HUMMING BIRD— TANAGER— FLY-CATCHER— GROSBEAKS— CAT BIRD. 



133 



Rufous-backed or Red-backed Humming Bird. (Selasphorus rufus.) 



Fig. 7. 



The Rufous-backed is the only representative of the family that 

 is to be met with in the extreme north. The Rocky Mountains to 

 the Pacific, from Mexico to Alaska, is their abiding place. It 

 was first discovered by the navigator, Captain Cook. Of its 

 habits, Nuttall says : 



" We began to meet with this species near the Blue Mountains 

 of the Columbia river, in the autumn, as we proceeded to the 

 west. We now, for the first time (April 16), saw the males in 

 numbers, darting, burring, and squeaking in the usual manner of 

 their tribe ; but when engaged in collecting its accustomed sweets, 

 in all the energy of life, it seemed like a breathing gem, or magic 

 carbuncle of glowing fire, stretching out its gorgeous ruff, as if to 

 emulate the sun itself in splendor. Toward the close of May, the 

 females were sitting, at which lime the males were uncommonly 

 quarrelsome and vigilant, darting out at me as I approached the 

 tree, probably near the nest, looking like an angry coal of brilliant 

 fire, passing within very little distance of my face, returning sev- 

 eral times to the attack, sinking and darting with the utmost ve- 

 locity, at the same time uttering a curious reverberating, sharp 

 bleat, somewhat similar to the quivering twang of a dead twig, 

 yet also so much like the bleat of some small quadruped that for 

 some time I searched the ground, instead of the air, for the actor 

 in the scene. At other times, the males were seen darting up high 

 in the air, and whirling about each other in great anger, and with 

 much velocity. After these maneuvers, the aggressor returned 

 to the same dead twig, where for days he regularly took his station 

 with all the courage and angry vigilance of a King Bird. The 

 angry hissing or bleating note of this species seems something like 

 ■ wht 't 't 't 't shvee,' tremulously uttered, as it whirls and sweeps 

 through the air, like a musket-ball, accompanied also by some- 

 thing like the whirr of the Night Hawk." 



The nest is usually built on a twig ; is composed externally of 

 mosses, lichens, and a few feathers, with slender, fibrous roots, in- 

 terwoven and lined with fine cottony seed-down. 



Louisiana Tanager. (Pyranga ludoviciana.) 



Fig. 8. 



This conspicuously-plumaged Tanager is the western cousin of 

 the eastern Scarlet Tanager. It is met with in the Rocky Mount- 

 ains, thence to the Pacific. There is very little difference in the 

 note or song of the two species. The habits of the western spe- 

 cies are also very similar to those of its eastern cousin. Dr. 

 Cooper mentions the arrival of this species near San Diego on the 

 24th of April, and says : " The males come sometimes in advance, 

 clothed in their full summer livery, and are more bold and con- 

 spicuous than the females, which are rarely seen without close 

 watching. They frequent trees, feeding on insects and berries, 

 and singing much in the same manner as other species." " The 

 favorite habitat of this species," says Dr. Suckley, "in those lo- 

 calities where I have observed it, is among the tall, red fir-trees 

 belonging to that magnificent species, the Abies longlassii. They 

 seemingly prefer the edges of the forest, rarely retiring to its 

 depths, unless for concealment, when alarmed.* In early summer, 

 at Fort Steilacoom, they are generally seen during the middle of 

 the day, sunning themselves in the firs, occasionally darting from 

 one of these trees to another, or to some of the neighboring white 

 oaks (j£. garryand), on the prairies. Later in the season, they 

 may be seen very actively flying about in quest of insect food for 

 their young. Both sexes, during the breeding season, are much 



less shy ; the males, during the daytime, frequently sitting on some 

 low limb, rendering the scene joyous with their delightful melody." 

 The eggs of this species, in size and shape, are very similar to 

 the Scarlet Tanager. 



The Red or Vermilion Fly-catcher. (Pyrocephalus rubineus, var.mexi- 



canus?) 



Fig. 9. 



The habitat of this species is in the valleys of the Rio Grande 

 and Colorado, and southward. It is a shy bird, and does not allow 

 one to approach within shooting distance. Its note is a low chirp. 

 Its general habits are the same as those of Fly-catchers. 



Blue Grosbeak. (Guzraca ccerulea.) 

 Fig. 10. 



This is one of our solitary species, that is mostly met with in the 

 more temperate sections of North America. It occasionally extends 

 its migrations as far as the State of Maine. The song consists of a 

 few sweet-toned notes, but the most common note is a loud chuck. 

 It is also described " as a rapid, intricate warble, like that of the 

 Indigo Bird, though stronger and louder." It is also claimed that 

 this species is closely allied to the Indigo Birds " otherwise than 

 merely by their coloration and structure." Wilson says: "They 

 are timid birds, watchful, silent, and active." Their food consists 

 of " hemp-seed, millet, and kernels of several kinds of berries." 

 The nest of this species is usually built in a tree or bush. The 

 eggs are light blue in color. 



Evening Grosbeak. (Hesperiphona vespertina.) 

 Fig. 11. 



This beautiful species is a resident along the Rocky Mountains 

 to New Mexico, Sierra Nevada, northward, also on Lake Supe- 

 rior, north and west. It was first discovered by Mr. William 

 Cooper, who says of it : 



" In the north, they are not uncommon, but keep so high among 

 the cottonwoods and pines that the}' are rarely obtained. They do 

 not seem to come down near the coast, even at the Columbia river ; 

 and, in this state (California), have never been met with in the 

 coast range of mountains. They feed chiefly on the seeds of pines, 

 spruces, and Cottonwood poplars, occasionally seeking other seeds 

 nearer the ground. When feeding, they are very silent and diffi- 

 cult to perceive ; but when they fly from one place to another they 

 utter a loud call-note. In spring, they have a rather short, but 

 melodious song, resembling that of the Robin, or Black-headed 

 Grosbeak." 



Arctic Spotted Towhee. Califor.iia Ground Robin. 



maculatus., var. megalonyx.') 



Fig. 12. 



Cat Bird. (Ptpilo 



This species is one of our several varieties of Spotted Towhees, 

 and is known as the western variety. Its habitat is in California, 

 Arizona, and New Mexico. Mr. Cooper says : 



" Their favorite residence is in thickets and oak groves, where 

 they live mostly on the ground, scratching among the dead leaves 

 in the concealment of the undergrowth, and rarely venturing far 

 from shelter. They never fly more than a few yards at a time, and 

 only a few feet above the ground. About towns, if unmolested, 



