WRENS, THRASHERS, ETC. 439 



but is much less common, only a few of the brown birds being seen, 

 while the pale, clay-colored curve-bill ranks as one of the commonest 

 brush birds. 



707. Toxostoma curvirostre (Swains.). Curve -billed 



Thkasher. 



Adults. — Upper parts light brownish gray ; wings with two narrow white 

 bai-s ; tail blaclcish, four pairs of outer feathers 

 strikingly tipped with white ; throat white ; 

 breast and sides thickly spotted and clouded 

 with gray ; flanks huffy. Young : similar, ^'S- ^JtiS. 



but wing coverts and rump tinged with fulvous, and markings on breast 

 narrower and darker. Length : 10.50-11.40, wing 4.15-4.55, tail 4.40-4.65, 

 exposed eulnien 1.10-1.30. 



Distribution. — Lower ISonoran zone from New Mexico and western Texas 

 to Oaxaca, Mexico. 



Nest. — In cactus and trees, made of thorny twigs lined with a few 

 grasses. Eggs : 3 or 4, colored like those of jMlmeri. 



The curve-billed thrasher is abundant and tame as you go through 

 the thorn brush of southern Texas, especially as you approach 

 Mexico. Its big clay-colored figure is largely in evidence, perched 

 on the brush or flying on short wings with long tilting tail across the 

 road. Cactus, j^uccas, and thorn brush are all liberally supplied 

 with its big thorny nests. When we were photographing one the 

 owner came so close that we could see the bright red of its eyes. As 

 the birds watched us they gave their liquid two-syllabled call, which 

 is one of the loud, dominant notes of the country. In a dry wash in 

 southern New ^lexico, when we were preparing to photograph one 

 of the yucca nests, the brooding bird, who had been entirely hidden 

 by the yucca spears, quietly slipped out of the nest and disappeared 

 in the brush. 



707a. T. C. palmeri (Coues). Palmer Thrasher. 



Upper jjarts uniform dark brownish gray or grayish broivn : wings with 

 bars obsolete or wanting ; tail indistinctly tipped with lighter ; throat 

 whitish ; rest of under parts _- -"""^^ — ^^ 



grayish, obsoletelv spotted with 

 darker. Lenqth) 1 1.00-11. .50, 

 wing 4.20-4.<;0, tail 4.SO-5.20, 

 expo.sed culnien 1. IS- 1.40. *''K- ^^• 



Distribution. — Resident in Lower Sonoran zone in southern Arizona 

 and Sonora. Mexi<'o. 



Nest. — In cactus, of sticks, usually lined with dried grass. Eggs : 2 to 

 4, pale bluish green, finely and uniformly speckled with brown. 



Tbc Pahner thra.slier is abundant on the cactus di-si-rts of southern 

 Arizona, being resident uj) to 3000 feet. 



708. Toxostoma bendirei (Coues). Bkndike Thkasher. 



Upper parts pale grayish brown ; wings with indistinct bars J tail dark 



