410 



NoltTlI AMKIIK'AX I'.IIIDS. 



iiiul tlin liiil)its of the sitocies nnknown. Tln()Uj,'li the goveviiiiiL'iit explora- 

 tions, Iiowovor, wo liiivi! Ijeeii luiidu more I'umiliar witli its liahits ami peuuli- 

 aritit's. 



Dr. Xo\vl)i!rrv, in his rcjiurt nii th(! Ziiilliiny of Ufutcmmt WillianiHoii's 

 exiildratinns, nitMilinns lindiiij^f tliis l)ir(l viuy iiluindanL in tliu Dos Clnitus 

 IJasin. It (lid nut Iraiuent either dense forests or jirairit'S destitute of trees, 

 but seemed to select surfaces covered with a scattereil yrowtli of i)ine and 

 cedar. His jmrty tir.st met with it at the hase of Mount Jeffer.son, in the 

 canon of Mpto-ly-as lliver. In iiickinjf his way with intiiute dillicully down 

 this gorge, his attention was drawn by its new and attractive soiij^. There 



were several of them in the jiines and cedars 

 growing (Ui the face of tiie dilf. He describes its 

 song as dear, full, and melodious, like that of a 

 true MiiiiKs. The next day, as he I'ollowed down 

 the river, in the bottom of the canon the deep 

 gorge was filled with a chorus of sweet sounds 

 from thousands of these bird.s. He describes 

 them as having a habit of sitting on the branch 

 of a t.ee ])rojectiug <j\er a stream, or hanging 

 from some in'ojecting crag, and at times Hying 

 out in narrow circles, after insects, precisely in 

 th(! miiun(!r of Flycatchers. 



Atterwards, in another ciiflon, the terraced 

 baidvs of which were sparsely set with low trees 

 of the Western cedar, he again found these birds 

 qnite numeroii.s, and had every o])])ortunity l)oth of hearing and of seeing 

 them, watching them for hours while feeding and singing. They began their 

 songs with the first ilawn of day, and at sunri.se the valley was perfectly 

 vocal with their music. He describes their song as not greatly varied, but 

 speaks of all their notes as particularly clear and sweet, and with strains of 

 pure gashing melody that were both spontaneous and inspiring. At that 

 time, September :!(>, they wore i'eeding on tlu! berries of the cedar. They 

 were very shy, and coidd only be olitahied by stratagem. 



Dr. Kennerly, in his llejtort on the birds ob.served in the explorati>'ns 

 under the charge of I.ientenant Whi)>ple, speaks of meeting witli these birds 

 in tho. liocky Mountains, in the vicinity of the Puebh) of Zuni, in New 

 Mexico. Thence, westward, he occasionally met with it, and usually in the 

 cedar thickets. 



Dr. Suckley mentions, in his Ke])ort on the Zoidogy of Wa.shington Terri- 

 tory, ol)taining a sjiecimen of this species at Fort Steilacoom, April 28, I806. 

 It was very wihl and ditticult of a])proach. It was the only specimen ob- 

 tained, and he considered it accidentiil west of the Cascade Mountains. Dr. 

 Cooper, in the same h'eport, s])eaks of obtaining a specimen near Fort Lara- 

 mie in Octolier, where it seemed to be not uncommon. 



lityinfUslfx ttnrnsi it<li. 



