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Show 237 AMPEUDJE.- CHATTERERS. 46. Phcsnopepla niten*, ( Sw.).- Black Flycatcher. I saw this species on but few occasions. They are, however, not rare in the southern half of the State. They inhabit the bushy cafions, and are found much about the oaks, upon which they find the berries of the mistletoe. In fall these and other kinds of berries form their chief sustenance, varied with insects which they capture on the wing. They are among the shyest of the small birds. 47. Miadestes toumsendi, ( And.).- Townsend's Solitaire. This species probably resorts to the high mountains, as in the interior region, to pass the summer. I saw none till in September; when in the Sierras, they appeared here and there noiselessly pursuing their avocations. Though usually a bird of very unsocial disposition, the abundance of food at any special locality, as berries, attracts them in numbers, when they seem inclined to live more or less in company, and in late fall are apt to be seen in parties of four or five individuals. They never, however, flock, in the strict meaning of the word. 464 498 498 A 499 500 501 309 Sex. d d % Locality. do do do do do do Date. Sept 96 Sept 96 Sept 96 Sept 96 Sept 96 Sept 96 Sept 96 Collector. H. W. Henshaw. .... do do .... do do . . . . do Wing. 4.45 4.49 4.59 Tail. 4.94 4.09 4 IS 4.58 4.19 Bill 0.59 0.50 0.47 0.4ft 4.57 4.18 | 0.49 4.55 4.16 , 0.48 4.53 4. i s 1 n 4? Tarsus. 0.79 0.89 0.83 0.80 0.89 0.89 0.89 LANiiDiE.- SHRIKES. 48. Collurio ludovicianus, ( L.), var. excubitoroides.- Swain's White- runiped Shrike. This Shrike is numerous in California, where its habits of life throughout appear not different from its usual mode of existence elsewhere. As noticed by Professor Baird, in hi8 Review, there is observable in the birds from the west coast an appreciable difference from those of the interior, which latter represent what may be called the normal type of coloration of the var. excubitoroides. In our specimens from California the ash above is darker, the hoariness of the forehead of less extent, the white of scapulars more restricted. All the specimens, however, taken on the mainland have the white rump clearly defined. In this connection, two young birds in nesting plumage taken on Santa Cruz Island are especially noteworthy. These appear in all respects to be typical ludovieianus. In the depth of the plnmbeus shade above and along the sides, in the lack of any hoariness on the forehead, and, above all, in the absence of any whiteness of the rump, this being like the back, they exactly resemble young birds from Florida. Ko. Sex. Locality. Date. Collector. 87 905 467 750 9 Jon. d Jun. d d Santa Barbara, Cai do Near Mount Whitney, Cal. do ... Kernville, Cal June 96 July 6 Ludovieianut. Santa Cruz Island, Cal., d o . . . Oct. 97 June 10 June 10 i H. " W. Henshaw Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. TAXAGRID^:.- TANAGERS. 49. Pyranga ludoviciana, ( Wils.).- Louisiana Tanager. In one of the small cations issuing from the mountains near Santa Barbara I found several of these Tanagers in July, at which time they were feeding their young. Elsewhere in Southern California they were most unaccountably rare, aud, all told, I do not think I saw over a dozen during the entire summer. Probably the bulk of their numbers pass farther north to breed. |
