164 



BUNTINGS— SPARROWS- SNOW BIRDS— FINCH— PE WEE— FLYCATCHERS. 



Western Yellow-winged Bunting, or Sparrow. ( Cohtmiculus passerinus, 

 var. perpallidus.) 



Fig. 10. 



This species is the Western variety ot our common Yellow- 

 winged Sparrow, represented on Plate XLVIII., fig. 3, and de- 

 scribed on page 67. Its habitat is from the base of the Rocky 

 Mountains to the Pacific. 



Eastern Snow Bird. {Junco hyemalis, var. aikcni.) 

 Fig. 11. 



This bird is a variety of our common Snow Bird, represented on 

 Plate XXXVIII., figs. 5 and 6, and described on page 53. It is 

 recognized by two white bands across tip of medium and greater 

 coverts, and an additional white feather to the tail. 



Gray, or Cinereous Snow Bird, (funco cinereus, var. caniceps.) 



Fig. 12. 



This species was first discovered by Dr. Woodhouse, among the 

 San Francisco Mountains, in Arizona. He says : "Its habits ap- 

 peared to be very similar to those of the Western Snow Bird, as 

 well as those of the common Snow Bird," referred to in the pre- 

 ceding notice. 



Bay-winged Bunting; Grass, or Field Sparrow; Grass Finch; Vesper 



Bird. (Pooecetes gramineus, var. confinis.) 



Fig- 13- 



This species is the Western variety of our common bird, known 

 by the above names, and represented on Plate XLVIII., fig. 8, 

 and described on page 84. Its habitat is South into Mexico, from 

 the Middle Provinces of the United States. 



St. Lucas Sparrow. (Passerculus rostratus, var. guttatus.) 



Fig. 14. 



So far as known, there has been but one specimen of this bird 

 taken. It was met with by Mr. Xantus, at San Jose, in Lower 

 California, in December, 1859, m company with a flock of Sea 

 Shore, or San Diego Sparrows (Passerculus rostratus), repre- 

 sented on this plate, fig. 9, which is also a rare species. And as 

 this bird is a variety, it is supposed that their habits are alike. 



Aonalaska, or Northwestern Savanna Sparrow, 

 var. sandwichens is.) 



Fig. iS- 



{Passer culm savanna, 



A Northwestern Coast variety of our common Savanna Spar- 

 row, represented on Plate XLIX., fig. 1, and described on page 

 69. Its migrations extend from the Columbia River to Russian 

 America. 



Siberian Finch. {Leucosticte arctoa.) 



Fig. 16. 



According to Dr. Cooper, this is a very stupid bird. When pur- 

 sued, it thrusts its head into a tuft of grass, and, imagining itself 



concealed, can even be taken with the hand. 

 Kurile, the Aleutian Islands, and Siberia. 



Its habitat is the 



Western Wood Pewee; Short-legged Pewee. (Contopus virens, var. 



richardsoni.) 



Fig. 17. 



Mr. Richardson first obtained this species, in the Arctic regions, 

 in the neighborhood of the Cumberland House, frequenting the 

 shady weeds, near the banks of rivers and lakes. Its range is 

 said to extend as far south as Guatemala, and even Panama, and 

 northward as far as the 60th parallel of latitude, and from the great 

 plains to the Pacific. This bird is a Western variety of the com- 

 mon Wood Pewee [Coniopus virens), plate L., fig. 3, page 73. 



Coues' Flycatcher; Mexican Olive-sided Flycatcher. (Coniopus per- 



tinax.) 



Fig. 18. 



Dr. Coues was the first to discover this species. He met with a 

 young summer resident, at Fort Whipple, Arizona. No mention 

 is made in regard to its habits. 



Yellow-bellied Flycatcher. (Empidonax Jlaviventris.) 



Fig. 19. 



This species is met with in most all parts of North America, and 

 breeds from the Middle States, where it arrives about the first of 

 May. Northward it is considered a rare bird, and was first ob- 

 tained in Carlisle, Penn. Mr. Maynard obtained it in Massa- 

 chusetts, and, in his valuable work on Taxidermy, says : " May 

 31, 1869, I shot the first specimen I had ever seen living; the next 

 day I took eight of both sexes in a few hours. Between this time 

 and the 10th of June I took two or three more. I do not doubt 

 that it has occurred in previous seasons, but, being unaccustomed 

 to its low note — which is like the syllable -pea very plaintively 

 prolonged — and its retiring habits, I had not detected it before. 

 The specimens were all taken in low, swampy thickets, with the 

 exception of the first, which was shot on a tall oak. It keeps 

 near the ground, is rather shy, and upon the appearance of an in- 

 truder, instantly ceases its song. 



Acadian, or Small Green-crested Flycatcher. {Empidonax acadicus.) 



Fig. 20. 



This species is said to be almost entirely an inhabitant of Eastern 

 North America. Wilson found it inhabiting only the deepest soli- 

 tary parts of the woods, stationed among the lower branches, ut- 

 tering, at short intervals, a sudden, sharp squeak, heard at con- 

 siderable distance through the woods. As it flies, it utters a low, 

 querulous note, which it changes, on alighting, to its usual sharp 

 cry. He also says, it is a rare and very solitary bird, always 

 haunting the most gloomy, moist, and unfrequented parts of the 

 forest, feeding on flying insects, devouring wild bees and huckle- 

 berries in their season. 



According to Mr. Jackson, the nest is generally placed on a 

 drooping limb of a bush, or a dogwood tree, at the height of from 

 six to ten feet from the ground. It is never saddled on a limb, 

 like that of a Wood Pewee, neither is it pensile, like those of the 

 Vireos, but is built in the fork of a small Hmb, and securely fast- 

 ened thereto by a strip of bark. The nest itself is mostly made 

 of fine strips of bark or weed — stalks woven together without much 



