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

ICTERUS MELANOCEPHALUS.—(Wagler.)
The Black-headed Oriole.
PLATE XXI.—Adult Male.

Again we portray an inhabitant of the land of the Mesquite and Mimosa. This handsome, though plain Oriole, when compared with some of its brilliant relatives of the same countries, is found throughout nearly the whole of Mexico, and extends its range northwardly into Texas and New Mexico. Mr. Pease, who accompanied the Army of the United States under General Scott, in Mexico, in 1847, observed it at Jalapa, and in the neighborhood of the city of Mexico, in considerable numbers.

As a bird of Texas, this species was first brought to notice by Mr. Jacob P. Giraud, Jr., of New York, who received it in a collection of birds from that State, in 1834, and published a description of it in his “New Species of North American Birds,” p. 1 (1841). Since that time it has been found within the limits of the United States by several naturalists, but especially by Mr. John H. Clark, who, while attached as zoologist to the commission for running the boundary line between the United States and Mexico, neglected no opportunity of making investigations which have contributed much to the natural history of the regions necessarily passed through, and whose collection contained specimens of this species. To Mr. Clark we are indebted for the following note respecting this species:

“Approaching the lower Rio Grande from New Mexico, the Black-headed Oriole was first seen near Ringgold Barracks, but not in abundance; and, although of rich plumage, its quiet manners and secluded habits prevented it from being very conspicuous. It was noticed most frequently while feeding on the fruit of the hackberry; but whenever exposed in picking off the berries, it always showed signs of uneasiness, and would immediately seek refuge in places affording greater concealment.

“Usually, pairs were to be seen keeping close together, and they seemed to prefer the thick foliage which occurs on the margins of the ponds or in the old bed of the river. They did not appear to communicate with each other by any note; indeed, I was struck with their silence, though my opportunities for observation were limited. Their habits seemed to be very different from those of any other Oriole with which I am acquainted.”

This observation, by so accurate and careful an observer as Mr. Clark, deserves especial attention. It is quite probable that this bird is the type of a distinct group or sub-genus.

In the papers of Lieut. Couch, most kindly placed by him at our disposal, we find the following in relation to the bird now before us:—

“The Black-headed Oriole was seen for the first time on the third of March, 1853, at Santa Rosalio rancho, eight leagues west of Matamoras. It had paired, and both male and female were very shy and secluded, seeking insects on the nopal (a species of prickly pear), or among the low mimosa trees, never seeming to be at rest, but constantly on the look-out for their favorite food.

“At Charco Escondido, farther in the interior of Tamaulipas, this bird was well known to the rancheros, who were disposed to give it a bad reputation, stating that it often came to the rancho to steal the freshly-slaughtered beef, hung up to dry in the sun. Whether this was true or not, I had no opportunity of ascertaining; but my acquaintance with the Black-headed Oriole, at this place, I have a particular reason for remembering. Early one morning, an old man, who had daily called on me, with his wife and six nude pickaninnies, presented himself, and wished as usual to take me to a spot where great numbers of rare birds were to be found. Gladly assenting, we were out of sight of the rancho at sunrise of one of the magnificent mornings only known in tropical latitudes. It was the day after a severe norther, and the whole feathered kingdom was in motion. My guide soon called my attention to two calandrias, as these birds are called by the Mexicans, which were quietly but actively seeking their breakfast. The male having been brought down by my gun, the female flew to a neighboring tree, apparently not having observed his fall; soon, however, she became aware of her loss, and endeavored to recall him to her side with a simple pout pou-it, uttered in a strain of such exquisite sadness, that I could scarcely believe such notes to be produced by a bird, and so greatly did they excite my sympathy, that I felt almost resolved to desist from making further collections in natural history, which was one of the principal objects of my journey into the country.

“Another species that takes the place of this bird, west of Monterey, has a more powerful, varied, and artistic song, but I have never heard the lay of any songster of the feathered tribe expressed more sweetly than that of the present Oriole. At Monterey, it is a favorite cage-bird. The notes of the male are more powerful than those of the female.

“My stay in Mexico was not sufficiently protracted to enable me to study the habits of this interesting bird as fully as I could have wished. Generally, its flight is low and rapid, and it seemed to prefer the shade of trees. It was observed almost invariably in pairs, and the male and female showed for each other much tenderness and solicitude. If one strayed from the other, a soft pou-it, soon brought them again together.”

Nature has, for much the greater part, denied to birds of brilliant plumage any remarkable powers of melody, and there are many birds of great beauty, in which the voice is harsh and uninviting, if not absolutely disagreeable. Occasional exceptions occur, particularly in the families of Grosbeaks and Finches, species of which are capable of producing short, though expressive and musical notes, sometimes uttered in connection with each other, and forming a partial song. Such is the case, too, with a few of the Orioles; but we should infer from the interesting statement of Lieut. Couch, that the bird now before us is, at least, one of the most gifted of its family, and we shall look forward to his further investigations in Mexico, which he is now about commencing, hoping for additional information in relation to this remarkable species.

