A partial list of the birds of central California

(1)

388 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

GALEORHINIDiE.

Oenus SCOLIODO:n:

Mliller

&

^Heule.

117. Scoliodon terrae-novse (Rich.)Gill.

—

Shttrp-nosetl Shark.

Very

abundantin the harbor.

AMPHIOXID^.

Genus AMPHIOXUS

^YarreU.

118. Amphioxus caribaeus (Sundevall) Jor.

&

^Gilb.

Abundant

in the harbor, on Bird Shoal; not, however, obtained

by

us.

December,^1878.

A PARTrAI.

r.lST

OF THE BIRDS OF

CEIVTRAr. CAl,IFORIVIA.

By

L.

BELDINO, of

Stockton.

Edited by R. RIDOTVAY.

The

present paper is based

upon

observations extending through about twentyyears' residencein California,

and

collections

made

chiefly during thelasttwoyears,whichhave,from timeto time,beenforwarded

by

Mr. Beldiug tothe i!^ational

Museum.* The

list isbelievedto bea tolerablycompleteone,Mr. Belding's long residence in the State

and

his active interest in ornithologyhaving enabled

him

to

become

quite familiar with the bird-fauna of most parts of the interiorof California.

Still,observations

made

atafewoutlyingpoints,orextendedfora longer periodatlocalities alreadyinvestigated, would,no doubt,

add

consider- ablyto the

number

^of thespecies.

The

editor's remarksare either en- closed inbracketsorfollowed

by

hisinitials("R.R.'').

He

isresponsible for the nomenclature adopted,

and

the determination of the ^species

—

although, as to thelatter, Mr. Beldiug

had

correctly identified

them

^all, with a very few exceptions

among

thedifficultforms,

whose

correct de- terminationis hardlypossible inthefield.

The

asterisk before the

number

indicates that the.species hasbeen foundbreedinginCentralCalifornia;

and

onlj"thoseactuallyascertained todo soarethus marked. In the listof specimens, the^asterisk before thelocalityshowsthatthe speciesbreedsatthatparticular place.

The number

in theselists isthatoftheNational

Museum

Register, in which the specimens sent

by

Mr. Beldiug are entered. Notes

upon

afewof the species collected

by

Mr. Beldiug- have beenpublishedbj^the writer in the Bulletin of the Nuttall Ornithological Club for April, 1878, pp.

G4:-()8, to whichthoseinterested are referred.

—

^{R. R.}

*Thecollectionsthustarreceived from Mr. Beldiug amount to about 180 species (not includingraces)and600 specimens. Noteswere sent on38 additional species,

makingatotalof217treatedin thispaper.

—

^R.^R.

(2)

PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 389 Central

California, wherethecollections

and

observations

upon

which this pax)er is based were made, is divided naturally into three quite distinct parts: (1) thevalleysnearsea-level

; (2)the chaparralbelt, familiarly

known

to Californians asthe "foot-hills";

and

₍₃₎ the ever- green coniferous forests abovethe chaparral belt.

The

periods during which the collections were

made

are as follows:

—

At

^Stoclifon ^(valley

region),

March

6 to

June

0, 1878, and during the succeeding autumn.

At

Marysville (valley region), from

December

24,1877, to

March

5,1878, and,incidentally, inJune,1878.

At

Murphy's(loweredgeofpine region_), from

November

20, 1870, to INIay _3, 1877,

November

22 to

December

22, 1877,

and August

27 to September 0, 1878.

At

the Calaveras Big Trees (pine region), from

May

3 to

June

8,

and

from July 4 to

August

27, 1878.

At

Soda Springs (upper part of pine region), from

August

25 to October 0, 1877,about a

week

of this time being spent at the

Summit

Meadoics, near the

summit

of the

Donner Lake

Passof the SierraNevada.

Stockton, San Joaquin

Co. (lat. about 38°, alt. 30 ft.), is on the eastern margin of the extensive tule

swamp

through which the

San

Joaquin Eiver flows.

Many

of the birdspeculiar tothe iidand waters of the Pacific coast frequent this

swamp

in

summer

or winter, while others,

among

which are

some

of the water birds of the neighboring tulemarshes, breed inthe willowsonthe banksor naturallevees ofthe river.

Dimng

the spring migration, birds are tridy abundant in the thickets

by

the river,

and

any onewdiohasheardtheirsongsat thistime

would

not accuseCalifornia birds of being deficient inmelody.

The

valley east of Stockton is very level,

and

sparsely timbered, though theprincipalwater-courses are

marked by

anarrowstripofoaks

and

willows. In ordinarywinters,waterisplentiful,butinsununeronly the waters of the principal rivers reach the ocean.

Owing

to this scarcityof waterin thebreedingseason,birds arenot

numerous

in this portion of the valley,while for this

and

otherreasons few^species ^are abundant inCentral California.

The

climate is genial

and

quite uniform, the heat of

summer

being usuallyagreeably tempered

by

the sea breeze.

The

winters are mild

and

thefields aregreenwithshort grass.

Marysville, Yuba

^Co.,^isin latitude39°8',thealtitudebeingabout 150 feet above tide-level. It is situated at the junctionof the

Yuba and

Feather Eivers, surrounded

by

an extensive tract of level plains, mostof Avhich areunder cultivation.

Over

theujilands are scattereda fewoaks, bothevergreen

and

deciduous, whileinthe river-bottoms are dense thickets of poplars

and

A^dllows, with an undergrowthof grape- vines, briers, weeds,

and

grass. These thickets afibrd shelter for the birds of thedistrict,

and

in the breeding season nearly all thespecies are congregatedin ornearthem.

The summers

are

warm and

dry, and, as elsewhere in the interiorof California,the annualplants are either ripe or blighted

by

the firstof

(3)

390 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

June.

