_Sylvia nigrescens_, TOWNSEND, J. A. N. Sc. VII, II, 1837, 191
(Columbia River).—AUD. Orn. Biog. V, 1839, 57, pl. cccxcv.
_Vermivora nig._ BON.; NUTT. _Sylvicola nig._ AUD. Birds Am. II,
pl. xciv. _Rhimanphus nig._ CAB. 1850. _Dendroica nig._ BAIRD,
Birds N. Am. 1858, 270; Rev. 186.—SCLATER, P. Z. S. 1858, 298;
1859, 374 (Oaxaca; high mountains in March).—HEERMANN, P. R. R.
Rep. X, iv, 40.—COOPER & SUCKLEY, P. R. R. Rep. XII, ii, 1859,
180.—COOPER, Orn. Cal. 1, 1870, 90. _? Sylvia halseii_, GIRAUD,
Birds Texas, 1838, pl. iii, fig. 1, ♀ (suggested by Sclater).
SP. CHAR. Head all round, forepart of the breast, and streaks on the
side of the body, black; rest of under parts, a stripe on the side of
the head, beginning acutely just above the middle of the eye, and
another parallel to it, beginning at the base of the under jaw (the
stripes of opposite sides confluent on the chin), and running further
back, white. A yellow spot in front of the eye. Rest of upper parts
bluish-gray. The interscapular region and upper tail-coverts streaked
with black. Wing-coverts black, with two narrow white bands; quills
and tail-feathers brown, the two outer of the latter white, with the
shafts and a terminal streak brown; the third brown, with a terminal
narrow white streak. Bill black; feet brown. Length, 4.70; wing, 2.30;
tail, 2.10.
HAB. Western and Middle Provinces of United States. Migratory
southward into Western Mexico (Oaxaca); Orizaba (winter, SUMICHRAST).
Female (53,373, East Humboldt Mountains, Nev., July 14). Similar to
the male, but crown ash medially streaked with black, instead of
continuous black; the streaks on back narrow and inconspicuous; the
black of the throat confined to the jugulum, appearing in spots only
on anterior half. A young female (No. 53,376, East Humboldt Mountains,
August 10) is plain brownish-ash above, lacking entirely the streaks
on the back, and those on sides of crown extremely obsolete. There is
no black whatever on throat or jugulum, which, with the well-defined
supra-loral stripe and lower parts in general, are soiled white, more
brownish laterally. The other features, including the yellow spot over
the lores, with the wing and tail markings, are much as in the adult.
A young male (53,375), same locality and date, differs from the last
in having the sides of the crown black, and the throat-patch almost
complete, but much hidden by the broad white borders to the feathers.
An adult autumnal male (7,690, Calaveras River) is like the spring
adult, but the ash is overspread by brownish, nearly obliterating the
dorsal streaks, and dividing the black of the crown; the black
throat-patch is perfectly defined, but much obscured by white borders
to the feathers.
HABITS. The Black-throated Gray or Dusky Warbler, so far as is now
known, belongs to the Western and Middle Provinces, occurring
certainly as far to the south as San Diego, in California, and as far
to the north as Fort Steilacoom, in Washington Territory, penetrating
in winter into Mexico. The most easterly localities in which it has
been met with are in Arizona and New Mexico. The Smithsonian
Institution has received specimens also from Columbia River,
Calaveras, Cal., and Fort Defiance.
This species was first obtained and described by Mr. Townsend, who
found it abundant in the forests of the Columbia, where it breeds and
remains until nearly winter. Its nest, which he there met with,
resembles that of _Parula americana_, only it is made of the long and
fibrous green moss, or _Usnea_, peculiar to that region, and is placed
among the upper branches of oak-trees, suspended between two small
twigs.
Mr. Nuttall states that it arrives on the Columbia early in May, and
from the manner in which its song was delivered at intervals, in the
tops of deciduous trees, he had no doubt that they were breeding in
those forests as early as May 23. This song he describes as delicate,
but monotonous, uttered as it busily and intently searches every leafy
bough and expanding bud for insects and their larvæ in the spreading
oak, in which it utters its solitary notes. Its song is repeated at
short and regular intervals, and is said by Mr. Nuttall to bear some
resemblance to _t-shee-tshāy-tshaitshee_, varying the feeble sound
very little, and with the concluding note somewhat slenderly and
plaintively raised. Dr. Suckley speaks of this bird as moderately
abundant near Fort Steilacoom, generally met with on oaks, and very
much resembling _Dendroica auduboni_ in its habits. Its arrival there
he gives as occurring in the first week in April, or a month earlier
than stated by Nuttall.
Dr. Cooper met with a pair at Puget Sound that appeared to have a
nest, though he sought for it in vain. He describes its note as faint
and unvaried.
Dr. Coues met with this Warbler in the vicinity of Fort Whipple,
Arizona. He speaks of it as common there as a spring and autumn
migrant. He thinks that a few remain to breed. It arrives in that
Territory about April 20, and is found until late in September. It is
most common among the pine-trees, and in its general habits is stated
to resemble the new species _D. graciæ_.
Dr. Heermann found a few birds of this species near Sacramento, and
also on the range of mountains dividing the Calaveras and the
Mokelumne Rivers. During the survey by Lieutenant Williamson’s party,
Dr. Heermann met with a single specimen among the mountains, near the
summit of the Tejon Pass. It was in company with other small birds,
migrating southward, and gleaning its food from among the topmost
branches of the tallest oaks. He states that its notes closely
resemble the sounds of the locust.
Dr. Cooper states that these birds appear at San Diego by the 20th of
April, in small flocks migrating northward, and then uttering only a
faint chirp. They frequent low bushes along the coast, but as they
proceed farther north they take to the deciduous oaks as the leaves
begin to expand, early in May, at which time they reach the Columbia
River. He has never met with any in California after April.
Mr. Ridgway observed this species only in the pine and cedar woods of
the East Humboldt Mountains, where, in all probability, they were
breeding. He observed numerous families of young birds following their
parents in the months of July and August. He met with them only among
the cedars and the woods of the nut-pine, and never among the
brushwood of the cañons and ravines. He states that the common note of
this bird greatly resembles the sharp chirp of the _Dendroica
coronata_, and is louder and more distinct than that of _D. auduboni_.
Mr. A. Boucard obtained specimens of these birds at Oaxaca, Mexico,
during the winter months.
Dendroica chrysopareia, SCL. & SALV.