12 SINGING BIRDS — OSCINES. 



dark evergreen forests towards the north, as they do near tJio moutli of the 

 Columbia, though I did not see any about the siiiumits of the Sierra Nevada, 

 in September, at lat. 39°, elevation 7,000 feet. 



In October tliey begin to come down to the valleys, and are quite com- 

 num in winter near San Francisco. They are then usually timid, but to- 

 wards spring come more familiarly around houses, and utter then- shrill, low 

 note.s, wjiich seem much more distant tliau tlie bird itself really is. If jiur- 

 sued, they hide, and sit immovable among the foliage. They are said to 

 " warble sweetly " at times, but I ha\'e never heard any true song from them. 

 The nest is said to be built much like that of the Eobin Thrush, which they 

 much resemble. AU these birds left Santa Cruz, about April 1, 1866, and 

 none liad returned from the North up to the 1st of November.* 



Sub-Family MIMINiE. 



CliAi;. Tail long, vaulted at the base ; the feathers more or less gi'aduat- 

 ed ; size, large ; general appearance, thrush-like. Eictus with distinct bris- 

 tles. Frontal feathers, normal, directed backwards. Anterior half of outer 

 side of tarsi distinctly scutellate. 



Genus OREOSCOPTES, Baird. 



Oroscopks, Baikb, P. R. Kcii. IX. Birds, .34G. (Type, O. jnnntantis.) 



Gen. Cn.\R. Culnicn only slijjlitly ciirvi'ii towaril? tbu tip. Bill longer and slen- 

 derer tlian in Miiiiii.^: not quite e(jual to the bead. Wini;s deeidedly longer than the 

 tail, rather [jointed ; the first primary U'ss than half tlie seeond. third and fourth longest. 

 Tail rounded ; searoely graduated. Tarsi longer than niiildle toe and elaw. 



Oreoscoptes montanus, Townsexd. 



MOUNTAIN MOCKING-BIED. 



Orplieus montanus, Townsend, J. A. X. Sc. VII. ii. 1837. 192. — Audcbox, Birds Amer. II. 

 1841, 194 ; pi. 139. — Tiirdus montanus, Alduuo.n, Orn. Biog. IV. 1838, 437 ; pi. 369, f. 

 1- — Miniiis muntanus, Boxap,\rte, List, 1838. — Ncttall, Man. 2d ed. I. 371. — Heer- 

 MAXX, r. K. Rep. X. vi. 44. — 0/os<y;/)fcs ;«onto«i«, Baihd, I'. R. Rep. IX. Birds, 347. 

 Ib. Review. — Kexxeklv, X. iv. 25. 



Sp. Ciiah. First cpdll rather shorter than the sixth. Tail slightly graduated. Above 

 brownish asli ; eaeh feather obsoletely darker in the eentre. Beneath, dull -white, thiekly 

 marked with triangular .spots, excejit on the under tail coverts and around the anus, wbieb 



» Nest and eggs of this bird liave been reeeived by the Sniitlisoniau Institution from the Yukon 

 (W. H. Dall) and Sitka (Dr. T. T. Minor). Tbc eggs resemble those of the Robin, but differ iu 

 being slightly spotted. (Baikd.) 



