Although presumed to be chiefly resident, during the summer months, of high northern regions, Wilson met with specimens in Pennsylvania during the breeding-season; and it is quite probable that they may occur, here and there, among the high valleys in the midst of mountain ranges, in different parts of the country.
In the winter it is most abundant in the Gulf States, and especially in that of Louisiana. Dr. Woodhouse found it quite abundant throughout Texas, New Mexico, and the Indian Territory. Dr. Cooper found it in Washington Territory, but did not there meet with it in summer. Dr. Suckley, however, regarded it as a transient visitor, rather than a winter resident of that region, and far more abundant from about the 8th of April to the 20th of May, when it seemed to be migrating, than at any other time.
Dr. Kennerly found these birds in abundance near Espia, Mexico, and afterwards, during January, among the Aztec Mountains, and again, in February, along the Bill Williams Fork. He describes them as lively, active, and busy in the pursuit of their insect food. They seem to be equally abundant at this season in California, Arizona, and Colorado.
Mr. Ridgway found them common in June and July among the coniferous woods high upon the Wahsatch Mountains in Utah, and has no doubt that they breed there.
Mr. Dall found this species abundant at Nulato, Alaska, in the spring of 1868, preferring the thickets and alder-bushes away from the river-bank. They appeared very courageous. A pair that seemed about to commence building a nest in a small clump of bushes tore to pieces one half finished, belonging to a pair of Scolecophagus ferrugineus, and, on the blackbirds’ return, attacked the female and drove her away. This was early in June, and Mr. Dall was compelled to leave without being able to witness the sequel of the contest.
A straggling specimen of this bird was taken in 1860 at Nenortatik, in Greenland, and sent in the flesh to Copenhagen.
Subfamily POLIOPTILINÆ
The characters of this subfamily will be found on page 69.
Polioptila, Sclater, Pr. Zoöl. Soc. 1855, 11. (Type, Motacilla cærulea.)
Polioptila cærulea.
10213
Char. Bill slender, attenuated, but depressed at the base; nearly as long as the head, distinctly notched at the tip, and provided with moderate rictal bristles. Nostrils rather elongated, not concealed, but anterior to the frontal feathers. Tarsi longer than the middle toe, distinctly scutellate; the toes small; the hinder one scarcely longer than the lateral; its claw scarcely longer than the middle. Outer lateral toe longer than the inner. First primary about one third the longest; second equal to the seventh. Tail a little longer than the wings, moderately graduated; the feathers rounded. Nest felted and covered with moss or lichens. Eggs greenish-white, spotted with purplish-brown.
The species all lead-color above; white beneath, and to a greater or less extent on the exterior of the tail, the rest of which is black. Very diminutive in size (but little over four inches long).
Two outer tail-feathers entirely white. A narrow frontal line, extending back over the eye, black. Hab. North America … P. cærulea.
Outer tail-feather, with the whole of the outer web (only), white. No black on the forehead, but a stripe over the eye above one of whitish. Hab. Arizona … P. plumbea.
Edge only of outer web of outer tail-feather white. Entire top of head from the bill black. Hab. Rio Grande and Gila … P. melanura.
Species occur over the whole of America. One, P. lembeyi, is peculiar to Cuba, and a close ally of P. cærulea.
Motacilla cærulea, Linn. Syst. Nat. I, 1766, 337 (based on Motacilla parva cærulea, Edw. tab. 302). Culicivora cærulea, Cab. Jour. 1855, 471 (Cuba).—Gundlach, Repert. 1865, 231. Polioptila cærulea, Sclater, P. Z. S. 1855, 11.—Baird, Birds N. Am. 1858, 380.—Ib. Rev. 74.—Dresser, Ibis, 1865, 231.—Cooper, Birds Cal. 1, 35. Motacilla cana, Gm. S. N. I, 1788, 973. ? Culicivora mexicana, Bon. Consp. 1850, 316 (not of Cassin), female. Polioptila mexicana, Sclater, P. Z. S. 1859, 363, 373.
Figures: Vieill. Ois. II, pl. lxxxviii.—Wilson, Am. Orn. II, pl. xviii, fig. 3.—Aud. Orn. Biog. I, pl. lxxxiv; Ib. Birds Am. I, pl. lxx.
Sp. Char. Above grayish-blue, gradually becoming bright blue on the crown. A narrow frontal band of black extending backwards over the eye. Under parts and lores bluish-white tinged with lead-color on the sides. First and second tail-feathers white except at the extreme base, which is black, the color extending obliquely forward on the inner web; third and fourth black, with white tip, very slight on the latter; fifth and sixth entirely black. Upper tail-coverts blackish-plumbeous. Quills edged externally with pale bluish-gray, which is much broader and nearly white on the tertials. Female without any black on the head. Length, 4.30; wing, 2.15; tail, 2.25. (Skin.)
Hab. Middle region of United States, from Atlantic to Pacific, and south to Guatemala; Cape St. Lucas. Cuba, Gundlach and Bryant. Bahamas, Bryant.
Habits. The Blue-gray Flycatcher is a common species from the Atlantic to the Pacific coast, although not met with in the New England States. It is less abundant on the coast than at a distance from it, and has a more northern range in the interior, being met with in Northern Ohio, Michigan, and the British Provinces. Specimens occur in the Smithsonian Institution collection from New York to Mexico and Guatemala, and from Washington Territory to California.
They appear in Pennsylvania early in May, and remain there until the last of September. They are observed in Florida and Georgia early in March, but are not known to winter in that latitude. All the specimens in the Smithsonian collection were obtained between April and October, except one from Southern California, which was taken in December.
Polioptila cærulea.
Near Washington, Dr. Coues states the Blue-gray Gnatcatcher to be a summer resident, arriving during the first week of April, and remaining until the latter part of September, during which time they are very abundant. They are said to breed in high open woods, and, on their first arrival, to frequent tall trees on the sides of streams and in orchards.
In California and Arizona this species occurs, but is, to some extent, replaced by a smaller species, peculiarly western, P. melanura. There they seem to keep more about low bushes, hunting minute insects in small companies or in pairs, and their habits are hardly distinguishable from those of Warblers in most respects.
The food of this species is chiefly small winged insects and their larvæ. It is an expert insect-catcher, taking its prey on the wing with great celerity. All its movements are very rapid, the bird seeming to be constantly in motion as if ever in quest of insects, moving from one part of the tree to the other, but generally preferring the upper branches.
Nuttall and Audubon, copying Wilson, speak of the nest of this Gnatcatcher as a very frail receptacle for its eggs, and as hardly strong enough to bear the weight of the parent bird. This, however, all my observations attest to be not the fact. The nest is, on the contrary, very elaborately and carefully constructed; large for the size of the bird, remarkably deep, and with thick, warm walls composed of soft and downy materials, but abundantly strong for its builder, who is one of our smallest birds both in size and in weight. Like the nests of the Wood Pewee and the Humming-Bird, they are models of architectural beauty and ingenious design. With walls made of a soft felted material, they are deep and purse-like. They are not pensile, but are woven to small upright twigs, usually near the tree-top, and sway with each breeze, but the depth of the