-faced Glossy, 71.

Wood. 72.
Icteria. 4».ll, 426.

vireiis longicauda, 426.
IcteridaB, 112, 245.285.
Icterus, 285, 293, 21)4.

audubonii, 294.

bTillocki, 294. 298.

cucullatus nelsoni, 293, 296, 298.
sennetti, 293, 295.

galbula, 294, 297.

parisorum, 294.

spurius, 294, 296.
Ictinia, 147, 149.

mississippiensis, 149.
Inca Dove, 143.
Indigo Bunting', 374.
Intermediate Junco, 347.

Sparrow, 339.
Island Horned Lark, 268.

House Finch, 313.

Shrike, 393.
Ixoreus, 467, 473.

naevius, 473.

meruloides, 473, 474.

Jabiru, 72.
Jacana, 108.

Mexican. 108.

spinosa, 108.
Jacanidae, 108.
Jack Snipe, 88.
Jackdaw. 302.
Jaeger, Long-tailed, 18.

Parasitic, 18.

Pomarine, 18.
Jay, Arizona, 276.

Black-headed, 273.

Blue. 271.
-eared, 274.
-fronted. 273.

California, 275.

Couch, 276.

Gray, 279.

Green, 277.

Long-crested, 273.

Oregon, 278.

Piilon. 284.

Rocky Mountain, 277.

Santa Cruz, 276.

Steller, 272.

Texan, 275.

Woodhouse, 274.
Junco, 305, 345.

aikeni, 345.

annectens. 345. 348.

498

INDEX

Arizona, 349.
caniceps, 345, 349.
Gray-headed, 349.
hy emails, 345, 346.

connectens, 345, 34T.

oreganus, 345, 347.

pinosus, 345. 348.

thurberi, 345, 347.
Intermediate, 347.
m earn si, 345, 348.
Montana. 348.
montanus, 345, 348.
Mountain, 348.
Oregon, 347.
phfeonotus dorsalis. 345, 349.

palliatus, 345, 349.
Pink-sided, 348.
Point Pinos, 348.
Red-backed, 349.
Ridgway, 348.
Slate-colored. 346.
Thurber, 347.
White-winged, 345.

Kaeding Petrel, 37.
Kennicott Screech Owl, 183, 184.
Killdeer, 103.
Kingbird, 247.

Arkansas, 248.

Cassin. 249.

Couch, 248.
Kingfisher, Belted, 198.

Great Rufous-bellied, 199.

Texas, 199.

Kinglet, Golden-crowned, 463.
Western, 464.

Ruby-crowned, 464.

Sitkan, 465.
Kite, Mississippi. 149.

Swallow-tailed, 148.

White-tailed, 148.
Kittiwake, Pacific, 19.
Knot, 91.
Krider Hawk, 156.

Lagopus, 114. 128.
leucurus, 129.

altipetens, 129.
Laniidaj, 111', 2-15, 391.
Lanius, 391.

borealis, 391, 392.
ludovicianus anthonyi, 301, 393.
excubitoridfs. :'>'.»!, 392.
uambeli, 31)1, 393.
Lanivireo, 390.
Lapland Longspur, 326.

Large-billed Sparrow, 333.
Laridse, 2, 17, 19.
Lark Bunting, 377.

Desert Horned, 268.

Dusky Horned, 269.

Island Horned, 268.

Mexican Horned, 268.

Pallid Horned, 266.

Prairie Horned, 268.

Ruddy Horned, 268.

Scorched Horned, 269.

Sparrow, 336.

Streaked Horned. 268.

Texan Horned, 268.
Larus, 19, 20.

argentatus, 20. 22.

atricilla, 20, 25.

brachyrhynchus, 20, 24.

calif ornicus, 20, 23.

canus, 20, 24.

deiawarensis, 20, 23.

franklinii, 20, 25.

glaucescens, 20, 21.

glaucus, 20, 21.

heermanni, 20, 24.

occidentalis, 20, 21.

Philadelphia, 20, 26.

vega3, 20, 23.
Laughing Gull, 25.
Lawrence Goldfinch, 323.
Lazuli Bunting, 375.
Lead-colored Bush-Tit, 462.
Least Auklet, 14.

Bittern, 74.

Flycatcher, 261.

Grebe, 8.

Sandpiper, 92.

Tern, 30.

Vireo. 400.
Leconte Sparrow, 335.

Thrasher, 441.
Leptopelicanus. 43.
Leptotila, 138,141.

fulviventris brachyptera, 141.
Lesser Prairie Hen, 131.

Scaup Duck, 58, 59.

Snow Goose, 65.

Yellow-legs, 97.
Leucosticte, 304, 315.

atrata, 315. 317-

australis. 315, 317.

Black. 317.

Brown-capped, 317.

Gray-crowned, 315.

Hepburn, 316.

tephrocotis, 315, 317.

INDEX

499

littoralis, 315, 316.
Lewis Woodpecker, 217.
Limieolaj, 4, 84.
Limosa, 87, 95.

fedoa, 95.

hajiuastiea, 95.
Lincoln Sparrow, 359.
Little Blue Heron. 76.

Brown Crane, 79.
Lloyd Bush-Tit, 462.
Long-billed Curlew, 101.
Dowitcher, 89.

-crested Jay. 273.

-eared Owl, 175.

-tailed Chat, 426.
Chickadee, 457.
Jaeger, 18.
Longipennes, 1, 2, 17.
Longspur. Alaskan, 327.

Chestnut-collared, 328.

Lapland, 326.

McCowu, 328.

Smith, 327.
Loon, 9.

Black-throated, 10.

Pacific, 10.

Red-throated, 11.
Lophodytes, 44, 47.

cucullatus, 47.
Lophophanes, 455.
Lophortyx, 114, 119, 120.

californicus. 120.
vallicola. 120.

gambelii, 120, 121.
Louisiana Tauager, 379.
Loxia, 303, 313.

curvirostra bendirei. 314.
minor, 313. 314.
stricklandi, 313, 314.

leucoptera, 313, 315.
Lucifer Hummingbird, 242
Lucy Warbler, 402.
Lunda, 11, 12.

cirrhata. 12.
Lutescent Warbler, 405.

