Bird Notes from Southern Arizona

During the months of July and August, 1933, my wife and I made a general vertebrate collection in southern Arizona, mostly in the vicinity of Pena Blanca Spring, Santa Cruz Countv, but also in Miller Canyon, Huachuca Mountains, and near the town of Patagonia.Some specimens were taken as ' we traveled between these points, and a few were given to us by ranchers.The first of these localities is in the broken country to the west of the Santa Cruz Valley.It is, about seven miles west of Nogales and three miles north of the international boundary, as the crow flies.The elevation is close to 4000 feet.Three canyons, two of which are rather small, empty into a large open wash.At this junction is sit&ted Pena Blanca Spring.The water flow is small but constant and has been led into a tank, twenty by twenty by five feet, which serves as a reservoir for a cattle trough.There is a slight overflow the year around.Thus local animal life that needs it is insured a constant water-supply.A mile or so below the spring, the canyon again %oxes" up.On the United States War Department maps, the name of this spring and canyon is erroneously given as "Pino Blanco."The Pena Blanca area is characterized chiefly as Upper Sonoran grassland.Only in the favorable localities such as in ravines aad the larger canyons and on the north facing slope are brush (and trees to be found.However, as the country is quite broken, these situations are common enough to make a fair stand of live oak, walnut, and sycamore possible.The latter species is particularly abundant in the neighboring Walker Canyon.The rainy season in this region l&s from early July to late September.At this time the grass grows knee deep where grazing is not too heavy.Though at first glance the district looks to be Upper Sonoran, the following list of the more indicative birds Seen or collected before July 15 shows some interesting paradoxes: Cyrtonyx montexumae mearnsi Nelson Mgiarchus cinerascens cinerascens (Law-Columba faseiccta fasciata Say rence) Cocc~zus am.ericanus occiden.talisRidgway Myiarohus tubarculifer olivascens Ridg-Tyto dba pratinda (Bonaparte) way Otus a&o dneraceus (Ridgway) Myioohan~s dcharclsonii richaro?.