The

winters areuiild;

suow

^rarely^falls, theplains after thefirst raius being' covered with grass, which, however, does not

grow much

until March.

Some

of the species fouud at Marysville in winter are the following:

—

Turdns ^ncvvius, T. migratorius (var. propiruiuus), T. gut- tatus, Harjwrhynchusredivivus,

Mimus

polyglottuSjDendrcecacoronata,D.

auduhoni,Helminthopliagacelata (var. lutescens), Geothlypis tricJias,Vireo hidfoni, Chrysomitris piniis, C. lawrencii, Eremopliila alpestris (both the typical form

and

var. chrysolcema), Sayornis nigricans, S. sayus, Picus jnibescens,*P. nuttalli, Spliyropicus ruber,Melanerpesformicivorus, Asio accipitriuus, Spcofyto '^liypogcea,^^ Lanius boreaUs, L. liidovicianus, M'elo- spiza ''fallax,^''

and

Pipilo chlorurus. In June, the following,

among

others,werenoticed:

—

Turdnsustulatus, Thryomanesbewicki(var. spihi- rtis), Lanivireo ^'•'cassini,^'' Vireo pusillus, Coccyzus americanus, PoUoptila cwrulea,Picus ^'•'gairdneri,^''P. nuttalli, TrocMlus alexandri,

and

Chanuea

fasciata.

MuEPHY's, Calaveras

Co.(lat.38°7',alt.about2,400ft.),issituated attheline ofjunction of the chaparral belt

and

the pineregion; that

is, between the upper edge of the former

and

the lower limit of the latter, thelinebetween thesetwodistricts being sharply

drawn by

the abruptriseof the mountains onthe east.

The

climate ofMurphy's isnearlythe

same

as thatof Stockton,not- withstanding the great difference of altitude (over 2,300 feet).

The

days are ratherwarmer, even in winter, ifthe skyis unclouded^: it is

more

subject to cold storms,however; but if

snow

fiills, it soon melts, andthehillsare invariablycoveredwith green grassafterthefallrains.

Itis abovethewinter fogs of thevalley.

The

averagerainfall atMur- phy's averages nearly twice as

much

as that at Stockton, the rainy seasonbeinglonger, while theprecipitationis

more

copious.

The

following si)ecies

may

be said to find the upper limit to their breedingrangein the vicinityof Murphy's^:

—

Harporliynclmsredivivus, Chanueafasciata, PoUoptila cwrulea, Lophophanes inomatus, Salpinctes obsoletus,Icterialongicauda, Pliainopeplanitens,Carpodacusfrontalis(var.

rliodocolpus), CItrysomitris lawrencii, Cyanospiza

ammna,

Pipilo '•'crissa-

lis,^''Icterus bulloclci, Tyrannusverticalis,Myiarchuscinerascens,Picusnut-

talli,Melanerpes formicivorus, Lanius ludovicianus (var. excubitoroides), Geococcyx californianus,

and some

others. Thisrestriction, thoughnot absolute, is nearly so,

and

is due mainly to the abrupt change in the characteroftheforest.

About

a mile east of Murphy's, the road

makes

anunbroken ascent oftenortwelve liuudred feetintwo miles. Forthe nextthirteenmiles there isno material change in thealtitude; butat this point there is

anotherriseof abouteight

hundred

feet.

At

the top of this rise isthe

"Big

Tree" Grove.

'Tyiiicalspeciiueu sentfromthis locality^!

—

R. R.

(4)

PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 391 The

following is a list of thebuxls observedatvarious times in the immediatevicinityofMurphy's^:

—

Pdnserella^'^'meyarhyncha."

Passerella"toivnsendi."*

Hedymeles7nelanoccphaIus, Cyanospizaanueua.

Pipilo ^''megalonyx.

"

I'ipilochlorurus.

PipUo'^crissaUs."

Stiirnella"negJecta."

Icterus huUocki.

Scolecophagus cyan ocephalm.

Corvusamcricanits.

Cyanocitta^'frontalis."

Aphelocomacalifornica.

TyrannusverticaUs.

Myiarchuscinerascens.

Sayornisnigricans.

Sayornis sayus.

Contopushorealis.

Contopus richardsoni.

Empidonaxpasillus.

Empidonaxol)Scurus.

Empidonaxhammondi.

Cvryle alcyon.

Trochilus alcxandri, Calypte anna'.

Selasphorusriifus.i Stellida caUiope.

Pious"harrisi."

Picus^{'^}gairdneri."

PicusnuitaUi.

Sphyropicus "ruber."

S2)hyropicus thyroidcus.

Melanerpesformicivorus.

Melanerpestorquatus.

CoJaptes^'^'mexicanus.^"

Scojjs asio.

Giaucidium gnoma.

jEsalon cohimJ)arius.

Tmnunculussparverius.

Accipiter fuscus.

Buteo^'cahirus."

Eliinogryphus aura.

Columha fasciata.

Zenwduracarolinensis.

Oreortyxpieia.

Lopliortyxcalifornica,

^(jialiiis vocifera.

Ardeaherodias.t Herodias ^''egretia."

1.

(5)

392 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

99. Butoridesviresccns.

100. Nyotlardca"ncvvia."

101. BotaurusIcntiginosns.

102. Ardcttacxilis.

103. GallbuKjoicilsoni.

104. Tringoidosmacularlus.

105. Anasboschats.

103. Marccanmcricava.

107. Dijteii"_californicHS."

108. Podihjmhusx^odiceps.

From August

²⁷ ^to ^September ^5, ^1878, ^lorty-two ^species ^were ^ob-

served.

