PHAINOPEPLA 111 



afterwards were found to belong to this species, darting upwards from the top- 

 most branches, and after diving and pitching about in the air for a moment, 

 returning again to the dead branches with the lively port that proved them to 

 be engaged in the agreeable pastime of taking their insect prey. A nearer ap- 

 proach showed them to be light and graceful on the wing ; but less swift and 

 decided in their motions than most of the true Fly-catchers. There were about 

 a dozen in company, and they presented a pleasing sight, as three or four together 

 were constantly either pitching upwards to a considerable height in the air, or 

 gliding silently back to their perches. In these aerial evolutions, the bright spot 

 on the wing which is formed by broad patches of white on the inner webs of six 

 or seven of the quill feathers, and is visible only when the wiug is spread, gleamed 

 conspicuously in the sunshine, and formed a hne contrast with the glossy black 

 of the general plumage. I sat upon my horse, watching their movements for some 

 time, and I now perceived that two of their numbers were of a dusky hue, and 

 without the wing spot to which I have referred ; but I could discover no dillercnce 

 in their manners or their style of flight. I, therefore, had little doubt of their 

 being adult females ; for although at that period of the year (June 20) the young 

 birds might have been well grown, yet there is generally a want of decided char- 

 acter in the unpractised flight of young birds, which betrays them to the sports- 

 man's eye. * * * 



However, on my attempting to approach still nearer, these birds became 

 alarmed, and winging their way to the hill-side, alighted on the scraggy bushes 

 scattered among large projecting rocks, where they resumed their sport, rising 

 lightly into the air and darting about after insects, which seemed to be abundant. 

 I followed — but they were now on the qui vive, and, without permitting me to 

 get within gun-shot, flew from bush to bush, as I advanced, keeping all the while 

 in a loose irregular flock, and still pursuing their sport of ily-catching. In this 

 way they continued to ascend the hills, until the l)i*oken character of the ground 

 abruptly stopped my horse. Having, however, dismounted, I clambered over 

 the rocks, and at last succeeded in killing two of them. These were alike in 

 plumage — black, with the wing spot ; and one of them, which I dissected, proved 

 to be a male. 



As I journeyed on towards the Sierra Nevada, I met, during several days suc- 

 ceeding, these birds, either in small comi>anies, or singly ; and subsequently I 

 found a few individuals between El Chino and Los Angeles; but they were in- 

 variably black, with the white wing spot. And I never on any occasion, except 

 the one I have referred to, saw one of those clad in dusky garments, which I 

 had supposed were females. 



The accuracy of this account of approximately a century ago is 

 attested by its close agreement in practically every particular with the 

 writings of more modern ornithologists, including the comments on 

 the apparent scarcity of females. Incidentally, there seems to be no 

 reason to suppose that the phainopepla's living conditions have 

 changed greatly since that date, except on the sites of cities and towns ; 

 food supplies may even have been increased in some places. 



Voice. — The most frequent utterance is a liquid quirf, or perp, re- 

 peated at intervals of one or two seconds. This call has rather a wor- 

 ried sound and does, in fact, often indicate anxiety ; at times, however, 

 it is kept up almost interminably without ascertainable reason. Other 

 notes of the phainopepla have been well described by Mrs. Bailey 

 (1896) : 



