PASSERES— TURDIDAE— H. OURVIKOSTEIS VAR. PALMERI. 157 



though suffering ten-ibly from the effects of many miles' weary travel over the 

 burning sands, often reject it, considerable numbers of these thrushes were 

 noticed in the throngs of the commoner kinds, as the Sparrows and Wlute- 

 winged Blackbirds, which resort here through the day to slake their thii-st. 

 The brink of the pool was often crowded with hundreds of birds brought 

 thus together from common necessity, and forgetful of aught else save the 

 urgent need which impelled them to seek this spot from great distances. 



In its flight and manner of obtaining food, it reminded me much of the 

 Brown Tlu'ush of the East. It frequents the edge of the mesquite thickets, 

 where it hops easily and lightly over the ground, peering about with its 

 sharp eyes for insects. It skims swiftly and lightly through the air, keeping 

 close to the ground, and, when alarmed, retreats from one thicket to another, 

 and strives to escape search by hiding in the thick brush. When startled, it 

 often ascended quickly to the tops of the tall mesquites, and moving quickly 

 about, with nervous jerks of its long tail, emitted a succession of loud cluck- 

 ing notes, which resemble those the Wood Thrush utters when expressing 

 anger or alarm. Its disjiosition in general was wild and suspicious, and it 

 was only by observing great care that I succeeded in getting sufficiently 

 close to learn anything of its habits. I observed hundreds of their 

 deserted nests built in the large Choia cactus ; but at this season, Sep- 

 tember 1 to 10, they had long ceased to breed, and but a single young 

 bird in nesting-plumage was found. Their eggs must be deposited quite 

 early in the season. 



