PASSEBESFEINGILLIDAE JUNCO CINEREUS. 



269 



found breeding in abundance in Idaho and Wyoming by Mr. Merriani, as 

 above referred to. 



Numerous in El Paso County, Colorado, in December. Considerable 

 numbers winter here, although, from the fact that a large majority of these 

 are males, Mr. Aiken is led to believe that the greater number spend the 

 winter farther south. I met with it near Silver City, Southwestern New 

 Mexico, late in October, but it was not common. 



JUNCO CINEREUS (Swains.), var. CANICEPS (Woodb.). 

 Red-backed Snowbird. 



Struthtis c<inic<'j>x, WOODII., Sitgreave's Exp. Zufii & Col. Eiv., 1854, 83. 



Junco caniceps, BD., Birds N. A., 1858, 408, pi. 72, f. i. HAYD., Trans. Am. Phil. Soc.. 

 xii, 18C2, 107. COUES, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1800,85 (Fort Whipple, 

 Ariz.; includes probably var. dorsal-is also). COOPER, Birds Cal., i, 1870, 

 201. ALLEN, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., 1872, 177 (mountains of Colorado). 

 AIKEN, Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist., 1872, 200. BD., BREW., & EIDG., 1ST. 

 A. Birds, i, 1874, 587, pi. xxvi. f. 3. HENSHAW, An. Lye. Nat. Hist. N. Y., 

 xi, 1874, 6. Id., An. List Birds Utah, 1872, Wheeler's Exped., 1874, 

 44. Id., Eep. Orn. Specs., 1873, Wheeler's Exped., 1874, 80. 



Junco cinereus var. can-iceps, COUES, Key N. A. Birds, 1872, 141. Id., U. S. Geol. Surv. 

 Terr., 1874, 143. 



In the heavy pine woods in the neighborhood of Fort Garland and 

 among the bushes that fringe the small mountain streams, this snowbird was 

 the most abundant species of the locality. By the 1st of June, the greater 

 number appeared to be paired and breeding, though I was not able, after a 

 careful search, to find their nests. The song consists of a rapid succession 

 of low, trilling notes, which is usually emitted from the top of some low 

 spruce or pine. Upon leaving the mountains of Colorado, this species was 

 left behind, and in New Mexico was replaced in the mountains by the closely 

 allied form dorsalis. 



