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: 244 Habits of Palmer’s Thrasher. Boke 
ently as domestic as the chickens with which it freely associated. 
Occasionally it would become too obtrusive and draw upon itself 
the belligerent attention of its more powerful companions, but when 
struck at, like the proverbial flea, it was never there. A dozen 
times an hour, and off and on I watched it for nearly half a-day. 
I expected to see it killed, but its remarkable quickness always 
stood its friend. One pestiferous old hen would run up to within 
striking distance, then slowly crane her neck in the direction of the — 
impudent little intruder, which also as suddenly assumed a like posi- 
tion, and for a moment they would stand defiantly eyeing each 
other, when, almost too quick to be seen, the hen would deliver her 
blow, but only to find the enemy two feet away with its head cocked 
first on one side and then on the other, apparently enjoying the 
dangerous sport. It answered readily to the name of Dick, and 
was particularly fond of a mixture of chili and corn meal, and when 
its attention was called to a cup containing some, it would be up in 
an instant, and if the vessel was covered with the hand would at- 
tempt to force its mandibles between the fingers. Failing in this, 
it would watch eagerly for any opening it could take advantage of. 
It had a penchant for digging holes in the ground; the harder the 
earth the greater its apparent delight. This odd feature, however, 
is common to the pa/meri family at all seasons of the year, but more 
particularly, I think, while breeding. They press their tails firmly 
against the ground, after the matter of the woodpecker; if the earth 
be dry and sandy, a perfect fusilade ot dirt is kept up. The force 
of the blow is downward and towards the body, but occasionally to 
_ clean the sand out they strike several sideward blows, and dirt flies 
for a foot in all directions. In the early spring they are commonly 
seen with a hard lump about the size of a pea, attached firmly un- 
derneath the point of the lower mandible, and as the lump is of 
adobe, which at times is found a considerable distance from their 
resting places, it is evident that this digging is done for a purpose. 
During the winter months they leave the mesas for the more shelt- 
ered bottoms where they frequent the brush fences, pomgranate 
and willow hedge rows bordering the ploughed fields, and then, 
literally, they are in mud to their eyes. 
Palmer’s thrasher may never be classed as a musical prodigy, but - 
_ nevertheless among Arizona birds he is rivalled only by that king 
_ of American songsters, Mimus polyglottos. Morning, noon and 
