48 CHARACTERS OF THE GENUS OROSCOPTES 



placed in bushes ; the eggs are three to six in number, usually 

 speckled (the Catbird furnishes an exception to this last state- 

 ment). In this group, the vocal powers are carried to the highest 

 known degree, some of the species being able to imitate not 

 only the notes of other animals, but various sounds which are 

 mere noises, without musical quality. 



There are three North American genera of this subfamily, all 

 •of which are represented in the Colorado Basin. Although the 

 generic characters are not very strongly marked (all the species 

 used to be placed iu the single genus Mimus), tangible differ- 

 ences will be observed on comparing the diagnoses given. 



Genus OROSCOPTES Baird 



Chars. — Wings and tail of equal lengths, the former more 

 pointed than iu the other genera of 31i7nince, with the first quill 

 not half as long as the second, which is between the sixth and 

 seventh 5 the third, fourth, and fifth about equal to each other, 

 and forming the point of the wing. Tail nearly even, its 

 feathers being but slightly graduated. Tarsus longer than the 

 middle toe and claw, anteriorly distinctly scutellate. Bill much 

 shorter than the head, not curved, with obsolete notch near 

 the end. llictal bristles well developed, the longest reaching 

 beyond the nostrils. 



0. montamis is the type and only known species of this genus. 



JTIoiiutain Iflockiiigbircl 



Oroscoptes uiontauus 



Orpheus montanus, Om. Comm. Joum. Phila. Acad. vii. 1837, 193 (Columbia River).— ^urf. 



Syu. 1839, 89.— ^«rf. BA. ii, 1841, 194, pi. XZ^.— Henry, Pr. Phila. Acad. vii. 1655, 310 



(New Mexico). 

 Turdus montanus, Aud. OB. iv. 1838, 437, pi. 369, f. 1. 

 Tardus (Orpheus) montanus, Towns. Joum. Phila. Acad. viii. 1839, 153. 

 Mimus montanus, B;). C. & GL. 1838, Yl.—Gamb. Pr. Phila. Acad. iii. 1846, 114 (California).— 



Gamh. Journ. Phila. Acad, i, 1847, A%—Bp. CA. i. 1850, 276.— IfcCaW, Pr. Phila. Acad. 



V. 1851, 216 (Texas).- JFoodA. Expl. Zuui River, 1853, IZ.—Heerm. PRRR. x. 1859,44. 

 Oroscoptes montanus, Bd. BNA. 1858, Ml.— Cones, Pr. Phila. Acad, xviii, 1866, 65 (Arizona). 

 Oreoscoptes montanus, Scl. PZS. 1859, 340 (critical).— i/enry, Pr. Phila. Acad. xi. 1859, 



107 (New Mexico).— Bd. Ives' Rep. Expl. Colorado, pt. v. 1861 , 6.—Hayd. Tr. Am. Phil. 



Soc. xii. 1860, 163 (Black HHIb).— 5d. Rev. AB. 1864, 42.— Dress. Ibis, 1865, 482 (Texas) — 



Butch. Pr. Phila. Acad. xx. 1868, 149 (Laredo, Tex.).— Coop. Am. Nat. iii. 1869, 73.— 



Coop. Pr. Gala. Acad. 1870, 75 (Colorado River).— Coop. B. Cal. i. 1870, U.—SCev. U. S. 



Geol. Surv. for 1870, 1871, 464.— .^oW. Pr. Boat. Soc. 1872, 194 (Black UilU).— All. Bull. 



MCZ. iii. 1872, 174.- Cnues, Key, 1872, 74.— Merr. U. S. Geol. Surv. for 1872, 1873, 670, 



705,712,713.— Ridg. Bull. Ess. Inst. v. 1873, 179.— Coop. Am. Nat. viii. 1874, 17.— Allen, 



