Part 122

=Tyrannus vociferans= (II, 327). Captain Bendire writes that this species arrives in the neighborhood of Tucson about the middle of April, but does not commence nesting until the middle of June. All the nests he found were difficult to get at, being generally placed on a branch of a large cottonwood-tree, and at a distance from the trunk. The nest is described as very large for the size of the bird, composed of sticks, weeds, dry grasses, and lined with hair, wool, and the inner soft fibres of bark of the cottonwood. The usual complement of eggs is three, seldom four. They measure from 1.00 by .75 to 1.10 by .80 of an inch, are of a creamy-white color, with large isolated spots of a reddish-brown, scattered principally about the larger end.

=Myiarchus= (II, 329). For a discussion of the races of M. lawrencii considered in their relation to climatic color-variation, see Am. Journ. Science and Arts, December, 1872.

=Sayornis= (II, 339). The outlines of species of Sayornis given below are additional to those already published.

=Empidonax brunneus= (II, 363). Specimens in the collection of the Boston Society bear the MSS. name of E. olivus. But we cannot find a reference to this name.

=Empidonax minimus= (II, 372). Has been collected in El Paso County, Colorado, by Mr. Aiken.

Sayornis sayus.]

Sayornis fuscus.]

Sayornis nigricans.]

=Empidonax obscurus= (II, 381). Dr. Cooper found a few of this species wintering in a large grove of balsam, poplars, and willows, which retained most of their old leaves till spring, near San Buenaventura. Those shot were remarkably gray, and were supposed to have been blown down from the borders of the desert by the violent northeast-wind.

=Pyrocephalus mexicanus= (II, 387). Captain Bendire found the Red Flycatcher quite abundant in Southern Arizona, where they breed as early as April. They were most common in the neighborhood of Reledo Creek, near Tucson, and were generally found in the neighborhood of water. Their nests were in various situations, in one instance in a cottonwood-tree thirty feet from the ground, in another in the forks of a mesquite not more than ten feet from the ground. The nests were small, slight, and loosely made, and not readily preserved. They were made externally of twigs, fine bark, stems of plants, etc., and lined with hair and feathers. The usual number of eggs was three, and never more. Except in size these bear a close resemblance to the eggs of Milvulus forficatus. Their ground is a rich cream-color, to which the deep purplish-brown markings with which they are blotched imparts a slight tinge of red. These markings are few, bold, and conspicuous, and encircle the larger end with an almost continuous ring. In shape they are of a roundish oval, and measure .66 of an inch in length by .55 in breadth. The nest and eggs of this species were also obtained at Cape St. Lucas by Mr. John Xantus, and the eggs correspond. Dr. Cooper found two male birds of this species in a grove near the mouth of the Santa Clara River, six miles from San Buenaventura, in October, 1872. They had obtained their perfect plumage, but seemed to be young birds. They hunted insects much like a Sayornis, and uttered only a faint chirp.

=Chordeiles popetue=, var. =minor= (II, 400). Specimens from Miami, Florida, collected by Mr. Maynard, agree very nearly with typical examples of var. minor from Cuba, both in size and color, and should possibly be referred to that race. A male (7,414, Mus. C. J. M.) measures: wing, 7.00; tail, 4.15. The colors are those of var. popetue, with less rufous than in the single specimen of minor with which it has been compared.

=Chordeiles texensis= (II, 406). Dr. Cooper shot a single specimen of this species near San Buenaventura, April 18, 1873.

=Antrostomus carolinensis= (II, 410). This species has been detected by Mr. Ridgway in Southern Illinois (Wabash County), where it is a rare summer sojourner.

=Panyptila melanoleuca= (II, 424). Dr. Cooper saw many of this species in the cañon of Santa Anna, flying about inaccessible cliffs of sandstone, where they doubtless had nests, May 20. He saw also them near San Buenaventura, August 25, when they came down to the valley from the sandstone cliffs ten miles distant. They afterwards hunted insects almost daily near the coast, flying high during the calm morning, but when there were sea-breezes flying low and against it. After a month they disappeared, and none were seen until December 14, when they were again seen until the 20th. None were seen during the rains, or until February 26, when they reappeared, and after April 5 they retired to the mountains.

=Nephœcetes niger= (II, 429). Dr. Cooper informs us that a fine specimen of this rare bird was taken at San Francisco in the spring of 1870, and brought to Mr. F. Gruber. It had, from some cause, been driven to alight on the ground, from which it was not able to rise, and was taken alive. The exact date was not noted.

=Chætura vauxi= (II, 435). Dr. Cooper states that in the spring of 1873 this Swift appeared as early as April 22 near San Buenaventura. The year before he first saw them near San Diego on the 26th.

=Geococcyx californianus= (II, 472). Has been found in El Paso County, Colorado, by Mr. Aiken.

=Picus gairdneri= (II, 512). Four eggs of this Woodpecker were taken by Mr. William A. Cooper near Santa Cruz, Cal., from a hole in a tree, one side of which was much decayed. Four is said to be the usual number of their eggs, although five were found in one instance. The eggs resemble those of P. pubescens, and measure .75 of an inch in length by .57 in breadth.

=Sphyropicus varius= (II, 539). Collected in El Paso County, Colorado, by Mr. Aiken.

=Centurus uropygialis= (II, 558). Captain Bendire found this Woodpecker the most common of the family in the vicinity of Tucson, Arizona, where it was resident throughout the year. Like nearly all of its kindred, it is an exceedingly noisy bird. It appears to be a resident species throughout the year in all the southern portions of the Territory. Its favorite localities for nesting appear to be in the gigantic trunks of the large Cereus giganteus, which plants are called by the natives Suwarrows. These are easily excavated, and form a remarkably safe place in which to rear their young ones, on account of the many thorns with which these cacti are protected. Their eggs are usually four in number, but sometimes are only two, and resemble those of all the other kinds of Woodpeckers in their color and in their rounded oval shape. They average .98 of an inch in length and .76 in breadth. Usually two, and occasionally even three, broods are raised in a season.

=Strix pratincola= (III, 13). Dr. Cooper informs us that, though most of these Owls are resident in California south of latitude 35°, there is a migration southward in fall from the north. Great numbers of them appeared near San Buenaventura about October 20, 1872, for a few days, and most of them went still farther southward. They return north about the first of April. On the 12th of April he found a nest built four feet up in a pepper-tree (Schinus molle), forming part of a hedge, composed of coarse sticks, straws, and dry horse-dung inside, shallow but strongly built, and containing two eggs.

=Falconidæ= (III, 103). The following outlines of the Falconidæ were omitted in their proper places.

=58983=, ♀. ½ =58983=, ♀. ½

58983. Falco richardsoni.]

43139. Falco gyrfalco, var. sacer.]

5482. Falco lanarius, var. polyagrus.]

=Chamæpelia passerina= (III, 389). Dr. Cooper states that an individual of this species was killed by Mr. Lorquin at San Francisco, in May, 1870. Mr. Lorquin also obtained several at San Gabriel, Los Angeles County, several years previous.

=Tetrao obscurus= (III, 421). Dr. Cooper found this species in April, 1870, at the edge of the melting snow, near Cisco, about 6,000 feet altitude. They were still more numerous at Emigrant Gap, 5,300 feet altitude, where snow lay only in patches, and at Truckee, on the east slope, where there was no snow, and where he found two of their eggs in a deserted nest within sight of the town. In July he found them near Verdi, near the State line. This is the limit of their range. They also frequent the edge of perpetual snow, at an elevation of 9,000 feet, more numerously than below.