| OCR Text |
Show 256 all; and, with Dr. Cooper, I am inclined to believe that it is wanting through the Coast range. It is spoken of as quite numerous in the Sacramento Valley in summer by Dr. Newberry, and not unlikely occurs in the interior and western portions of the State at this season. 104. Antro8tomu8 nuttalli, ( And.)*- Poorwill. On the summits of the mountains near Fort Tejon the Poorwills were remarkably numerous, keeping hidden during the day among the dense chaparral, where they crouched so close that I several times almost trod on them ere they took to wing. No. 751 im Sex. d" Jan. cf Jan. Tejon Mountains, Cal. do Locality. Date. An*. 2 Aug. 2 Collector. H. W. Heiiahaw. Do. 105. Chcetura vauxii, Townsend.- Oregon Swift. A Swift was present in the Tejon Mountains in August, which I believe was this species. TROCHULID^.- HUMMING- BIRDS. 106. Stellula calliope, ( Gould).- Calliope Humming- bird. • This species was most unaccountably rare in the mountains of Southern California, and I saw but a single individual in the Tejon Mountains, August 17. Even this may have been a migrant, and the species may not occur at all in summer in Southern California. It is very abundant in the Cascade Mountains in the northwest, where it breeds. 107. Trochilu8 alexandri, Bourcier & Mulsant.- Black- chinned Humming- bird. This Hummer was not found by our parties very common in any portion of California. They are probably most numerous in the early part of the season, when flowers are most abundant. No. 403 Sex. < f pin. Locality. Tejon Mountains, Cal Date. Aug. 19 Collector. JT. W- H* n » haw. 108. Selasphorus rufus, ( Gmel.).- Rufous- backed Humming- bird. This species is quite common in summer throughout California, and breeds apparently as commonly in the valleys as in the mountains. It occurs at this season all along the coast as far to the north at least as Sitka. A few probably remain during the winter,| in the warm, sheltered valleys of the western part of the State, though the species, as a rule, retires farther south for winter- quarters. In comparing a series of these birds taken in California and to the northward with a fnll suite secured by the expedition in Arizona and New Mexico, I was struck with certain differences in coloration whioh appeared, and though these, after full consideration, appear of too slight and inconstant a nature to warrant the definition of a varietal form upon them, they are yet of sufficient interest as to be worthy of mention. Briefly, the differences resolve themselves into a somewhat deeper tone of coloration in individuals from the Pacific coast. The slight cinnamon of the interior type becomes, in some specimens, a deep rufous, and in all it is noticeably darker. In the male, the flame- colored gorget is tinged strongly with purplish. In them is seen also a tendency to retain the metallic- green color on the dorsal surface, which is common to the females and young, and which, in the interior, is always replaced in the adult males with clear light cinnamon. In no small proportion of what appear to be adult males from the Pacific coast the metallic green extends from the head entirely over the back and even over the upper tail- coverts, leaving only the tail rufous. Some males, also adult? are found, which have the back of an unmixed rufous, while many occur which exhibit both phases of coloration in varying measure- green mixed with rufous, rufous mixed with green. As these different conditions may be found in the same locality in California, the impossibility of drawing a varietal line is here seen. |
