ZOOLOGY. 179 



Mniotilta occidentalis, GRAY, Genera. 



Dendroica occidentalis, BAIRD, Gen. Rep. Birds, p. 268. 



SP. CH. Crown, with sides of the head and neck, continuous bright yellow, feathers of the former edged narrowly with 

 black ; rest of upper parts dark brown, edged with bluish gray, so much so on the back and rump feathers as to obscure the 

 brown, and with an olivacoous shade. Chin, throat, and fore part of breast, (ending convexly behind in a sub-crescentic 

 outline,) black ; rest of under parts white, faintly streaked on the sides with black. Two white bands on the wing, two 

 outer tail feathers, and the terminal portion of a third, white, the shafts, and an internal streak towards the end, dark brown. 

 Bill jet black. Length, 5.75; extent, 8; wing, 2.75. 



Hob. Pacific coast. 



I obtained two specimens of this bird in June, 1856, at Fort Steilacoom. They are a shy 

 bird, feeding and spending most of the time in the tops of the highest fir trees, thus rendering 

 it exceedingly difficult to reach them with fine shot. Unfortunately, both of my specimens 

 were lost while being sent to Washington city. They therefore were not examined by 

 Professor Baird while making up the general report. 



The specimens I obtained both differed in their measurements from those of the bird obtained 

 by Mr. Samuels in California. The color of the legs differed from that included in the list of 

 specific characters given by Professor Baird. 



Specimen No. 392 of my collection, a male, killed June 14, 1856, at Fort Steilacoom, 

 measured 5.75 8 2.75. 



Iris hazel, bill black, legs grayish black. This bird, in plumage, agreed exactly with that 

 described by Nuttall. 



Another, marked 449, also a male, measured 5.50 8.12. 



I do not think that this species is rare on the Pacific coast ; but from the inaccessible nature 

 of its favorite resorts it will be a long time before enough are obtained to make it common in 

 cabinets of natural history. S. 



DENDROICA TOWNSENDII, Baird. 



Sylvia tawnsendii, (&quot; NUTTALL,&quot;) TOWNSEND, J. A. N. Sc. Ph. VII, n, 1837, 191. IB. Narrative, 1839, 341. AUD. 



Orn Biog V, 1839, 36 ; pi. 393. 

 Sylvicola tawnsendii, BONAP. List, 1838. IB. Consp. 1850, 308. AUD. Syn. 1839, 59. IB. Birds Am. II, 1841,59; 



pi. 92. NUTTALL, Man. I, 2d ed. 1840, 446. 

 Dendroica townsendii, BAIRD, Gen. Eep. Birds, p. 269. 



I saw, on December 20, 1854, at Shoalwater bay, a warbler, in company with a flock of 

 titmice and other small birds, which I have no doubt was that named by Audubon in honor 

 of Townsend, its discoverer. Nuttall speaks of it as early a passenger through Oregon on its 

 way northward, and as frequenting only the summits of the trees. It may, therefore, winter 

 in the Territory in small numbers, and probably mostly in the interior. In November, 1855, I 

 saw a small flock of this species in California, frequenting the willows in a wet low meadow, 

 and obtained a pair. C. 



Mr. Philip Lutley Sclater, of London, has several excellent specimens of Sylvicola townsendii, 

 obtained from the west coast of Central America. It probably extends in summer as far north 

 as Russian America, thus having a very extended range along the Pacific coast. In Oregon, 

 according to Mr. Townsend, it frequents the almost inaccessible tops of the Douglas fir, from 

 whence it is very difficult to be obtained. It probably has many habits in common with the 

 preceding species. S. 



