48 



NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



served. The first specimen was obtained by Dr. T. C. Henry, near Mimbres, 

 and described by him in i\Iay, 1858, in the Proceedings of the Philadelphia 

 Academy of Sciences. A second specimen was obtained by H. B. ]\Ioll- 

 hausen, at Fort Yuma, in I860. Dr. Cones did not observe it at Fort 

 Whipple, but tliinks its range identical with that of IT. Iccontci. 



Dr. Cooper found this species quite common at Fort jNIojave, but so very 

 shy that he oidy succeeded in shooting one, after much watcliing for it. 

 Their song, general habits, and nest he sjjeaks of as being in e\'ery way 

 similar to those of H. raiirivus. 



The eggs remained unknown until Dr. E. Palmer liad the good fortune to 

 find them at St. George, Southern Utah, June 8, 1870. The nest was an 

 oblong fiat structure, containing only a very slight depression. It was very 

 rudely constructed externally of coarse sticks quite loosely put together ; 

 the inner nest is made of finer materials of the same. The base of this 

 nest was 12 inches long, and 7 in Im-adth ; the inner nest is circular, with a 

 diameter of 4i inches. 



The eggs are of an oblong-oval sluipe, one end being a little less obtuse 

 than the other. In length they vary i'rom 1.1") to 1.12 inches, and in breadth 

 from .84 to .82 of an incii. Tiiey are of a uniform blue color, similar to the 

 eggs of tlie common liobin {Tardus migratoriu.'s), only a little paler or of a 

 lighter tint. In the total alisence of markings they dilfer remarkably from 

 those of all other species of the genus. 



Gexls MIMUS, Boie. 



Mimus, Boie, Isis, Oct. 1826, 972. (Type Turdiis poli/gloUus, Linn.) 

 Orpheus, SwAiNSON, Zool. Jour. Ill, 1827, 167. (Same type.) 



Gen. Chah. Rill not imicli more than half tlie lenjjtb of the liead ; gently fleeurved 



li-oni the base, notched at tip ; 

 commissure curved. Gonys 

 straight, or slightly concave. 

 Rictal bristles quite well de- 

 veloped. Wings rather short- 

 er than the tail. First primary 

 about equal to, or rather more 

 than, half the second ; third, 

 fourth, and fifth quills nearly 

 equal, sixth scarcely shorter. 

 Tail considerably graduated ; 

 the feathers stiff, rather nar- 

 row, especially the outer webs, 

 lateral feathers about three 

 quarters of an inch the .short- 

 er in the type. Tarsi longer 



than middle toe and claw by rather less than an additional claw; tarsi conspicuously and 



strongly scutellate ; broad plates seven. 



Mimits potij^lottus- 