Mauy

of the

summer

residents

had

gone. Those remainiug were

—

1. Tardus migmtorius(var. jyropinqnus).

•Z. Harporliynclmsredivivus,few.

:}. Sialia mcxicana,common.

4. PoUoptilacmrulca(onlyouc).

5. Chaniwafasciata.common.

(5. Lophoplianes inornatus,common.

7. PsaltriparusminUnns, common.

8. Salpiudesohsoletus,common,

9. Sitta"aculcata," rare.

10. Troglodytes "jjarA;mannJ," rare.

11. Dendroccawstiva, rare.

12. Hirundo ''horreoi'um,"common.

13. Petrochclidonluvifrons, veryrare.

14. Vircosylvia"stvainsoiii,"lare.

l.'>. Phainopcplanitens,ratherrare.

16. Lanius "excuhitorides."

17. Pyrangaludoviciana.

18. Carpodacits ^'rhodocolpus," very common.

19. Chrysomitrispsaltria,verycommon.

20. Chondestcsgrammica,verycommon.

21. Spizella"arizona',"common.

22. Pipilo" mcgalonyx,"common,

23. Pipilo "crissalis,"verycommon.

24. Sturncllancglecia, common,

25. Scolecephagus cyanoceplmlns, rare.

26. Ajihelocomacalifoniica,common.

27. Cyanocitta "frontalis" (one).

28. Tyrannusverticalis(four).

29. Myiarchuscincrasccns(one).

30. Sayornisnigricans,common.

31. Coniopushorealis(two), 32. Contopusrichardsoni, rare.

33. Empidonaxpusillus,rare, 34. Calyptc annce,common,

35. Coccyzusamericanus(heardone).

36. Picusnuttalli,common."

37. MelanerpesformicivoruSjcommon,

38. Colaptes "incxicanus,"common,

39. Ehinogryphusaura,few.

40. Zcnoidura caroUnensis, common.

41. Oreortyx picta(oneseen),*

42. Lophortyxcalifornica,abundant.

Big

Trees,

Calaveras

Co.(hit.38°15', alt.4,500ft.),is inthe heart oftheconiferous forest ofthe SierraIslevada. In thislocalitythepines,

firs, cedars,

and

other conifersattain their largestsize

and

mostperfect growth. Deciduous oaksconstituteaverysmall part of the forest,but they aremostly confined tothe

more

barrenspots.

The

climateatBig Treesis agreeably temperate during ai)ortionof

May, and

throughout June, July,August,

and

September.

The

winters are mild,considering the altitude; but snow, to a depth of one to four or five feet,usually (50vers the ground, although

some

seasons the surface is bare for the greaterportion of thetime.

The summer

avifauna of this locality resembles, to a considerable extent,that of Soda Springs

and Summit Meadows,

the

more

notable iibseuteesbeingPinicoJa ^{'^}canadensis,''^Hesperipliona vespertina, Zonotri- chia,intermedia, Picicorvuscolumhianiis.andPicoidesarcticus,allofwhich, however, probably visitBigTrees at

some

time of theyear.

*More were probably present, as a gentleman told mea flock hadhrcdthere the pastseason, onalevelwithMurphy's,

(6)

PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 393

Birds seen at Big Tree Grove, Calaveras Covnty,

from

July 4 toAmjrtst 27, 1878.

*l.

*6.

*7.

8.

*9.

no.

11.

*r2.

*13.

*14.

*15.

*16.

*17.

^18.

19.

*20.

21.

*22.

23.

24.

*25.

*26.

*27.

*28.

29.

30.

*31.

*32.

Tnrdus migratorius (var. propinqum), abimdant.

Mimuspolyyloltiis, veryrare.

Cinclitsmcxicanus, commou.

SiaUamexicana,commou.

Sialiaarctica,rare.

I\eguh',ssatrapa, rare.

Parusmontanus, commou.

Psaltriparusminhmts,ratherrare.

Siita "acuh'ata,"commou.

S.canadensis,decidedlyabuudaut.

S.pygmam,rare.

Certhia "amcncana," abundaut.

Troglodytes "parlcmanni,"ratherrare.

Helminihophagarujlcapilla, commou.

Helminihopliaga "hiicscois,"commou.

Dendroecawstiva,commou.

Dendrxcaoccidentalis, verycommou.

Dendroecanigrescens,iuJuly,rare.

Dendroecaauduhoni,rai'e.

Geotlilgpis macgiU'irraiji, commou.

Myiodioctes "jnleolatus," commou iu August.

Rirundo"horrcorum,"commou.

Petrochelidon lunifrons, rare.

Tachijcineta thalassina, abuudaut.

Vircosylvia'^sivainsoni,"commou.

Lanivireo"cassini,"coramon.

Pyrangaludoviciana,commou.

Carpodacus "californiciis,"very commou.

Chrysomitris psaliria, rare.

Chrysomiiris pinus, rare.

Spizella"arizonce,"abuudaut.

Passerella"megarhyncha,"commou.

*33. Hedymclcsmelanoccplialus,commou.

*34. Pipilo" megalonyx,"commou.

*35. Pipilo cMorurtis, coumiou.

3(5. Icterusbulloc.ld,veryrare.

37. Scolccophagus cyanoccplialus, rare.

*38. Cyanvcitta "frontalis,"abuudaut.

39. AplidocomacaUfornica,commou.

40. Tyrannusverticalis,veryrare.

41. Myiarchuscinerascens,veryrare.

42. Sayornis nigricans,rathercommou.

*43. Contopnsborealis,commou.

*44. Contopusriehardsoni, comuiou.

45. Empidonaxpusillus, rare.

46. Empidonaxohscurus,probablyuotrare.

*47. Empidonaxhammondi, commou.

