Ki:iN<iILML).i^- TlIK FlNtilKS. 54;] 



i' 



yi'llow on tlio lujiul and wiiij;. Tlic iiiiicli slinitcr tail ami rutin* aliscnce of 

 lut'oiis distiii^fuish it tVcmi tlit* sjHjtted Mi/n.s^>iitfs. In sIiajK' tlic l)ill is likt; 

 that ot" Aiiunuihutnufi rmuliuutus, but it is larger; the head laek.s the yel- 

 low, etc. 



in some specimen"^ the streaks on tlic liack are ahnost obsolete. 



Hauits. So far as is known, this bir«l seems to ha\e a somewhat restricted 

 hjd)itat, being ai>]»arently contincd to the .sea-coast of Southern ('alilornia. 

 There it was first met with' by Dr. Heermann, in the neighborhood of San 

 I)iego, and was described by Mr. Cassin as an Annninhniiuis, with whidi 

 genus of birds it seemed to have many jjcculiarities in common. I)r. Heer- 

 mann first met with this bird in lsr»l,on the shores of the bay of San I)iego, 

 in comj>any with other species, ap])arently in search of grass-seed. Ai'ter- 

 wards, in the I'acitic Kailroad Survey, with Lieutenant Williamson, he again 

 met with these birds in considerable mnnbers at Santa l>arbara and San Pe- 

 dro. In all the phces in which he met with it he found it fretpicnting low 

 sandy beaches, and the heavy sedge-giass which abonnds on the shores. On 

 the former it seemed to be feeding on marine insects and seeds thrown up 

 by the tide, ai'd in the latter to find places for easy aid immediate conceal- 

 ment when ahunied or ])ursued. Xaturally it ajipeared to be a (juiet and 

 unsuspicious bird. He heard it utter no other note than a .short shai]) chirp. 



Dr. Cooper thinks this species has a much greater affinity to the Annno- 

 (Iriimi than to the Pa^.'^crcif/i, l)oth in its bill and claw.s, as well as in its 

 habit.s. He found them very abundant, both at San Pedro and San Diego, 

 at all season.s, and he does not think that they migrate at all from those 

 localities. He found them fre(iueiiting the shores cf the bays and the sea- 

 beaches. They also came confidently and familiarly about the buihlings near 

 the water, feeding on any .seeds or in.sects they could find. On the beacii 

 they run along the sand, in the rows of drifted sea- weeds, seeking their 

 food, and rarely take to flight unless surprised, and then only fly a short 

 distance. Dr. Cooper has never known thein to alight on any bush, nor does 

 he think that they have any song. The only note he has ever heard them 

 ntter is a short chirp. At San Pedro he .saw them, in duly, feeding their 

 young, but he has never found a nest that he was certain belonged to this 

 species. 



Dr. Coues found this l)ird abundant in Southern California, where it kei)t 

 amonu: the thick weeds of the drv plain, and was much on the ground, where 

 it ran as easily as a Pipilo, often flying up into the biLshes and resting there 

 quietly. They were to be seen also in great num1>ei-s sunning themselves 

 and catching Hies on the piles of lumber on the wharf so tame as to be almost 

 liable to be struck by a cane. 



It is a winter resident at Cape St. Lucas, where ^Ir. Xantus found them 

 abundant. They were not seen there in summer, though it is probaVde they 

 reside on the shores in its neighborhood. Their nest and eggs remain 

 unknown. 



