Illustrations of the Birds of California, Texas, Oregon, British and Russian America

MELANERPES FORMICIVORUS.—(Swainson.)
The Californian Woodpecker.
PLATE II.—Male and female.

The most richly colored Woodpeckers of North America, at least in our Opinion, are two of the most abundant species. We allude to the bird now before us, and to the well-known red-headed Woodpecker, Melanerpes erythrocephalus, (Linn.) in both of which the prevailing colors are a fine glossy black and a rich crimson.

Were the latter bird less common in the Atlantic States, his claims to be considered one of our finest plumaged species would perhaps be more distinctly recognised, and his very showy head of the finest crimson could not fail to attract admirers. As, however, he has the disadvantage of an attributed disposition to take liberties entirely forbidden by the farmer and gardener, and is moreover to be seen in almost every woodland in the summer season, his gay appearance is by no means duly appreciated, nor his general character held in high estimation. He is however not so abundant as formerly, and with the destruction of the large trees of the forest, which is constantly carried on to make room for the increasing population in the more densely settled States, the time may arrive when the sight of the red-headed woodpecker, with his brilliant plumage, will be an unusual and pleasing circumstance to the young, and serve to remind the aged of perhaps long-forgotten incidents and associations of early life when remnants of the forest yet flourished even in proximity to cities, or varied the aspect of cultivated districts.

Our present species is one of the most abundant of the birds of California. It appears to take the place of the red-headed woodpecker in the countries west of the Rocky Mountains, extending its range from Oregon into Mexico, and probably to Guatimala and other countries of Central America. It is not inferior to that species in the beauty of its colors, is quite as unwary and familiar in its disposition, and when the population of the great Western States shall have arrived at such a very desirable stage of progress as to possess a generation of juvenile sportsmen, our bird will no doubt be quite as great a favorite on holiday shooting excursions.

Several species of woodpeckers have had ascribed to them the habit of accumulating stores of provisions in anticipation of the approach of winter, but we have no knowledge of this being done by any American species, except that now before us. For it we can claim this degree of instinctive prudence on undoubted evidence, and shall have the pleasure, in the present article, of laying before our readers an account of it, which is not only a remarkable illustration of instinct, but shows a singular method of mechanical preparation and management.

Our valued friends, Mr. John G. Bell of New York, and Dr. A. L. Heermann of Philadelphia, both of whom have made extended visits to California for the purpose of investigating its Natural History, found this woodpecker very abundant in all the parts of that country which either of them visited.

The former gentleman has had the kindness to inform us, that he considers it by far the most extensively diffused and common woodpecker of that country. He represents it as somewhat disposed to gregariousness in its habits, and has frequently seen individuals on the same tree so numerous and so close together, that several might have been killed at a single discharge. According to Mr. Bell, its note very considerably resembles that of the red-headed woodpecker, which it much resembles also in flight and other general characters. He observed it only on trees, particularly on the pines; and upon examination found the contents of the stomachs of all the specimens which were procured by him, to be composed principally of ants, of which several of the species of California habitually frequent trees. The large collection of birds brought home by Mr. Bell contained numerous specimens of this species.

The account given by Dr. Heermann of this bird is of a highly interesting character, and he has identified, for the first time, the species of woodpecker of which previously nothing could be accurately made out from the statements of travellers respecting a bird which possessed the provident and curious instinct of storing away a supply of food for the winter in holes made for that purpose in the bark of trees. His remarks are in his “Notes on the Birds of California observed during a residence of three years in that country,” published in the Journal of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, Vol. II. p. 270. (Quarto 1853,) from which we transcribe the following:

“This is the noisiest and most abundant of the woodpeckers of California. Perched on the topmost branch of a tree, it darts suddenly into the air in pursuit of an insect, and having secured its object, soon again returns to the same place, only to repeat this manœuvre in a few moments.

“In the fall season this species is busily engaged in digging small holes in the bark of the pines and oaks, to receive acorns, one of which is placed in each hole, and is so tightly fitted or driven in, that it is with difficulty extracted. Thus the bark of a large pine, forty or fifty feet high, will present the appearance of being closely studded with brass nails, the heads only being visible. These acorns are thus stored in large quantities, and serve not only the woodpecker during the winter season, but are trespassed on by the jays, mice and squirrels.

“The nest of this bird is dug out in the body of a tree, and is from six inches to two feet in depth. The eggs, four or five in number, are pure white.”

