PHAINOPEPLA. 91 
RLU en elena Steers SEE Py SIN ON 
Mr. Evermann observed the Black Flycatcher rather common in the Santa Paula 
cafion, in Ventura County, Cal. Says he: “It was not until July, when returning from a 
camping-out trip to the Big Trees and that wonderful gorge,—the Yosemite Valley, that 
I again saw this species. We were ascending the steep grade which leads from the floor 
of the valley towards Inspiration Point, when a single individual was seen perched 
upon a top-most twig of a tall sugar-pine, now and then giving utterance to its 
peculiarly sad call-note. A few days later, while in camp near Fresno Flats, twenty 
miles east of Madera, we again met these birds. Our camp was among the foot-hills 
of the Sierras, where live and white oaks are about the only trees. Among these this 
bird was common and was undoubtedly breeding. We left this locality late in July, 
drove leisurely down out of the foot-hills, crossed the burning plains of the San Joaquin, 
and up over the Coast Ranges to Hollister, Gilroy, and San Jose, but though I was 
constantly on the watch, I saw no more of this species during the trip. So the evidence 
seems pretty conclusive that the Black-crested Flycatcher is greatly restricted in its 
habitat and is found only in localities the most favorable.—Upon my return to Santa 
Paula in August, I found it rather common in the cafion where I first saw them. They 
were feeding upon the berries of the choke-cherry, and remained in the locality until 
October, when they disappeared, going farther south. 
“Early in spring of 1881, they again returned to the same cafion, where they 
continued to be seen throughout the summer. Their love for cafions, or narrow valleys, 
is shown by the fact that, although the mouth of the Santa Paula Cafion is only half 
a mile from where I lived, yet I seldom saw any of the species ‘nearer my house than 
the mouth of the cafion,—only one pair nesting outside the cafion, as far as I could 
discover. During this season I made frequent excursions to various small valleys and 
cafions of Ventura County, and found the Black-crested Flycatcher in only two places 
besides Santa Paula Cafion. One of these was the beautiful Ojai (O-hi) Valley, about 
seven miles from Santa Paula Cafion, and connected with it by Si-Sa (See-Saw) Cajion; 
the other was among the moss-covered oaks on the Cocitos Pass from San Buenaventura 
to Santa Barbara. In each of these places it was quite common, but I was unable to 
find a single nest.” 
Later in the season, Mr. Evermann found seven nests, six containing three eggs 
each, and only one containing two. A correspondent of the same region informs me 
that he found nests near the habitations of man in pepper trees, blue gums,. and 
elder bushes. 
NAMES: Puarnopepta, Black Flycatcher, Black Ptilogonys, Shining-crested Flycatcher, Crested Shining-black 
White-winged Flysnapper.— Trauervogel (Nlg.), Schwarzer Fliegenfanger. 
SCIENTIFIC NAMES: Ptilogonys nitens Sw. (1838). Cichlopsis nitens Brd. (1858). PHAINOPEPLA 
NITENS Scuat., P. Z. S. (1858). Phaenopepla nitens Coues (1865). 
DESCRIPTION: ‘Adult male: entirely lustrous black, with steel-blue or greenish reflections. Primaries with 
a large white space on the inner webs. Bill and feet black. Length about 7.50 inches; wing 3.50 to 
3.75, tail 3.50 to 4 inches. —Adult female: crested like the male. Entirely brownish-gray, paler beneath, 
the wings and tail blackish, the white on the inner webs of the primaries much reduced or extinguished, 
and in its stead much whitish edging on the quills and coverts, tail-feathers and crissum."’ (Coues.) 
