46 PACIFIC COAST AVIFAUNA. [No. 4 



exceedingly short one, more so than any other of the migrating- species. 

 In 1903 the first noted was on April 14th ; for about a week they were 

 quite plentiful, and then abruptly disappeared. In 1902 I observed a few 

 along the San Pedro River on April 17th ; a day or two later they began 

 to appear in the mountains, and by the third week in April had all gone 

 on. In 1896 I saw a very few during the last week in April. They re- 

 appear at a very early date, for one was seen on July 22, 1902, and their 

 numbers increased rapidly throughout August. Though at all times 

 more abundant in fairly open ground in the lower parts of the moun- 

 tains than elsewhere, I have occasionally seen them far up the canyons: 

 and, particularly in the spring, have known them to ascend to as high 

 an altitude as 8000 feet. At such times they were generally in mixed 

 flocks of migrating warblers, vireos, etc. ; and fed with them in the tree 

 tops rather than on or near the ground, as they usually do. In the fall 

 the old males were the first to appear, the females and young following 

 later. An adult male taken August 21st has renewed many of the 

 feathers of the head and back, but for the rest it is clothed almost entire- 

 ly in the old worn breeding plumage. An adult female taken August 

 nth has almost entirely renewed the plumage of the upper parts, and 

 has many new feathers scattered over the throat, breast and sides. 



Cyanospiza ciris (Linnaeus). Painted Bunting. 



On July 12, 1902, I secured a male bird of this species, which, on 

 dissection appeared to be an adult, thouo-h lacking entirely the bright 

 colors of the old male. The plumage is old and abraded, the upper parts 

 almost uniform dull greenish, while the lower parts are yellowish 

 with a tinge of green on the throat and breast. This bird was taken near 

 the mouth of a canyon, feeding on the ground under some live-oaks, and 

 another, apparently a facsimile of the one secured, was seen close by. 

 Several times during the month of August I imagined I saw others in 

 the same dull plumage in the flocks of amociia which were abundant at 

 the time, but no more were secured; and it is difficult, if not impossible, 

 to distinguish with any degree of certainty, the immature of the two 

 species while flying about. 



Calamospiza melanocorys Stejneger. Lark Bunting. 



The only place in this region where I have found the Lark Bunting 

 really abundant is below Fort Huachuca along the edge of the mes^ 

 rising from the Barbacomari River. I have occasionally seen scattered 

 birds along the base of the Huachucas elsewhere, though not many, but 

 here dviring the migrations they can usually be found in considerable 

 numbers. I saw several small flocks here on April 22, 1902, and secured 

 a male which had nearly acquired the nuptial plumage. The lower parts 

 are nearly all black, and the plumage of the wings and tail has been 

 entirely renewed, but a good many old feathers remain, scattered over 

 the upper parts, and a single pure white one shows conspicuously against 

 the black throat. On May 16. 1902, I saw a large flock and several single 

 birds on the Empire Ranch, some twenty-five miles to the northward of 

 the Huachucas, the latest that I have seen any in this region in the 

 spring. The first to appear in the fall were three adult males which I 

 saw at the base of the mountains on August loth ; while on September 

 5th, while driving to the railroad, flocks of hundreds were seen on the 

 plains below Fort Huachuca, all moving in a southerly direction. In 

 these flocks none were seen in the black and white plumage of the adult 

 male, so that either the old males had gone on ahead, or had already 

 moulted their summer plumage. 



