252 



SYSTEM A TIC SYNOPSIS. — PA SSEBES — OSCINES. 



Fig 122 — Bo%v -billed Tbrashei, nat size 

 thick. (Ad. nat. del. E. C.) 



little too 



and blackish instead of brown ; ends of the rectrices scarcely or not lighter than the rest of these 

 feathers ; bill almost entirely dark-colored. Besides these points of coloration, there is a decided 

 difference in the shape of the bill. In H. rufus, the bill is quite straight, and only just about 

 an inch long; the gouys is straight, and makes an angle with the slightly concave lower 

 outline of the mandibular rami. In H. longirostris, the bill is rather over an inch long, and 

 somewhat curved; the outline of the gonys is a little concave, making with the ramus one con- 

 tinuous curve from base to tip of the bill. Size of H. rufus. Texas and Mexico. 

 19- H. curviros'tris. (Lat. curvus, curved, and rostris ; bow-billed.) Curve-billed Thrasher. 

 ^ 9 : Above, uuiform ashy-gray (exactly the color of a mocking-bird), the wings and tail 

 darker and purer brown. Below, dull whitish, tinged with ochraceous, especially on the 



flanks and crissum, and marked 

 with rounded spots of the color of 

 the back, most numerous and blend- 

 ed on the breast. Throat quite 

 white, immaculate, without maxil- 

 lary stripes ; lower belly and cris- 

 sum mostly free ft'om spots. No 

 decided markings on the side of the 

 head. Ends of greater and median 

 wing-coverts white, forming two de- 

 cided cross-bars ; tail-feathers dis- 

 tinctly tipped with white. Bill black, over an inch long, curved, stout; feet dark brown. 

 Length of ^ about 11.00 ; wing 4.25-4.50 ; tail 4.50-5.00; biU 1.12 ; tarsus 1.25 ; middle toe 

 and claw 1.33. 9 averaging rather smaller. Mexico, reaching the U. S. border of Texas. 

 30. H. c. pal'meri. (To Edw. Palmer. Fig. 122.) Bovsc-billed Thrasher. Above, grayish- 

 brown, nearly uniform ; wing-coverts and quills with shght whitish edging, the edge of the 

 wing itself white ; tail-feathers with slight whitish tips ; below, a paler shade of the color of 

 the upper parts, the tlu'oat quite whitish, the crissum slightly rufesceut, the breast and belly 

 with obscure dark gray spots on the grayish-white ground; no obvious m-axillary streaks, 

 but vague speckling on the cheeks; bill black; feet blackish-brown. Length 10.75; bill 

 1.12; wing 4.25; tail 5.00; tarsus 1.25 ; middle toe and claw 1.30. 9 smaller; wing 3.75 ; 

 tail 4.50; tarsus 1.20; middle toe and claw 1.12; bill barely 1.00. Although the diiferences 

 from the typical form are not easy to express, they are readily appreciable on comparison of 

 specimens. The upper parts are quite similar ; but the under parts, instead of being whitish, 

 with decided spotting of the color of the back, are grayish, tinged with rusty, especially 

 behind, and the spotting is nebulous. The white on the ends of the wing-coverts and tail- 

 feathers is reduced to a minimum or en- 

 tirely suppressed. The bill is slenderer 

 and appai'ently more curved. Arizona, 

 common, in desert regions. Nest in cac- 

 tus, mezquite and other bushes; eggs 

 usually 3, 1.10 X 0.80, pale greenish -blue 

 profusely dotted vnth reddish-brown. 

 21. H. bendi'rii. (To Capt. Chas. Bendire, 

 U. S. A. Fig. 123.) Arizona Thrasher. 

 ^ 9 '• BiU shorter than head, compara- 

 tively stout at base, very acute at tip, the culmen quite convex, the gonys just appreciably 

 concave. Tarsus a Httle longer than the middle toe and claw. 3d and 4th primaries about 

 equal and longest, 5th and 6th successively slightly shorter, 2d equal to 7th, 1st equal to penul- 

 timate secondary in the closed wing. Entire upper parts, including upper surfaces of wings 