48. Empidonax^"difficilis,"veryrare.

49. Calypte anna', rare.

50. Trochilus alexandri, rare.

51. Stcllulacalliope, rare.

52. Selasphorus rufus,commou.

*53. Picus"harrisi,"commou.

*54. Picus"f/airfZHeci,"ratherrare.

*55. Picusalbolarvatus, abuudaut.

*56. Sjyhyrojncus"ruber,"qnitf.abuudaut.

*57. Hylotomuspileatus,notrare.

58. Melanerpesformicivoriis,veryrare.

*59. Colaj)tcs"mexicanus,"common.

*60. Buho^"subarcticus,"commou.

61. Glaucidium gnoma,^rare.

62. Tinnunculussparverius, ratherrare.

*63. Zenwduracarolinensis, common.

*64. Canaceobscura,ratherrare.

*65. Oreortyxpicta, commou.

*66. LophortyxcaUfornica,commou.

From

JNtay3 to

June

8, 1877, I found, in addition to

most

of those found iuJuly

and

August, the followingspecies:

—

1. Lanius "excubitorides,"vnre.

2. Carpodacuscassini,commou.

3. MelospizaUncolni, rare.

4. Sturnellaneglccta,rare.

5. Corvusamericanus, irregular visitants.

6. Thryomanes^"spilurus," rave.

The Hawks and Owls

peculiar tothemountainsof California areprob- ably as

numerous

.hereasinother parts of the Sierras, butthe density

and

height of theforest

make

theii* capturedifficult.

At

Moran's

and

Dunbar's

Meadows, two

or three miles west,

and

about800feetlower,I foundthe followinginJuly

and

August,1878^:

—

1. Chondestcsgrammica, common.

2. Xanthoceplialus icteroccpliaJus (one juv.

August27).

3. Sturnellanegleeta,common.

4. Ceryle alcyon, rare.

5. Tringoidesmacularius(one), veryrare.

(7)

I arrived at Big Trees JMay 3, 1877,

and by May

10 nearly all tlie

summer

residentsliadarrived.

Some

oftliein

had

precededme.

Many

oftliem,especiallytheWarblers, wereseen ontlieroutefrom Murpby's to thisplace.

The

spring of 1877

was

earlier than thatof 1878, the winter of the former year having been very dry

and

mild. This probablyaccounts forthedifference in thearrivals of

some

of the birds, as

shown by

the followingfigures. Probably Ididnot see

some

of

them

until

some

time after theirarrival, especiallj^if rare.

Nameot species.

Helminthophagaruficapilla ,

Helininthophaga'^lutescens"

Ueudroecanigrescens Dendra'caastiva Myiodioctes^''pilcolata"

Virevsylvia "swauisoni"

Hirundo^'horreorum'' PetrochcUdonlunifrons Stelgido2}teri/xserripennis Prognesiibis

Icterusbullocki

Hedymeles melanocephalus

Pijrangaludoviciana .

.

Phainopeplanitens(anivedatJennyLind,March12,1874) Spizclla"arizonce" ^'.

Tjirannus verticaUs _,.

Mi/iarcliun cincrakcens Empidonaxobscurus Bmjndonax^'

'

liammondl'"

Pipilo chlorunis PoUoptilaccerulea

Arrivalof birds at

—

Murphy's.

1877.

Ai)ril

March

May

April March April

Stockton, 1878.

Ajjril

May March Maich April

May

(8)

PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 395

[The followingspecies, allof which are

known

to occurin

some

part of California, have not been

met

with

by

Mr. Belding in the central portion of the State.

Many

of

them

areverylocal, while others occur onlyin certain districts, at i)articularseasons.

—

R. R.]

PolioptUamclanura,* Lawr.

PoJloptilaplumhea,^Baird.

Parusovddentalis,\Baird.

PartusrufesceiiSjtTowus.

Cotyle riparia, (Liuu.).

Vlfeo vicinior*Cones.

fLoxialeucoptcra,^Gmel.

jFAjiothunlinaria,^ (Linn.).

Leucosfictellttoralis,^ Baird.

?Ceniroplianeslapponicns,^(Linn.).

Passerculus anthinus,XBonap.

Passerculitsro>itrati(s,\\(Cass.).

Cotitrniculus perpaUklus,*!\ Ridgw.

MoJothrusater,(Bodd.).

Corvtiscaniivorus,Bartr.

Corvuscaiirimis,tBaird.

Chwturavauxi, (Towns.).

Nephmcelesborealis,Kennerly.

Cali/plecostw,* (Boarc).

Selasphorus aUeni,tHenshaw.

Pandioncarohiieiisis,Gmel.

AsturatricajyiUus,^(Wils.).

Squatarolahelvetica, (Linn.).

Charadriusvmj'micus,Borck.

^gialitissemipalmata,Bonap.

^gialitis nivosa, Cass.

Plialaropus fuUcar'ms, (Linn.).

Ereimetespusillus.

Tringabairdi,Cones.

Tringamaculata,Vieill.

Colymbustorquatim,Briiun.

Colymbusj>i^c(/(c«.y,Lawr.

CoIi/inhKsscph'iifrioiialis,Linn.

Podiceps holbolU, Eeinli.

Family

TURDID^

^:

The Thrushes.

* 1. Turdus migratorius, /?.propinquus, Ridgw.

—

^JFeatern ^Pobiu.

This bird visits the valleys only in winter,

when

it is sometimes abundant,especiallydiuing thecoldestweather. In

summer

it israrely seen out of the pineforests, though about thefirstof September, 1878, twenty-five or thirtywere observed in anorchard atMurphy's.

It

was

firstseen** at Stockton,October-}1, 1878.

d ^ad. ^*Mui-phy's Apr.

—

^,^187'

2. Turdus neevius, Gm.

—

Varied Thrush.

