NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 77 



and tail, dull white ; on the latter tinged with olivaceous. Bill as in V.' Belli. 

 Exposed portion of spurious quill about half as long as second. Fourth pri- 

 mary longest ; third and fifth about equal to each other, and but little shorter 

 than fourth ; second about equal to eighth. Tail very long, equalling the 

 wing; rectrices quite narrow, with acuminate tips. Tarsus long, much ex- 

 ceeding the short toes ; outer claw surpassing, inner about equalling the mid- 

 dle toe without its claw. Length (approximately correct only) 5-00; extent 

 7-25. Wing 2-15 ; tail about the same. Bill -34 ; tarsus -65 ; middle toe and 

 claw -50 ; outer do. - 42 ; inner do. '39. 



Habitat Lower and Southern California, and probably Sonora, at least as 

 far north as near Fort Whipple. Cape St. Lucas, Xantus. Fort Mojave, Cooper. 

 Fifty miles south of Fort Whipple, Coues ; breeding abundantly in the last 

 mentioned locality. Never observed at Fort Whipple. 



Description. (No. 16,954, Smiths. Register, $, Cape St. Lucas.) The bill 

 is shaped exactly as in V. Belli, and is similarly colored; being light horn 

 blue, the lower mandible nearly white ; the former color fading into reddish 

 brown in drying. The iris is brown, the legs and feet dull leaden blue. The 

 color of the upper parts is a plain dull ashy gray on the head ; tinged with 

 grayish olivaceous on the rest of the upper parts ; but quite unlike the olive 

 green of Belli. Below the pure white of the under parts is slightly obscured 

 by a wash of barely definable grayish brown across the breast ; and a light 

 shade of sulphury olive tinges the sides under the wings. There is no ap- 

 proach to the bright sulphur yellow which so strongly tinges the whole under 

 parts of Belli, especially the flanks and circumanal region ; and invades the 

 under wing coverts, which in pusillus remain white. The markings on the 

 sides of the head are quite identical ; and the edging of the wings and tail is 

 similar in amount and in tint. The following are the differential points in 

 the diagnoses of the two species, comparison being made with Audubon's 

 type specimen. 



V. Belli. Spurious primary two-fifths the second primary; third longest; 

 second a little longer than seventh. Wing much longer than tail. Color 

 above olive green, whole under parts except the throat strongly tinged with 

 sulphur yellow. 



V. pusillus. Spurious primary half as long as the second ; fourth longest ; 

 second equal to eighth. Wings and tail equal in length. Color above grayish 

 olive. No sulphur yellow below except a slight wash along the sides under 

 the wings. 



TROGLOD YTID.E. 



(119.) Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus (Lafr.) Gray. 



Valleys of the Gila and lower Colorado. Common in the southern and 

 western portion of the Territory. Not observed at Whipple. "Exclusively 

 a cactus Wren ; " {Cooper.) 



It is quite possible that Campylorhy nchus ajfinis Xantus, from Cape St. Lucas, 

 may be found in the vicinity of Fort Yuma. 



120. Salpinctes obsoletus (Say) Cab. 



Common at Whipple, though less so there than in the more southern and 

 western portions of the Territory. Almost exclusively confined to rocky hill- 

 sides, canons and precipitous gorges or ravines. Restless, shy and noisy; 

 the note being a very loud and strong whistle. Arrives in spring about 

 April 25 ; remains until October. The moult is severe, lasting through part 

 of September. 



(121.) Catherpes mexicanus (Sw ) Baird. 



Not observed at Whipple ; first noticed a few miles southward from that 

 locality ; generally distributed over the southern and western portions of the 

 Territory, as high up the Colorado at least as Fort Mojave ; nowhere very 



1866] 



