TURDID.E — THE THRUSHES. 47 



also upon the berries which generally ahound in these places. Their nests 

 usually contain three eggs. Dr. Cooper states that their loud and varied 

 song is frequently intermingled with imitations of other birds, tliough the 

 general impression appears to be that they are not imitative, and do not 

 deserve to be called, as they often are, a mocking-bird. 



Harporhynchus crissalis, Henry. 



RED-VENTED THRASHER. 



Harporhynchus crissalis, Henry, Pr. A. N. Sc. May, 1858. — Baird, Birds N. Am. 1858, 

 350, pi. Ixxxii ; Review, 47. — Cooper, Birds Cal. i, 18. 



Sp. Char. Second quill about as long as the secondaries. Bill much curved ; longer 

 than the head. Above olive-brown, with a faint shade of gray ; beneath nearly uniform 

 brownish-gray, much paler than the back, passing insensibly into white on the chin ; but 

 the under tail-coverts dark brownish-rufous, and abruptly defined. There is a black 

 maxillary stripe cutting off a white one above it. There do not appear to be any other 

 stripes about the head. There are no bands on the wings, and the tips and outer edges 

 of the tail-feathers are very inconspicuously lighter than the remaining portion. Length, 

 11 inches; wing, 4.00; tail, 5.80 ; tarsus. 1.25. 



Hab. Region of the Gila River, to Rocky Mountains ; Southern Utah (St. George, 

 Dr. Palmer). 



A second specimen (11,533) of this rare species is larger than the type, 

 but otherwise agrees with it. Its dimensions are as follows : — 



Length before skinning, 12.50 ; of skin, 12.50 ; wing, 3.90 ; tail, 6.50 ; its graduation, 

 1.45; first quill, 1.50; second, .41; bill from forehead (chord of curve), 1.65, from gape, 

 1.75, from nostril, 1.30 ; curve of culmen, 1.62 ; height of bill at nostril, .22 ; tarsus, 

 1.30 ; middle toe and claw, 1.12. 



The bill of this species, though not quite so long as in redivivus, when 

 most developed, is almost as much curved, and much more slender, — the 

 depth at nostrils being but .22 instead of .26. The size of this specimen is 

 equal to the largest of redivivus (3,932) ; the tail absolutely longer. The 

 feet are, however, considerably smaller, the claws especially so ; the tarsus 

 measures but 1.30, instead of 1.52 ; the middle claw .29, instead of .36. 

 With these differences in form, however, it would be impossible to separate 

 the two generically. 



A third specimen (No. 60,958 $ , St. George, Utah, June 9, 1870), with nest 

 and eggs, has recently been obtained by Dr. Palmer. This specimen, being 

 a female, is considerably smaller than the type, measuring only : wing, 3.90 ; 

 tail, 6.00 ; bill, from nostril, 1.15. The plumage is in the burnt summer 

 condition, and has a peculiar reddish cast. 



Habits. Of this rare Thrush little is known. So far as observed, its 

 habits appear to be nearly identical with tliose of the Californian species 

 {H. redivivus). It is found associated in the same localities with H. lecontei, 

 which also it appears to very closely resemble in all respects, so far as ob- 



