riAXlCOLIlLK — THE SAXICOLA;^. 65 



Sialia mexicana, Swains. 



CALIFOBinA BLTTEBIBO. 



Siiilia niMii-nna, Sv,-. K. B. Am. II, 1831, 2(i-'. — Sci.atkI!, P. Z. S. 18.")r,, 20:1 (f'nnlovii) ; 

 1857, 121) (t'liliforiiia) ; 185!), 362 (Xalaim). — In. Catal. 18(!1, 11, no. Ofi. — li.vini), 

 BiiiLsN. Am. 18.-,8, 22:!; licvimv, (i:!. — Coi.i.kii & SrcKi.KV, P. If. I!. XII, ii, 1S5!I, 

 173. — Poori'.u, liiids Cal. I, 28. Siidin aaiili uliilin, TiiWN.s., Al'D. ; Siidiii. fivriilcn- 

 enl/i.i, Vicoiis. 



Figuics : Ari). M. A. II, pi. ix.xxv. — hi. Uru. liioi;. V, jil. ccc.xuiii. — Vkjoils, Zool. 

 Bci'i'licy's, Voy. 1S3'J, |>1. iii. 



Sp. CiiAU. Bill sli'iidiT. Tloiid and nock all round, and ii|)|)('r part.^ jri'iii'i'ally liiifrlit 

 aziiic blue. Iiit('r.-:cai)Mhii' it'j;ions. .-^idcs and lore part of the breast. an<l .-iiilcs ol' tlic 

 bfUy, dark rfd(li.-<li-!>ro\vii. Rest of under ])art-i (with lail-eovert,'<) pale liluisli, ting(!d with 

 gray about the anal region. Female duller above; the back bro\vni.>ih ; the blue ol' the 

 throat replaced Ijy ashy-l)rowii, with a shade ol' line. Length, (^50 ; wing, 4.2.") ; tail, '2.\M. 



Yoiiiir/. Tail and wing as in adult; head, neck, back, and breast, dull brown; each 

 t'eatlier, exi'cpt on the crown, strci.kcd centrally with white. 



IIaii. Western I'nitcd States, I'roin the Hocky Mountains to Pacilic. N'ot noticed on 

 the Mi.ssonri plains. Central 15ritisli America, or at ("ape St. Lucas. Found at Xalupa and 

 Cordova, Mex., Sci.atkii. I'opocatapctl (Alpine rcgii)U). Simicmka.^t. 



As ill tlio titlii'is, till! cdldrs iti' this sjx'cios iiiv mtii'li dullov in fall iiiid 

 winter. No. '>'■'>, 'M'.^,i (('ai'.s(iii City, Xevcadu, Fell. 21) diU'eis i'roin others in 

 the followiiio; respects : there is hiirdly any cliestmit on the back, there being 

 only just a tiiiye aloiij,' each side of the interseaiailar reoion ; that on the 

 in-east is inteiTU|ilcd in the middle, tiiid thrown into ii ](atch on each side of 

 the brciist, thus coiinectinjf the blue of the throat and abdomen ; the blue 

 of the throat is unusually deep. 



Hahits. This lUuebird beloiij^s to western Xorth America, its proper 

 domain beiii.ti; l)ctwecn the llocky Mountains and I'acitic, from ^[e.\ico to 

 Washington Territory. Mr. Nut tall li'st met with this speiMcs amoiij,' the 

 •small rocky ])rairi(!S of the Columbia, lie spetiks of its lud)its as exactly 

 similar to those of the common lUtiebird. The male is equally tuneful 

 tliroiiuhout the breedinji-season, and his .sontr is also very similar. Like the 

 comnion species he is very devoted to his iiiiite, alternately feedin.i,' and 

 caressing her and entertainiiio- her with his .song. This is a litths more 

 varied, tender, siiid sweet than that of the Ka.stern species, and ditlers in its 

 expressions. 



Xuttall describes this tis an exceedingly shy bird, so much so that he 

 found it very ditticult to obtain a sight of it. This he attributes to the 

 great iibundance of birils of prey. Afterwards, in the vicinity of the village 

 of Santa Harbara, Mr. Xuttall again saw them in c(jiisiderable nunilicrs, 

 when they were tame tind familiar. 



Dr. Cooper states that the.so Hluebirils seem to prefer the knot-holes of 

 the oaks to the boxes ]irovided for them. He docs not conlirm Mr. Xuttall's 

 description of its song, which he regards as neither .so loud nor so sweet iis 

 !> 



