538 Letters, Extracts from Correspondence, Notices, ^c. 



Empidonax pygmmus, as mentioned above. Icterus buUocki ; a 

 Pyranga, probably P. hepatica, but possibly only P. cestiva. 

 Carpodacus frontalis, very rare. Molothrus pecoris, common. 

 Mimus polyglottus, var. caudatus. Centrums uropygialis, rare — 

 from the Gila valley. And here I must stop to mention a singular 

 fact. This same Gila Woodpecker does not live on trees at all, 

 but on the giant -cactuses — the "Saguara" and the "Petahaya" of 

 the natives, Co'eus giganteus and C. thurheri of naturalists. It 

 digs holes into the soft stems, and feeds on the fruit and on in- 

 sects. To return : Polioptila carulea, as well as the commoner 

 P. plumbea ; Chroicocephalus Philadelphia ; Bernicla hrenta, 

 Pelecanus trachyrhynchus (these water-birds from the Gila) ; An- 

 trostomus nuttalli, and 1 think also A. vociferus, for I have dis- 

 tinctly heard the three syllables, " whip-poor-will," as well as 

 the two syllables, " poor -will." I am not sure whether I in- 

 cluded Pyrocephalus rubineus in my former list ; I now have a 

 specimen. I may find other birds before I leave; but my ten 

 months have not been spent idly, and I fear there is little more 

 to be got here. * * * * Yours, &c., 



Elliott Coues. 



Takow, Formosa, June 1, 1865. 

 Sir, — I was obliged to pass over the close of last month for 

 want of time. This letter must contain my report for April and 

 May. On the 6th of April my men rushed in with a fine old 

 cock Euplocamus swinhoii. It was captured in the hills some 

 eighty miles ofi", and only died the day before it reached me. It 

 was in very good condition, but had lost a few of the maroon 

 scapular feathers. The tail culminates for half its length, and 

 then divides right and left, like that of a common cock, but is 

 not so much arched. It consists of seven graduated black 

 feathers on either side, the largest about 2'5 inches longer than 

 the next in succession, besides one central white feather exceed- 

 ing the longest black one by 3*5 inches. It is thus divided 

 into two independent halves, overlapping each other for a 

 quarter of its length, which is altogether about 18 inches. 

 The bird is fully adult, its spur being "7 inch long, a little 

 curved and somewhat pointed. The white crest is short, nor 



