Eidgway oh a New Species of Peuccea. 221 



thirty feet from the ground, and was fired at, but, being missed, 

 escaped further pursuit by diving into the thicket of weeds and 

 hushes which bordered the fence near by. Several others were beard 

 Bulging in this locality, after leaving which the species was lost sight 

 of until the 11th of August following, upon our return to Mount Car- 

 mel. At the latter place it was found to be rather rare in certain 

 places just outside the town limits, the localities frequented being 

 invariably neglected weedy fields in which scattered dead trees were 

 standing. The latter were selected by the males when singing ; 

 but when interrupted, they sought safety by diving into the 

 shelter of rank weeds beneath them. Unlike most birds, this spe- 

 cies sang with the greatest vigor and frequency during the sultry 

 mid-day, when the sky was brightest and the heat intense, — the ther- 

 mometer ranging from 90° to 103° in the shade. The song, while 

 reminding one somewhat of the plaintive chant of the Field Spar- 

 row (Spizella pusttla), was far sweeter and altogether louder; the 

 modulation, as nearly as cau be expressed in words, resembling the 

 syllables theeeeeee-thvt , liit, !i<t, the first being a rich silvery trill, 

 pitched in a high musical key, the other syllables also metallic, but 

 abrupt, and lower in tone. 



In July and August, 1875, several specimens of this species were 

 collected by Messrs. E. W. Nelson and F. T. Jencks in the vipinity 

 of Mount Carmel and on Fox Prairie, the latter in Richland County, 

 about thirty-five miles to the northward of Mount Carmel. Their 

 published notes, like my own, are very meagre, and it is to be 

 hoped that we may soon know more of this interesting species. 



Since the above was put in type, I have received from Mr. Rags- 

 dale the following account of the habits of P. illinoensis as observed 

 by him in Texas : — 



" While riding through open post-oak woods, with tall grass under- 

 neath, April 29, 1879, my horse kicked up a bird which I recognized 

 as new to me. It flew into the top of a fallen tree which had leaves 

 on it, and it took some time to secure it. Riding back to the place 

 from which this one was started, I put up a second, which alighted 

 in a tree and was killed. Some days afterward a third specimen was 

 approached on horseback, while singing from a dead black-jack, and 

 shot. After this I was only successful in collecting this bird by 

 taking two steps at a time while the bird was singing from the top 

 of some dead tree, or from a dead branch in the top of a green tree. 

 I secured only about eight good specimens during the season, al- 

 though I made their capture a speciality. 



