TURDID.E — THE THRUSHES. 41 



ated tail, of course readily distinguish it. It agrees in some respects with 

 H. rufus and If. longirostris, but is smaller, the bill longer and more curved ; 

 the upper parts are ashy olivaceous-brown instead of rufous, etc. 



Habits. So far as is at present known in regard to this species it apjaears 

 to be confined exclusively to the peninsula of Lower California. It has, at 

 least, been met with nowhere else. Mr. Xantus found it quite numerous 

 in the vicinity of Cape St. Lucas, in a region which, as he describes it, was 

 singularly unpropitious. This was a sandy shore, extending about a quarter 

 of a mile inland, whence a cactus desert stretched about six miles up to a 

 high range of mountains. Throughout this tract the ground is covered with 

 a saline efflorescence. There is no fresh water within twenty-eight miles. 



Mr. Xantus speaks of the habits of this bird as being similar to those of 

 the Oreoscoptes montanus. It was a very abundant species at this cape, where 

 he found it breeding among the cactus plants in large numbers. He men- 

 tions that as early as the date of his arrival at the place, April 4, he found 

 them already with full-fledged young, and states that they continued to 

 breed until the middle of July. 



He was of the impression that the eggs of this species more nearly re- 

 semble those of the conniion Mocking- Bird than any others of this genus. 

 The aggravatingly brief notes that accompanied his collections show that the 

 general position of the nest of this species was on low trees, shrubs, and 

 most usually, cactus plants, and in no instance at a greater elevation from 

 the ground than four feet. Their nests were flat structures, having only a 

 very slight depression in or near their centre. They were about 5 inches 

 in diameter, and were very little more than a mere platform. 



The eggs vary somewhat in their ground color, but exhibit only slight 

 variations in size or shape. Their greatest length is 1.13 inches, and their 

 average 1.12 inches. Their mean breadth is .77 inch, and their maximum 

 .79 inch. The ground color is a greenish-white, profusely marked M^th 

 spots of mingled purple and brown. In others the ground color is a bluish- 

 green. In some specimens the spots are of a yellowish-brown, and in some 

 the markings are much lighter. 



HarporhyncTius curvirostris, Caban. 



GRAY CURVE-BILL THRASHER. 



Orpheus curvirostris, Swainsox, Philos. Mag. 1827, 369 (Eastern Me.xico). — M'Cam,, Pr. 

 A. N. Sc. May, 1848, 63. Mirnus curvirosiris, Gray, Genera, 1844-49. Toxosf.oma 

 curvirostris, Bonap. Conspectus, 1850, 277. — Sclater, P. Z. S. 1857, 212. Harpo- 

 rhynchus curvirostris, Cab. Mus. Hein. I. 1850, 81. — Baird, Birds N. Am. 1858, 

 351, pi. li. ; 1b. Rev. 45. — Heermann, P. R. R. Rep. X, Parke's Rep. 1859, 11. — 

 Sclater, P. Z. S. 1859, 339 ; Ib. Catal. 1861, 7, no. 46. — Dresser, Ibis, 1865, 483. 

 Pomatorhinus turdinus, Temm. PI. Col. 441. ? Toxostoma vetula, Wagler, Isis, 1831, 

 528. 



6 