This bird arrives at Stockton about the middle of

Kovember and

leavesin

March

or April, according tothe season. It arrivedat

Soda

Springs, October 1, 1877.

It is usually a

common

winter sojourner of the foot-hills,

and

alsoof

"*Probablyconfinedtotliesoutliernportion oftlieState.

tFound among tlie oaks of the plains east of Sacramento, inJune, 1867, by the writer; common.

tProbablyconfinedtothe coastdistrict.

•^Undoubtedly occuronthehighSierras inwinter.

IIFound byMr. BeldingatSantaCruz,September, 1870.

HCommonatSacramento, inJune,1867.

**Sometimes,forthesakeof variety,theword"amved"isused. This, inallcases,

mustnecessarilybe butasubstitute fortheword^''seen, "or^'^'firstseen^." Though,when

constantlyinthefield,aswasthecase atMurphy'sinthespringof 1877,andatStock- toninthe spring of1878,if common,aspecieswasprobablyseensoonafteritsarrival.

*'

Was

seen,"means bymyself. Thebirdswereallshotbyme,unless creditedto others.

(9)

396 PROCEEDINGS

OP^

UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

the ^•allcy,in suitable localities, butIdid notfinditat Murphy's from the middleof Xovember, 1870, to

May,

1877, thoughthe following^ No-

vember and December

it

was

abundant there.

Its alarm-note is a short "chook," its call a prolonged, nearly monotonous "chee," or "yee,"

and

I have heard it sing sweetly about

March

1. I once mistook its call for the bleating of a distant

lamb

although the bird

was

notfarfromme.

'

7:{867

(10)

PKOCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 397

Mocking-bird, but

when

asked to describe it, gives the descriptionof the Sickle-bill Thrush or the Black-headed Grosbeak,or, occasionally, the Long-t-ailed Chat.*

73609ⁱ

—

ad.

76361 I

—

juv.

Marysville Dec. 26,1877

'BigTrees July 'J2,1^78

6. Oreoscoptes montaiius,(Towns.).

—

SageThrasher.

About

October 1, 1877, at

Soda

Springs, I

saw

a strange Thrush, which

may

have belongedtothis species, as Idonot

know what

elseit

could havebeen. I

had

agood viewofit,but did notshoot,because too near. Ibegan to walk

away

from it,

when

it

went

into the bushes

by

the^river. It

had

been sitting six or eight feet fi-om the ground on a deadlimb of a tree.

When

^it flew, its course

was downward,

toward thethicket, a fewfeet distant.

*7. Harporhynchusredivivus,(Gamb.).

—

SicMe-hillThrasher.

The

Sickle-billThrasheris a constant resident at Stockton,JNIurphy's,

and

Marysville,

and

is very

common

in the chaparral belt. It is rare atStockton,for

want

ofsuitableground.

73786

(11)

visitsIhave

made

to the placein different years,

and

onceshota

young

onethere as early as

August

1.

Itis a ratherrare

summer

resident at Big Trees,owing, probably, to theabsence of its favorite food, the juniper-berry. Once, while callino-

acompanionwith a policeman'swhistle,Iheard ashrillnoteinthe small oak-treeunderwhicli I stood. Lookingup, Idiscovered the author of thenote, amaleof this species, which

had

evidentlybeen attracted

by

thewhistle,

and was

answering

my

call.

73610 73872 73873 75312

cT ad. :*BiffTrees.

—

ad.ISodaSprin;

—

ad.I do^.. .

—

jiiv. BigTrees.

May 4,1877 Autumn,1877 Autumn,1877 July 13,1875

*10. Phainopepla nitens, (Sv,'.).—BlackPfUof/oni/.

This isa rather

common summer

residentof the chaparral belt, out ofwhich Ihave_{not seen} it. It

was

observed several tunes on July4 between Milton

and

Murphy's. Ishota malenear

Jenny

Lind,toward thecloseofthe huntingseasonof 1S74,notlaterthan

March

12. Early inApril Ihave foundit

mated

at Copperopolis, Calaveras Co.

Its mannersare well described

by

Dr.Cooper in the Ornithology of California.

The young

in this collection

was

gorgedwithberriesof'the

"wildcoffee" ofMurphy's, whichdiffers slightlyfrom thatofBig Trees.

This berryis abouthalfan incli indiameter,veryround, red just before ripe, black

when

ripe.

73534 75313

cf ad.

—

juv.

*Murmhy'! Mar. 13,1877

AuR.29,1878

Family

SAXICOLID^

:

The

_Saxicolas.

"11. Sialia mexicaua, fiw.—CaU/oniiaiiBhiehird.

The

Californian Bluebirdisa

common

constant residentof thevalleys

and

foot-hills,

and

is also

common

ashigh at least asBigTreesin summer. It arrives at Big Trees about tlie middle of May. There it is principally confined to thefieldsor

meadows

and tlieirborders.

73879

(12)

ton,

and

afew, principally

young

of the year, visitedBigTrees,

August

20 of this year(1878). It

was

abundant in the middle of September at

Summit Meadows, and was

^quite

common

^{during the}

same mouth

^at

Soda

Springs. Ididnotsee itat Marysville in the winter^of 1877-78.

[Respecting tlie two speciesof Bluebirds, Mr. Beldingwrites, underdate ofJan- uary15, asfollows:—"Is^itnotremarkablethatS. mexicanaisnowin the mountains and,S;.arctica in the lowlands^? Theformer more common than thelatter, at least

whenI left thevalley. As snowisnowtwofeetdeepat BigTrees,S.mexicana has probablyleft."—R. R.]

73883 d ^ad.

76539 ? ad.

