166 



FLYCATCHERS— SPARROW-BUNTING-WOODPECKERS. 



small scrab-oak groves, flitting about among the dense foliage 

 of bushes and low trees, in a busy and restless manner. Their 

 note he describes as a short chit-chat call. 



Ash-throated or Mexican Fly-catcher. (Myiarckus crinitus, var. ciner- 



ascens.") 



Fig. 20. 



A Pacific Coast variety of our common Great Crested Fly- 

 catcher {Myiarchus crinitus), Plate XXXII, fig. 1, page 41. It 

 is a common bird at its extreme northeasterl}' point, thence south- 

 wardly throughout Mexico, as far as Guatemala, westward to the 

 Pacific Coast. It has been obtained by several naturalists in va- 

 rious parts of California. Mr. Ridgeway says, it was most 

 abundant among the oaks of the plains between the Sacramento 

 river and the Sierra Nevada ; but in the wooded river valleys of the 

 interior, as well as in the cedar and pifion or mahogany woods on 

 the mountains of the latter region, it was also more or less met 

 with. In its manner it is described as a counterpart of its eastern 

 relation ; but its notes, though generally similar in character, have 

 not that strength which makes the vociferous screaming whistles 

 of the eastern species so noticable. 



Couch's Fly-catcher, or King Bird. (Tyrannus melancholicus, var. 



couchi.) 



Fig. 21. 



This bird is met with in regions north of Guatemala. 



Cassin's Fly-catcher. {Tyrannus voci/erans.) 



Fig. 22. 



A common species met with in the southwestern United States, 

 thence southward. At Vera Cruz it is known by the name 

 of Portuguez. Dr. Coues reports it to be an abundant summer 

 resident in Arizona, arriving there in April and remaining until 

 September. Dr. Cooper says, it is a common resident throughout 

 the year, in the southern half of California, as far north as Los 

 Angeles. It begins its song by daylight, and generally from the 

 top of some high tree. The note is loud and much more musical 

 than those of the other species, and exhibits considerable variety 

 for a bird of this family. Its food consists of insects, which it 

 catches while sitting quietly on a perch. The nest is five and a 

 half inches in external diameter, and about ten and a half in 

 height. The cavity is three inches wide at the rim. The eggs, 

 two in number, are white, with large, scattered reddish-brown and 

 umber blotches; measure .96 of an inch in length and .70 in 

 breadth. 



Lawrence Fly-catcher. {Myiarchus lawrencei.) 



Fig. 23. 



A rare bird, met with in Mexico and Central America. Its 

 general characters are similar to the Ash-throated or Mexican 

 Fly-catcher, figure 20 on this plate. 



Rufous-winged Sparrow. {Penceea carpalis.) 



Fig. 24. 



This is a new species discovered by Captain Bendire in Arizona, 

 he reports it rather common in the vicinity of Tucson. Its call 

 note resembled the syllables zib-zib-zib. Its nest is usually built 

 early in June in the small mesquite bushes, sometimes not over six 

 inches, seldom more than four feet, from the ground. The nests 

 are composed of fine dry grasses and rootlets, and lined with the 



fine, slender seed-tops of the secatom or rj'e-grass, and sometimes 

 with a few hairs. It is very deep, and firmly fixed into a fork of 

 the bush in which it is built. The eggs are of a pale green color, 

 and average .73 of an inch in length by .58 in breadth, and are 

 unspotted. 



Townsend's Bunting. (Euspiza toivnsendi.) 



Fig. 25. 



A single specimen of this species is known to exist, and is among 

 the collection at the Smithsonian Institute. It was shot by Dr. J. K. 

 Townsend, near New Garden, Pennsylvania. He met with it in 

 an old field grown up with cedar-bushes, May 11, 1833. It is a 

 question among our ornithologists, whether this is a distinct species 

 or a variety of the Black-throated Bunting (Eusfiza americana), 

 Plate LVI., fig. 2, page 82. 



Cape, or St. Lucas Woodpecker. (Picus scalaris, var, lucasanus!) 



Fig. 26. 



This variety is met with at Cape St. Lucas. Its habits are con- 

 sidered similar to the typical species of the Texan Woodpecker, 

 represented on Plate CI., fig. 2, page 148. 



Yellow-faced, Yellow-bellied, or Yellow-vented Woodpecker. (Centurus 



aurifrous.') 



* 



Fig. 27. 



The Rio Grande region of the United States south into Mexico 

 is the residence of this abundant and beautiful Woodpecker. Dr. 

 Woodhousesays it has a loud sharp cry, which it utters as it flies 

 from tree to tree. He also noticed its habit of diligently searching 

 in a manner common to this family on the trunks of the mesquite. 



Nuttall's Woodpecker. (P/cus nuttalli.) 



Fig. 28. 



A California Coast species that was first met with by Dr. Gam- 

 bel, near Los Angeles, California, who describes it as having the 

 usual habits of Woodpeckers, familiarly examining the fence-rails 

 and orchard-trees for its insect-fare. Mr. Ridgeway describes its 

 notes as very peculiar, the usual one being a prolonged querulous 

 rattling call, unlike that of any other bird known to him. 



Gila Woodpecker, (Centurus uropygialis.) 



Fig. 29. 



In the valley of the Colorado and Gila is the residence of this 

 bird, which was first discovered by Dr. Kennedy, who met with it 

 almost continually along his route, the Big Sandy, Bill Williams 

 Fork, and the Great Colorado. It is a very shy bird, and it gave 

 him considerable trouble to obtain specimens. Whilst seated 

 in the top of the tree, it was ever on guard ; and, upon the ap- 

 proach of danger, flew away, accompanying its flight with the ut- 

 terance of very peculiar notes. Its flight was in an undulating 

 line, like that of other birds of this class. 



Williamson's, or Black-breasted Woodpecker, (Sphyrapicus thyroi 



deus.) 



Fig. 30. 



The male representation of this species, the female is repre- 

 sented on Plate LXXXIX., fig. 2, page 134. It is only a short 

 time since Mr. Henshaw discovered that these birds are one and 

 the same species. In this connection Dr. Coues says : no point 



