44 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



species, its lialiitat being exactly l)etweeii tlietn.tim. "We have great pleusuie 

 in dedicating this curious form to Dr. Edward Palmer, who has added very 

 mucli to our knowledge of the Xatural History of the interesting region 

 where the present bird is found. 



Description of next and eggs. — (l.'{,311, Camp flraiit. Arizona; Dr. E. PuIuut). Nest 

 very bulky. — 9 inches in height by 6 in width. Very elaborately constructed. The true 

 nest, of symmetrical form, and composed of thin grass-stalks and flax-like fibres, is 

 enclosed in an outer case of thorny sticks, thinly but strongly put together. This inner 

 nest has a deep cavity measuring 4 inches in diameter by 3 in depth. 



Eggs (two in number) measure 1.16 by .85 ; in shape exactly like those of C. cnrviros- 

 iris ; pale blue (deeper than in curvirostris'), rather thinly .sprinkled with minute, but 

 distinct dots of pale sepia-brown. Markings more distinct than those o( curvirostris. R. R. 



The nest was situated in a cactus-bush, four and a half feet above the 

 ground. 



Dr. Palmer remembers nothing special concerning its liabits, excef)t that 

 the bird was very shy, and kept much ou the ground, where it was seen 

 running beneath the bushes. 



Harporhynchus redivivns, vnr lecontei, P.onap. 



lECONTE'S THRASHER. 



Toxostoma lecontei, Lawis. Ann. N. Y. Lye. V, Sept. 1851, 109 (Fort Yuma). Ifarpo- 

 rhijnchiis lecontei, HoN.\p. C. R. XXVIII, 1854, 57. —Ib. Notes Delattrc, 39.— 

 Bauiu, Birds N. Am. 1858, 350, pi. 1 ; Ib. Review, 47. — Cooper, Birds Cal. I, 17. 



Sp. Char. Bill much curved. Second quill about equal to the tenth ; exposed portion 

 of the first more than half the longest ; outer tail-feather an inch shortest. General coloi- 

 above light grayish-ash, beneath much paler; the chin and throat above almost white; 

 the sides behind brownish-yellow or i)ale rusty-yellow ash, of which color is the crissum 

 and anal region. Tail-feathers ratlier dark brown on the under surface, lighter above; 

 the outer edges and tips of exterior ones obscurely paler. Quills nearly like the back. 



Hab. Gila River ; Fort Yuma ; Fort Mojave. 



Since the description of the type, a second specimen (40,718 (J, Fort 

 Wojave, 20 miles from Colorado River, Sept. 30, 1865) has been obtained 

 by Dr. Coues. This skin differs slightly from the type in size, being 

 somewhat larger, measuring, wing 3.90, tail 5.30, bill (from nostril) 1.05 ; 

 while the other measures, wing 3.70, tail 4.70, bill .98. This diHerence in 

 size very probably rejjresents that between the sexes, the type most likely 

 being a female, though the sex is not stated. Owing to the different seasons 

 in whicli the two specimens were obtained, they differ somewhat in plu- 

 mage also. Dr. Coues's specimen is somewliat the darker, and the plumage 

 has a softer, more blended aspect, and a more ashy tinge of color ; the 

 ochraceous of the crissal region is also slightly deeper. No other differences 

 are appreciable. 



Habit.s, Leconte's Thrasher is a new and comparatively little knuwn 



