1885-J Henshaw on Birds observed in New Mexico. 333 



23. Tachycineta thalassina. Violet-green Swallow. — This, the 

 only Swallow spending the summer in this locality, or in fact occurring 

 at all. was extremely numerous all through the pine woods, where it finds 

 every convenience for nesting in the multitude of perforated stubs. After 

 the young were on the wing, the birds left the pine woods and resorted to 

 the tops of the ridges and the open valleys where, high in mid-air, they 

 were seen busily hunting for insects. September 8 they were still to be 

 noticed, though the majority had departed some time before. A few days 

 later and the last had disappeared. 



24. Pyranga ludoviciana. Louisiana Tanager. — Not common; a 

 few breed. Apparently the bulk of the species spend the summer farther 

 north, as in Colorado, and northwards it is numerous. 



25. Carpodacus cassini. Cassin's Purple Finch. — Not common ; 

 but few apparently pass the summer here, and we saw but few in the 

 fall. 



26. Loxia curvirostra americana. Red Crossbill. — I saw but one 

 Crossbill, October 20. As I failed to secure it, its identity cannot be fully 

 established. It was, however, presumably not the var. mexicana, but the 

 Common Crossbill, which in 1873 I found to breed in the mountains near 

 Fort Garland, in Southern Colorado. 



27. Chrysomitris pinus. Pine Finch. — Abundant in early fall, and 

 doubtless breeding, though not detected by us in summer. 



28. Centrophanes ornatus. Chestnut-collared Longspur. — A 

 single specimen was shot by Mr. Nelson, September 12. This individual 

 was probably the one seen by me a few days previously. The occurrence 

 of this plain-inhabiting species, in a narrow valley in the midst of the pine 

 woods, was of course accidental. 



29. Centronyx bairdi. Baird's Sparrow. — Two specimens of this 

 Sparrow were secured. Both were in extremely worn plumage, and in 

 this respect were similar to the many specimens secured by me in Arizona 

 in 1873. I then interpreted this condition to indicate that they had passed 

 the summer not faraway, believing that they could not have migrated any 

 distance in such dress. The two specimens secured here throw little ad- 

 ditional light on the matter, since they may have straggled up the Pecos 

 from their breeding grounds in the open grassy plains below, or they may 

 have dropped in as migrants from the far north, from Montana or Da- 

 kota. The latter supposition is perhaps the more probable. It is well- 

 known that the species migrates to the north along the foothills of Colorado 

 in spring, and there is no recorded evidence that it breeds either in Col- 

 orado or elsewhere south of the Union Pacific Railroad. Still I am not 

 aware that any of our Sparrows migrate south in the excessively worn 

 condition that attends nesting. They usually spend some time in recu- 

 perating, and the moult is usually well along before they migrate. Col- 

 lectors in the region, south of the known summer habitat of this Sparrow, 

 will do well to keep a sharp lookout for it. 



( To be concluded?) 



