Sept,, 1908 



HUACHUCA NOTES 



207 



Buff- breasted Flycatchers are found at 4500 feet on the west and not under 

 6500 on the east. 



The Rivoli Hummingbird nests from the summit down to 5500 feet on the east 

 but not at all on the west. 



These are a few facts as I have noted them but I have no theory to offer as to 

 why they are so in any case. An exhaustive study of the food supply might 

 explain it; but superficial observations in that line have afforded no clue. Neither 

 do climatic conditions. It is still an interesting subject for one to speculate upon. 



Tombstone, Arizona. 



FROM FIULD AND STUDY 



A Striking Example of Protective Coloration. — The accompanying photo of an adnlt 

 Rocky Mountain Screech ( )\vl standing at the entrance of its nesting cavity illustrates more 

 forcibly than any description, the 

 remarkable similarity between 

 many birds and their typical char- 

 acteristic environment. 



In this case the soft grays and 

 browns of the owl's plumage blend 

 perfectly with the lights and shad- 

 ows upon the grayish tree trunk 

 which forms the background, and 

 this picture further answers tlie 

 question so often asked as to why 

 so many observers never see a 

 screech owl during their woodland 

 tramps. The only tell-tale Int of 

 color in the make-up of these little 

 fellows is their brilliant yellow 

 eyes, but as the latter are nearly 

 always closed during the day, this 

 does not interfere with the perfec- 

 tion of their concealment to any 

 great extent. 



No better i^roof of the effective- 

 ness of this protective coloration 

 maybe had than that the ever vigi- 

 lant arch villian of the woods, the 

 Alagpie, seldom espies this es- 

 teemed enemy of his, as he sits 

 stone still but in plain sight; Init 

 when from any cause the owl is 

 forced to take wing he is immedi- 

 ately the center of a noisy mob of 

 Magpies. But as soon as he is 

 again able to assume his tree-like 

 statuesqiie pose his tormentors 

 seem at a loss to understand his 

 sudden transformation and ciuietly 

 depart in search of more profitable 

 viliiany. — R. B. RocKWELL, Denver, Colorado. 



The Bryant Hybrid Hummingbird.— In The Auk for 1907, p. .312, Thayer and I5angs 

 record and describe a hybrid luimnier from the Bryant collection of mounted California hum- 

 mingbirds. They also refer to my note entitled "Broad-tailed Hummingbird in California" and 

 suggest that the specimen recorded l)y me was really the hybrid now described by them. I have 

 no doubt that they are correct in this as well in the correction of the date as given in my note. 

 I published the record without having seen the specimen, depending upon the verbal notes fur- 



ROCKY MOUNTAIN SCREECH OWL: .A.N EXAMPLE OE 

 SPECIAL PROTECTIVE RESEMBLANCE 