All the most celebrated songsters of the feathered kingdom are birds of very plain plumage. The Nightingale, famed in all ages, and universally admitted to be the most superior in vocal ability of all the birds of the world, would attract no attention whatever from the general observer, so modest and unpretending is its appearance. The Mocking Bird of the United States, properly regarded as second only to the Nightingale, is scarcely less so, and our other Thrushes, and the little Vireos, very respectfully to be mentioned as vocalists, partake of the same character.

Mr. Pease noticed the Black-headed Oriole not only at Jalapa, but also on the tierra caliente, between that city and Vera Cruz. At the season when observed by him, it fed principally on fruits, as noticed by Mr. Clark, which fact does not conflict with Lieut. Couch’s statement, that it is an insect-eater; as all the birds of the family to which this species belongs, subsist on both fruits and insects, or are what are termed omnivorous. At Jalapa, it was called by the Mexicans, Calandria iquimite, the latter word being the name of a tree, of the fruit of which it is said to be particularly fond.

Our plate represents the adult male, which is but little different from the female. The figure is two-thirds of the natural size.

DESCRIPTION AND TECHNICAL OBSERVATIONS.

Genus Icterus. Brisson, Orn., II. p. 85. (1760.)

Icterus melanocephalus. (Wagler.)

Psaracolius melanocephalus. Wagler, Isis, 1829, p. 756.

Icterus Audubonii. Giraud. New species N. A. Birds, p. 1. (1841.)

Form. Rather robust; bill strong, high at base; wings rather short; third and fourth quills longest; tail graduated; central feathers longest; legs and feet large and strong.

Dimensions. Total length of skin, from tip of bill to end of tail, 8¾ inches; wing, 4; tail, 4¼ inches.

Colors. Head black, which color has a semicircular termination on the breast. Entire under parts and neck behind, bright yellow; back and rump yellowish-green; wings black; quills edged externally with ashy white; tail black; bill bluish-black, lighter at the base of the lower mandible; tarsi and feet lead-colored; irides brown. Sexes nearly alike; female with the yellow parts of the plumage less vivid, and the tail in some specimens edged and tinged with greenish.

Hab. Texas, Mexico. Spec. in Mus. Acad., Philada.; and Nat. Mus., Washington city.

Obs. This bird resembles no other in any considerable degree; and is, therefore, to be easily distinguished. It seems to belong to some one of the subdivisions of the old genus Icterus, or of Xanthornus, which are so variously and confusedly given by professed systematists, that we have no faith in any of them; which declaration, by the way, we have no objection to embrace the present opportunity of extending to late opinionative classifications, in a manner rather general and comprehensive. It is about full time for a true zoologist to appear, who shall be capable of systematizing—of reducing to order and symmetry the vast fund of facts and detached knowledge in natural history, which the present age has accumulated. In our happier day-dreams, we have deemed it inevitable that such a one must shortly appear. The great Anglo-Saxon zoologist is yet to come.

TROCHILUS ALEXANDRI.—Bourcier and Mulsant.
The Purple-throated Humming Bird.
PLATE XXII.—Adult Males.

The Humming Birds are peculiar to America. Until within a comparatively recent period, about one hundred species were known to naturalists,—that being the then considered large number enumerated in works published as lately as within about twenty years. Discoveries of previously unknown species in this family of birds have been numerous beyond precedent or comparison with any other, notwithstanding the zeal and ability which ornithology has commanded within the period mentioned. At present, there are nearly three hundred ascertained species of Humming Birds. The large and recent additions have resulted, in a great measure, from the exploration of regions previously little visited or inaccessible, principally in the northern part of South America, but also in Central America and Mexico.

That portion of the continent of America between the Amazon as a southern boundary, and the Rio Grande and Gila as a northern, embracing New Grenada and Guiana, the whole of Central America and Mexico, to which may be added the West India Islands, appears to be the most productive of Humming Birds. Within that range, but especially in the Republic of New Grenada, these splendid little birds are much the most abundant, and it embraces nearly all of the most remarkable in form and most beautiful in plumage. Southward into Brazil and Peru, and other countries of South America, a considerable variety of species are also found; but, in the north, that is to say, north of the line between Mexico and the United States, we have few species of Humming Birds, and even those give us but an imperfect idea of the gorgeous tints of their relatives of the tropical regions of this continent.