Murphy's ;

Feb. 15,1877

Stockton ¹^Oct. ^28,1878

Family

SYLVIID^

^:

The True Warblers.

13. Regalascalendula, {I^mn.).—Ruby-crownedKinglet.

Thisis a very

common

winter sojournerin the ^foot-hills

and

valleys.

Ihavenot seenitat Big Trees in summer, though abundant^at

Soda

Springs thelast of

August and

^afterward.

By

themiddle of April, 1878,it

was

veryrare at Stockton.

The

first

seen the following fall

was

onthe3dof October.

cT ad.

I

Murphy's I

—

.

^^'^

*14. Regulussatrapa,Ijicht.—Golden-a-ownedKinglet.

This biixl

was

seenon severaloccasions at

and

near

Big

Treesin July

and

August, though ^not

more

thaneight orninein all. I

had

seenfive or six at

Soda

Springs abouf October 1, 1877,

and

about the

same number

atMurphy'sin

December

^of the

same

year, but nowhere

was

^it

so

numerous

as at Stockton.

On

the 15th^of November, 1877, ^Ifoundaflock of thirty or forty as- sociatedwith a smaller

number

^of E. calendula,

and

three days ^after-

ward saw

â^flock^{about as}^largeâbout ^four^miles ^from ^{the spot}^whereÎ

had

seen thoseonthe15th. These were ^also associatedwitha smaller

number

of E. calendula.

73535

(13)

Last springIbeard apair uttering cries of distress,

and

lound

upon

proceedingto the spot aBine

Jay

about to rob theirnest. Ishot the Jay, which

was

onlyabout fifteen ov twentyyards from me,

when

the male Gnatcatcher immediately

came and

perched on abush not more thanfive or six feet distant, a little above

my

head,

and

pouredforth aloud,cheery,musicalstrain of thanlcfulness (asitseemed tome), such as1did not think thelittlebird capable of producing.

A

^nest^found ^at ^Murphy's

was

ⁱⁿ^the ^{forks of}a smallpine-treeabout

fifteenfeetfromthe ground,orless.

73878

(14)

FEOCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 401

*18. Psaltriparusmiuimus,^(Towns.)-

—

LeastTit.

The

LeastTitmouseisa

common

constantresidentof thevalleys

and

foot-hills.

A

few flockswere seen at Big Trees in July

and

August, thoughonly at rare intervals.* Ihavenot seenit above BigTrees.

73887

(15)

valleys. I

saw two

of thesebirds atMarys\ille in January

and

Febru- ary, 1878,

and

apair

was

seenatStockton October27,1878.

73899 73900

—

ad.

—

ad.

Murjahy's Spring, 1877

*BlgTrees Spring, 1877

Family

OHAM.EID.E

:

The Gkound

Tits.

*23. Chamaea fasciata,Gamb.

—

Groundlit.

This l)ird is a constant resident at Murphy's, Stockton,

and

Marys-

^ille.

At

the two latter ]3laces it inhabits thewillowthickets, where, liowever, it is not numerous. It is very

common

at Murphy's in the chaparral thickets.

Its perfect spring- song consists of threeloud, high, staccato notes, immediately followedby atrUl, starting inthe

same

key, graduallyde- scending about a minor third,thewhole song occupying six or eight seconds oftime.

73876

(16)

abundant elsewhere,tliougliit israther

common

in springatMurphy's, where itisoccasionally seenin winteralso.

At

Marysville, in the

summer

of 1878, a

pak

of these birds raised a broodof

young

ⁱⁿa

seam

of oneof the timbers of arailroad trestling,

notwithstandmgfrequentjars frompassingtrains. ^'

The

nest

was

about twofeetbelowtherails.

73602

(17)

Family

MNIOTILTID^

:

The American Warblers.

*31. Helminthophagaruficapilla, (Wils.)-

—

KaslirUle TVarlJcr.

This Warbler arrived at Murphy's April 11, 1877,

and was

rather

common

the remainingportion of themonth, frequenting thedeciduous oakson sunny^hillsides, outnumberingatthattimeanyoftheWarblers exceptB. audubonL In the pine forestsitfrequents lowbushes.

A

^nest^found^at ^Big^Treesⁱⁿ

May was

^built^on ^the ^ground ⁱⁿ^a^thick

growthof an evergTeen shrub. It

was

formed of pine-root fibres,

and

contained five eggs, white, thicklyspotted with reddish brown, mostly concentrated onthelargeend, formingaprominentring.

Itdoes not breed

much

below Big Trees

—

^I ^have ^{not seen} ^it ⁱⁿ ^the

valley, its rangeextendingfrom2,500 feetupward.

Murphy's 1Aj^r. 1,1877

do

i

Apr. 1,1877

*BigTrees May

—

,1877

Soda Spriugs |Autunin,1877

Muriiliy's. j

—

,

BigTrees IJuly 16,1878

do July 16,1878

7^.036

(18)

PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 405

with an unusuallylate fallof snow. It left Stockton previoustoSep- tember 7, 1878.

73908

—

Ui\.\*BigTrees ^'•Sprinir, 1877

73909

—

ad-i do Spring, 1877

34. Dendroeca coronata,(Liuu.)-

—

Yellow-rwmp IVurhler.

ThisspeciesappearedtobequiteabundantatMurphy'sinDecember, 1877. D.auduboni

was

alsopresent,butless

numerous

thanthis species, though their similarity at this season renderedthekpositiveidentifica- tion difficult. It

was

alsofoundatMarysvilleinJiiuuiiry iind February, 1878, butitappearedto beless

numerous

than D. auduboni. InFebru- ary it

and many

other small birds wore yellowthroats

and

breasts, which they acquired

by

feeding

among

the willows, which

had

just blossomed.

73790 ;

—

ad.

