Part 117

Harporhynchus redivivus.]

=Harporhynchus redivivus= (I, 45). The accompanying cut, showing the extreme anatomy of the species, was omitted in its proper place.

=Mimus polyglottus= (I, 49). Mr. C. E. Aiken has obtained this species in El Paso County, Colorado.

=Saxicola œnanthe= (I, 60). Mr. C. J. Hampton obtained a specimen of this bird at Junius, Seneca County, N. Y., on the 9th of September, 1872. Professor Newton suggests, by letter, as an interesting problem, the route by which this species reaches Alaska in its migrations. It is not known to occur near the Sea of Ochotsk, has not been found on the Lower Amoor, and probably does not occur farther eastward than the Baikal Mountains. It has never been noticed in Japan or on the coast of China. It must therefore be very nearly certain that it cannot take that way to Alaska. Sundeval states that it is found in Kamtschatka, but this Mr. Newton questions, as no authority is given for this statement. The only alternative is to assume a route via Greenland, in this, perhaps, in a measure indorsing Petermann’s suggestion that Greenland extends across the pole nearly to the Asiatic coast and to Alaska.

=Sialia mexicana= (I, 65). This species has been obtained in Western Iowa by Mr. Atkinson.

=Regulus calendula= (I, 75). We present the outlines of bill, feet, wings, and tail, omitted in their proper place.

Regulus calendula.]

=Polioptila cærulea= (I, 78). Mr. Aiken has taken this species in El Paso County, Colorado. Dr. Cooper informs me that he found it quite numerous near Auburn, Placer County, Cal., May 11, 1870, apparently migrating northward. In the following December he saw one near San Francisco. From this he infers that it winters much farther to the north in that State than it does east of the Rocky Mountains, and that the individuals occurring in Guatemala are eastern birds. He also states that it is the prevailing and probably the only form in all the northern and western parts of the State of California. About September 20, 1872, this species came in great numbers to the vicinity of San Buenaventura and remained there all winter, going to the mountains northward by March 20.

=Polioptila melanura= (I, 81). Dr. Cooper informs me that while he found P. cærulea common in September, he saw none of this species near San Buenaventura until November 12, when small parties appeared moving westward from the colder desert regions east of the mountains. They kept entirely in the artemisia thickets among the sandy and dryest tracts, never going into the high trees like P. cærulea. In form, color, restless habits, and scolding mew, this species is said to be a perfect miniature and mimic of the Catbird.

According to Captain Bendire the species is not common in Arizona, where he met with three nests. “One before me, found July 25, 1872, fastened in a bunch of mistletoe, or rather suspended in it, is composed of a species of wild hemp fibres nicely woven together, and lined with a few feathers and exceedingly fine grass.” The nest is very neatly made: Outer diameter, 2 inches; inner, 1.60; depth, 1.50. The number of eggs is five, ground-color pale green, with spots of light reddish-brown color scattered over the egg. Measurement, .50 by .40 of an inch. Their notes are a rather harsh twitter, kept up for some time. They are active little birds, and are very restless.

=Chamæa fasciata= (I, 84). Mr. Allen thinks that he saw this species in Colorado Territory. See Am. Nat. VI, June, 1872, and Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool. III, No. 6, p. 184.

=Lophophanes inornatus= (I, 91). Mr. Aiken has obtained this species in El Paso County, Colorado, where it is common, while Mr. Henshaw, the naturalist of Lieutenant Wheeler’s expedition, found it abundant in Southern Utah. These Rocky Mountain specimens are much grayer and somewhat larger than those from California.

=Parus rufescens= (I, 104). Nests and eggs of a Parus which undoubtedly belong to this species were found by Mr. William A. Cooper, at Santa Cruz, Cal. One of these nests, sent to the Smithsonian Institution, was found about four miles from Santa Cruz, April 22, 1873. The nest was composed of moss and fine bark, largely intermingled with the fur of rabbits and other small quadrupeds. It was built in a hole in the branch of a tree about ten feet from the ground. The branch was about half a foot in diameter and was partially decayed. The cavity was about a foot in length from the nest to the place where the bird gained an entrance, which was a small hole about an inch and a quarter in diameter. The eggs were seven in number and contained partially formed embryos. They measure .64 of an inch in length by .52 in breadth, resemble the eggs of the atricapillus, but are more sparingly marked with spots, rather more minute and of a lighter shade of reddish-brown, on a white ground.