Of the natural productions of America, these birds have attracted the most universal admiration. Nor has it been, by any means, without foundation. Nature appears to have exhausted herself in the lavish profusion of colors of every tint and shade with which she has adorned these gems of the animal world. They are the most splendidly colored and at the same time the most diminutive of birds. Almost every color known in art is to be met with in the plumage of some one or other of the Humming Birds, and usually with a lustre more resembling that of the most highly finished workmanship in metal, or of the most exquisite precious stones, than the transient or easily destroyed appendages of a delicate animal organization.

There are, however, some species which are quite plain in their appearance, and present little or no trace of metallic or other brilliant colors. Of these, one large species is perfectly black; others are reddish-brown, or fulvous and plain dark green.

In size, the Humming Birds vary much. The Giant Humming Bird of Brazil, which is the largest, though one of the plainest, is about the size of the Chimney Bird of the United States, and several fine species of the later discoveries in this group are but little smaller. Several species are quite as large as the House Wren. On the other hand, there are Humming Birds little larger than the Humble Bee of our meadows; and there are many species of Beetles and other coleopterous insects, that are much larger. The common ruby-throated Humming Bird of the United States, is a medium-sized species, and of respectable dimensions when compared with some of his pigmy brethren of the far South.

In form, too, they vary exceedingly. Some are very slender, and apparently feebly constituted; others are comparatively quite robust. There are species which have bills excessively long, the Sword-bearer (Trochilus ensiferus), which is about the size of the House Wren, has a bill longer than its body. So entirely disproportionate does the bill of this species appear to be, that few persons, on seeing specimens for the first time, can avoid a suspicion that it has been artificially lengthened; and we have more than once heard it suggested on such an occasion that this remarkable appendage could readily have been drawn out by processes used by comb-makers. This exceedingly long bill is, however, no inconvenience whatever to the gay little individual who is responsible for it, luckily for him;—in fact, it assists him admirably in procuring an entirely honest subsistence amongst the large trumpet-flowers, and others with long tubular corollas, abundant in tropical countries. No other known species has this organ of a length so disproportionate, though there are several in which it is unusually long for birds of such size. The bill is, however, scarcely of the same form and shape in any two species. In some, it is perfectly straight and very short; in others, as we have already observed, it is very long. Numerous others have the bill curved downwards, or scythe-shaped, and a few species have it turned upwards, presenting a very singular appearance.

Other curious appendages are to be met with in species of this family. One group has exceedingly long tails, three or four times the length of the body. Several Humming Birds have the outer feathers of the tail long, and though narrow for the greater part of their length, suddenly expanded at the end like a paddle or a spoon. These seem to form a group or sub-genus of their own, and are also remarkable for having the upper part of the leg (the tibia, and sometimes part of the tarsus) covered with a thick mass of white downy feathers, presenting one of the many instances of phenomena to which it appears almost impossible in the present state of our knowledge, to assign a use in the economy of the species. The wings in all Humming Birds are large, when compared with those of many other birds, and are formed for long-continued and rapid flight.

The food of the Humming Birds is now well ascertained to be principally insects. We regard the conclusion, also, as unavoidable, that the moisture contained in flowers is their drink only, and not capable alone of supporting life. The tongue appears to be the principal organ used both in capturing insects and in procuring the fluid portion of their subsistence, and is constructed in a manner peculiarly adapted to these purposes. It is long, and composed of two parallel tubes (like a double-barrelled gun), furnished with the necessary apparatus of muscles for sucking, and thus enabling the bird to reach the drops of moisture or the fluid secretions contained very frequently in the corollas of flowers, more abundant in some species than others. The tongue is flattened, and sometimes barbed towards the end, or margined with fringe-like appendages, evidently designed to be of material service in feeding on minute flies or other small and soft insects. It admits, too, of being darted outwards, like that of the woodpeckers, and in the manner thus indicated it is very probable that their food is secured.

A large space on the throat is generally the most beautiful part of the plumage of the birds of this family. Frequently, however, the top of the head and the entire under parts of the body are clothed in colors of the most surpassing brilliancy. The upper parts are usually plainer.

In the countries where these birds are most abundant, and even in others of South America, some species of Humming Birds are spread over a vast extent of territory;—other species are well known to be peculiar to quite restricted localities. Many inhabit only the warmest districts;—others are found only in mountain-valleys, thousands of feet above the level of the sea. One of the most beautiful Humming Birds, the Polytmus (Trochilus polytmus), a large species, having the plumage mainly of a most exquisite green, with the top of the head jet black, and with the tail excessively long, inhabits only the island of Jamaica, and it is quite probable that every island of the West Indies produces species which are to be found in no other. In some sections, they are exceedingly numerous. Mr. Gosse, in his valuable volume on the Birds of Jamaica, mentions having seen “no less than a hundred come successively to rifle the blossoms within the space of half as many yards in the course of a forenoon.” We have been informed of instances of the ruby-topaz Humming Bird (T. moschitus) having occurred in the island of Trinidad in even greater abundance.

