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NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA. 



Myiopagis placens (Sclater). Golden Crowned Flycatcher.- 



In the Natioual Museum collection is a typical specimen of M. 

 placens^ taken by Colonel Grayson in January, 1865, on the Tres Marias 

 Islands, which agrees perfectly in size and color with the large dark 

 birds from the mouutaius of Jalisco, on the adjacent mainland. Eight 

 specimens of both sexes from various localities in Mexico and Central 

 America average as follows: Wing, 68.2; tail, 65.8; culmen, 11.2; 

 tarsus, 19.1. 



Myiopagis placens minimus Nelson. Little Golden Crowned Flycatcher. 



Elainea ])lacens Lawr., Proc. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist., XIV, p. 279, 1871; Mem. 

 Boston Soc. Nat. Hist., II, p. 286, 1874. 

 ^ Myiopagis placens minimus Nelson, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, XII, p. 9, 1898. 



Early in May a few of these birds were seen in the low scrubby 

 forest near the shore on Maria Madre, but by the middle of the month 

 they had retired to the heavily wooded canyons and slopes above 600 

 or 800 feet. They were common among the trees bordering the head of 

 a large canyon in the middle of the island, where a small spring formed 

 the center of attraction for many birds. Like their mainland relative, 

 they frequent the tree tops, where they may be seen running in and 

 out among the ends of the branches and fluttering about the tips of 

 twigs in the manner of some warblers. They frequently hop from twig- 

 to twig, with their tails uptilted like gnatcatchers, but their dull garb 

 is usually sufficient to identify them. When high up in the tops of tall 

 trees, however, their form and habits are so warbler-like that they can 

 not be distinguished from other small birds. A few individuals were 

 seen on Maria Magdaleua, but none on Maria Cleofa. 



Corvus mexicanus Gmelin. Mexican Crow. 



Two residents on Maria Madre reported that at long intervals they 

 had seen stray crows on the island. My informants were familiar with 

 the bird on the mainland, where it is extremely numerous about San 

 Bias, and there is no reason to doubt the correctness of their identifi- 

 cation. 



Cissolopha beecheyi (Vigors). Beechey's Jay. 



A specimen of this bird in the National Museum collection, obtained 

 by Xantus, is labeled "Tres Marias Islands, October 15, 1859". This 

 record, however, is doubtful. 



Icterus graysoni Cassin. Grayson's Oriole. 



Icterus graysoni Cassin, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., p. 48, 1867; Mem. Boston Soc. 

 Nat. Hist., II, p. 280, 1874. 



These beautiful birds are very common on all of the islands. Although 

 more numerous about the settlement on Maria Madre than elsewhere, 

 they were common in the thin, low forest all about the lower parts of 

 the islands and were very unsuspicious During my excursions through 

 the woods they came again and again and alighted on low branches of 

 shrubs or trees beside the old log roads and peered at me with Inno- 