73912 ^I

—

ad.

73913j

—

ad.

73914

—

ad.

Marysville Feb. —,1878

do Feb. 15,1878

Murphy's > Dec.

—

,1877

do j Dec. —,1877

"35. Dendroeca auduboni,(Towns.).

—

Audubon's Warhler.

This birdis avery

common

winter sojourner in thevalleys

and

foot- hills. Itundoubtedlybreeds at

Big

Trees,where Ihaveseenits

young

scarcelyableto fly, though at this time rather rare. It

was

abundant at

Soda

Springs

and Summit

about October1, 1877. Itleft Stockton during thefirst

week

of

May,

1878, in very

warm

weather,

and

returned September18.

By

October6it

was common.

Itappears to be unable to endure very cold weather, as during a freezingspell atMarysville, inJanuary of this year (1878), ^it

was

often found unabletofly.

One

that I found in thestreets in thiscondition

was

soon restored

by

beingwarmed. Several deadoneswere found in thecity.

73910 73911 74441 76375

d ^ad.^I ^Miirphy's ^!Sprinc, 1877

d" ad.

I

do jSpriuu, 1877

cT ad.! Stockton Apr. 25,1878

d ^ad.I

*BigTrees July 7,1878

*36. DendrcEca occidentalis, (Towns.).

—

YdJoiv-lieaded Gray Warhler.

Thissi)ecies

was more numerous

atBigTrees

m

July, 1878,thanallthe other Dendrceccecombined,

and was

rather

common

at

Soda

Springsin

August and

September,1877. In Jidy

and

August,atBigTrees, it

was

usuallyin the evergreens, thoughit

was

often, at all hours of the day, in a thinstripof willowsinthe

meadow,

havingapparentlybeen

drawn

there as

much by

theabundanceofinsectswhich

swarmed

in the TviUows as

by

the water that flowed through them. There they would

aUow me

to gowithin afew yards of them,

and

wereslow in learningto fear agun.

At

BigTrees, in

May,

1877, this speciesfrequented the deciduousoaks,

(19)

406 PROCEEDINGS OF

U2JITED

STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

au(l Irarely

saw

itanywhereelse: one

was

observedonthe bare ground^

moving-deliberately about theendof adecayed log. Inits

movements

it

somewhat

resembles the NashvilleWarbler,

and

it isnot shy, com- paredwithmost birds.

At Soda

Springsit

was

qnite

common,

keeping generally underforty orfiftyfeetfrom the ground, though they sometimes go from the lowerto the upperlimbs oftall trees

by

short flights, especiallyif the sunis shining onlyonthetree-tops.

Irecognized but

two

at Stockton: these were in thewillows on the naturallevee of the

San

Joaquin Eiver.

*BigTrees |May 20,1877

do ^I May 20,1877

do ^!May 20,1877

do

IMay 20,1877 Autumn,1877

May 9,1878

May 18,1878 July 8,1878 Aug. 24,1878 July 17,1878 JulV 5,1878 JulV 25,1878 July 16,1878 73039

(20)

-39. Geothlypis^trichas,^{-Linn.).-Maryland Telloic-iliroat.

Two

^or

more

^of ^tliese^birds^were ^seeu ^at^Marysville ^January^2,^1878,

aud

occasionally thereafter until about the middle of themonth,

when

their lavoritecover

was

flooded

by

the

Yuba

^Eiver. ^It

was

^{not seen}ât Stockton during the follo^dng March, ^nor ûntil Âpril ^12, ^soon âtter which ît

became

abundant ⁱⁿ^the ^thickets ^nearwater

and

in the edges of tule

swamps

^near ^sloughs. ^It

was

^also ^found ^there

m

^December,

1878,but

was

rare. I

have

not seenitinthe

mountams.

It'became^{rare at} Stockton^afterabout i^ovember1, 1878.

74263 76552

cf ad.

cfjuv.

^Stockton.

do...

Apr. 13,1878 Dec. 3,1878

*40. Geothlypismacgillivrayi, (Aud.).-Macgmivray's ^Warbler.

Ihavenot seen^this birdbelow analtitude of about3,800feet. It is

rather

common

^at

Big

^Trees ⁱⁿ ^the

summer

months, but

was

rareat

Soda

^Springs ⁱⁿ ^September. Ît îs ^seldom,îf êver, ^found ôut ôt ^low shrubberyⁱⁿ^the^Sierras.

73923

(21)

Family

HIEUNDINID^

^:

The Swallows.

*43. Prognesubis,{L,mn.).—Piir2)lcMartin.

Tliougli

common

oreveu abmidaut Id Stocktonin thespring-of 1878,

itwas seldomseenin the surrounding country,

and

tlienonly

when

birds domiciledin

town had wandered

a short distancefiom home.

It arrived at Murphy's in 1877 on

March

13; in 1878, at Stockton

March

IG. ItleftMurphy's previous to

August

27, 1878,

and

Stockton previous to SeptemberG, 1878. Ihavenot seenitin the pineforests.

3973 I d ^ad. ^Murphy's ^Mar. ^15,1877

I

*44. Pet rochelidonlunifrons,(Say).

—

CliffSwallow.

A

fewofthesebirdswere occasionallyseenat

Big

Treesin July. It

wasrare atMurphy's aboutSeptember 1,

and

I didnotfind itat Stock- ton onor after September6. Itis abundant at both the latter places during thebreeding season.

At

Stockton it buildsunder the eaves of buildings; atMurphy's,in the limestone boulders exposed

by

mining.

Itarrivedat Murphy's

March

15, 1877; atStockton

March

17, 1878;

andatXorth

American

Hotel

March

12, 1878.