In allusion to the general abundance of these birds in the countries where they abound, and as a sketch of their habits, we transcribe the following from “A Voyage up the Amazon,” from an excellent observer and agreeable writer, our friend, Mr William H. Edwards, of New York:

“Wherever a creeping vine opens its fragrant clusters, or wherever a tree-flower blooms, may these little birds be seen. In the garden, or in the woods, over the water, everywhere, they are darting about;—of all sizes, from one that might easily be mistaken for a different variety of bird, to the tiny Hermit (Trochilus rufigaster), whose body is not half the size of the bees buzzing about the same sweets. Sometimes they are seen chasing each other in sport with a rapidity of flight and intricacy of path the eye is puzzled to follow. Again circling round and round, they rise high in mid-air, then dart off like light to some distant attraction. Perched upon a little limb, they smooth their plumes and seem to delight in their dazzling hues; then starting off leisurely, they skim along, stopping capriciously to kiss the coquetting flowerets. Often, two meet in mid-air and fight furiously, their crests and the feathers on their throats all erected and blazing, and altogether pictures of the most violent rage. Several times we saw them battling with large black bees, who frequent the same flowers, and may be supposed to interfere often provokingly. Like lightning, our little heroes would come down, but the coat of shining mail would ward of their furious strokes. Again and again would they renew the attack, until their anger had expended itself by its own fury, or until the apathetic bee, once roused, had put forth powers that drove the invader from the field.”

The Mexican Humming Birds have been, until recently, but little attended to, and even at this time are by no means well known. In an interesting volume by Mr. William Bullock, a Fellow of the Linnean Society of London, “Six Months Residence and Travels in Mexico” (London, 1824), a work that contains much information on the natural history, and especially the ornithology, of that country, there is a chapter exclusively devoted to the Humming Birds. From it, we make the following extract, which may be regarded as the more interesting, as some of the species alluded to may be found hereafter in those parts of the United States contiguous to Mexico:

“In Mexico, the species of Humming Birds are numerous. Near the capital, on my arrival, scarcely one was to be seen; but in the month of May and June, numbers were found in the Botanic Garden, in the centre of the city; and, by offering a reward to the Indians, many were brought to me alive. I had nearly seventy in cages, which, with attention and care, I kept living for some weeks; and could I have devoted my whole attention to them, I have no doubt of the possibility of bringing them alive to Europe.

“It is probable the whole of them feed on insects; numbers I am certain do so, having watched them attentively in the Botanic Garden at Mexico, in pursuit of their minute prey; and in the yard of the house in which I resided at Themascaltepec, where one of them took entire possession of a pomegranate tree in blossom, on which he sat the whole day, catching the small flies that came to the flowers.

“Although, like the Robin and other birds of Europe, in a state of nature, they are extremely tenacious of any intrusion of their own species on their dominions, yet, in captivity, when several kinds have been confined together, I never observed the least inclination to quarrel, but have seen the smaller take what appeared to be unwarrantable liberties with those of five times their size and strength;—thus, when the perch has been occupied by the great blue-throated one, the diminutive Mexican Star has settled on the long beak of the former, and remained perched on it some minutes, without its offering to resist the insult.

“Europeans who have seen only the stuffed remains of these little feathered gems in museums, have been charmed with their beautiful appearance; but those who have examined them whilst living, displaying their moving crests, throats, and tails, like the peacock in the sun, can never look with pleasure on their mutilated forms. I have carefully preserved about two hundred specimens, in the best possible manner, yet they are still but the shadow of what they were in life. The reason is obvious; for the sides of the laminæ, or fibres of each feather, being of a different color from the surface, will change when seen in a front or oblique direction; and as each lamina or fibre turns upon the axis of the quill, the least motion, when living, causes the feathers to change suddenly to the most opposite hues. Thus the one from Nootka Sound (T. rufus) changes its expanded throat from the most vivid fire color to light green; the topaz-throated does the same, and the Mexican Star changes from bright crimson to blue.

“The sexes vary greatly in the plumage in many species, so much so, that it is with difficulty we recognize them. The male and female of the Mexican Star (Cynanthus Lucifer) could not have been known had they not been seen constantly together, and proved to be so by dissection. They breed in Mexico in June and July, and the nest is a beautiful specimen of the architectural talent of these birds; it is neatly constructed with cotton or the down of thistles, to which is fastened on the outside, by some glutinous substance, a white flat lichen resembling ours. The female lays two eggs, perfectly white, and large for the size of the bird, and the Indians informed me they were hatched in three weeks, by the male and female sitting alternately. When attending their young, they attack any bird indiscriminately that approaches the nest. Their motions, when under the influence of anger or fear, are very violent, and their flight rapid as an arrow; the eye cannot follow them, but the shrill, piercing shriek which they utter on the wing, may be heard when the bird is invisible, and often led to their destruction by preparing me for their approach. They attack the eyes of the larger birds, and their sharp needle-like bill is a truly formidable weapon in this kind of warfare.

