734 BULLiETIN 50, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



Desert, winter).— Neheling, Our Native Birds, i, 1893, 96.— Allen, Bull. 

 Am. Mus. N. H., v, 1893, 42 (Oputo, n. Sonora).— Fisher (A. K.), North 

 Am. Fauna, no. 7, 1893, 144 (Resting Spring, s. e. California; Vegas Valley 

 and Bunkerville, s. Nevada).— Bailey (Florence M. ), Handb. Birds W. U. S. 

 1902, 466.— Grinnell, Check List Calif. Birds, 1902, 73 (California range). 



[Polioplild] plumbe.a CouES, Key N. Am. Birds, 1872, 79. 



P[plioptiLa\ plumbea CouES, Key N. Am. Birds, 2d ed., 1884, 261. — Eidgway, 

 Man. N. Am. Birds, 1887, 570.— Hellmayr, Tierreich, 18 Lief., 1903, 22. 



Polioptila melanura Lawrence, Ann. Lye. Nat. Hist. N. Y., vi, 1858, 168 (Ring- 

 gold Barracks, Texas; coll. G. N. Lawrence) . —Baird, Rep. Pacific R. E. 

 Surv., ix, 1858, 382, part (Rio Grande Valley; Fort Yuma); Cat. N. Am. 

 Birds, 1859; no. 284, part; Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1859, 301, 304 (Cape 

 St. Lucas); Review Am. Birds, 1864, 68, part (Cape St. Lucas; Fort Yuma). — 

 Heermann, Rep. Pacific R. R. Surv., x, pt. iv, no. 2, 1859, 39 (Fort Yuma and 

 junction Gila and Colorado rivers; habits; notes). — Coues, Proc. Ac. Nat. 

 Sci. Phila., 1866, 66 (Pima villages, etc., Arizona) ; Check List, 1873, no. 24, 

 part; 2d ed., 1882, no. 37, part; Birds Col. Val., 1878, 106, part.— Cooper, 

 Orn. Col., 1870, 37, part (ForfMojave, California). — Baird, Brewer, and 

 RiDQWAY, Hist. N. Am. Birds, i, 1874, 81, part; iii, 1874, 502, part (Arizona). — 

 Henshaw, Rep. Orn. Spec. Wheeler's Surv., 1874, 155 (Arizona). 



P[oliopiila] melanura Coues, Key N. Am. Birds, 2d ed., 1884, 261, part. 



POLIOPTILA CALIFORNICA Brewster. 

 BLACK-TAIXED GNATCATOHER. 



Similar to P. phimbea, but much darker, and with still less white 

 on lateral rectrices. 



Adult male. — Entire pileum uniform glossy blue-black; hindneck, 

 back, scapulars, lesser wing-coverts, and rump uniform slate color; 

 wings (except lesser coverts) dull brownish slate with paler edgings; 

 upper tail-coverts and tail black, the two outermost rectrices margined 

 at tip with white, the exterior one with x)uter web edged with white; 

 sides of head, below black pileum, and under parts pale gray {between 

 no. 7 and no. 8), becoming white on center of abdomen and anal 

 region; maxilla black; mandible blackish terminally, grayish basally; 

 iris brown; legs and feet dusky; length (skins), 96-106 (102.6); wing, 

 44.5-47(45.9); tail, 49-50.5 (49.6); exiposedculmen, 9-9.5(9.1); tarsus, 

 17-18 (17.4); middle toe, 9.« 



Adult female. — No black on pileum; above slate color (duller than 

 in adult male), becoming more olive (sometimes decidedly olive) on 

 back, scapulars, and rump; otherwise like adult male; length (skins), 

 95-105 (100); wing, 44.5-47.5 (45.8); tail, 48-51 (49.7); exposed cul-, 

 men, 9-9.5 (9.2); tarsus, 18;middle toe, 9.» 



Southern California, west and north of Colorado JDesert, and Pacific 

 coast district of northern Lower California; north to Ventura County, 



" Five specimens. * Three specimens. 



