PASSERES— TYEANNIDAE— EMPIDONAX OBSCUEUS. 



361 



experience in Colorado and Arizona. In the snmmer, it appears to be a 

 bird of the mountains, ahnost exchisively finding its favorite resort among 

 the deciduous ti'ees and bushes of the streams, or, as in Arizona, being found 

 among the oak openings. Qiiite a marked exception to this general rule 

 appeared in the vicinity of Santa F^, where it was found on the barren 

 piiion clad hills, where no deciduous vegetation was found at all. Its com- 

 mon note is a tvMt, similar to the call of pusilhis, but less emphatic, and 

 more subdued in tone. In the fall, it forsakes in a measure the higher 

 ground, and in its journey south may be expected to present itself anywhere, " 

 whei'ever the shelter of trees and bushes affords a good hunting ground for 

 food. In its quick and energetic actions, it presents marked features of dis- 

 similarity from the succeeding species, with which it is generally compared. 

 However difficult it may be to distinguish between dried skins of the two 

 species, there is not the slightest difficulty in identifying either when met 

 Avith in the field ; the actions and notes telling in each case their own story; 

 while the colors, too, of the freshly killed bird are very different from those 

 presented a month later in the dried cabinet specimen. 