“Nothing can exceed their fierceness when one of their own species invades their territory during the breeding season. Under the influence of jealousy, they become perfect furies; their throats swell, their crests, tails, and wings, expand; they fight in the air (uttering a shrill noise), till one falls exhausted to the ground. I witnessed a combat of this kind near Otumba, during a heavy fall of rain, every separate drop of which I supposed sufficient to have beaten the puny warriors to the earth.

“In sleeping, they frequently suspend themselves by the feet, with their heads downwards, in the manner of some parrots.

“These birds were great favorites with the ancient Mexicans. They used the feathers as ornaments for their superb mantles in the time of Montezuma, and in embroidering the pictures so much extolled by Cortez. Their name signifies, in the Indian language, beams or locks of the sun. The feathers are still worn by the Indian ladies as ornaments for the ears.”

It may be properly remarked here that the statement made by Mr. Bullock, of the habit of these birds sleeping with their heads downwards, has attracted considerable attention, and it has been thought probable that he may have been mistaken, or misinformed, not having been confirmed by subsequent naturalists. It may, however, apply only to some species.

The pugnacity of these little birds is almost universally alluded to by writers who have enjoyed opportunities of observing them in the countries where they abound. A Humming Bird of any size, even the smallest, is not on that account less a fighting character, and jealous of whatever rights and privileges he considers himself entitled to. But as both of the authors above quoted, have alluded to this point, we beg the indulgence of the reader to lay before him another extract especially relating to this hostility of disposition, and happily illustrative of the fights and feuds of the Humming Birds. It is from the very pleasant and valuable little work, previously mentioned, on the Birds of Jamaica, by Mr. Philip Henry Gosse; and the species alluded to, the Mango Humming Bird (T. mango), is one which is considerably larger than the common ruby-throated species of the United States. It is abundant in the West Indies, and in some parts of South America, and it occasionally visits the shores of Florida. It is figured by Mr. Audubon:—

“A Mango Humming Bird had, every day, and all day long, been paying his devoirs to these charming blossoms” (the Malay apple, Eugenia malaccensis). “On the morning to which I allude, another came, and the manœuvres of these two tiny creatures became highly interesting. They chased each other through the labyrinth of twigs and flowers, till, an opportunity occurring, the one would dart with seeming fury upon the other, and then with a loud rustling of their wings, they would twirl together, round and round, until they nearly came to the earth. It was some time before I could see, with any distinctness, what took place in these tussles; their twirlings were so rapid as to baffle all attempts at discrimination. At length, an encounter took place pretty close to me, and I perceived that the beak of the one grasped that of the other, and thus fastened, both whirled round and round in their perpendicular descent, the point of contact being the centre of the gyrations, till, when another second would have brought them both to the ground, they separated, and the one chased the other for about a hundred yards, and then returned in triumph to the tree, where, perched on a lofty twig, he chirped monotonously and pertinaciously for some time;—I could not help thinking, in defiance. In a few minutes, however, the banished one returned, and began chirping no less provokingly, which soon brought on another chase and another tussle. I am persuaded that these were hostile encounters, for one seemed evidently afraid of the other, fleeing when the other pursued, though his indomitable spirit would prompt the chirp of defiance; and, when resting after a battle, I noticed that this one held his beak open, as if panting. Sometimes they would suspend hostilities to suck a few blossoms, but mutual proximity was sure to bring them on again with the same result. In their tortuous and rapid evolutions, the light from their ruby necks would now and then flash in the sun with gem-like radiance; and as they now and then hovered motionless, the broadly-expanded tail,—whose outer feathers are crimson-purple, but when intercepting the sun’s rays, transmit orange-colored light—added much to their beauty. A little Banana Quit (Certhiola flaveola), that was peeping among the blossoms in his own quiet way, seemed now and then to look with surprise on the combatants; but when the one had driven his rival to a longer distance than usual, the victor set upon the unoffending Quit, who soon yielded the point, and retired, humbly enough, to a neighboring tree. The war, for it was a thorough campaign, a regular succession of battles, lasted fully an hour, and then I was called away from the post of observation. Both of the Humming Birds appeared to be adult males.”

