446 NOTES ON THE 



live oak, and apparently alone. Listening I soon heard the semi- 

 distant answer, and desiring to secure both male and female, 

 I deferred securing it till it flew, which although disappointing 

 me for the time, gave me my first opportunity to see its flight. 

 I patiently but cautiously followed them until rewarded by 

 securing them. They were shy and nervous but not remark - 

 ably so. I was a little too anxious to get so rare a species to 

 make all the observations I otherwise would have made, but 

 other occasions gave me ample opportunity to do so. Athough 

 shy at this season their manner did not impress me with the 

 idea that in summer atbreeding time they would be so. and hence 

 I was not dissappointed at Dr. Cooper's subsequent report of 

 their coming about dwellings in cold weather as well as Dr. 

 Suckly's statement that in Washington Teritory after a fall of 

 snow they become approachable enough "for an j'^ ordinary shot 

 to obtain a dozen specimens in a forenoon." I think that while 

 by no means a dull bird they are less pronounced in vigor and 

 style of action than our Eastern Robin. They leave California in 

 the latter part of March and migrate northward to breed. I can- 

 not doubt that some of them seek by elevation in the proximate 

 mountains what the principal part do by latitude, notwith- 

 standing that Dr. Cooper failed to find any in the Sierra Nevada 

 summits in September in a latitude but little north of San 

 Francisco. They return to the valleys of California in October 

 and November, frequently in company with the Eastern Robin, 

 when they are most easily obtained. Their flight does not 

 differ materially from the kindred species, only a little less of 

 the "here I am" boldness of the other. 



SPECIFIC CHARACTERS. 



Fourth quill longest; third and fifth a little shorter; second 

 much longer than sixth; tail nearly even, the lateral feather 

 shorter; above, rather dark bluish-slate; axillaries plumbeous, 

 with white at base, and under wing coverts plumbeous, broadly 

 tipped with white parts generally, a patch on the upper eyelids 

 continuous with a stripe behind it along the side of the head 

 and neck, the lower eyelids, two bands across the wing coverts 

 and the edges of the quills in part, rufous orange-brown; middle 

 of belly white; sides of the head and neck continuous with a 

 broad pectoral transverse band, black; most of the tail feathers 

 with a terminal patch of brownish- white; bill black; feet yellow. 



Female more olivaceous above; the white of the abdomen 

 more extended; the brown beneath paler; the pectoral band 

 obsolete. 



Length, about 10 inches; wing, 5; tail, nearly 4; tarsus. 1.25. 



Habitat, Pacific coast of North America. 