The following graphic and intelligent account, to the same purpose, is from Kelly’s Excursion to California, and is evidently from the pen of an excellent observer and an agreeable writer:

“In stripping off the bark of this tree, I observed it to be perforated with holes, larger than those which a musket ball would make, shaped with the most accurate precision as if bored under the guidance of a rule and compass, and many of them filled most neatly with acorns. Earlier in the season I had remarked such holes in most of all the softer timber, but imagining that they were caused by wood insects, I did not stop to examine or inquire, but now finding them studded with acorns, firmly fixed in, which I knew could not have been driven there by the wind, I sought for an explanation, which was practically given me by Captain S——’s pointing out a flock of woodpeckers, busily and noisily employed in the provident task of securing the winter’s provision. For it appears that this sagacious bird is not all the time thriftlessly engaged in ‘tapping the hollow beach tree’ for the mere idle purpose of empty sound, but spends its summer season in picking these holes, in which it lays its store of food for the winter, where the elements can neither affect nor place it beyond their reach, and it is regarded as a sure omen that the snowy period is approaching when these birds commence stowing away their acorns, which otherwise might be covered by its fall. I frequently have paused from my chopping, to watch them in the neighborhood, with the acorns in their bills, half clawing, half flying around the tree, and have admired the adroitness with which they tried it at different holes until they found one of its exact calibre; when, inserting the pointed end, they tapped it home most artistically with the beak, and flew down for another.

“But the natural instinct of this bird is even more remarkable in the choice of the nuts, which are invariably found to be sound, whereas it is an utter impossibility in selecting them for roasting, to pick up a batch that will not have a large portion of them unfit for use, the most smooth and polished frequently containing a large grub generated within. Even the wily Digger Indian, with all his craft and experience, is unable to arrive at any thing like an unerring selection, while in a large bag full, that we took from the bark of our log, there was not one containing the slightest germ of decay. These woodpeckers never encroach on their packed stores until all the nuts on the surface of the ground are covered with snow, when they resort to those in the bark, and peck them of their contents without removing the shell from the hole. The bark of the pine tree, from its great thickness, and the ease of boring, is mostly sought for by these birds as their granary for the winter season.”

This extraordinary example of instinct is scarcely surpassed by any other which has been observed in the animal kingdom, and it is to be hoped that further accounts will be furnished by observers in the countries which it inhabits, respecting the bird which is endowed with such interesting and unusual habits.

This woodpecker is common in Mexico in woods on the table lands, and was observed by Mr. Pease also in the upper part of the tierra caliente. It was first introduced to notice from Mexican specimens received from the vicinity of Real del Monte by Mr. Swainson, a distinguished English naturalist, who first described it in the Philosophical Magazine, 1827, p. 439 (London.) It was observed in California previous to that country having become a part of the United States, by Mr. Nuttall, the eminent botanist and zoologist, who gave it a place in his Manual of the Ornithology of the United States and of Canada. Vol. I., p. 682 (Boston, 1840.)

Our figures are rather less than one-third of the size of life.

DESCRIPTION AND TECHNICAL OBSERVATIONS.

Genus Melanerpes. Swainson, in Fauna Boreali Americana, Birds, p. 316, and Lardner’s Cabinet Cyclopedia, Birds, Vol. II. p. 310. London, 1837.

Bill straight, rather wide at the base and somewhat cylindrical, ridge of the upper mandible arched, and with a slightly developed lateral ridge on each side, nostrils basal, nearly concealed by projecting plumes. Wings long, first primary spurious, fourth and fifth usually longest, tail moderate, composed of broad and strong feathers. Tarsi and feet moderate or rather strong; two external toes before and behind, nearly equal. General form short and robust; color black, varied with red and white. Type M. erythrocephalus. (Linn.)

Melanerpes formicivorus. (Swainson.)

Picus formicivorus. Swainson in Taylor’s Phil. Mag., 1827, (p. 439,) London.

Picus melanopogon. Temminck, Pl. col. Vol. IV., pl. 451. Leyden, about 1829.

Melampicos flavigula. Malherbe in Rev. et Mag. de Zool., 1849, p. 542? (Paris.)

Form. Compact and rather robust; wing long, with the second and third quills longest, and nearly equal; tail rather broad, and with the feathers but moderately rigid at their ends, unless worn; feet moderately robust; toes long; claws much curved. Rather larger than Melanerpes erythrocephalus. (Linn.)

Dimensions. (Of a skin from California.) Total length from tip of bill to end of tail, about 9½ inches; wing, 5¾; tail, 3½ inches.

Colors. Male. Short feathers immediately around the base of the bill, black. Broad subfrontal band, pure white, which unites with a wide, somewhat crescent-shaped mark of the same color, tinged with pale yellow on the throat and neck in front. Large coronal and occipital space immediately succeeding the white subfrontal band, fine light crimson, of which color there is also a small, irregular spot or two in the centre of a black band on the upper part of the breast.

