1 68 Jeffries oi an Afpa)c>itly Nezv Species of Troc/ii/iis. [April 



246. Sialia arctica. Mountain Bluebird. — An irregular visitor in 

 full and winter in the foothills of the Catalinas. which is the only point 

 where I have observed them. In the winter of 1S85 -86 they were abundant 

 in large Hoeks, feeding on the seed.s of the mistletoe and the hackberrj 

 tree. This was the only season when they were present in numbers, and 

 the onlv other reference in my notes to the species is in the same locality 

 on December 15, 1884. when a t^ock of fifteen birds were noted, and were 

 all that were seen. 



A DESCRIPTION OF AN APPARENTLY NEW SPE- 

 CIES OF TROCHILUS FROM CALIFORNIA. 



BV J. AMORV JEFFRIE.S. 

 Trochilus violajugulum, sp. nov. 



Sp. Char. ( J ad. Type No. 1616 of my collection). Upperparts 

 metallic green and gold becoming dull on the forehead; gorget violet 

 with a tendency to steel blue at the feather tips; chin and line between 

 gorget and eyes dull ; a dull gray belt across breast behind gorget. Sides 

 dull metallic green ; flanks less green, the feathers being tipped with 

 brown ; ventral median line dullish. Wings dark with an obscure purple 

 glow; an imbricated buff line along the anterior edge of the manus ; cov- 

 erts dull metallic green. Primaries broad to tip, that of the first curved 

 back, graduated in length from first to last. Tail slightly forked; feath- 

 ers broad, except the last pair, which are abruptly narrow and' linear; 

 shafts of the outer pai informing, at the junction of the first and second third, 

 an abrupt angle of 25°. Middle feathers and base of second pair metallic 

 green ; rest dark with a distinct purple hue. Under tail-coverts white 

 with metallic green central spots. 



Length about 3.60; wing, 1.82; tail, 1.18; bill about .75. 

 Habitat. Santa Barbara, Cal. 



This specimen was shot April 5, 1SS3. in a hnshy field at the 

 base of tlie Bower l^elt, well np the foothills. The distal end of 

 the upper mandible was shot away. 



The bird is rough]}' like a T. atina without a crown patch or 

 ruH", and with violet for sapphire. The tail is of the same type 

 as in T. ainia., but smaller, and the angle spoken of is less than 

 35° instead of 33°, so that in the closed tail the outer pair of 

 feathers overlap instead of crossing as in T. a?iita. This peculiar 



