WESTERN BLUE BIRD. 41 



faintly notched than in " Sialia Wilsmi,'" it is more decidedly so ; and 

 although somewhat more elongated, it is not less broad at the base. 

 It is stated that " the second quill-feather is the longest ; the first and 

 third are equal, and about a line shorter ; the tenth is an inch and a 

 half shorter than the second.'" Now in all my four specimens, the first 

 quill is diminutive or rudimentary, little more than half an inch long, 

 as it is in " Sialia Wilsom,"" although it has been overlooked in the de- 

 scription of that bird in my second volume ; the second quill is a little 

 shorter than the third, which is the longest, and the tenth is one 

 inch and seven-twelfths shorter than the third, in another, half a 

 twelfth less, in a female an inch and three-twelfths. I have not seen 

 any specimens having the upper parts " ultramarine blue," and I think 

 an approximation to that tint belongs to younger birds, while the old 

 males are rather smalt-blue. 



This species is distinguished from the Common Blue Bird by ha- 

 ving the wings longer, straighter and more pointed. In the male the 

 fore-neck amd breast are light greenish-blue, whereas in the other spe- 

 cies they are brownish-red. The two species, however, are very inti- 

 mately allied, as they also are with that which comes next to be de- 

 scribed. 



WESTERN BLUE BIRD. 



Sylvia occibentalis. 



PLATE CCCXCIII. Male and Female. 



Of this handsome bn-d, which was discovered by Dr Townsend, 

 and described in his name under the denomination of Sialia occidentalis, 

 Mr NuTTALL has favoured me with the following notice : — " The 

 Western Blue Bird possesses many of the habits of our common kind. 

 The male is equally tuneful throughout the breeding season. Mount- 

 ing some projecting branch of an oak or low pine, he delivers his de- 

 lightful ditty with great energy, extending his wings, and exerting all 

 his powers as it were to amuse his sitting mate, or to allure attention 

 to his short, often-repeated, but thrilling lay. In the midst of all this 

 charming employment economy is rarely forgotten, and a crawling 



