l^li] Sivarth: Alaska Expedition of 1909. 75 



Myiochanes richardsoni richardsoni (Swainson). 

 Western Wood Pewee. 



Wood pewees were met with at most of the mainland points 

 visited, but on none of the islands. At Boca de Quadra, June 

 11, one was heard calling on a wooded hillside, but the vegetation 

 was so thick that I was unable to catch sight of the bird. On 

 the Chickamin River probably five or six individuals were seen 

 at various times between June 17 and 28. They appeared to be 

 migrating, and were usually perched on little scrubby willows 

 scattered over the meadow land. I saw no indication that any 

 were breeding at the time ; the specimens secured certainly were 

 not. At Thomas Bay the species was frequently seen, evidently 

 migrating southward. The birds were excessively, wild, and 

 usually fled to the tops of the tallest trees, where they were far 

 beyond shot-gun range. At Port Snettisham several individuals, 

 possibly six or seven all told, were seen at different times, but 

 here also they were wild and unapproachable. A single bird 

 was seen on the Taku River, on September 8, the last one 

 observed. I had but a glimpse of this bird as it flew over an alder 

 thicket, and failed to find it again. 



Three specimens were secured, two adult males from the 

 Chickamin River, June 20 and 22 (nos. 9710, 9711), and an 

 immature female from Port Snettisham, August 28 (no. 9712). 

 While there may well be a recognizable northwest coast form of 

 the western wood pewee, as claimed by Bishop (1900, p. 116), I 

 am unable to uphold it with the scanty material at hand. My 

 three specimens are certainly appreciably darker colored than the 

 breeding birds available from southern California; but there are 

 specimens in the museum collection, taken in June in the northern 

 Sierras, which are indistinguishable in color from the Alaskan 

 birds. In a fairly large series from southern Arizona, some are 

 pale colored, but there are others nearly, if not quite, as dark 

 as those from Alaska. Neither can the size of the bill be 

 depended upon to distinguish them, as there seem to be both 

 large and small-billed individuals in series from all localities. 

 The two Alaskan adults show as much variation in this respect 

 as can be seen in large series from more southern localities. 



