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 Sept,, 1908 ItUACttUCA NOTES 207 Buff-breasted Flycatchers are found at 4500 feet on the west and not under 6500 on the east. The Rivoli Hummingbird nests from the summit down to 5500 feet on the east but not at all on the west. These are a few facts as I have noted them but I have no theory to offer as to why they are so in any case. An exhaustive study of the food supply might explain it; but superficial observations in that line have afforded no clue. Neither do climatic conditions. It is still an interesting subject for one to speculate upon. Tombslone, Arizona. FROM FIELD AND STUDY A Striking Example of Protective Coloration.--The accompanying photo of an adult Rocky Mountain Screech Owl standing at the entrance of its nesting cavity illustrates more forcibly than any description, the renmrkable similarity between many birds and their typical char- acteristic environment. In this case the soft grays and browns of the owl's plumage bleml perfectly with the lights aml shad- ows upon the grayish tree trunk which foram the background, antl this picture further answers the question so often asked as to why so many observers never see a screech owl during their woodlaml trmnps. The only tell-tale bit of color in the make-up of these little fellows is their brilliant yellow eyes, but as the latter are nearly always closed during the day, this does not interfere vith the perfec- tion of their concealment to any great extent. No better proof of the effective- ness of this protective coloration nmy be had than that the ever vigi- lant arch villian of the woods, the Magpie, sehlom espies this es- teemed enemy of his, as he sits stone still but in plain sight; but when from any cause the owl is forced to take ving he is immedi- ately the center of a noisy mob of Magpies. But as soon as he is again able to assume his tree-like statuesque pose his tormentors seem at a loss to understand his sudden transfornmtion and quietly depart in search of more profitable ROCKV MOUNTAIN SCREECH OWL: AN EXAMPLE OF SPECIAL PROTECTIVE RESEMBLANCE villiany.--R. B. ROCKWELL, l)enver, Colorado. The Bryant Hybrid Hummingbird.--In The 4uk for 1907, p. 312, Thayer and Bangs record and describe a hybrid hmmner from the Bryant collection of mounted California hmn- mingbirds. They also refer to my note entitled "Broad-tailed Hmnmingbird in California" and suggest that the specimen recorded by me was really the hybrid now described by them. I have no doubt that they are correct in this as well in the correction of the date as given in nly note. I published the record without having seen the specimen, depending upon the verbal notes fur-