MacFarlane Screech Owl, 184.
Macgillivray Warbler, 424.
Macrochires, 2, 110, 222.
Macrorhamphus, 87, 89.

griseus, 89. 00.

scolopaceus, 89.
Magnolia Warbler, 415.
Magpie, Black-billed, 270.

Yellow-billed. 271.
Mallard, 48, 49, 51.

Man-o'-War Bird, 43.
Marbled Godwit, 95.

Murrelet. 15.
Mareca, 44, 49.
araericana, 4(,), 50.
penelope, 49.
Marsh Hawk, 150.
Martin, Purple, 383.

Western, 383.
Masked Bob-white, 116.

Duck, 65.

Massena Quail, 123.
McCown Longspur, 328.
Meadowlark, Texas, 292.

Western, 293.
Mearus Quail. 122.
Megaquiscalus, 302.
Megascops, 175.
asio, 182.

aikeni, 182, 184.
bendirei, 182, 183.
cineraceus, 182, 183.
kennicottii, 181, 183.
macfarlanei, 181, 184.
maxwellise, 181, 183.
mccalli, 181, 183.
flammeola, 182, 184.

idahoensis, 182, 185.
trichopsis, 181, 184.
Melanerpes, 200. 215.
aurifrons, 215, 218.
carolinus, 215, 218.
erythrocephalus, 215.
formicivorus, 215, 216.

bairdi, 215, 217.
torquatus, 215, 217.
uropygialis, 215, 219.
Melanitta, 63.
Meleagris, 134, 136.
gallopavo fera. 136.
intermedia, 136.
merriami, 136.
Melopelia, 138, 142.

leucoptera, 142.
Melospiza, 306, 355.
cinerea phaea, 358.
fasciata cooperi, 357.
ing'ersolli, 358.
pusillula, 358.
georgiana, 355, 360
lincolnii, 355. 359.
striata, 355, 360.
melodia. 356.

clementae, 35(5, 359,
cleonensis, 358.
fallax, 355, 357.

500

IXDEX

graimnea, 350, 358.
heermanni, 355, 357, 358.
merrilli, 359.
montana, 350, 357, 359.
niorplina, 355, 358.
rufina, 355, 358.
samuelis, 355, 358.
santaecrueis, 357.
Mendocino Song- Sparrow, 358.
Merganser, 44, 45.

American, 46.

aruericanus. 45, 46.

Hooded, 47.

Red-breasted, 46.

serrator, 45. 46.
Merlin, Black. 169.

Richardson, 169.
Merriam Turkey, 136.
Merrill Parauque, 225.

Song Sparrow, 359.
Merula, 4(57, 472.

migratoria. 472.

propinqua, 472.
Mew Gull. 24.
Mexican Black Hawk, 160.

Buzzard, 172.

Chickadee, 457.

Cliff Swallow, 384.

Creeper. 451.

Crested Flycatcher, 252.

Cross-bill, '314.

Goldfinch. 322.

Goshawk, 161.

Ground Dove, 143.

Horned Lark, 268.

Jacana, 108.

Screech Owl, 183.
Micropalama, 87, 90.

himantopus, 90.
Micropallas, 175, 191.

whitneyi, 191.
Micropodidaj, 110, 229.
Mimus, 434, 435.

polyglottos leucopterus, 435.
Mississippi Kite. 149.
Mniorilta, 401, 402.

varia, 402.

Mnictiltidte, 111, 245,401.
Mocking-bird, Western, 435.
Molothrus, 2S5, 287.

ater. 287.

obscurus, 288.
Montana Junco. 348.
Monterey Hermit Thrush. 471.

Thrush, 470.
Morcom Hummingbird, 241.

MotacillidaB, 111, 245, 431.
Mottled Duck, 49.
Mountain Bluebird. 476.

Chickadee, 458.

Junco. 348.

Partridge, 117.

Plover, 105.

Song Sparrow, 357.
Mourning- Dove, 140.
Mud Hen, 83.
Murre, California. 16. 22.
Murrelet, Ancient, 15.

Marbled, 16.

Xantus, 16.
Muscivora, 245, 246.

forficata, 246.

tyrannus, 246.
Myadestes, 467.

townsendii, 467=
Mycteria, 72.

americana, 72.
Myiarchus, 245.

cinerascens, 252, 253.
nuttingi, 252, 253.

crinitus, 252.

lawrencei olivascens, 251, 253.

mexicanus, 251, 252.

magister, 252.
Myiodynastes, 245. 250.

hfleiveutris, 250.
Myiozetetes similis superciliosus, 250.

Nelson Sparrow, 335.
Neocorys, 432.
Nettion, 45, 51.

carolinensis, 51.

crecca, 51.
Nig-hthawk. 226.

Seimett, 228.

Texan. 228.

Western. 227.
Nomonyx, 44. 65.

dominions, 65.
Nonpareil. 326.
Northern Flicker. 220.

Hairy Woodpecker. 201, 203.

Paruia Warbler, 406.

Phalarope, 84.

Pileated Woodpecker, 213.

K. i veil, 280.

Red-breasted Sapsueker, 212.

Shrike, 392.

Spotted Owl, 179.

Violet-green Swallow. 386.
Northwest Bewick Wren, 447.

Coast Heron, 75.

INDEX

Crow, 282.

Saw-whet Owl, 181.
Northwestern Flicker. 221.

Red-wing-, 291.
Nucifraga,269,282.

Columbians, 282.
Numenius, S7, 101.

borealis, 101. 102.

hudsonicus. 101. 102.

longirostris. 101.
Nutcracker. Clarke. 282.
Nuthatch, Pygmy. 454.

Red-breasted, 454.

Rocky Mountain, 453.

Slender-billed. 453.

White-breasted. 453.
Nut-tall Sparrow. 339.

Woodpecker, 205.
Nuttallornis, 257.
Nutting- Flycatcher, 253.
Nyctala, it"). 179.

acadica, 180.

scotaea, 180. 181.

tengmalmi richardsoni, 179, 180.
Nyctanassa, 78.
Nyctea, 175, 187.

nyctea, 187.
Nycticorax, 73, 77.

nycticorax nsevius, 77.

violaceus, 78.
Nyctidromus, '222. 225.

albicollis merrilli. 225.

