48 



NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



served. The first specimen was obtained by Dr. T. C. Henry, near Mimbres, 

 and described by him in May, 1858, in the Proceedings of the Philadelphia 

 Academy of Sciences. A second specimen was obtained by H. B. Moll- 

 hausen, at Fort Ynma, in 1868. Dr. (Jones did not observe it at Fort 

 Whipple, but tliinks its range identical with that of H. Iccontci. 



Dr. Cooper found this species quite common at Fort Mojave, but so very 

 shy that he only succeeded in shooting one, after much watching for it. 

 Their song, general habits, and nest he speaks of as being in every way 

 similar to those of H. redivivits. 



The eggs remained vuiknown until Dr. E. Palmer had the good fortune to 

 find them at St. George, Southern Utah, June 8, 1870. The nest was an 

 oblong flat structure, containing only a very slight depression. It was very 

 rudely constructed externally of coarse sticks quite loosely put together ; 

 the inner nest is made of finer materials of the same. The base of this 

 nest was 12 inches long, and 7 in breadth ; the inner nest is circular, with a 

 diameter of 4| inches. 



The eggs are of an oblong-oval shape, one end being a little less obtuse 

 than the other. In length they vary from 1.15 to 1.12 inches, and in breadth 

 from .84 to .82 of an inch. TJiey are of a uniform blue color, similar to the 

 eggs of the common Kobin {Turdus migratorius), only a little paler or of a 

 lighter tint. In the total absence of markings they differ remarkably from 

 tliose of all other species of the genus. 



Genus MIMUS, Boie. 



Mimus, Boie, Isis, Oct. 1826, 972. (Type Turdus poIi/gloUus, Linn.) 

 Orpheus, Swainson, Zool. Jour. Ill, 1827, 167. (Same type.) 



Gen. Cdar. Rill not much more than half the length of the head ; gently decurved 



from the base, notched at tip ; 

 commissure curved. Gonys 

 straight, or slightly concave. 

 Rictal bristles quite vi^ell de- 

 veloped. Wings rather short- 

 er than the tail. First primary 

 about equal to, or rather more 

 than, half the second ; third, 

 fourth, and fifth quills nearly 

 equal, sixth scarcely shorter. 

 Tail considerably graduated ; 

 the feathers stiff, rather nar- 

 row, especially the outer webs, 

 lateral feathers about three 

 quarters of an inch the short- 



Mimus polyglottus. . 



er in the type. Tarsi longer 

 than middle toe and claw by rather less than an additional claw ; tarsi conspicuously and 

 strongly scutellate ; broad plates seven. 