Cheeks, back, wings, and tail fine deep black, with a greenish gloss. Band of black across the breast, succeeded by another, in which the feathers are longitudinally marked with black and white; feathers of the flanks, and under tail coverts, white, with black longitudinal stripes; middle of the abdomen, rump, and spot at the base of the primaries, pure white. The latter most readily observed on the inferior surface of the wing. Secondary quills rather widely bordered with white on their internal edges. Bill nearly black; legs and feet lighter. Female similar to the male, but with a wide band of black on the top of the head.

Hab. California and Mexico. Spec. in Mus. Acad. Philada.

Observations. The bird described by Temminck as Picus melanopogon is stated by him to have been received from Mexico, and his figure is certainly the bird which is the subject of our present article. His description and figure are in Livraison 76 of the Planches Colorices, which was published about 1828 or 1829, but bears no date, and was anticipated by Swainson’s publication in the Philos. Magazine.

In the Revue et Magazin de Zoologie, for 1849, p. 542, M. Alfred Malherbe, who has devoted much attention to the study of the woodpeckers, has named a species Melampicos flavigula, and has very carefully pointed out differences which he considers sufficient to establish it as distinct from Picus melanopogon. He relies almost entirely on the greater or lesser extent and relative widths of the white, black and red spaces on their heads. Notwithstanding the extensive knowledge which M. Malherbe undoubtedly possesses from his great attention to this family of birds, I cannot see that there are any characters given which may not be very properly attributed to differences in age or sex, and I have accordingly felt myself justified in suspecting it to be the same as the present species, having before me specimens which I understand to represent both of them.

No dependence can be placed in the extent of the red color on the head, as a character, so far as I have observed, in the woodpeckers of the United States. In Picus pubescens, a common species in Pennsylvania, the young male has the head above entirely crimson, which color in the adult is restricted to a narrow occipital band. I do not know that the change in others of our species is so decided, but the width of the occipital stripe is much varied in different specimens of the same species, and my impression is, that as a specific character this very ornamental portion of the plumage of woodpeckers ought to be estimated with great caution.

LOPHOPHANES ATRICRISTATUS.—(Cassin.)
The Black-crested Chickadee.
PLATE III.—Male and Female.

The pleasant little birds of the same family as those known in Great Britain as Tits or Tit-mice, have received in America, from the characteristic notes of several of the species, the name of Chickadees. Popular names being entirely of a local character and of little scientific value, we invariably prefer to give those by which species are known in this country instead of the names of birds allied to or resembling them which inhabit Europe, though the latter are generally adopted by American writers.

The species of this family, which are permanent residents in the middle and northern States, and especially the tufted or crested Chickadee (L. bicolor,) are among the very first of the feathered inhabitants of our woodlands to welcome the advent of spring, and to hail with their clear and melodious notes the earliest tokens of the decline of winter. Even on fine days in February or early in March, the crested Chickadee may often be heard, apparently indulging himself in gratifying anticipations of the approaching spring-time; or it may be, that not being instinctively weather-wise like the beaver, and not at all versed in wise saws or modern instances, he thinks that it has already come. Which conclusion, though sometimes adopted quite as summarily by tidy house-keepers, is very apt to be demonstrated by the storms of St. Patrick’s day to be entirely illusory.

The tits or chickadees are abundant birds in the temperate and northern regions of both hemispheres, most so perhaps in Europe, though the researches of ornithologists have added numerous species to those formerly known to inhabit Asia and America. Several very handsome birds of this family have been discovered, within a few years, inhabiting the Himalaya mountains, and other parts of India, and in Japan. In North America the species have increased from two only, which were figured by the celebrated Wilson, to twelve, the additions having been principally from the Western States, and from Texas and Mexico, and there can be no doubt that in the almost unexplored countries of North-Western America as well as in those which have received a greater degree of the attention of zoological travellers, such as Texas, California and Mexico, others yet remain to be discovered.

There are about fourteen European species of this group of birds, and about twenty which are exclusively Asiatic. A few species of allied genera inhabit Africa and New Zealand, but none of near relationship have yet been found in Australia nor in South America.

The species of all countries appear to be very similar in their habits, and live almost entirely in the forests, subsisting exclusively on insects in the summer, and in the winter partially substituting seeds and berries for their more grateful food.

The black-crested chickadee is a native of Texas and probably also of Mexico. It was discovered in the former country by Mr. John Woodhouse Audubon, a son of the distinguished ornithologist, and was first described by us in the Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. It is very similar to the crested chickadee in form and general appearance, but exhibits a striking difference in having the crest entirely black, by which character it is distinguished from all others of the genus to which it belongs.

