216 University of Colifornia Publications in Zoology [Vol.12 



Planesticus migratorius propinquus (Ridgway) 

 Western Robin 



Fairly common as a winter visitant to the bottom lands. Often 

 met with in the dense willow woods, on the ground foraging for insects 

 in the layers of dead leaves. Also one of the regular feeders on 

 mistletoe berries. At Needles, California, February 17, several indiv- 

 iduals were seen hopping about on the grass in the railway parking. 

 On the Arizona side above Mellen a number were found among the 

 mistletoes of the mesquites, February 23 to 31. A few were encoun- 

 tered on each side of the river at The Needles, March 1 to 7. One was 

 seen March 14, on the Arizona side above Bill Williams River; a 

 few on the California side at Riverside Mountain. March 17 to 21 ; 

 several on the same side opposite Cibola, April 1 to 5 ; and one, the 

 last noted, on the Arizona side, ten miles below Cibola, April 7. 



Seven specimens secured, nos. 13854-13860. 



There is also in the Museum a skin (no. 4224) taken by J. G. 

 Cooper at Fort Mohave, March 7, 1861. 



Sialia mexicana occidentalis Townsend 

 Western Bluebird 



Common, as a winter visitant, feeding in flocks on mistletoe berries 

 wherever these were obtainable, usually in the mesquite belt. Numerous 

 at Needles, California, and immediately below, February 14 to 22; at 

 and above Mellen, Arizona, February 23 and 31 ; and on both sides 

 of the river at The Needles, March 1 to 7. The species was last seen, 

 a very few, March 13, on the Arizona side above Bill Williams River. 



There is a skin (no. 4212) in the ]\Iuseum taken by J. G. Cooper 

 at Fort Mohave, February 22, 1861. 



The thirteen specimens secured by us (nos. 13861-13873) are not 

 exactly typical of S. m. occidentalis, as occurring in the northwest 

 coast district of the United States. Yet I do not find grounds for 

 allocating them with N'. m. bairdi. of the Rocky Mountain area, nor 

 with ,8. in. anabclac of northern Lower California. They are very 

 much like birds from the Sierra Nevada, and I have little doubt are 

 winter visitants to the Colorado Valley from there. Sierra Nevada 

 birds are customarily referred to S. m. occidentalis. and at present 

 I cannot do anything better than employ this name for the specimens 

 in hand. Coloration furnishes characters difficult to weigh properly, 



