BIRDS OF NOETH AND MIDDLE AMERICA. 259 



OROSCOPTES MONTANUS i Townsendj. 

 SAGE THRASHER. 



Adults in spr'uig.'^ — Above light grayish brown (hair }>rowii), the 

 feathers of pileiun and back shghtl}" darker niesially, producing 

 very indistinct streaks; wings and tail darker grayish brown, with 

 pale grayish brown or brownish gray edgings; middle and greater 

 wing-coverts narrowly tipped w4th dull white, producing two narrow 

 bands; outermost primaries narrowly edged w^th white; inner webs 

 of three or four outermost rectrices tipped with white, this about 

 10-20 mm. in extent on lateral rectrix, greatly decreasing in extent 

 toward middle rectrices; an indistinct superciliary line of dull whit- 

 ish; lores light grayish; subocular and auricular regions light grayish 

 brown, narrowly streaked with dull whitish; malar region and under 

 parts (hdl l)ufTy white, passing into pale cinnamon-buff on flanks, anal 

 region, and under tail-coverts; throat bordered along each side by 

 a narrow submalar stripe, or series of streaks, of dusky or black; 

 lower throat with sparse triangular or wedge-shaped small sp(jts or 

 streaks of dusky; chest, breast, sides, and flanks conspicuously 

 streaked w4th dark grayish brown or sooty, the markings on chest 

 in form of triangular or wedge-shaped spots rather than streaks; 

 axillars and under wing-coverts pale grayish buff; bill dusky, the 

 basal half (approximatel}') of mandible much paler (pinkish gra}' or 

 pale pinkish brown in life); iris lemon 3'ellow; legs and feet horn 

 color or dusky in dried skins, olivaceous in life, the toes darker, with 

 soles yellowish. 



Adults iti autumn.^ — Similar to the spring i)lumage, but color of 

 upper parts grayer, and tertials margined terminally with white. 



Young. — Upper parts light grayish brown (decidedly browner than 

 in summer adults), the pileum, back, scapulars, and rump rather 

 broatUy streaked with much darker grayish brown; streaks on imder 

 parts less sharplj^ defined than in adults. 



Adult male. —hength (skins), 185-216 (198); wing, 95-103 (98.7); 

 tail, 87-95 (90.8); exposed culmen, 14.5-17.5 (16.4); tarsus, 28.5-31.5 

 (30.4); middle toe, 18-21 (19.1).'^ 



a January to June, after which latter dat(! the i^himage becomes inorc worn and 

 faded. 



b September, or immediately after post-nuptial moll, to December, 

 c Sixteen specimens. 