Oceanodroma, 33, 37.

furcata, 37.

homochroa. 37, 38.

kaedingi, 37.

leucorhoa. 37.

melania, 37. 38.

socorroensis, 37, 38.
Ochthodromus, 105.
Oidemia, 45. 62. 03.

americana, 62. 63.

deglandi, 62, 63.

perspicillata, 62, 63.
Olbiorchilus. 434, 449.

hiemalis pacificus, 449.
Old-squaw. 61.
Olivaceous Flycatcher. 253.
Olive-backed Thrush, 470.

-sided Flycatcher, 257.

Warbler, 410.
Olor, 45, 70.

buccinator, 70.

columbianiis, 70.
Oporornis, 424.

< Grange-crowned Warbler. 404.
Orchard Oriole, 296.
Oregon Chickadee, 458.
Jay, 278.
Junco, 347.
Ruffed Grouse, 128.
Sony Sparrow, 358.
Towhee, 365.
Vesper Sparrow, 330.
Oreortyx, 114, 117.
pictus, 117.

plumiferus, 117.
Oreospiza, 30(3, 368.

chlorura, 368.

Oriole. Arizona Hooded. 296.
Audubon, 294.
Baltimore. 297.
Bullock. 298.
Orchard. 296.
Scott. 294.
Sennett. 295.
Ornithion, 245, 265.
imberbe, 265.

ridg'wayi, 265.
Oroscoptes, 433, 435.

montanus, 435.
Ortalis, 137.

vetula maccalli, 137.
Ossifrag-a, 33, 34.

g-ig-antea, 34.
Otocoris. 205, 266.

alpestris actia, 266, 268.
adusta, 260, 269.
ammophila, 268.
aphrasta, 269.
arcticola, 200, 267.
arenicola, 260. 268.
chrysolsema, 260, 268.
enthymia, 267.
giraudi, 2(30, 268.
hoyti, 267.
insularis, 268.
leucausiptila, 266.
leucolamia. 266. 268.
merrilli, 266. 269.
occidentalis. 269.
praticola. 266, 268.
rubea, 266, 268.
strio-ata, 26(i, 268.
Ouzel, Water. 432.
Oven-bird, 423.
Owl, Aiken Screech. 184.
American Hawk. 188.
Arctic Horned. 186.
Barn, 173.
Barred. 178.

502

INDEX

Burrowing, 189.
California Pygmy, 191.

Screech, 183.
Dusky Horned, 186.
Dwarf Screech, 185.
Elf, 191.

Ferruginous Pygmy, 191.
Flammulated Screech, 188.
Great Gray, 179.
Kennicott Screech, 183.
Long-eared, 175.
MacFarlane Screech, 184.
Mexican Screech, 183.
Northern Spotted, 179.
Northwest Saw-whet, 181.
Pacific Horned, 186.
Pygmy, 190.
Richardson, 180.
Rocky Mountain Screech, 183.
Saw-whet, 180.
Screech, 182.
Short-eared, 177.
Snowy, 187.
Spotted, 178.

Screech, 184.
Texas Barred. 178.

Screech, 183.
Western Horned, 185.
Oxyechus, 103.
Oyster-catcher, Black, 107.
Frazar, 107.

Pacific Fulmar, 34.

Homed Owl, 186.

House Wren, 448.

Kittiwake, 19.

Yellow-throat, 426.
Painted Bunting, 376.

Redstart, 430.
Pale Goldfinch, 321.

Varied Thrush, 474.
Pallid Horned Lark, 266.

Wren-Tit, 459.
Palm Warbler, 422.
Palmer Thrasher, 439.
Paludicobe, 1, 4, 78.
Pandion, 146, 172.

haliaetus carolinensis, 172.
Parabuteo, 147, 154.

unicinctus harrisi, 154.
Parasitic Jaeger, 18.
Parauque, Merrill, 225.
Paridfe, 112, 113, 245, 452.
Parkman Wren, 448.
Paroquet Auklet, 14.
Parrot, Thick-billed, 192.

Partridge, California, 120.
Chestnut-bellied Scaled, 119.
Gambel, 121.
Mountain, 117.
Plumed, 117.
Scaled, 118.
Valley, 120.
Parus, 452, 455, 457.
atricapillus, 455, 457.
occidentalis. 455, 458.
septentrionalis, 455, 457.
atricristatus, 455.
gambeli, 455, 458.
hudsonicus columbianus, 455, 459.
inornatus, 455, 456.
griseus, 455, 456.
rufescens, 455, 459.

neglectus, 455, 459.
sclateri, 455, 458.
wollweberi, 455, 457.
Pasadena Thrasher, 441.
Passenger Pigeon. 140.
Passer, 305, 324.

domesticus, 324.
Passerculus, 331, 333.
Passerella, 306, 360.
iliaca, 360.

annectens, 361.
fuliginosa. 361.
insularis, 361.
megarhyncha, 360, 362.
meruloides, 361.
schistacea, 360, 362.
stephensi. 360, 363.
townsendi, 361.
unalaschcensis, 360, 361.
Passeres, 2, 110. 245.
Passerina, 304, 325.

nivalis, 325.
Peale Falcon, 168.
Pectoral Sandpiper. 91.
Pedicecetes, 114, 131.

phasianellus campestris, 132.

columbianus, 132.
Pelecanidse, 3, 3D, 42.
Pelecanus, 42.

californicus, 42, 43.
erythrorhynchos, 42.
occidentalis, 43.
Pelican, American White, 42.

California Brown, 43.
Pelidna, <,>:!.
Pelionetta, 63.
Pendulums, 21)5.
Perisoreus, 26D, 277.

canadensis capitalis, 277.

INDEX

503

obscurus, 278.
griseus, 279.
Petrel, Ashy, 38.

Black, 38.

Forked-tailed, 37.

Kaeding, 37.

Socorro, 38.
Petrochelidon, 382. 383.

lunifrons, 383, 384.

melanogastra, 383, 384.
Peucaea, 352.

botterii, 352.

cassiui, 352.
Peucedramus, 410.
Pewee. Wood, 258.
Phainopepla, 387, 390.

nitens, 390.