The only information that we have obtained relative to its history has been communicated to us by Samuel W. Woodhouse, M. D., who was attached, as surgeon and naturalist, to a party under the command of Captain Sitgreaves of the Topographical Engineers of the Army of the United States, which surveyed the rivers Zunia and the Colorado of the west, by order of the Government.

Dr. Woodhouse has had the kindness to allow us to copy the following memoranda from his Journal, which will be published at an early period, with the Report made by Captain Sitgreaves to the Topographical Department, and will be an important contribution to the natural history of Texas and New Mexico:

“While our party was encamped on the Rio Salado in Texas, near San Antonio, in March, 1851, I observed this handsome little chickadee for the first time. It was busily engaged in capturing insects among the trees on the bank of the stream, and like the other species of its family, was incessantly in motion and very noisy. At our camp at Quihi, on the eighth of May, I again found it very abundant among the oaks. The young males, which were then fully grown, much resembled the adult females, both wanting the black crest which characterizes the male. Afterwards I noticed this species, occurring sparingly, along our route, as far as the head waters of the San Francisco river in New Mexico.

“I observed it almost entirely in trees bordering streams of water, the females and young males invariably having the crest of the same cinereous color as their general plumage, but in the latter slightly tinged with brown. It occurred in small parties, appeared to be very sociable and lively in its habits, and in general appearance and in nearly all its notes which I heard, it so very much resembled the common crested chickadee of the Northern States as scarcely to be recognized as a distinct species at a short distance.”

The collection made by Dr. Woodhouse contains fine specimens of this bird, from a male and female of which, and from Mr. Audubon’s specimens, our plate has been prepared. We have represented both sexes about three-fourths of the natural size.

The plant figured is the Phlox Drummondii, a beautiful species which is a native of New Mexico and California.

DESCRIPTION AND TECHNICAL OBSERVATIONS.

Genus Lophophanes. Kaup Skiz. Entw. Eur. Thierw. (1829.)

Lophophanes atricristatus. (Cassin.)

Parus atricristatus. Cassin. Proc. Acad. Philada. Vol. V., p. 103, (Oct. 1850.)

Form. With a high pointed crest, bill rather strong and acute. Wings long, with the fourth and fifth primaries longest, and nearly equal; tail rather long.

Dimensions of a skin from Quihi, Texas. Total length, from tip of bill to end of tail, about 6 inches; wing 3; tail 2¾ inches.

Colors. Male. Crest, black; body, wings and tail above, cinereous; darker on the latter, and with an olivacious tinge on the back. Front and inferior surface of the body, ashy white; flanks, ferruginous. Shafts of primaries, reddish at their bases; those of the tail feathers white beneath; bill and legs black. Young male with the crest cinereous, shaded with light brown.

Female. Similar to the male, but slightly smaller, and with the crest cinereous.

Hab. Texas. Spec. in Mus. Acad. Philada.

Obs. This species is of the same general form and color as Lophophanes bicolor, (Linn.,) and Lophophanes inornatus. (Gambel.) It is about the size of the former, and larger than the latter, and may be readily distinguished from either of those or from any other species known to me, by its black crest.

Having access to specimens of all the known North American species of this family, in the collection of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, we beg the liberty of laying before our readers a synopsis of these birds, with short descriptions, and of availing ourselves also of the present occasion to express our grateful acknowledgments for the facilities and privileges generously allowed us by the gentlemen of the Academy.

SYNOPSIS OF THE NORTH AMERICAN SPECIES OF THE SUB-FAMILY PARINÆ.

I. GENUS PARUS. Linnæus. Syst. Nat. I. p. 340. (1766.)

Not crested, bill short, rather strong, conic, entire, nostrils at the base of the bill and concealed by projecting feathers. Wings moderate, with the first quill spurious, fourth and fifth usually longest and nearly equal, tail rather long, legs and feet rather robust, claws curved and sharp. Colors usually cinereous and black.

This genus originally included all the birds now usually regarded as constituting a family of many genera, species of which inhabit nearly all the countries of the world. As restricted, it appears properly to embrace numerous species without crests found in Asia, Europe, and America; nearly all of which have the upper part of the head and throat black. A further division has however been made by Professor Kaup, of Darmstadt; and all the American, with some European and Asiatic non-crested species, form his genus Pœcila.

The American species are as follows:

1. Parus atricapillus. Linn. Syst. Nat. I. p. 341 (1766). The black-capped Chickadee.

Length (of skin) about 5 inches. Head and neck above and large space on the throat black, cheeks and sides of the neck white, entire plumage of the body above cinereous, slightly tinged with brownish olive, below ashy white tinged with brownish. Bill and feet dark. Sexes alike.

Hab. Northern and Middle States of North America. Spec. in Mus. Acad. Philada.