In the United States, there have been discovered as yet not more than five species of Humming Birds, including that which is presented to the reader in our present plate. They are the ruby-throated Humming bird (Trochilus colubris), which is the much-admired little species everywhere common in the summer-time, in the States on the Atlantic; the Mango Humming Bird (T. mango), an abundant South American and West Indian species that occasionally visits Florida, as above stated; the Anna Humming Bird (T. Anna), a species of California and Mexico, the most beautiful of the northern species, and which derives additional interest from the fact that it was named by an eminent French naturalist, in honor of Anna, Duchess of Rivoli, whose husband, General Massena, Duke of Rivoli, the distinguished officer of the armies of the Emperor Napoleon I., founded the ornithological collection which now belongs to the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. In addition to these, are the rufous-throated or Northern Humming Bird (T. rufus), a western species, which extends its range on the Pacific coast to a high northern latitude, and the bird now before us. Another species or two have been named as inhabiting California, without it being stated whether the upper or lower divisions of that country was intended. They are not known to inhabit that portion which is one of the States of this Union, though it is quite probable that others of the numerous Mexican species will be found extending their range into the western and southwestern territories.

Within the limits of the United States, the Humming Bird now before the reader, has been noticed only by Dr. Heermann, whose fine collection made in California contained numerous specimens. He detected it in one locality only, which was the burying-ground at Sacramento city. There several pairs remained during the season of incubation, and reared their young, finding suitable food and protection amongst the flowering plants, with which, with great feeling and propriety, that last resting-place of the emigrant and stranger has been adorned.

Dr. Heermann represents the nest as composed of fine mosses, lined with the feathery down of various seeds, and containing two white eggs. He saw this bird also at Guaymas, in Mexico.

The figures in our plate are of the size of life, and represent adult males. The plant represented is Odontoglossum Cervantesii, a native of Mexico.

DESCRIPTION AND TECHNICAL OBSERVATIONS.

Genus Trochilus. Linnæus, Syst. Nat., I. p. 189. (1766.)

Size small, in some species diminutive, and the smallest of birds; bill slender, frequently straight, and also frequently curved, acute; wings comparatively large, generally pointed and formed for rapid flight; quills flattened, first primary longest, and curved inwards; tail various; legs and feet very short and feeble. The birds of this group are exclusively American.

Trochilus Alexandri. Bourcier and Mulsant, Annals of the Royal Society of Physical and Natural Sciences of Lyons, IX. p. 330. (1846.)

Form. Small; bill long; nearly straight; wings rather short; first quill longest, and somewhat curved; tail rather short, marginated, with its feathers narrow and pointed; legs and feet very short and weak.

Dimensions. Total length of skin, about 3¼ inches; wing, 2¹/₁₀; tail, 1 inch.

Color. Entire upper parts golden green; dark on the head; wings and tail brownish-black, except the central feathers of the latter, which are green; throat brilliant purple, with violet reflections, which color is succeeded by a broad transverse band of white; other under parts golden green, mixed with pale brownish and ashy; bill and feet dark.

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

Obs. This bird is about the size of, or slightly larger than the ruby-throated Humming Bird (T. colubris) of North America, and resembles it in the general distribution of its colors. Those of the throat are, however, entirely different. The two species belong evidently to the same subdivision of the old genus Trochilus, which is, however, given so differently by late authors, that we have not at present determined the relative claims of either. It is given by one as belonging to the genus Mellisuga, and by another as Trochilus proper, in a restricted sense.

The study of the Humming Birds, now difficult, will be rendered easy by Mr. Gould’s great work on these birds, now in the course of publication. All the known species are to be figured of the size of life; and in the parts already published, the drawing and coloring is exceedingly accurate, and magnificent beyond any precedent in the literature of ornithology.

In the old world, the Humming Birds are represented by the Sun Birds (genus Cinnyris, Cuvier; Nectarinia of some authors), numerous species of which inhabit Africa and Southern Asia. They partake in some measure of the habits of the Humming Birds, and also of their lustrous colors, many of the species being very beautiful.

Several naturalists and admirers of ornithology have formed special collections of Humming Birds, and there are now extant several which contain very nearly all the known species, of which may be mentioned those of Mr. Edward Wilson, and Mr. John Gould, in England, and of Messrs. Edward and Jules Verreaux, in Paris. That of the first named, who is an American gentleman resident in England, is the most extensive and complete, and includes several of the only specimens known of the species which they represent. This gentleman and his brother, Dr. Thomas B. Wilson, of Philadelphia, have won for themselves the imperishable respect and gratitude of American naturalists, by forming in their native city the most extensive library and collections in natural history in America, and, in some departments, unrivalled by any in the old world. For these, now constituting, mainly, the magnificent museum and library of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, it is indebted to the distinguished patrons of zoological science whom we have just mentioned.

