32 



NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



Oreoscoptes montanus, JUird. 



SAGE THRASHEB; MOUNTAIN MOCKEB. 



Orpheus viontanus, Townsend, Jour. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. VII, ii, 1837, 192. — AuD. 

 Birds Amer. II, 1841, 194, pi. cxxxix. Turdus montanus, AuD. Orn. Biog. IV, 1838, 

 437, pi. ccclxix, fig. 1. Mimus montamis, Bonap. Consp. 1850, 276. Oreoscoptes 

 montanus, B.\IRD, Birds N. Amer. 1858, 347; Rev. Am. B. 1864, 42. — Sclater, 

 P. Z. S. 1859, 340. —In. C'atal. 1861, 8, no. 30. — Coofkh, Birds Cal. 1, 12. 



Sp. Char. First quill rather shorter than the sixth. Tail slightly graduated. Above 

 brownish-ash ; each feather obsoletely darker in the centre. Beneath dull white, thickly 

 marked with triangular spots, except on the under tail-coverts and around the anus, which 

 regions are tinged with yellowish-brown. Wing-coverts and quills edged with dull white. 

 Tail feathers brown ; the outer edged, and all (except, perhaps, the middle) tipped with 

 white. Length, 8 inches; wing, 4.85; tail, 4.00; tarsus, 1.21. 



Young. Similar, but spots beneath less sharply defined, and the upper parts quite 

 conspicuously streaked with dusky. 



Hab. Rocky Mountains of United States, west to Pacific, south to Cape St. Lucas. 



The careful observations of Mr. Eobert liidgway have led him to the con- 

 viction that the name bestowed u]3on tliis species of " Mountain Mocking- 

 Bird " is doubly a misnomer. It is not at all imitative in its notes, and it is 



almost exclusively a resident of the ar- 

 temisia plains. It seems to be chiefly 

 confined to the great central plateau of 

 North America, from Mexico almost to 

 Washington Territory. Specimens liave 

 been procured from Cape St. Lucas, the 

 Lower Colorado, Mexico, and Texas,, on 

 the south, and Nuttall met with it nearly 

 as far north as Walla-Walla. It proba- 

 bly occujnes the wliole extent of the 

 Great Basin. 



Dr. Kennerly, Avho met witli it while 



crossing the arid mesas west of tlie Eio 



Grande, says that wliile singing it was 



usually perched upon some bush or low tree. It was frequently seen 



seeking its food upon the ground, and when approached, instead of flying 



away, it ran very rapidly, and disappeared among the low bushes. 



During the winter months it was observed near San Antonio, Texas, by 

 Mr. Dresser ; and was also found by him to be common al)out Eagle Pass. 

 He noticed the same peculiarity of their running instead of their flying 

 away when disturbed.' They preferred the flat, bush-covered plains. A few 

 remained to breed, as he obtained the eggs there, although he did not him-. 

 self meet with one of the birds in summer. 



It is generally represented as keeping chiefly on the ground, and obtaining 



Oreoscoptes montanus. 