Phalacrocoracidse, 3, 39.
Phalacroeorax, 39, 40.

dilophus, 39, 40.
albociliatus, 30, 40.
cincinatus, 39, 40.

mexicanus, 39, 41.

pelagicus, 40, 41.
resplendens, 40, 42.

penicillatus, 39, 41.
Phalamoptilus, 222, 224.

nuttallii, 224.

californicus. 224, 225.
nitidus. 224, 225.
Phalarope, Northern, 84.

Red, 84.

Wilson, 85.
Phalaropodidie, 4, 84.
Phalaropus, 84.

lobatus, 84.

Phasianidse, 108, 113, 134.
Phasianus, 134. 135.

scemmerringii, 135.

torquatus, 135.

versicolor, 135.
Pheasant, Copper, 135-

Golden. 135.

Green, 135.

Ring-necked, 135.

Silver, 135.
Philacte, 45. 69.

canagica, 69.
Philohela. 87, 88.

minor, 88.
Phrebe, 254.

Black. 255.

Say. 255.

Western Black, 256.
Phcebetria, 32. 33.

fuliginosa, 33.

Pica, 269.

pica hudsonica, 269, 270.
nuttalli, L'C.'.t. 271.
Pici, 2, 110, 200.
Picicorvus, 28^.
Picidse, 110, 200.
Picoides, 200, 208.
americanus, 208, 209.
dorsalis, 20S, 209.
fasciatus, 208, 209.
arcticus, 208.

tennirostris, 208.
Pied-billed Grebe. 8.
Pigeon, Band-tailed, 138.
Guillemot, 16.
Hawk, 168.
Passenger, 140.
Red-billed, 140.
Pileolated Warbler, 428.
Pine Finch, 323.

Siskin. 323.
Pinicola,' 305, 308.

enucleator alascensis, 308, 309.
califoruica, 308.
montana, 308.
Pink-footed Shearwater, 35.

-sided Junco, 348.
Pinon Jay. 284.
Pintail, 54.
Pipilo, 306. 363.
aberti, 363, 368.
erythrophthalmus, 364.
fuscus crissalis. 363, 367.
mesoleucus, 363. 366.
senicula, 363, 367.
maculatus arcticns, 364.
atratus, 364, 366.
clementse, 364, 366.
megalonyx, 364. 365.
oreg-onus, 364, 365.
Pipit, 431.

Sprague, 432.
Piranga, 379.

erythromelas, 379, 380.
hepatica, 37'.'. 381.
ludoviciana, 379.
rubra, 379, 382.

cooperi, 379, 382.
Pitangus, 245. 250.

derbianus, 250.
Plain Titmouse, 456.
Platypsaris. 245.

albiventris, 245.
Plegadis, 70, 71.
antumnalis, 71.
guarauna. 71.

504

INDEX

Plover, Belted Piping-, 104.

Black-bellied, 102.

Golden, 103.

Mountain, 105.

Semipahnated, 104.

Snowy, 105.

Upland, 99.

Wilson, 105.
Plumbeous Gnatcatcher, 466.

Vireo, 397.

Plumed Partridge, 117.
Podasocys, 105.
Podiceps, 8.
Podicipidae, 2, 5.
Podilymbus, 5, B.

podiceps, S.

Point Piiios Junco, 348.
Polioptila, 463, 465.

cserulea, 465.

obscura, 465, 466.

calif ornica, 465, 466.

plumbea, 465, 466.
Polyborus, 147, 171.

cheriway, 171.
Pomarine Jaeger, 18.
Poo3cetes, 304", 329.

gramineus affinis, 329, 330.

confinis, 329.
Poor-will, 224.

California, 225.
Frosted, 225.
Porzana, 79, 81.

Carolina, 81.

coturniculus, 81, 82.

jamaicensis. 81, 82.

noveboracensis, 81, 82.
Prairie Falcon, 166.

Hen, 130.

Horned Lark, 268.

Sharp-tailed Grouse. 132.
Priocella, 33, 34.

glacial oides, 34.
ProcellariidaB, 3, 32, 33.
Progne, 382, 383.

subis, 383.

besperia, 383.
Psaltriparus, 452, 460.

lloydi, 460, 462.

minimus, 460.

calif ornic us, 460, 461.

plumbeus, 460, 462.

santaritw, 460. 462.
Psittaci, 1, 109, 192.
Psittacid;e, 109. 192.
Ptarmigan, Southern White-tailed.
129.

White-tailed, 129.
Ptychoramphus, 12, 13.

aleuticus, 13.
Puffin, Tufted, 12.
Puffinus, 35.

bulleri, 35, 36.

creatopus, 35.

griseus, 35. 36.

opisthomelas, 35.

tenuirostris, 35, 37.
Purple Finch, 310.

Martin, 383.
Pygmy Nuthatch, 454.

Owl, 190.

Pygopodes, 1, 2, 5.
Pyrocephalus, 245, 264.

rubineus mexicauus. 264.
Pyrrhuloxia, 305, 370.

Arizona, 370.

sinuata, 370.

texana, 370.

Texas, 371.

Quail, Mearns, 122.
Querquedula, 45. 52.

cyanoptera, 52.

diseors, 52, 53.
Quiscalus, 285, 301.

major macrourus, 301, 302.

quiscula aeneus. 301.

Rail, Black, 82.

California Clapper, 80.

Caribbean Clapper, 80.

Carolina, 81.

Farallone. 82.

Virginia, 80.

Yellow, 82.
Rallidte, 4, 79.
Rallus, 79.

levipes, 80.

longirostris caribreus, 80.

obsoletus, 80.

virginianus. 80.

Raptores, 1, 109, 144.
Raven, American. 279.

Northern, 280.

White-necked, 280.
Recurvirostra, 86.

americana. 86.
Recurvirostridse, 4, 84, 86.
Red-backed Junco. 349.
Sandpiper, 93.

-bellied Hawk, 157.
Woodpecker, 218.

-billed Pigeon, 140,

INDEX

505

-breasted Merganser. 46.
Nuthatch, 454.
Sapsucker, 211.