EMBERIZA BILINEATA.—Cassin.
The Black-throated Finch.
PLATE XXIII.—Adult Male.

This curious little Finch was discovered in Texas, in 1849, by Mr. John W. Audubon, a son of the celebrated ornithologist, and himself a naturalist and zoological draughtsman of high merit and accomplishments.

It appears to be extensively diffused throughout Mexico, Texas, and New Mexico, and in the former country is a common species. In the States last mentioned, it has been noticed by nearly all the naturalists who have visited them; though, as a bird of the United States, little beyond the fact of its existence in those regions has been placed on record, or has otherwise come to our knowledge.

In Mexico, this bird was found by Lieut. Couch to be numerous in some parts of Tamaulipas, Nueva Leon, Coahuila, and other States on the Rio Grande, immediately south and west of the limits of the territory of the United States. For our present article, this gentleman has very kindly furnished the following interesting communication, for which and other similar favors we beg to tender our grateful acknowledgments:—

“This bird was first seen at Santa Rosalio, and specimens were obtained. Though a month had been spent at Brownsville, in Texas, only about twenty miles distant, it had not been observed. At Charco Escondido, forty miles farther in the interior, it was very plentiful, and early in March, seemed to have already reared a breed of young; one specimen procured, having the appearance of being a young bird but a few weeks old.

“Its favourite home appears to be the scattered Mesquite or Acacias that sprinkle the plains east of the Sierra Madre. Like many other birds of its family, it does not seek the shade during the warmer hours of mid-day, but may always be found chirping and hopping from one bush to another, apparently as much for the pleasure of enjoying the society of its fellows as to seek for food.

“After striking south from Cadorcita, this little bird suddenly disappeared, much to my regret, as I had become so accustomed to seeing it constantly during my daily marches, that I almost regarded it as a travelling companion. But after nearly a month’s absence, I again recognized it among some flowering Leguminosa, between Pesqueria and Rinconada. I afterwards ascertained that it would thus be entirely absent from districts of considerable extent, but always reappeared again throughout my journey, and was always welcome.

“The usual note of this bird at the season in which I saw it, is a simple chirp; but one day, having halted during a norther, in the State of Tamaulipas, I amused myself watching a party of adult and young birds of this species, in the neighboring bushes. One gay little black-throated fellow, who was probably the father, showed unusual uneasiness at my presence, which fact led me particularly to observe him. After carefully reconnoitering and apparently satisfying himself that there was no immediate danger, he flew off a few yards to the top of a yellow mimosa then in bloom, and, regardless of the bitter wind still blowing, gave utterance to a strain of sprightly and sweet notes, that would have compared favorably with those of many a more famed songster of the feathered race. This was the only time that I ever heard this species indulge in anything more than a single chirp.”

This little Finch was observed at various localities in Texas by gentlemen attached to the commission for running the boundary line between the United States and Mexico.

The figure in our plate, which is that of an adult male from Lieut. Couch’s collection, is about two-thirds of the size of life.

The plant represented is Spirea Douglasii, a native of western North America.

DESCRIPTION AND TECHNICAL OBSERVATIONS.

Genus Emberiza. Linnæus, Syst. Nat., I. p. 308. (1766.)

Emberiza bilineata. Cassin, Proc. Acad., Philada., V. p. 104. (Oct. 1850.)

Form. Rather short and compact; fourth quill slightly longest, but nearly equalled by the third and fifth; legs rather long and robust; tail moderate.

Dimensions. Total length, about 5⅛ inches; wing, 2½; expanse from tip to tip, 8; tail, 2⅜ inches.

Colors. Adult.—Superciliary stripe over the eye, and another from the corner of the lower mandible, white. Large space on the throat and neck before black, which is also the color of the lores. Cheeks and entire upper parts brownish-cinereous, darker, and tinged with olive on the back; quills hair-brown, with nearly white external edgings; tail feathers brownish-black, the two central palest, and the external feather, with its outer web, white, and with a large spot of white on its inner web, near the tip,—in some specimens the two outer tail feathers are largely tipped with white. Entire under parts white, tinged with ashy and olive, especially on the sides and flanks; bill dark bluish or horn color; feet dark. Young.—Throat and other under parts white, with some longitudinal stripes of brownish-black; upper parts as in adult, but more tinged with brown; wing-coverts edged with brownish-white.

Hab. New Mexico and Texas; Mexico. Spec. in Mus. Acad., Philada., and Nat. Mus., Washington city.