=Sitta pygmæa= (I, 120). This bird is probably a geographical form of S. pusilla, as suggested by Mr. Allen (Bull. Mus. Comp. Zoöl., Vol. III, No. 6, p. 115).

=Sitta pusilla= (I, 122). Young specimens collected at Aiken, S. C., by Mr. C. H. Merriam, are quite different in color from the adult plumage. The head is pale dull ashy, instead of light hair-brown, and the colors are duller generally. There is a near approach to S. pygmæa in their appearance.

=Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus= (I, 132). This species has been collected at Toquerville, Southern Utah, by Mr. Henshaw, and in Southern Nevada by Mr. Bischoff, naturalists to Lieutenant Wheeler’s expedition.

=Salpinctes obsoletus= (I, 135). The range of this species has been remarkably extended by the capture of a specimen in Decatur County, Southern Iowa, where others were seen, by Mr. T. M. Trippe. See Proc. Boston Soc. N. H., December, 1872, p. 236.

=Catherpes mexicanus=, var. =conspersus= (I, 139). Numerous specimens obtained in Colorado by Mr. Allen and Mr. Aiken, and in Southern Utah by Mr. Henshaw, establish the fact of great uniformity in the characters of this race, and its distinctness from var. mexicanus. On page 139 “it is noticed that it is a remarkable fact that this northern race should be so much smaller than the Mexican one, especially in view of the fact that it is a resident bird in even the most northern parts of its ascertained habitat.” As we find this peculiarity exactly paralleled in the Thryothorus ludovicianus of the Atlantic States (see below), may not these facts point out a law to the effect that in species which belong to essentially tropical families, with only outlying genera or species in the temperate zone, the increase in size with latitude is toward the region of the highest development of the group?

Dr. Cooper met with two specimens of this species in California in 1872; one about twelve miles back of San Diego, the other the same distance back of San Buenaventura, and both at the foot of lofty, rugged mountains. Their song he compares to loud ringing laughter; it is so shrill as to be heard at quite a distance, and seems as if it must be produced by a much larger bird.

=Thryothorus ludovicianus= (I, 142). Specimens of this species from Miami, Fla., are much darker colored than those from the Middle States (Maryland, Illinois, and southward), as might be expected; but very strangely, they are also much larger. In colors they very nearly resemble var. berlandieri, from the Lower Rio Grande.

A specimen in Mr. Ridgway’s collection (No. 1,864, January 9), from Miami, Fla., compares with one from Southern Illinois (No. 1,652, Mt. Carmel, January, 1871) as follows:—

+-----+----------------+----+-----+-----+-------+-------+-----------+ | No. | Locality. |Sex.|Wing.|Tail.|Culmen.|Tarsus.|Middle Toe.| +-----+----------------+----+-----+-----+-------+-------+-----------+ |1,864|Miami, Fla. | ♂ | 2.75| 2.60| .90| .95| .60| +-----+----------------+----+-----+-----+-------+-------+-----------+ |1,652|Mt. Carmel, Ill.| ♂ | 2.45| 2.30| .80| .80| .55| +-----+----------------+----+-----+-----+-------+-------+-----------+

In coloration they are more nearly alike, the Florida specimen being hardly appreciably darker on the upper surface, though the lower parts are much deeper ochraceous, almost rufous. The Illinois specimen is deep ochraceous beneath, just about intermediate between Maryland and Florida specimens. Another Florida specimen (No. 62,733, Mus. S. I.; C. J. Maynard) measures: wing, 2.50; tail, 2.40; culmen, .85.

=Thryothorus bewicki=, var. =leucogaster= (I, 147). Specimens of this form were obtained at Toquerville, Southern Utah, in October, 1872, by Mr. Henshaw, attached to Lieutenant Wheeler’s expedition.

Troglodytes parvulus, var. hyemalis.]

=Troglodytes parvulus=, var. =hyemalis= (I, 155). Dr. Cooper has noticed a few of these Wrens near San Buenaventura in winter, after November 10. They probably reside in the summer in the high coast mountains lying east as well as in the Sierra Nevada. Outlines, omitted before, are here given.

=Cistothorus stellaris= (I, 159). Mr. Henshaw obtained good evidence of this bird’s breeding at Utah Lake. Nests and eggs were found in a farm-house, unquestionably those of this species, and said to have been obtained among the tulés or sedges along the shore of the lake. Outlines of this species are here given.

Cistothorus stellaris.]