-eyed Cowbird. 288.
Vireo. 395.

-faced Warbler. 430.

-headed Woodpecker. 215.

-naped Sapsucker, 211.

Phalarope, 84.

-shafted Flicker. 221.

-tail. Western. 156.

-tailed Hawk. 155.

-throated Loon. 11.

-winged Blackbird, 290.
Redwing-, Northwestern. 291.

San Diego. 291.

Suiioran. 290.

Thick-billed. 291.

Vera Cruz, 290.
Reddish Egret, 76.
Redhead, 56.
Redpoll, 319.

Hoary, 318.
Redstart, American, 429.

Painted. 430.
Regulus. 463.

calendula, 463, 464.
grinnelli. 403, 465.

satrapa, 463.

olivaceus, 403, 464.
Rhinoceros Anklet, 13.
Rbynchodon. 107.
Rhynchofalco, ITU.
Rhynchophanes, 304, 320, 328.

niccownii. 328.
Rhynchopsitta, 192.

pachyrhyncha, 192.
Richardson Grouse, 126.

Merlin. 169.

Owl, 180.
Ridg-way Flycatcher. 265.

Junco. 348.

Rieffer Hummingbird, 243.
Ring-billed Gull, 23.

-necked Duck. 59.

Pheasant. 135.
Rio Grande Turkey. 136.

Yellow-throat. 426.
Riparia. 382. 386.

riparia, 386.
Rissa, 19.

tridactyla pollicaris, 19.
Rivoli Humming-bird. 233.
Road-runner. 193.
Robin. 472.

Western. 472.

Rock Sparrow. 355.

Wren. 44-3.
Rocky Mountain Creeper. 451.

Hairy Woodpecker, 203.
Nuthatch, 453.
Pine Grosl.rak. 308.
Screech Owl, 183.
Rodgers Fulmar. 34.
Rose-breasted Grosbeak. 372.
Ross Snow Goose. 66.
Rough-legged Hawk. 162.

-winged Swallow. 387.
Royal Tern, 28.
Ruby-crowned Kinglet. 464.

-throated Hummingbird. 235.
Ruddy Duck, 64.

Horned Lark, 268.

Turnstone, 107.
Rufous-crowned Sparrow, 354.

Humming-bird, 239.

-winged Sparrow, 353.
Russet-backed Thrush, 470.
Rusty Blackbird. 299.

Song Sparrow, 358.

Sabine Gull. 27.
Sage Grouse, 133.

Sparrow, 351.

Thrasher, 435.

Saint Lucas Woodpecker, 205.
Salpinctes, 434. 443.

obsoletus. 443.

pulverius. 443.
Salt Marsh Song Sparrow. 358.

Yellow-throat. 425.
Samuels Song Sparrow. 358.
San Clemente Song- Sparrow. 359.
Towhee. 366.
Wren. 448.

San Diego Red-wing. 291.
Song1 Sparrow, 357.
Towhee, 366.

Fernando Towhee. 367.
Sanderling, 94.
Sandhill Crane, 79.
Sandpiper, Baird. 92.

Bartramian. 99.

Bonaparte, 92.

Buff-breasted. 100.

Least, 92.

Pectoral. 91.

Red-backed, 93.

Semipalmated, 93.

Solitary, 97.

Spotted, 100.

Stilt. 90.

506

INDEX

Upland, 99.

Western, 94.
Solitary, 98.

White-rumped, 92.
Sandwich Sparrow, 331.
Santa Barbara Flycatcher, 260.
Song- Sparrow, 358.

Cruz Jay, 276.

Song1 Sparrow, 357.

Rita Bush-Tit, 462.
Sapsucker, Northern Red-breasted,
212.

Red-breasted, 211.

Recl-naped, 211.

Williamson, 212.

Yellow-bellied, 210.
Savanna Sparrow, Western, 332.
Saw-whet Owl, 180.

Northwest, 181.
Saxicola, 467, 475.

O3nanthe, 475.
Say Phoebe, 255.
Sayornis, 246, 254.

nigricans, 254, 255.
semiatra, 254, 256.

phcebe, 254.

saya, 254, 255.
Scaled Partridge, 118.
Scardafella, 138, 143.

inca, 143.

Scarlet Tanag^er, 380.
Scaup Duck. 57.
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, 246.
Scolecophagus, 286, 299.

carolinus, 299.

cyanocephalus, 290, 300.
Scolopacidae, 4, 84, 87.
Scorched Horned Lark, 269.
Scoter, American, 63.

Surf, 63.

White-winged, 63.
Scotiaptex, 175, 179.

cinerea, 179.
Scott Oriole, 294.

Sparrow, 354.
Screech Owl, 182.
Seed-eater, Sharpe, 376.
Seiurus, 401, 423.

aurocapillus, 423.

noveboracensis notabilis, 423.
Selasphorus, 2:53, 237, 238.

alleni, LW, 241.

floresii, 238.

platycercns. 238, 240.

rufus, 238, 239.
Semipalmated Plover, 104.

Sandpiper, 93.
Seunett Nighthawk, 228.

Oriole, 295.

Thrasher, 438.

Warbler, 407.

White-tailed Hawk, 158.
Setophag-a, 401, 429.

picta, 429, 430.

ruticilla, 429.
Sharp-shinned Hawk, 151.
Sharpe Seed-eater, 376.
Shearwater, Black- vented, 35.

Dark-bodied, 35, 36.

Pink-footed, 35.

Slender-billed, 37.
Sheldrake, 46.
Short-billed Gull, 24.

-eared Owl, 177.

-tailed Albatross, 32.
Shoveller, 54.
Shrike, California, 393.

Island, 393.

Northern, 392.

White-rumped, 392.
Sialia, 467, 475.

arctica 475, 476.

mexicana bairdi, 475. 476.
occidentalis, 475, 476.

sialis, 475.

azurea, 476.
Sierra Creeper, 452.
Silver Pheasant, 135.
Simorhynchus. 12, 14.

pusillus, 14.
Siskin, Pine. 323.
Sitkan Kinglet, 465.
Sitta, 452, 453.

canadensis, 453, 454.

carolinensis, 453.
aculeata 453.
nelson i, 453.

pygmaea, 453, 454.
Skylark, 265.
Slate-colored Junco, 346.