2. Parus carolinensis. Audubon Orn. Biog. II. p. 341, (1834.) The Carolina Chickadee.

Length (of skin) about 4¼ inches. Head and neck above and large space on the throat black, cheeks and sides of the neck white. Entire plumage of the body above cinereous, slightly tinged with brownish olive, below ashy white tinged with brownish. Bill and feet dark. Sexes alike.

Hab. Middle and Southern States of North America. Spec. in Mus. Acad. Philada.

Obs. Very similar to the preceding, but easily recognized by its smaller size.

3. Parus septentrionalis. Harris, Proc. Acad. Philada. II. p. 300, (Dec. 1845.) The long-tailed chickadee.

Length (of skin) about 6 inches. Head above and space on the throat black, cheeks and sides of the neck white. Entire plumage of the body above cinereous, strongly tinged with reddish brown, below ashy white, tinged with yellowish brown, especially on the sides and flanks, external web of outer tail feathers nearly pure white. Bill and feet dark. Tail comparatively longer than in either of the preceding species.

Hab. Missouri and the Rocky Mountains. Great Salt Lake. Spec. in Mus. Acad. Philada. and in the National Collection, Washington city.

Obs. A species related to, but quite distinct from either of the preceding. It is larger, and the specimens which I have seen have the bill longer and more pointed, the tail much longer, the black space on the head more restricted, and the general coloring more tinged with brown. The white outer edges of the external tail feathers is a well-marked character.

4. Parus montanus. Gambel, Proc. Acad. Philada. I. p. 259, (April, 1843.)

Length (of skin) about 5 inches. Head and neck above, line through the eye, space on the throat and upper part of the breast black. Line over the eye, large space on the cheeks and side of the neck white. Body above cinereous, below ashy white tinged with brownish on the flanks, bill and legs dark.

Hab. California. Spec. in Mus. Acad. Philada.

Obs. This western species is readily distinguished from all others of North America by the broad white line over the eye. Its bill is longer than in the typical species.

5. Parus hudsonicus. Forster, Philosoph. Trans. lxii. p. 430, (London, 1772.)

Length (of skin) about 5 inches. Head and neck above deep ferruginous brown, large space on the throat brownish black, cheeks white. Body above brownish cinereous, below ashy white, sides and flanks deep reddish chestnut brown, bill and feet lead colored. Sexes very similar.

Hab. British America, and Northern States of the Union. Spec. in Mus. Acad. Philada.

Obs. Quite a distinct and well-marked species, erroneously supposed by some European writers to be the young of P. atricapillus. It has been found breeding in the State of Maine, by our friend Dr. Brewer of Boston.

6. Parus rufescens. Townsend Jour. Acad. Philada. vii. p. 190, (1837.)

Length (of skin) about 4½ inches. Head and neck above, large space on the throat and breast deep blackish brown, cheeks and sides of the neck white, body above and sides below bright chestnut, medial portion of the body below ashy white. Bill and legs lead color.

Hab. Oregon and California. Spec. Mus. Acad. Philada.

Obs. A beautiful little species, which appears to inhabit a large extent of country west of the Rocky Mountains. It is easily recognized by the bright chestnut color of the superior parts of the body.

II. GENUS LOPHOPHANES. Kaup. Skiz. Entw. Eur. Thierw. (1829.)

Crested, bill moderate, strong, conic, entire, upper mandible rather the longer and slightly curved, nostrils basal, rounded and concealed by projecting feathers. Wings rather long, with the fourth and fifth primaries usually longest, tail rather long, legs and feet robust, the latter rather large, and provided with curved, strong and very sharp claws. Prevailing color of all known American species, cinereous.

This genus comprises the crested species of Europe and America, which were formerly included in the genus Parus, Linn., but which evidently form a natural and easily characterized group, fully entitled to generic distinction.

1. Lophophanes bicolor. (Linn) The crested Chickadee.

Parus bicolor. Linn. Syst. Nat. I. p. 340, (1766.)

Length about 6½ inches. Front black, crest and body above dark cinereous, tinged with greenish on the back, below ashy white, flanks reddish brown. Bill and legs nearly black. Sexes alike.

Hab. Eastern North America. Spec. in Mus. Acad. Philada.

2. Lophophanes atricristatus. (Cassin). The black-crested Chickadee.

Parus atricristatus. Cassin, Proc. Acad. Philada. V. p. 103, (Oct. 1850.)

Length (of skin) about 6 inches. Male—front, ashy white, crest black, entire plumage above cinereous, beneath ashy white, flanks reddish brown. Bill and legs black. Female, with the crest ashy, not black. Young, like the female, but with crest tinged with brown.

