50: 



F. SUMICHRAST ON THE GEOGRAPHICAL 



Geotlilypis speciosa. 

 Setophaga picta. 

 Cardellina rubra. 

 Progue subis. 

 Vireo Huttonii. 

 Ptilogonys cinereus. 

 Myiadestes obscurus. 

 Diglossa baritula. 

 Hesperiphona vespertina. 

 Chrysomitris pinus. 

 Curvirostra americana. 

 Junco cinereus. 

 Atlapetes pileatus. 

 Guiraca melanocephala. 

 Chamaeospiza torquata. 

 Pipilo maculatus. 

 Cyanura coronata. 

 Cyanocitta nana. 



Cyanocitta californica ? 

 ultramarina? 

 sordida. 

 Xiphocolaptes emigrans. 



Grallaria ? 



Contopus mesoleucus. 



sordidulus. 



pertinax. 



virens. 



Platypsaris ? 



Bathmidurus major ? 

 Trogon mexicanus. 

 ambiguus. 

 Picus Harrisii. 

 Colaptes mexicanus. 

 Rhynchopsitta pachyrhyncha. 

 Chloroanas fasciata. 

 Dendrortyx barbatus. 



The presence of two species of Trogon, and that of a representative of the tropical family 

 of Psittacidce in the alpine region, in the midst of its forests of pines, is certainly a curious 

 fact, and one in regard to which no explanation may be ventured. 



Additional Notes. 



CypseUdce. — Three species of this family are resident and breed within the State of Vera 

 Cruz. These are the Ohcetura rutila, Ncplmctes niger, and Chcetura sonaris. The Chcetura 

 semicollaris Sauss., is not found. In 1856, I killed, near Mexico, several specimens, upon 

 which the species was established, but I have not met with them since. I think that I have 

 recognized the Panyptila melanoleuca in a species from the mountains of Orizaba ; another 

 species abundant in the Valley of Mexico, where it is seen flying over the water, seems to 

 me to answer to the description of the Chcetura pelasgia (or Vauxii?). /' 



In an article on the habits of various birds of Mexico, published in the " Bibliotheque 

 Universelle de Geneve," M. de Saussure attributes to the Colaptes mexicanus the instinct of 

 storing up collections of acorns in the hollow trunks of the Maguay. While recognizing 



the entire truth of the interesting facts narrated in this article, as 

 I accompanied the author in his excursions to Pizarro, I think that 

 the bird to which we should assign the credit of this instinctive fore- 

 thought is not the Colaptes, but the Melancrpes formicivorus. The 

 latter dwells exclusively in oak woods. Near Potrero (Cordova), as 

 well as in the alpine region, we find the trunks of oak trees pierced 

 with small holes in circular lines around their circumference. Into 

 each one of these holes this bird, by repeated blows with its beak, 

 drives the acorn, so as to fix it firmly. At other times, as we see in 

 the sketch, these woodpeckers make their collections of acorns in 

 openings within the raised bark of dry trees. I have in vain sought 

 an exact explanation of the use made by these birds of this perform- 

 ance. We might suppose, were the locality destitute of insects, that 

 the birds were in quest of the larvas contained in the acorns ; but can we imagine them 

 taking all this pains in localities teeming all the season with insects ? And can we suppose 