Sparrow, 362.
Slender-billed Fulmar, 34.
Nuthatch, 453.
Shearwater, 37.
Small White-eyed Vireo, 399.
Smith Long-spur, 326 327.
Snipe, Jack. 88.

Wilson, 88.
Snowflake. 325.
Snowy Heron, 75.

Owl, 187.

Plover, 105.

INDEX

507

Socorro Petrel, 38.
Solitaire, Townsend. 467.
Solitary Sandpiper, 97.
Song- Sparrow, 356.
Sonora Yellow Warbler, 411.
Sonoran Red-wing, 290.
Sooty Albatross, 33.

Fox Sparrow, 361.

Grouse, 125.

Song- Sparrow, 358.
Sora, 81.
Southern White-tailed Ptarmigan,

129.

Southwest Bewick Wren, 447.
Sparrow, Baird, 333.

fielding Marsh. 332.

Bell. 351.

Bendire, 353.

Black-chiimecl, 345.
-throated, 350.

Botteri, 352.

Brewer. 343.

Bryant Marsh, 332.

Cassin, 352.

Clay-colored, 342.

Desert, 350.
Song\ 357.

English, 324.

Forbush, 360.

Fox, 360.

Gambel, 339.

Golden-crowned. 339.

Harris, 337.

Hawk, 170.

Heermanii Song1, 357.

Intermediate, 339.

Large-billed. 333.

Lark, 336.

Leconte, 335.

Lincoln, 359.

Mendocino Song", 358.

Merrill Song-. 359.

Mountain Song", 357.

Nelson, 335.

Nuttall. 339.

Oregon Song-, 358,
Vesper, 330.

Rock. 355.

Rufous-crowned, 354.
-winged, 353.

Rusty Song, 358.

Sag-e. 351.

Salt Marsh Song-, 358.

Samuels Song-, 358.

San Clemente Song-, 359.
Diego Song-, 357.

Sandwich, 331.

Santa Barbara Song-, 358.

Cruz Song, 357.
•Vott, 354.
Slate-colored, 362.
Song, 356.
Sooty Fox. 361.

Song, 358.
Stephens, 363.
Swamp. 360.
Tehama Song, 358.
Texas, 363.

Seaside, 335.
Thick-billed. 362.
Townsend, 361.
Western Chipping-. 342.

Field, 344.

Grasshopper. 334.

Heuslow, 334.

Lark, 336.

Savanna, 332.

Tree, 341.

Vesper, 329.
White-crowned, 338.

-throated, 340.
Worthen, 344.
Yakutat Fox. 361.
Spatula, 44, 54.
clypeata, 54.
Speotyto, 175, 189.

cunicularia hypogaea. 189.
Sphyrapicus. 200, 210.
ruber, 210.211.

notkensis, 210. 212.
thyroideus, 210, 212.
varius, 210.

nuchalis, 210, 211, 212.
Spinus, 304, 323.

pinus, 323.
Spiza, 305, 377.

aniericana, 377.
Spizella, 305, 341.
atrogularis, 341, 345.
breweri. 341, 343.
monticola ochracea. 341.
pallida, 341, 342.
pusilla arenacea, 341, 344.
socialis arizonse, 341. 342.
wortheni. 341, 344.
Spoonbill, 54.
Sporophila, 306, 376.

morelleti sharpei, 376.
Spotted Owl, 178.
Sandpiper, 100.
Screech Owl. 184.
Sprague Pipit, 432,

508

INDEX

Spurred Towhee, 365, 366.
Squatarola, 102.

squatarola, 102.
Squirrel Hawk, 163.
Starling-, 285.
Steganopodes, 1, 3, 39.
Steganopus, 84, 85.

tricolor, 85.
Stelg-iclopteryx, 382, 387.

serripennis, 387.
Steller Jay. 272.
Stellula, 233, 241.

calliope, 241.
Stephens Sparrow, 363.

Vireo, 399.

Whip-poor-will, 223.
Stercorariidae, 2, 17.
Stercorarius, 17.

longicaudus. 18.

parasiticus, 18.

pomarinus. 18.
Sterna, 19, 27, 20.

antillaruni, 27, 30.

caspia, 27, 28.

elegans, 27, 29.

forsteri, 27, 29.

hirundo, 27, 29.

maxima, 27, 28.

paradissea. 27, 30.
Sternula, 30.
Stilt Sandpiper, 90.
Streaked Horned Lark, 268.
Strigidte, 10L), 144, 173.
Strix, 173.

pratincola, 173.
Sturuella, 285, 292.

mag'iia hoopesi, 292.

neg-lecta, 292.
Sturnidae, 111, 245, 285.
Sturnus, 285.

vulgaris, 285.

Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher. 250.
Summer Tanager, 382.
Surf Bird, 106.

Scoter. 63.
Surma, 175, 188.

uliila caparoch, 188.
Swainson Hawk. 15(5, 159.
Swallow, Bank, 386-

Barn. 384.

Cliff, 384.

M«-xic:m Cliff, 384.

Northern Violet-green, 386.

Rough-winged, 387.

Tn-e, 385. '

White-bellied, 385.

Swallow-tailed Kite, 148.
Swamp Sparrow, 360.
Swan, Trumpeter, 70.

Whistling-, 70.
Swift, Black. 229.

Chimney. 230.

Vaux, 231.

White-throated, 232.
Sylviidaj, 112, 113, 245, 463.
Symphemia, 88, 98.

semipalmata inornata, 98.
Synthliboramphus, 12. 15.

antiquus, 15.
Syrnium, 175, 177.

nebulosum, 177, 178.
helveolum, 177, 178.

occidentale, 178.
caurinum, 178, 179.

Tachycineta. 382, 385.

bicolor, 385.

thalassina lepida, 385, 386.
Tachytriorchis, 158.
Tanag-er, Cooper, 382.

Hepatic, 381.

Louisiana, 379.

Scarlet, 380.

Summer, 382.

Western, 379.
Tanagridse, 111, 245, 379.
Tantalus, 72.

loculator, 72.
Tatler, Wandering-, 98.
Teal, Blue-winged, 52.

