320 Tllli SACK 'IIIUASliaK. 



No. 12.1. 



SACK THK\>HHR. 



A. ( >. I'. N'o. 702. Oroscoptos montanus 'I'ownsciul. 



Synonyms, — Sack Mihki:i<, .Mchntain MncKiNC-iiiRD (early name — 

 iiiaiimpiis I. 



Description. — .Idiills: C.cneral pliimaKf asliy Ijmwn, lighter liehiw: above 

 >;ravish- nr axlu -l)n>\vii. the featliers, especially on crown, streaked mesially with 

 darker brown; wings and tail dark grayish i)rown with paler edgings; middle 

 and greater coverts narrowly tipped with whitish, producing two dull liars; outer 

 rectrices hroadly tip|)ed with white, decreasing in area, till vanishing on central 

 pair: lores grayish; a pale superciliary line; cheeks brownish varied by white; 

 nnder|)arts whitish tinged with InitTy brown, most strongly on flanks and crissum. 

 everywhere ( save, usually, on throat, lower belly, and under tail-coverts) streaked 

 with flusky, the streaks tending to confluence along side of throat, sharply <lis- 

 tinguishe<l and wedge-shaped on breast, where also heaviest; bill blackish paling 

 on mandible; legs and feet dusky brownish, the latter with yellow soles; iris 

 lemon-yellow. )'i>iiiii/ birds are browner and more decidedly streakcfl alxivc ; 

 less distinctly streaked below. Length about H.oo (jot,); wing 3.82 (97); tail 

 3.54 (<K>t : bill /<^ { \f\4) : tarsus i.jo (30.51. 



Recognition Marks. — Chewink size; ashy-brown plumage api)earing nearly 

 uniform at distance; sage-haunting habits; impetuous song. 



Nesting. — Nest, a substantial structure of thorny twigs (Sarfuhatus |)re- 

 ferred). usually slightly domed, with a heavy inner cup of line bark ( sage 1 

 strijis. ])laced without attenijit at concealment in sage-bush or grcascwix)d. Ei/ys. 

 4 or 5. rich, dark, bluish green, heavily spotteil or Iilotched with rich rufous and 

 "egg-gray" — among the handsomest. .\v. size. .98 x .71 (24.()xi8). Season: 

 May i-lune 13; two (?) broods. 



General Range. — Western I'nited States from western part of the Oeat 

 riains I western So\ith Dakota, western Nebraska, and eastern Colorado) north 

 to Moiuan.i. west to the Cascades and Sierra Nevada, st)Uth into New .Mexico. 

 Lower (.".iliforni.i. and. casually, to Cuadalupe Island. 



Range in Washington. — Treeless portions of East-side; summer resi<lent. 



Authorities. -["Sage Thrasher," Johnson. Rep. Cov. \V. T. 1884 ( 1885). 

 p. JJ. I Dawson. Wilson I'.ulletiu. Xo. 3<). June. if)02, p. 67. (T). D'. Ss". Ss-. 



Specimens. C of W. P. C. 



IT takes a jxiet to appreciate the desert. Those jieople who atTect to 

 (lesi)ise the sage are the same to whom stones are stones instead of conipacte<l 

 histories of the world's youtli. and clouds are cIoikIs instead of legions of 

 angels. It is no mark of genius then to despise common tilings. Tlie desert 

 has cra<lle<l more of the world's good men and great than ever were ciMJdled 

 in king's |)alaces. Whistler used to |)aint "symphonies in gray" and men held 

 hack f|iieslioning. *'Er — is this art?" A few. IxiMer than their fellows, pro- 



