SAN LUCAS PHOEBE 165 



SAYORNIS NIGRICANS SALICTARIA Grinnell 

 SAN QUINTIN PHOEBE 

 HABITS 



This race of the black phoebe is found in the Upper Austral Zone 

 of northern LoAver California, from about latitude 30° northward to 

 the United States boundary; also in southern Arizona in the valley 

 of the Colorado River. 



In describing and naming it, Dr. Grinnell (1927) said that it is 

 only slightly smaller than the well-known black phoebe of California, 

 but the "general tone of color of dark parts blacker, more slaty, 

 less brown. Color of dorsum close to 'dusky neutral gray' of Ridg- 

 way, * * * This marked slatiness of color tone is apparent not 

 only on the forward lower surface, head and back, but also pertains 

 to the remiges and rectrices, especially their concealed portions in 

 closed wing and tail. This the hlackest of the races of the Black 

 Phoebe." 



He said that it is largely "restricted associationally to willows, 

 which plants, of course, as a rule in an arid country mark the near 

 vicinity of water or at least the presence of damp ground-surface." 



It apparently does not differ in its habits from the northern race, 

 as A. W. Anthony wrote to Major Bendire (1895) that it breeds 

 "wherever water is found, building under the eaves of adobe houses 

 when near human habitations, and on the sides of ledges along streams 

 in the unsettled parts." 



The eggs are apparently indistinguishable from those of the species 

 elsewhere. The measurements of 30 eggs average 18.91 by 14.56 milli- 

 meters; the eggs showing the four extremes measure 21.0 by 15.1, 

 19.5 by 15.3, and 18.0 by 13.9 millimeters. 



SAYORNIS NIGRICANS BRUNNESCENS Grinnell 



SAN LUCAS PHOEBE 

 HABITS 



The black phocbes of the Cape region of Lower California have 

 been given the above name by Dr. Joseph Grinnell (1927). As com- 

 pared with the upper California race, he calls this subspecies "similar 

 but browner in general tone of all dark areas, bill broader, and wing 

 slightly and tail decidedlj'^ shorter. Color of dorsum close to 'fus- 

 cous' of Ridgway"; whereas, in the California bird, the dorsum is 

 "close to 'chaetura drab' of same plate." William Brewster (1902) 

 called attention to the "comparatively faded, brownish coloring" of 

 the Cape bird but thought it might be due to adventitious bleaching. 



324726—42 12 