Cinnamon, 52.

European, 51.

Green-winged, 51.
Tehama Song' Sparrow, 358.
Telmatodytes, 450.
Tennessee Warbler. 406.
Tern, American Black, 31.

Arctic. 30.

Caspian, 28.

Common, 29.

Eleg-ant, 29.

Forster, 29.

Gull-billed, 27.

Least, 30.

Royal, 28.

Tetraonidse, 108, 113.
Texan Bob-white. 116.

Cactus Wren, 442.

Horned Lark, 268.

Jay, 275.

XiLvhthawk, 228.

Woodpecker, 204.

INDEX

509

IVxas Barred Owl, 178.

li.-wii-k Wren. 447.
Kingfisher. 199.
Meadowlark, 292.

I'y.rlmloxia. 371.

Screi'dl Owl. 183.

Seaside Sparrow, 335.

Sparrow. 363.
Thalasseiis. 2S.
Thalassogeron, 32, 33.

culminatns. 33.
Thick-billed Parrot. 192.
Red-wing-. 291.
Sparrow, 362.
Thrasher, Bendire, 439.

Brown, 438.

California!!, 440.

Crissal, 442.

Curve-billed, 439.

Leconte, 441.

Palmer. 439.

Pasadena, 441.

Sage, 435.

Sennett, 438.
Thrush, Alaska Hermit. 471.

Alma, 471.

Audubon Hermit. 471.

Dwarf Hermit. 472.

Gray-cheeked. 469.

Monterey. 470.
Hermit. 471.

Olive-backed. 470.

Pale Varied, 474.

Russet-backed, 470.

Varied, 473.

Willow, 469.

Wood, 469.
Thryomanes. 434.

bewickii calophonns. 44(5, 447.
charienturns. 44t>. 447.
cryptus. 44»'>. 447.
leucogaster, 446, 447.
spilnrus, 446, 44S.

leucophrys, 44<'>. 448.
Thryothorus, 435. 446.

ludovicianus, 446.
Thurber Junco. 347.
Tinmmculus. IT".
Titmouse, Black-crested, 455.

Bridled. 457.

Gray, 456.

Plain, 456.
Totanus, 88, 96.

flavipes, Oil, 97.

melanoleucus, 96.
Towhee, 364.

Abert, 368.

Anthony. 367.

Arctic. 364.

California, 367.

Canyon, 366.

Green-tailed, 368.

Oregon. 365.

San Clemente, 366.
Dieg-o, 366.
Fernando. 367.

Spurred. 365.
Townsend Solitaire, 467.

Sparrow, 361.

Warbler, 421.
Toxostoma, 484, 437, 438.

bendirei, 438. 439.

crissalis, 437, 442.

curvirostre, 43S, 439.
palmeri, 438. 439.

lecontei, 437. 441.

longirostre sennetti, 438.

redivivum, 437. 440.
pasadenense, 437, 441.

rufum. 438.
Traill Flycatcher, 260.
Tree-duck, Black-bellied, 69.
Fulvous, 69.

Swallow, 385.
Tricolored Blackbird, 292.
Tringa, 87. 90.

alpina pacifica, 91, 93.

bairdii, 91, 92.

canutus, 90, 91.

fuscicollis, 91, 92.

maculata. 91.

minutilla, 91 92.
Trochilidw, 110, 222. 232.
Trochilus, 233. 234. 230.

alexandri. 235, 237.

colubris, 235. 237.
Troglodytes. 434. 448.

aedon parkmanii. 448.

aztecus, 449.

Troglodytidae, 112, 113, 245, 433,
Trogon, 197.

ambiguus, 197.

Coppery-tailed. 197.
Trogonidte, lid. JH3. 197.
Trumpeter Swan, 70.
Tryiigites, 87, 100.

subruficollis, 100.
Tubinares, 1,3, 32.
Tufted Puffin, 12.
Tide Wren, 450.

Yellow-throat, 425.
1 Turdidae, 112, 245, 467.

510

INDEX

Turkey, Merriam, 136.

Rio Grande, 136.

Vulture, 145.

Water, 39.

Wild. 136.
Turnstone, Black, 107.

Ruddy, 107.
Tympaiiuchus, 113, 129.

americanus, 130.
attwateri, 130, 131.

pallidicinetus, 130, 131.
Tyraniiidse, 111, 245.
Tyrannus, 245, 247.

melancholieus couchi, 247, 248.

tyrannus, 247, 249.

verticalis, 247, 248.

vociferans, 247, 248, 249.

Upland Plover, 99.
Uria, 11, 16.

troile calif ornica, 16.
Urile, 41.
Urubitinga, 147, 160.

anthracina, 160.

Valley Partridge, 120.
Varied Bunting, 375.

Thrush, 473.
Vaux Swift, 231.
Vega Gull. 23.
Verdin. 462.

Vermilion Flycatcher, 264.
Vigors Wren. 446.
Vireo, 394, 31 »7.

Anthony, 399.

atricapillus. 394. 397.

Bell, 399.

bellii. 394. 399.

Black-capped, 397.

Blue-headed, 396.

Cassin. 396.

flavoviridis, 394, 395.

gilvus. 394, 395.

Gray, 400.

Button, 399.

huttoni, 395; 399.
obscurus, 395, 399.
stephensi, 39."). 399.

Least, 400.

noveboracensis, 394, 398.
inicrus, 394, 399.

olivaceus, 394, 395.

pusillus, 394. 400.

Red-eyed, 395.

•Small White-eyed, 399.

solitaries. : 194, '396.

cassinii. 394, 396.
plumbeus, 394, 397.

Stephens. 399.

vicinior, 394, 499.

Warbling, 395.

White-eyed, 398.

Yellow-green, 395.
Vireonidaj, 113, 245, 394.
Vireosylva. 395.
Virginia Rail, 80.

Warbler, 403.
Vulture, Black, 146.

California. 144.

Turkey, 145.

Wandering Tatler, 98.
Warbler, Alaskan Yellow, 412.
Audubon, 413.
Black and White, 402.

-fronted. 415.

-poll. 416.

