040 BROWiN THRASHER 



tlic time' for iiarve'st c.uiR'. I h;i,ve fbund tliL' (Jit Bird-; coiniiioii 0:1 N.'w Providfucj whf.i 

 I first visiteil th.it isla'id in January, 1884. At thi.-^ time they had no soiiji;, l)ut liad all dl' thu 

 other characteristic notes. On March 8th a few beg'an to sing, but not tlie full melody as 

 heard in New England, the lay being shorter with loAver notes. Upon visiting Andros in 

 April, however, I then heard the full song, Itut singularly the birds uttered it while con. 

 cealed in the thick scrub. Ab(jut the 17th of the month all disappeared. In Xo\-eud>er, 

 1887,1 found them common at Middle Bright, Andros, and again on New Providence in 

 April, 189;-), but saw none on Inagua. in February, 1888, yet there were a few on Caymaj 

 Brae from April 17th to the 28th of this year. Here they did not sing, howevei'. 



GENUS. HARPORHYNCHUS. THE CURVED-BILL THRASHERS. 



Gei. Cn. Bill. b)ii2;er tlmn the head, with lioth mandibles more or less curved. The sternum diflicrs 

 IVom that (if the Mimus in havhig the coracoid bones proportionately bnger, and the lurrguial indentations 

 prop::)rtioiiately deeper. 



HARPORHYNCHUS RUFUS- 

 Bro.vn Thrasher. 



Hariiorhynehus rufis Cabanis, Mus. Ilein , 1851, 82. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Si'. Cii. Size, large. Tail, long an 1 somewhat graduate!. Bill, but little longer than the hea'l, not 

 slender ; both mandibles slightly arched, and with the upper considerably curved at the tip. Tongue, rather 

 straight, being but little narrower at the tip than in the middle : the end is slightly rounded : in some speci- 

 mens minutely cleft, and always fringed on the tip. Stcnium, ipiite stoutly built. 



Color. Adult in sjiring. Ab ivc, unitVinn briglit ruf'us; ilarkest on tlie rumii and lower part of tlie 

 back, but becoming lighter on the crown, while the forehead lias a bleached apiiearaneo. Beneath, rather 

 dirty white : with the breast, sides of the tliniat, and sides and ilanks, covered with triangular spots of dark 

 bruwn, bcciiming ruf lus on the sides (if the upper parts ef the breast : they are generally smaller and more 

 numerous (jn these parts than on others. There is a tinge of bufi" on the breast, flanks, and under tail cov- 

 erts. The sides of the neck, the lores, and ear coverts are ashy, streaked with dusky. The upper parts of 

 the wings are like the back, excepting the inner webs of the secondaries and primaries, which are dusky ; 

 this color becomes darker on the outer quills. The two rows of coverts are tipped with white, which is nar- 

 lYiwly preceded by black, forming two bars. The spurious wings are dusky, edged with white on the lower 

 sides. The under portiims of the wings are pinkish, excepting the terminal portions of the outer primaries, 

 which are dusky. Axillaries and under wing coverts, pale buff; the latter are spotted with brown. The 

 upper part of the tail is like the back, with two or three of the outer feathers narrowly tipped with yellow- 

 ish white. One specimen, now before me, has a single small spot of brown on the center of each of the 

 outer feathers, just above the wdilte of the tips. Bill, dark brown ; lighter at the base of the lower mandible. 

 Feet, brown. Irides. orange yellow. In autumn the colors above are deeper and more uniform : there is 

 also a more reddish suffusion beneath. Young, differs from the adult in being much deeper cofjred above, 

 and in having a generally rufous suffusi'jn beneath, especially on the breast. The tertiaries are tipped with 

 white, which is preceded by a dusky band. The secondaries are also narrowly edged with wdiitish. The 

 yellowish white of the tips of the tail is not as restricted and extends over more feathers. Nestling plumage, 

 differs from the adult in being paler, especially on the rump. The feathers of the middle of the back and 

 lesser wing coverts show darker centers. The spots (jn the back are narrower and darker. The irides arc 

 yellowish white. 



OBSERVATIONS. 



This species differs from all others, in the bright rufous color of the back. It is distributed throughout 

 the Eastern United States during the breeding season, excepting perhaps the more Northern portions. 

 Winters in the S()uthern States. 