On

the morningof the 13th, atthelatteri)lace,fourorfive of them'occupied asolitaryoldnest underthe gable of thehotel,

and

fortyorfifty of their fellowswerefly-

ingand twitteringaround asthough tryingto dislodgethem.

73974 ad. *Murphy's Mar. 15,1877

*45. Hirundoerythrogastra,/3.liorreorum, Bartou.

—

Hani Swallow.

The Barn

Swallowis

common

^at Stockton, Murj^hy's,

and

BigTrees in summer,

many

^of

them

breedingatthese places,

and was

the only Swallowseen at Stockton from September ^{G until} October 7,

when

a flock of Tacliycinetahicolor

was

observed.

Itarrived atMurphy's

March

15,1877,

and

atjSTorth

American

Hotel, 30 miles eastof Stockton,

March

12, 1878,while it

was

first noticed at Stockton,

March

20, 1878. It disapi^earedfrom the latter place about October15, 1878.

At

Big Trees, Dunbar's,

and

Moran's

Meadows,

it frequented barns andotherbuildings,

and

didnotseemtobegenerallydistributedthrough theforest.

73977 _cT ad. *Murphy's IMar. 15,1877

*46. Tacliycinetabicolor,(VieilL).

—

Whife-helUed Stvallow.

This bird

was

seenat IMarysville February1, 1878,

and

nearlyevery

day

thereafter until

March

5.

During

the following

March and

April

it

was

veryabundantat Stockton,flying over the countryin all direc-

(22)

tions, especiallyOA^erthetuleswamps. In

May, when

it

was

less^abundant, I noticed

two

nests incasings over doors of privatedwellings.

Ihavenotrecognizeditat Murphy'sorBig Trees.

A

large scattered flock

was

seenatStocktonas late as

December

5, 1878.

73976

(23)

410 PEOCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

*50. Lanivireo solitarius, /3.cassiiii, Baird.*

—

Cassiii's Vireo.

Thisi)ird is a

commou and

generallydistributed

summer

resident at BigTrees. 1haveherefoundit

more

abundant thanatanyotherplace.

Ioften

saw

^it^at

Soda

Springsin the lastof

August and

thefirst half of September,

and

it

was

quite

common

in the willows near Marysville inJune.

At

Stockton,it

was

seeninthe willowsalong the

San

Joaquin Eiver, aboutthemiddleof

May

only, theentire

number

being butfour ortive. In

May and

June,1877, atBigTrees,itssweetly expressivesong-

was more

attractiveto

me

thanthe songof

any

bird of that locality.

About

the first of

June

I found a nest of this species at the Big Trees.

The

birdremainedon it until

my

eye

was

within three feet of her head, sothatI

had

agood viewofher. Ithinklarge

numbers

breed attheBigTrees

and

vicinity,as theywere very

numerous June

8,

when

I leftthere.

73041

(24)

Should be added ^to ^tliese ^if

my

sm^mises are^correct.

Wlien

thelinmg of cattle hair

had

^beeii^placed^iu^{the nest}^I ^supposedthe nest complete;

the^lining of

down was added and

finished in about an^hour.

Ihey

Im- gered nearthe spot long ^afterthe nest

was

^taken.

74259

(25)

Dr. Davenport, of Stockton,lias ten specimens,which he got about

June

1 at

Camp

Seco, Calaveras County.

The

people of

Camp

Seco say that these birds visit that place only

when

the cherries areripe,

when

they

come down

fromthe mountains.

76560 d ^ad.

76561 9 ^ad.

CampSeco.

do ^\ Lastof

iMay, 1878*

Family

TANAGRID

Ji]:

The Tanagers.

*56. Pyrangaludoviciana,{\Yi\s.).— Western Tanager.

This

handsome

bird is a

common summer

residentofBigTrees where

it is generally distributed through the forest. It is quite

common

at SodaSprings in

August and

_September,_less

common

in thelatterthan

inthe former month.

About

September1, I noticed several flocksor familiesof three or four, all of

them

females or

young

of the year, at Murphy's. These were in the scattered oaksinthechaparral, 'feeding onthe ^"wildcoffee." Itbreeds butlittlebelow

Big

Trees.

73982

(26)

PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 413

*60. Carpodacuscassini, BaircT.

—

CassWs^FiirpleFinch.

This bird probably sometimesbreedsatBig-Trees,as Ifoundit there from

May

3, 1877, to

June

_8, though^it

was

apparently notthere in July or

August

^{of 1878.} It

was

abundant at

Summit Meadows, August

25

and

September21, 1877,

and was

oftenseenat

Soda

Springsin

August and

Septemberofthe

same

year. I havenot seen^itbelowBigTrees.

73048 d ^ad. ^*Big^Trees ^June ^8,1877

*61. Carpodacuspurpureus,/3.californicus, Baircl.

—

Califorman PurpleFinch.

Thisis an abundantspecies at Murphy's in winter,

and

at BigTrees in summer. Idid not seeitat

Soda

Springsnortit

Summit Meadows

in the fall of 1877. It rarelyvisits the valleys in winter.

A

^flock^of

thirtyor forty visited Marysville in February, 1878,

snow

atthattime lying unusually low onthemountains.

It left Murphy's about the last of March, 1877; but afew returned April 17, diuing a slightfallofsnow.

At

Miu-phy's it frequents chaparral inthepineforest

—

^theevergreens usually

—

though sometimesitis

onthe groundfeedingon seeds ofplants.

73829

(27)

duriug the

same

time. lu the pineforestIhaveseenitonlyin

and

near cultivated^fields.

Itseemsto be a rather rare winter sojourner of thevalleys

and

an accidental

summer

\isitant to them.

A

^small ^flock

was

^observed ⁱⁿ

Stockton

May

16, 1878.

73937

(28)