28 NESTS AND EGGS OF BIRDS. 



Wbh. BENDIRE'S THRASHER. 

 HARPORHYNCHUS BENDIREI Cones. 



This is not common anywhere in Arizona except at Tucson, 

 where, in 1872, Capt. Chas. Bendire discovered it and found 

 fourteen of its nests. In a letter to the author Capt. Bendire 

 relates that the first nest he found, May 16, was on a dry, 

 barren plain, between Tucson and Rillito creek. It was placed 

 in a cactus, but was almost the only one found in such a sit- 

 uation, they being more generally discovered in inesquite trees, 

 or, occasionally, in an ash or walnut, from five to thirty-five 

 feet from the ground, and preferably in the river bottoms, — 

 differing notably from the curve-bill, which chooses bushes. 

 The nest is flat and much like that of the curve-bill, but slightly 

 smaller. There are usually only three eggs, occasionally four ; 

 their shape is oval, blunt or only slightly tapering at the small 

 end; their size, an average of 1.03 by .73; color, "greenish- 

 gray with pale reddish-brown and lavender markings, generally 

 scattered over the whole surface." Dr. Brewer has noted the 

 similarity of these eggs to those of PyrrJiuloxia sinuata ; among 

 the thrashers, they remind me most of those laid by H. cine- 

 reus. Fresh specimens have been found as late as July 19. 



12. THE CAPE ST. LUCAS THRASHER. 

 HARPORHYNCHUS CINEREUS Xaiitus. 



As its name indicates, this species is confined to the penin- 

 sula of Z(9xt'<?r California., where Mr. Xantus found it breeding 

 among the cacti along the desert shore near Cape St. Lucas. 

 These thrashers had young fully fledged by AjDril 4, and con- 

 tinued breeding until the middle of July. The general position 

 of the nest was on shrubs or low trees, and most usually on a 

 cactus plant. Their nests were flat platform-like structures hav- 

 ing a very shallow depression in the centre. The eggs are. 

 greenish-white profusely marked with spots of mingled purple 

 and brown. In some specimens the spots are yellowish-brown, 

 while in others the markings are much lighter. They average 

 1. 12 by .77 of an inch in dimensions, and somewhat resemble 

 those of the eastern mockinfr-bird. 