Obs. This Finch resembles no other species known to us, in such a degree as would render it liable to be confounded with it. It may be easily recognised when adult by its black throat, bordered on each side by a conspicuous white stripe, and having also another equally conspicuous and well-defined stripe over the eye. In the young there is no vestige of the black throat, that part being of a uniform color with the under parts of the body, but bears a strong general resemblance to the adult. It is related to the group designated Euspiza by authors, though it is probably the type of a distinct subdivision.

VIREO ATRICAPILLUS.—Woodhouse.
The Black-headed Flycatcher.
PLATE XXIV.—Adult Male.

On account of their modest attire and sylvan habits, the birds of the group to which the present species belongs, are seldom noticed by the general observer, though some of them are to be met with commonly during the summer, in nearly all parts of the United States. But though inconspicuous in appearance, they make ample compensation by the loudness of their notes, which, after the early love-songs of the Thrushes, and other of our songsters of spring, have subsided into the more serious duties of parental responsibility, are to be heard above those of any other of our resident birds. They are active insect-catchers, and may be seen at nearly all hours of the day, patiently searching amongst the leaves and branches of the trees in almost every woodland, hopping from branch to branch, or sometimes making short sallies in pursuit of fugitive moths or butterflies, and occasionally pausing to refresh themselves with a rather quaint but very melodious warble, lengthened in the spring into a cheerful and agreeable song.

The red-eyed Flycatcher (V. olivaceus) is the most numerous, and not only is constantly to be met with in the woods, but ventures confidently into the public squares or parks, and the yards and gardens of the cities. In many such localities in Philadelphia, several of which are in the denser parts of the city, this little warbler rears its young, and pipes out his sprightly song, in entire security, and apparently feeling himself as much at home as if in the recesses of the most remote forest. The warbling Flycatcher (V. gilvus) is another pleasing singer, though in our opinion but an indifferent performer compared with the preceding. A species common in the West Indies, and which has been found in Florida, has some very singular notes, from one combination of which he has had assigned to him a name quite as singular, the “Whip Tom Kelly” (V. altiloquus).

The immediate relatives, however, of the little species before the reader in the present plate, are birds that rarely venture far from the woods. One of them, the White-eyed Flycatcher (V. noveboracensis), has a partiality for marshes and low grounds producing thick growths of vines and shrubbery; and although the smallest of his tribe has some quite remarkable notes, and so loud, that a person not sufficiently acquainted with him to recognise his voice, would be surprised to find such a high-sounding solo proceed from such a diminutive performer.

The species represented in our present plate is an inhabitant of Texas, but it has as yet been only observed in a very limited district. It was discovered by S. W. Woodhouse, M. D., of Philadelphia, while attached to Capt. Sitgreave’s Surveying party. It is the handsomest bird of this group.

The following notice of this bird by Dr. Woodhouse, we take the liberty of extracting from Sitgreave’s report of an expedition down the Zuñi and Colorado rivers:

“On the twenty-sixth of May, 1851, while encamped on the Rio San Pedro, within about ten miles of its source, I was out in pursuit of specimens. Wandering about the hills among some cedars (Juniperus), my attention was first attracted by a singular note, which I am unable to describe; on looking, I discovered this beautiful little bird, which I at first took to belong to that interesting family of fly-catching warblers, Sylvania, it being constantly in motion. It was with the greatest difficulty that I could procure specimens; two, however, I secured, both of which, on dissection, proved to be males.”

Mr. John H. Clark, zoologist attached to the Mexican boundary commission, who observed this species in Texas, and near the same locality at which it was found by Dr. Woodhouse, has very obligingly made for us the following note from his journal:

“My attention was drawn to this bird by a shrill, discontented chirp which accompanied its incessant motion in pursuit of insects. Three specimens only were seen, and all of them at one locality, near the head of the Rio San Pedro, or Devil’s River, to the valley of which it appeared to be confined, for, being aware of its novelty to the fauna of the United States, I kept a strict look-out, but did not meet with it elsewhere.

“It was not at all shy, showing no concern when approached within a few rods. The procuring of a specimen was, however, a matter of some difficulty, as its constantly hopping or flying from branch to branch rendered an unobstructed shot the next thing to an impossibility. It was found in June, and the specimen obtained by me, now in the collection of the commission, is that of a male.”

Our figure is of the natural size.

DESCRIPTION AND TECHNICAL OBSERVATIONS.

Genus Vireo. Vieillot, Ois d’Am., Sept. I, p. 83. (1807.)

Size small; bill rather short, strong, wide at base, compressed towards the point, which is curved downwards, and sharp; upper mandible with distinct notches near the point; nostrils basal, large; wing moderate or rather short, with the third and fourth quills usually longest; tail rather short; legs long, rather slender. An American genus, containing six species. The Red-eyed Flycatcher (V. olivaceus), and others of the long-billed species, are not included, but have properly been embraced in a new group, Vireosylvia, Bonaparte.