198 BULLETIN 17 6, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



A. J. van Kossem (1936) took four poorwills near Bates Well, in 

 south-central Arizona, that were somewhat intermediate between 

 hiieyi and nuttalU^ though nearer the latter; this locality probably 

 indicates the approximate area of intergradation between the 

 two races. "All were collected in an arrowweed-mesquite associa- 

 tion along the borders of the dry stream bed. Conditions, both as 

 to habitat and temperatures, closely approximated those found along 

 the Lower Colorado Kiver Valley, beyond the confines of which 

 hueyi has not been detected." 



lliis poorwill probably does not differ materially in its habits 

 from neighboring races of the species. 



PHALAENOPTILUS NUTTALLI DICKEYI GrinneU 

 SAN IGNATIO POORWILL 



HABITS 



Three races of the poorwill are found on the peninsula of Baja 

 California. The present form ranges from about latitude 30° south- 

 ward to the Cape region; the dusky poorwill {calif ornicus) extends 

 its range southward in the northwestern portion to about latitude 

 30°, chiefly on the Pacific slope; and the desert poorwill {hueyi) is 

 found in the extreme northeastern portion. 



The San Ignatio poorwill is a small, dark race. Dr. Joseph 

 Grinnell, who described and named it, says (1928) that it is "sim- 

 ilar to Ph. n. calif ornicus in degree of general darkness but decid- 

 edly smaller, and with black areas on the individual feathers of 

 scapulars, top of head and chest greatly reduced, in this respect 

 resembling hueyi^ terminal white of lateral rectrices greater in 

 amount than in calif oim.icus; light portions of general color scheme 

 much darker than in hueyi or nuttallii., tinged with clay color rather 

 than 'frosted' — in this respect darker even than in average cali- 

 f ornicus; dark barring on posterior lower surface much more exten- 

 sive and heavier than in hueyi or nuttalli.'''' 



William Brewster (1902) referred the poorwills of the Cape 

 region to the race he named the frosted poorwill {Ph. n. nitidus)^ 

 based on a pair collected by M. A. Frazar in the Sierra de la La- 

 guna. Mr. Frazar said that on the mountains the poorwills did not 

 begin singing until about the middle of May. "Their note is a 

 pow-we-hoo^ the first syllable given long, the accent on the second, 

 and the last little more than a retraction of the breath. They were 

 almost invariably in large oaks and very seldom on the ground. A 

 female shot June 6 was undoubtedly mated and would have laid 

 soon." 



Nothing seems to be known about the nesting or other habits of 

 this poorwill. 