Hab. Texas and Mexico. Spec. in Mus. Acad. Philad. and in the National Collection Washington city.

3. Lophophanes inornatus. (Gambel). The plain-crested Chickadee.

Parus inornatus. Gambel. Proc. Acad. Philada. II. p. 265, (Aug. 1845.)

Length about 5½ inches. Front, crest and entire plumage above cinereous, strongly inclining to olive, below uniform whitish, cinereous. Bill and legs lead-colored. Sexes alike.

Hab. California. Spec. in Mus. Acad. Philada.

Obs. A plainly-colored species abundant in California, easily recognized by the uniform cinereous color of its plumage.

4. Lophophanes Wollweberi. Bonaparte, Comptes rendus, Acad. Paris, xxxi. p. 478. (Sept. 1850.) The Texan Chickadee.

Parus annexus. Cassin, Proc. Acad. Philada. V. p. 103. (Oct. 1850.)

Lophophanes galeatus. Cabanis Cat. Heine’s coll. p. 90. (1851.)

Length (of skin) about 5 inches. Anterior feathers of crest, cinereous, succeeding and most elongated, black, others margined with white, short occipital feathers black. Throat black, line commencing behind the eye, thence curving and uniting with the space of the same color on the throat, black. Line above the eye running into the crest and around on the neck, white. Entire plumage above cinereous, tinged with olive, below ashy white, bill and feet dark.

Hab. Texas. Spec. in Mus. Acad. Philada.

Obs. This species considerably resembles Lophophanes cristatus, (Linn.) a common European bird. I have no doubt that the names given above are synonymous; that applied by us being about one month later than the publication of the description by Bonaparte as cited.

III. GENUS PSALTRIA. Temminck. Pl. Col. III.

Bill very short, thick, upper mandible curved, entire, nearly of the same thickness as the lower, nostrils basal, concealed by projecting feathers, wings rather short, first quill spurious, fourth and fifth longest and nearly equal, tail long and slightly wedge-shaped. Tarsi long and slender, feet rather strong, claws curved and acute, that on the posterior toe strongest. Not crested, colors of all known species principally cinereous and white.

This genus was established by the celebrated naturalist Temminck, of Leyden, (in Planches Coloriees, vol. iii.) with a little bird as its type named by him Psaltria exilis, which inhabits Java. The bird discovered by Dr. Townsend in Oregon, and now well known to American Ornithologists as Parus minimus, Townsend, not only belongs to this genus, but only materially differs in size from Psaltria exilis. Temm. Its colors and general appearance much resemble it.

The American species are:

1. Psaltria minima. (Townsend) Townsend’s Chickadee.

Parus minimus. Townsend, Jour. Acad. Philada. vii. p. 199. (1837.)

Length (of skin) about 4 inches. Head above deep cinereous, inclining to purplish brown, body above cinereous, with a tinge of olive. Throat and breast whitish, abdomen and flanks cinereous, tinged with purplish brown, bill and feet black. Female rather smaller.

Hab. Oregon and California. Spec. in Mus. Acad. Philada.

Obs. As frequently turns out to be the case with birds to which such names as minor and minimus are applied, this little bird is considerably larger than its near relative, P. exilis, Temm. which otherwise it much resembles. It is now frequently brought in collections from California.

2. Psaltria melanotis. (Sanbach.) The black-eared Chickadee.

Parus melanotis. Sandb. Proc. Brit. Ass. for Adv. Sci. vi. p. 99. (1837.)

“Parus melanotis. Sandb.” Hartlaub, Rev. Zool. 1844, p. 216.

Psaltriparus personatus. Bonaparte, Comptes Rendus Acad. Paris, xxxi. p. 478. (Sept. 1850.)

Length (of skin) about 4 inches. Male, broad stripes on each side of the head under the eye, and uniting on the occiput, deep black with a green metallic lustre. Head above pale cinereous, body above cinereous brown, throat and neck white, below ashy white, with a purplish tinge, bill and legs dark. Female, with the ears brown.

Hab. Texas and Mexico. Spec. in Mus. Acad. Philada.

Obs. This pretty little bird has the bill longer and more compressed than either the preceding species, or Psaltria exilis, Temm. It is, however, we think, a true Psaltria, in which respect we coincide with Prof. Westerman, who gives a description and excellent figure of it in Contributions to Zoology, (Bijdragen tot de Dierkunden,) Amsterdam, 1851.

A few other names have been given to American species of the old genus Parus by the earlier authors, all of which are undoubtedly synonymes for those of species previously described, and which we have enumerated. We have in all cases given the authority for the first description and its date.

Chamæa fasciata. (Gambel) a bird of California—though described originally, but as Dr. Gambel expressly states provisionally only, as a Parus, we regard as properly belonging to the family of Wrens (Troglodytidæ.)

