CALIFORNIA BLUEBIRD.— MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD. 83 
SCIENTIFIC NAMES: Alotacilla sialis Linn. (1758). Sylvia sialis Lath. (1790). Saxicola sialis Bonap. 
(1826). Aimpelis sialis Nutt. (1832). SLALIA SIALIS HaLpEMAN (1843). Sialia wilsonii Swainson 
(1827), ete. 
DESCRIPTION: Male, rich azure-blue, throat, breast and sides chestnut-brown, belly and under tail-coverts 
whitish. Female and male in winter: above blue, tinged with grayish-brown; chestnut paler, 
white of the belly more extended. Young when leaving the nest, brownish above, becoming blue on 
rump and tail, back streaked whitish, nearly the whole under parts speckled with white and dark. 
Feet and bill black.—Length about 7 inches; wings about.4, tail about 3 inches. 
CALIFORNIA. BLUEBIRD. 
Sialia mexicana Swauns. 
PLATE XX. Fic. 1. 
The WESTERN or CALIFORNIA BLUEBIRD represents the common species in the 
western part of the United States, its proper domain being between the Rocky Mount- 
ains and the Pacific, from Mexico to Washington. It is especially common in California, 
but is also abundant as far east as Colorado, where both, Prof. Allen and Mr. Aiken, 
have observed it. These Bluebirds are as familiar as the eastern species, everywhere 
preferring the breeding boxes provided for them. Where these are not to be found, they 
build their nest in knot holes and abandoned Woodpecker’s holes. Nuttall, who had a 
very fine ear for the song of birds, says that the notes are a little more varied, more 
tender and sweeter, than those. of the eastern species, differing also in expression. Dr. 
Cooper, however, does not confirm this description by Nuttall. He regards the song as 
neither so loud nor so sweet. Prof. Robert Ridgway, who is an excellent connoisseur 
of birds’ songs, corroborates Dr. Cooper’s observation, stating that he did not hear, 
even during the pairing season, any note approaching in sweetness, or indeed similar 
to, the joyous spring warble which justly renders our Eastern Bluebird so universal 
a favorite. 
The California Bluebird is in all its habits, in its familiarity and its nidification, 
the perfect counterpart of its eastern relative, so that a more detailed life history is 
superfluous. 
NAMES: Catirornté BLUEBIRD, WESTERN BLUEBIRD, Mexican Blucbird.—Californischer Hiittensainger, or 
Californischer Blauvogel (German). 
SCIENTIFIC NAMES: SIALIA MEXICANA Swains., F. B. A. (1831). S. occidentalis Towns. Sylvia occi- 
dentalis Aud. (1839). 
DESCRIPTION: “Head and neck all round, and upper parts generally, bright azure-blue. Interscapular 
region, sides and fore part of the breast, and sides of the belly, dark reddish-brown. Rest of under 
parts (with tail-coverts) pale bluish, tinged with gray about the anal region. Female duller above; 
the back brownish; the blue of the throat replaced by ashy-brown, with a shade of blue.—Length 
6.50 inches; wing 4.25; tail 2.90 inches.” (Ridgway.) 
MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD. 
Sialia arctica NUTTAL. 
PLATE XX. FIG. 2. 
The Mountain BLUEBIRD is chiefly confined to the Rocky Mountain region, extend- 
ing as far north as Great Bear Lake, and south into Mexico. It seems to be a true 
y 
