July 1888.] 



AND OOLOGIST. 



107 



A List of Some Birds of La Platta 

 Co., Col., With Annotations. 



BY C. F. MOUKISON. 



[Continued from May.] 



62. Ciirvus ciirax carnicurus (Bartr.), Kitlgvv. 

 Ariieru'Uii Haven. Coiiiiuoii winter visitant. 

 Where tliey hreed I am at a loss to liiiow, al- 

 tliougli a ratiije of blulls live mile? east of Ft. 

 Lewis looks very suspioious. 



(>;}. Ciirvus fnujivurits CHartr.) Common 

 Crow. Al)un(lant resilient. Have not fiMiiicl its 

 nest, however'. 



64. I'ii-inin-un coliimhiaiius (Wils.), Bp. 

 Clark's .Niitt-racker. A very (Common resident, 

 ranginjc from 7.000 up to 14,000 feel. Breeds at 

 its hij;h<'st limits. Have only seen one specimen 

 as low as 7,000 feet, which was in winter. 



65. (ii/inniicittd cynnncriihola. Max Max- 

 imilian's Nutcracker. Common in winter, go- 

 ing in large Hocks. Breeds a little lower than 

 8,000 feet in the pinons. 



66. Pica rusticn hu(hnnira (Scop.), Baird. 

 Black-billed Magpie. Very abundant resident, 

 and breeds along all the sti'eams of any size. 

 Ranges up to 12,000 feet. 



67. ('ijdnorilln xl/lliri mncritlijihii (Baird). 

 Ridgw. I^ong-crested .lay. .V common resi- 

 dent, breeds in bushes and pinons, like all of 

 its kind it goes in large troops in winter, and so 

 noisy that one often wishes it was an inhab- 

 itant of some other country. 



G8. Aphi'licoma xonadhousei (Bau'd), Ridgw. 

 Woodhouse's Jay. Not as abundant as the 

 preceding, and breeds about a thousand feet 

 lower than Ft. Lewis. All the Jays breed 

 early in May, unless in the case of an early 

 spring, when by the middle of .\pril their eggs 

 are to be found. 



69. Pe.rindrcus mnailKnsix capitidix (Baird). 

 Rocky Mountain .lay. This Jay is the worst 

 of its tribe, and is found near timber the year 

 round, although 1 saw one in January, 1887, at 

 8,500 feet. .Vs big a thief as ever wore feathers, 

 they can be tamed if taken from the nest, but 1 

 wish. joy to those who attempt it; but if von do 

 try it, always hide whatever you care nothing 

 about, and anything you prize highly leave 

 about anywhere, it will be safer this way, and 

 you will own it nnich longer. 



70. Tijninntis vertical is {Hiiy). Western King- 

 bird. One solitary individual seen in fall of 

 "86. Breeds lower down. 



71. Contiipua horealis (Swains.), Baird. 

 Olive-sided Flycatcher. Xot connnon, breeds 

 up to 8,000 feet. 



72. Contopm richardsoni (Sw.), Baird. West- 

 ern Wood Pewee. Common, breeds in the as- 

 pens, and in small trees in the ravines, which 

 branch oil" from the gulches. 



73. Kmpidnnax pasilhts trailli (.\ud.), Baird. 

 Trail's Flycatcher. Not common, breeds in the 

 small gulches and side ravines. I am not able 

 as yet to say it this may be A', uhgcurm, not 

 having specimens on hand at time of writing, 

 but I bi^licve that both specimens occur in the 

 I'ounly. 



74. 'I'nichilus (ilf.raiidri (Boiirc & Muls.) 

 Black-chinned Hummingbird. Common and 

 breeds. A. nest shown me contained three 



75. Si'litsphiirtoi plitti/rcrciis (Swains.), Bp. 

 Broad-tailed Hummingbird. Connnon and 

 breeds in much the sanu' localities as the pre- 

 ceding. Ranges up to 13.000 feet in summer, or 

 as high as there are Hower fields. 



7G. Srliisphiinis i-u/ks (Gniel.), And. Rufous 

 Hummingbird. This bird is also connnon, and 

 breeds most abundantly of all, it also ranges 

 higher than the two preceding species, and is to 

 be found above timber line after the young are 

 raised. I included /. hitiroxtris in some of my 

 former notes as occurring in this county, but 

 have since concluded it to be a mistake on my 

 part, and so 1 drop it, with the remark that it 

 may yet be found here. The jjresent species is 

 found up to 15,000 feet. 



77. Vypselus saxMtilis (Woodh.) Whitc-tlii'oat- 

 ed Swift. Rare. I have never seen it, but en- 

 ter it, as Mr. Drew gives it in San Juan county, 

 as breeding up to 10,000 feet. If it occurs in 

 that, it must in La Plata. If not breeding, it 

 occurs as a migrant, but my opiu'on is that it 

 breeds in this county at very high altlludes, and 

 as the Swifts are not a bird easily noticed in 

 migration, probably that is the reason I have 

 not noticed it. 



78. Choedeiles popetue henriji (Cass.), Allen. 

 Western Nighthawk. Very common, and 

 breeds abundantly on the high mesas to the 

 east of Ft. Lewis. 



79. Picus villosus harrisi (And.). Allen. Har- 

 ris" Woodpecker. Very common, breeds up to 

 12,000 feet. In winter it keeps near the tops of 

 the trees of the pine belt, and in less numbers 

 among the trees of the streams, (^uite noisy, 

 and not to be overlooked. 



80. Picas puhescen.f: (jairdncri (.\ud.). Cones. 

 Gairdner's Woodpecker. .\ common resident, 

 not as abundant as the preceding, ranges up to 

 12,000 feet in summer, breeds from 4,500 feet 

 up. 



81. Picoides tridactylus dorsalis (Baird), 



