THE CRTS SAL THRASHER. 29 



13. THE CALIFORNIA SICKLE-BILL. 

 HARPORHYNCHUS REDIVIVUS {Gamb.) Cab. 



A songster almost equalling the eastern mocking-bird in 

 "liquid mellowness" of tone, the music of this bird is con- 

 fined to the coast region of southern Calif ornia.^ where it 

 resides the year i"ound in the dense growth of thorny shrubs on 

 the hillsides. 



In general character its nest is a rough, rudely-constructed 

 platform of interwoven sticks, coarse grass and mosses, with 

 a very slight depression lined with pieces of bark, fibrous roots 

 and hair. It is usually very untidy, but occasionally is more 

 elaboi'ately made. Its outside is an interweaving of leaves, 

 stems and mosses, and its lining fine, long, fibrous I'oots. 

 There are usually three, but sometimes four eggs. Theii size 

 is about that of a robin's, but the outline is more blunt. They 

 have a faint, grass-green ground, sparsely spotted with very 

 obscure olive and russet-brown markings, not unlike those laid 

 by Turdus ustulatus. 



Var. LECONTEi, No. 13a, of this thrasher, is to be found in 

 small numbers about the lower valleys of the Colorado and 

 Gila rivers, where its habits resemble those of the typical sickle- 

 bills. Its nest is said to be very similar to that oi H. redivivus., 

 but of the eggs I am ignorant. 



14. THE CBISSAL THRASHER. 

 HARPORHYNCHUS CRISSALIS Henry. 



Of the rarecrissal, or red-vented thrasher, very little is yet 

 known. In its habits and architecture it appears to be identi- 

 cal with the California mocker. It ranges through the Colo- 

 rado and Gila deserts. Capt. Chas. Bendire appears to 

 have been most fortunate in finding its nests, taking six in March, 

 1872, on the Rio Rillito, southern Arizona. "The nest," he 

 writes, " is externally composed of diy sticks, some of which are 

 fully a quarter of an inch thick ; the lining consists exclusively 

 of diy rotten fibres of a species of wild hemp, or Asclepias ; in 

 hone of the nests did I find any i-oots, leaves or hair. The 



