OROSCOPTES. 541 



Genus OROSCOPTES Baird. (Page 538, pi. CXX., fig. 1.) 



Species. 



Adult: Above brownish gray, the wings with two narrow white bands, 

 and the larger wing-feathers edged with pale grayish (whitish in fresh autumn 

 plumage) ; inner webs of two or three, sometimes four, outer tail-feathers broadly 

 tipped with white ; beneath dull white, tinged with buffy on flanks and under tail- 

 coverts, the chest, breast, and sides thickly marked with wedge-shaped longitudinal 

 spots and streaks of dusky. Young : Similar to adult, but upper parts indistinctly 

 streaked with darker, and streaks on lower parts less sharply defined. Length 

 8.00-9.00, wing 3.95-4.19, tail 3.20-3.35, culmen .G0-.65, tarsus 1.10-1.15. Nest very 

 bulky, composed of sticks, shreds of bark, fine rootlets, etc., placed in bushes 

 (usually of the so-called " sage-bush," Artemisia tridentata). Eggs 3-5, 1.00 X -71, 

 rich greenish blue, spotted with clove-brown. Eab. Artemisia or " sage-brush" 

 plains of western United States, chiefly within the Great Basin, south into Mexico 

 in winter 702. Oroscoptes montanus (Towns.). Sage Thrasher. 



Genus MIMUS Boie. (Page 539, ph CXX., fig. 4.) 



Co.MMON Char.\cters. — Above brownish gray, or ash-gray, with or without 

 darker centres to feathers of back, etc. ; tail-feathers (exce])t middle) with white 

 terminal spots or with much white on lateral feathers (these sometimes wholly 

 white); wings usually with more or less conspicuous white edgings or patches; 

 beneath whitish, with or without dusky streaks on flanks. Young essentially simi- 

 lar to adult, but breast speckled with dusky. Kest verj- bulky, composed of sticks, 

 and lined with finer materials, placed in thick bushes, thornj- trees, hedge-rows, 

 vines, etc. Eggs pale bluish or greenish, spotted with reddish brown. 



a'. Back plain gray; outer tail-feathers mostlj* or entirely white ; flanks very in- 

 distinctly or not at all streaked. 

 6'. Primary coverts and basal portion of quills white, forming a large and very 

 conspicuous patch on spread wing. Adult : Above plain gray, the wings 

 and tail chiefly blackish ; beneath white, tinged on breast with palo 

 grayish (more brownish or buffy in autumn). Young : More brownish 

 above, the back indistinctly streaked or spotted with darker ; breast 

 distinctly spotted or speckled with duskj-. Length 9.00-11.00, wing 

 4.10-4.90 (4.5S), tail 4.50-5.75 (5.04). exposed culmen .6.3-.75 (.70), tarsus 

 1.20-1.38 (1.30). Eggs .97 X -73, pale greenish blue, varying to pale dull 

 buff}-, spotted with reddish brown. Jfab. United States (rare or local 

 north of 38°), Mexico, Bahamas, and Greater Antilles. 



703. M. polyglottos (T.inn). Mockingbird, 

 t'. Primary coverts and basal portion of quills entirelj- dusky. 



c'. Above brownish gray, the wings and tail dusky, with broad edgings of 