CYRTONYX MASSENA.—(Lesson.)
The Massena Partridge.
PLATE IV.—Male and Female.

This singularly, we had almost said, fantastically colored, though very handsome Partridge, is an inhabitant of Texas and Mexico. No other species presents such a remarkable arrangement of colors, and the black lines in the face of the male bird, as the eminent English Ornithologist, Mr. Gould, very appropriately observes, “forcibly remind one of the painted face of the clown in a pantomime.”

It has, until recently, been an exceedingly rare and highly prized bird in collections, a few specimens only having reached Europe or the cities on the Atlantic seaboard of the United States. Those have received names, and have been described by various European authors, as will appear from the synonymes included in the present article; but neither of them have published any information relative to the habits or history of this curious bird, nor have indicated the district of Mexico from which it had been received. It has been known only as a museum species.

Since the commencement of the military operations of the United States in Texas, New Mexico and California, and the subsequent incorporation of those countries into this great Confederacy, their natural history has attracted a large share of the attention of naturalists and students at home, and also of many highly accomplished officers of the army. In fact, to the latter gentlemen is to be awarded the high merit of having contributed, notwithstanding the engrossing and deeply responsible character of their professional duties, a large portion of all that is known relative to the zoology of those vast, and especially in a scientific point of view, very interesting regions.

A valuable notice of the Massena Partridge is given by our highly esteemed friend, Col. McCall, in his “Remarks on the habits of birds met with in Western Texas, between San Antonio and the Rio Grande, and in New Mexico, with descriptions of several species believed to have been hitherto undescribed,” published in the Proceedings of the Philadelphia Academy, V. p. 213, (June, 1851,) which we have taken the liberty of transferring to our pages.

“This species was not seen before crossing the San Pedro, but it was not long until it made its appearance in the waste and rocky region into which we then entered. And from that time until we reached the Rio Pecos, a distance of 140 miles, (westwardly by the route travelled,) it was frequently seen, though I should not say it was very common. This region is a desert of great length from north to south, our trail crossing it at nearly right angles. The general face of the country is level, and consists of either a crumbling argillaceous limestone, or a coarse grey sand, producing nothing but a sparse growth of sand plants. Water is found only at long intervals, and except at those points there is little cover for game, and apparently less food,—the principal growth being Cacti, of which the most common is Cactus arborescens; yet here, amongst projecting rocks, or on the borders of dry gullies, or in loose scrub, I found the Massena Partridge in all the beauty of his rich and varied plumage.

“The habits of this species are different from those of any other species of partridge that I have met with. They were in covies of from eight to twelve individuals, and appeared to be extremely simple and affectionate in disposition. In feeding, they separated but little, keeping up a social cluck all the time. They were so gentle as to evince little or no alarm on the approach of man; scarcely moving out of his way as he passed, and only running off or flying a few yards, when perhaps half their numbers were laid low by a shot. This inclined me to think they might with little difficulty be domesticated, although I found them here in a boundless, barren waste, and nowhere near the habitation of man. This trait of gentleness is the very opposite of those strikingly manifested by the scaly partridge, (Callipepla squamata,) which I always observed to be, though found perchance in grounds as little frequented as these, remarkably vigilant, shy, and difficult to approach. The call or signal note of this species is peculiar. I never saw it after crossing the Pecos river.”

Col. McCall’s observations on the habits of this bird confirm an opinion expressed by Mr. Gould in his Monograph of American Partridges: “No account whatever has yet reached us of the habits and economy of this species, which, judging from the comparative shortness of the toes, and the great development of its claws, we may expect to be different from those of other members of the family.”

The circular spots which are numerous on the inferior parts of the body in this partridge, appear to indicate as a character an analogy to the Guinea fowls, which is further sustained by its habit of uttering its note continually when in company with its fellows, or when feeding. The Guinea fowls in their native wilds also associate in small parties, and take wing only reluctantly, and for short distances.

Capt. S. G. French, of the U. S. Army, has most kindly and very opportunely presented us with fine specimens of this and other species preserved in spirits, for which, as well as for some valuable memoranda, we beg here to express our gratitude. He remarks, with reference to this species: “It was in the summer of 1846, when crossing the then pathless and untrodden plains or table lands which extend westwardly from San Antonio, Texas, to New Mexico, that I first met with this beautiful partridge. On a bright summer afternoon, I undertook the ascent of a high rocky mountain for the purpose of obtaining a view of the valley through which the San Pedro river takes its course, and when I had gained the summit I observed several of these birds, a few feet only in advance of me, running along over the fragments of rocks and through the dwarf bushes, which grew wherever there was sufficient soil. Their handsome plumage and their gentleness attracted my attention, and I felt many regrets that I had left my gun behind me, thereby losing the opportunity of securing specimens for examination.

