230 BULLETIN UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. [FoZ.VI. 



selves, mingling more freely while searching for food during the morn- 

 ing and late afternoon. They are known to winter in the Colorado 

 Valley, though only in moderate numbers. Mr. Eidgway observed a 

 few individuals at Carson City during the winter, showing that the 

 species is only partially migratory. The habit of frequenting the vicin- 

 ity of settlements was observed, also, on the Upper Missouri, where 

 these birds were very destructive to the early vegetables in the post 

 garden. 



Agelceus phceniceus (Linn.) Vieill. — Eed-and-buff-shouldered Blackbird. 



This bird is common in nearly all the marshy districts of the whole 

 State, in the northern and middle regions being found in company with 

 Xanthocephalus icterocephalus. At Grapevine Springs, at the head of 

 Armagosa Eiver (?), a single male was seen and secured. The most in- 

 teresting feature of the locality is, that the spring and its outlet covers 

 less than a mile in length, and is isolated from all other oases by many 

 miles of desert country. This specimen and one of Tringoides macularius 

 were, with the exception of several Green- winged Teals, the only birds 

 seen at this isolated spot. 



Agelceus phoenieeus gubernator (Wagi.) Coues. — Eed-and- black-shouldered 



Blackbird. 



The occurrence of this species is doubtful in the Colorado Valley, 

 though in the upper portion of the State it was noted by Mr. Eidgway 

 at Carson City and the Truckee Eeservation. 



Agelceus tricolor (]S"utt.) Bp. — Eed-and-white-shouldered Blackbird. 



A rare species in the Colorado Valley, though apparently very com- 

 mon nearer the Pacific coast, in California, as far as Santa Barbara, 

 from which point, according to Dr. Cooper, they seem to pass north . 

 toward Klamath Lake and Southern Oregon by a more interior route. 



Sturnella neglecta And. — Western Meadow Lark. 



This bird is reported by nearly all observers as generally abundant in 

 suitable localities. The first specimen was secured on the Humboldt 

 Eiver, near Carlin, on the 20th of May, although the snow was still ly- 

 ing on the shady slopes of the foot-hills. The grassy valleys .are the 

 usual resort of this variety, although the adjacent prairies are also 

 visited, especially in the northern portion of the State, where the undu- 

 lating country is more abundantly covered with Compositw, the south- 

 ern regions being either bare of vegetation or presenting Artemisia, «&c., 

 in excess. The song of the Western Lark has been so often referred to 

 by various authors that it is scarcely necessary even to mention the fact. 

 When I heard the bird for the first time, not knowing the author, it ap- 

 peared a strange medley of musical notes, no particular bar of which 

 could be attributed to any known species. Whenever I have observed 

 this bird singing it was perched upon the top branch of a bush or low 