-throated Blue, 412.
Gray, 418.
Green, 420.
Blackburnian, 417.
Calaveras. 404.
Canadian, 428.
Cerulean. 416.
Chestnut-sided. 416.
Connecticut, 424.
Dusky. 405.
Golden-cheeked. 419.

Pileolated, 428.
Grace, 418.
Hermit, 421.
Lucy, 402.
Lutescent, 405.
Maegillivray. 424.
Magnolia. 415.
Northern Parula, 406.
Olive, 410.
Orange-crowned. 404.
Palm, 422.
Pileolated. 428.
Red-faced. 430.
Sennett, 407.
Sonora Yellow. 411.
Tennessee. 406.
Townseiid. 421.
Virginia, 403.
Wilson. 428.
Yellow, 411.

-rnmped, 412, 414.
Warbling Vireo, 395.
Water Ouzel, 432.

-thrush. Grinnell. 423.

INDEX

511

Turkey. 39.
Waxwing, Bohemian, 388.

Cedar. 388.
Wt-stern Black Phoebe, 256.

Bluebird. 476.

Blue Grosbeak, 373.

Chipping- Sparrow, 342.

Evening' Grosbeak. 307.

Field Sparrow. 344.

Flycatcher, 260.

Gnatcatcher, 466.

Golden-crowned King-let, 464.

Goshawk, 153.

Grasshopper Sparrow. 334.

Grebe. 5.

Gull. 21.

Henslow Sparrow, 334.

Horned Owl, 185.

Lark Sparrow. 336.

Martin, 383.

Meadowlark, 293.

Mockingbird. 435.

Nighthawk, 227.

Red-tail, 156.

Robin, 472.

Sandpiper, 94.

Savanna Sparrow, 332.

Solitary Sandpiper. 98.

Tanager, 379.

Tree Sparrow, 341.

Vesper Sparrow, 329.

Willet, 89.

Winter Wren. 449.

Wood Pe wee, 258.

Yellow-throat. 425.
Wheatear, 475.
Whip-poor-will, 223.

Stephens, 223.
Whistling- Swan, 70.
White-bellied Swallow, 385.

-breasted Nuthatch, 453.

-cheeked Goose, 68.

-crowned Sparrow. 338.

-eared Humming-bird, 243.

-eyed Vireo. 398.

-faced Glossy Ibis. 71.

-fronted Dove, 141.
Goose, 66.

-headed Woodpecker. 207.

Ibis, 71.

-necked Raven. 280.

-rumped Sandpiper, 92.
Shrike, 392.

-tailed Kite, 148.
Ptarmigan, 129.

-throated Sparrow, 340.

Swift, 232.
Wren, 445.

-winged Crossbill. 315.
Dove, 142.
Junco. 345.
Scoter, 63.
Whooping- Crane, 78.
Widgeon, 49.
Wild Turkey. 136.
Willet, Western. 98.
Williamson Sapsucker, 212.
Willow Goldfinch, 321.

Thrush. 469.

Woodpecker. 203.
Wilson Phalarope. 85.

Plover. 105.

Snipe, 88.

Warbler, 428.
Wilsonia, 401, 427.

canadensis, 427, 428.

pusilla, 427, 428.
chryseola, 428.
pileolata, 427, 428.
Wood Duck, 55.

Ibis, 72.

Pewee, 258.

Thrush, 469.

Woodcock, American, 88.
Woodhouse Jay, 274.
Woodpecker, Alaskan Three-toed,
209.

Alpine Three-toed. 209.

American Three-toed, 209.

Ant-eating. 216.

Arctic Three-toed. 208.

Arizona, 206.

Batchelder, 203.

Cabanis, 202.

Californian. 217.

Downy, 204.

Gairdiier, 203.

Gila, 219.

Golden-fronted. 218.

Harris. 202.

Lewis, 217.

Northern Hairy, 201.
Pileated, 213.

Nuttall, 205.

Red-bellied, 218.
-headed. 215.

Rocky Mountain Hairy, 203.

Saint Lucas. 205.

Texan. 204.

White-headed, 207.
Worthen Sparrow, 344.
Wren, Aztec. 449.

512

INDEX

Baird, 447.

Bryant Cactus, 443.

Cactus, 442.

Canyon, 445.

Carolina, 446.

Desert Cactus, 442.

Dotted Canyon, 445.

Interior Tule, 451.

Long-billed Marsh, 450.

Northwest Bewick, 447.

Pacific House, 448.

Parkman, 448.

Rock, 443.

San Clemente, 448.
Nicolas Rock. 443.

Short-billed Marsh, 450.

Southwest Bewick, 447,

Texan Cactus, 442.

Texas Bewick, 447.

Tule, 450.

Vigors, 446.

Western Winter, 449.

White-throated, 445.
Wren-Tit, Coast, 460.

Pallid, 459.
Wright Flycatcher, 262.

Xanthocephalus, 2*5. 288.

xanthocephalus, 288.
Xanthoura, 269, 277.

luxuosa glaucescens, 277.
Xantus Becard, 245.

Murrelet, 16.
Xema, 19, 27.

sabini, 27.

Xenopicus, 200, 207.
albolarvatus, 207.

Yakutat Fox Sparrow, 361.
Yellow-bellied Sapsncker, 210.
-billed Cuckoo, 195, 197-

Magpie, 271.

-crowned Night Heron, 78.
-green Vireo, 395.
-headed Blackbird, 288.
-legs, Greater, 96.

Lesser, 97.
-nosed Albatross, 33.
Rail, 82.

-rumped Warbler. 412.
-throat. Pacific, 426.

Rio Grande, 426.

Salt Marsh, 425.

Tule, 425.

Western, 425.
Yphantes, 297.

Zamelodia, 304, 371.

ludoviciana, 371, 372.

melanocephala, 371, 372.
Zenaidura, 138, 140.

macroura, 140.
Zone-tailed Hawk, 157.
Zonotrichia, 306, 337, 341.

albicollis, 337, 340.

coronata, 337, 339.

leucophrys, 337, 338.
gambelii, 337. 339.
nuttalli, 337, 339.

querula, 337.

340.

EUctrotyped and Printed by H. O. Houghton &= Co.
Cambridge, Mass., U.S. A.

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