“A few days afterwards, however, when encamped on the head waters of the river, I found a covey, and succeeded in obtaining several specimens, one of which I had skinned, but which was afterwards unfortunately lost. From that point we occasionally met with these birds on the route to the Pecos river, a distance of over one hundred miles. I did not see them again until we came to the Eagle Springs, in a mountainous region about twenty-five miles from the Rio Grande. Two covies were found there, and several specimens were obtained.

“In the spring of 1851, I again passed over the same route in charge of a military expedition, and on the way out, two of these birds only were seen, one of which, (a female,) was killed by Major E. Backus, U. S. Army, and is now in the collection of Dr. Woodhouse, who was then going out with a party of topographical engineers to which he was attached. When returning in July last, I chanced to kill at an encamping ground near Howard’s Springs, between the San Pedro and Pecos rivers, the specimen which I now send you. It was the only one that I saw on the route as I came back from New Mexico, and it is but fair to conjecture that these birds are not at all numerous.

“They appear to inhabit the rocky sides of the mountains and hills in that desolate region of elevated plains, west of the fertile portions of Texas, living amidst the solitude that wraps them in silence, far from enemies and the busy haunts of men. In no instance have I met with this species near any settlements. The wild, rocky hill-sides in the lone wilderness, seem to be their favorite resort; and there, where trees are almost unknown, and vegetation is scant, and where hardly a living thing is seen, are these fine birds found in all their beauty and gentleness. The covies of them showed but little alarm at our approach, and ran along over the rocks, occasionally attempting to secrete themselves beneath them, in which case they would let a person approach within a few feet. When startled by the firing of a gun, they fly but a few yards before again alighting, and exhibit little of that wildness peculiar to all the other species of partridges with which I am acquainted.”

In 1832 this bird was described under the name Tetrao guttata, by Don Pablo de la Llave, in Registro trimestre ó coleccion de Memorias de Historia, Literatura, Ciencasóy Artes, Vol. I. p. 145, Mexico, 1832, which periodical, though little known, and discontinued, we believe, before the completion of the second volume, contains several valuable papers by this and other Mexican authors, relative to the natural history of their country. The ornithological papers by Sr. De la Llave, evince much ability, and contain very accurate observations and descriptions; and a tone pervades them too, which proclaims him to be a true lover of nature. That in which we are interested at present, is entitled, “Sobre tres especias neuvas del genero Tetrao,” and consists of notices of birds of this genus, of which he had living specimens at his residence in the city of Mexico, and descriptions of three species, viz.: Tetrao marmorata (which is Ortyx macroura, Jardine and Selby), T. cristata, (which is O. squamata, Vigors.) and T. guttata, (which is O. Massena, Lesson.)

To the last bird he thus alludes: “It is only a few days since the third species has been brought to me. It is rather smaller than the former, and its deportment is entirely different. It carries its head habitually resting upon its shoulders, the neck being excessively small and deflexed, and in every thing it shows an amiability, and so to speak, a kindness of character (una bondad de caracter) which is not found in any other species of this genus, and it is naturally so tame and domestic as to permit itself to be caught with the hand. These birds are always united, forming a covey, and whenever one is separated, the others follow it; they do not, like others, wish to sleep on elevated places, but sit on the ground, drawing very near together. Their notes, which are not varied, are very low and soft, and I have never heard loud cries from the male. When they are frightened, they show much activity and swiftness; at other times their gait and movement are habitually slow and deliberate, carrying the crest puffed up (esponjada).”

Sr. De la Llave gives as the locality of his specimens, the warm regions near the city of Mexico.

These statements comprise all that is known at present of the Massena Partridge.

The contents of the crop in Capt. French’s specimen consisted exclusively of fragments of insects, pronounced by Dr. Leconte to be principally grasshoppers, and a species of Spectrum. No trace whatever of food of a vegetable character.

DESCRIPTION AND TECHNICAL OBSERVATIONS.

Genus Cyrtonyx. Gould, Monograph of the Odontophorinæ (American Partridges) Introduction, p. 14, London, 1850. Folio.

Bill short, robust, ridge of the mandible curving downwards from its base; lower mandible straight with two slight dentitions near its point; nostrils large, covered and bordered with a membrane. Head crested, the feathers inclining backward and forming a thick tuft on the occiput; wings rather long, tertiaries pendant, longer than the primaries; tail short, and composed of soft feathers. Tarsi rather long and robust; toes short, hind-toe focal, nails large, long and curved. All the known species are natives of America. Type C. Massena.