16 NESTS AND EGGS OF N. A. BIRDS, 



ance of lecontei. Were it not that the nests and eggs, with the pa- 

 rent accompanying, had been received from Dr. Palmer we might 

 be tempted to consider it a hybrid between these two species, its 

 habitat being exactly between them, too. We have great pleasure in 

 dedicating this curious form to Dr. Edward Palmer, who has added 

 very much to our knowledge of the Natural History of the inter- 

 esting region where the present bird is found. 



Description of nest and eggs — (13, 311, Camp Grant, Arizona; Dr. 

 E. Palmer.) 



Nest very bulky, — 9 inches in height by 6 in width. Very elab- 

 orately constructed. The true nest of symmetrical form, and com- 

 posed of thin grass-stalks and flax-like fibres, is enclosed in an 

 outer case of thorny sticks, thinly but strongly put together. This 

 inner nest has a deep cavity measuring 4 inches in diameter by 3 

 in depth. 



Eggs (two in number) measure 1.16 by .85; in shape exactly 

 like those of C. atrvirostris" ; pale blue (deeper than in ciiyxiirostris) 

 rather thinly sprinkled with minute but distinct dots of pale sepia- 

 brown. Markings more distinct than those of curvirostris, R. R. 

 Nest was situated in a cactus-bush, four and a half feet above the 

 ground. 



Dr. Palmer remembers nothing special concerning its habits, 

 except that the bird was very shy, and kept much on the ground, 

 where it was seen running beneath the bushes." — Baird, Brewer 

 AND Ridgway's N. a. BiRDa, vol. I, pp. 43, 44. 



16. HARPORHYNCHUS RFDIVIVUS. 



CALIFORNIAN THRASHER. 



"The Californian Thrasher appears to have a somewhat restrict- 

 ed distribution, being confined to the coast of California, where, 

 however, it is quite abundant. * * * A nest of this bird found 

 by Dr. Heerman was composed of coarse twigs, and lined with 

 slender roots, and not very carefully constructed. Mr. Hepburn 

 writes that a nest found by him was in a thick bush about five feet 

 from the ground. It was a very untidy affair, a mere platform of 

 sticks, almost as carelessly put together as that of the pigeon, in 

 which, though not in the centre, was a shallow depression about 4 

 inches in diameter, lined with fine roots and grass. It contained 



