NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 61 



is generally the case in this group of birds. There is more of olive, and less 

 of pure dark brown in the upper parts. The under parts are of a nearly uni- 

 form soiled dull brownish olive, only a little lighter on the throat, and some- 

 what tinged with yellowish on the middle of the abdomen, very different from 

 the streaked brown breast and white throat and abdomen of horealis. The 

 bill is much longer though not wider than that of horealis ; bright yellow be- 

 low. The tuft of white crissal feathers is far less conspicuous. In pe.rtinax 

 the second, third and fourth quills are about equal to each other, and longest ; 

 the first half an inch shorter than the second ; intermediate in length between 

 the fifth and sixth. In horealis the second quill is much the longest, the first 

 and third about equal and -15 of an inch shorter than the second ; the fourth 

 50, and the fifth -90 of an inch shorter than the longest. A very differently 

 shaped wing is thus produced. The tail of pertinax is nearly half an inch 

 longer than that of horealis. 



The present species is one of several Mexican and Peninsular birds which 

 are found in upper Arizona; doubtless following the course of the Valley of 

 the great Colorado. It is now for the first time introduced into the Fauna of 

 the United States. 



64. Contoi'DS Richakdsonii (Swains.) Baird. 



Exceedingly abundant summer resident. Arrives in spring about May 1st, 

 the latest of the Fly-catchers, as does C. virens in the Ea?t. Departs third 

 week in September. Found in all situations, hut especially in open forests. 

 Iris brown. Bill and feet black; the under mandihle tomewhat lighter col- 

 ored. Mouth bright yellow. 



The plumage of the upper parts of the young of the year is plain dull 

 brown, with no olive tint ; some of the feathers (chiefly those of the head 

 and rump) tipped with dull rufous ; which sometimes, especially on the 

 rump, gives the main color to the part. Below the olivaceous gray of the 

 adult is every where mixed with considerable dull ferrugineous ; only the 

 chin and middle of the belly being untinged with this color. All the wing 

 coverts and the inner primaries are strongly edged and tipped with ferrugine- 

 ous. The iris is brown ; the bill above and the feet black ; the lower mandi- 

 ble yellow except at tip ; the mouth orange yellow. 



In examining the very lar._e series of skins I have collected on the Rio 

 Grande in New Mexico, and in Arizona, together with specimens from Colorado 

 Territory and other parts of the west, there has been made upon me an im- 

 pression that there are two species. By far the majority of specimens are of 

 the regulation Richardsonii type. A few others in the series and from very 

 various and diverse localities, differ in being all over of a more decided and 

 uniform grayish brown ; with less of olive above and with no trace below of 

 any sulphury olive on the abdomen ; tnis part with the throat being more 

 decidedly dull whit.sh than the rest of the series ; and the breast more purely 

 gray, in contrast to the lighter colored throat and abdomen. The bird may be 

 well described as a miniature of C. horealis. Prof. Baird has always, to me, 

 verbis et Uteris, indicated his decided conviction that there are two species in 

 the collection ; and we have been in the habit of designating these gray speci- 

 mens as Cvnio/ms Veliei, after Dr. Velie, who sent the first example from the 

 mountains of Colorado Territory. But the proportions of the birds appear the 

 same in every specimen ; and I have noticed, too, that all these gray ones are 

 late summer or early fall birds, and I must candidly confess my inability to 

 satisfactorily discern in the series a second species. 



65. Empidonax pusillus (Swains.) Baird. 



Moderately abundant summer resident. None of the several Empidonaces 

 found at Fort Whipple are very numerous ; and this is perhaps the most char- 

 acteristic species. Arrives- middle of April ; remains through September. 

 Several excellent and typteal examples of both old and young are in my col- 

 lection, which I have no difficulty in identifying by Prof. Baird's superb mo- 

 nograph. 



1866.] 



