2o6 Mearns on the Birds of Arizona. [July 



On the 3cl of April, after passing the foot of Picacho Peak — 

 a high castelhited biitte to the I'ight, which for several days 

 had been a prominent landmark — we rode through a grove of 

 'sohuaras' {Ccreiis giganteiis)^ among which were many 

 arborescent cacti, in wiiich were found the nests of all three of 

 the desert species of Thrasher. That of H. lecontei was built 

 in a cholla cactus seven feet from the ground, and closely resem- 

 bles another, to be presently described. It contained one egg, 

 having a ground-color of greenish-blue of a deeper hue than in 

 H. -palmeri^ sparingly sjootted all over with brown and lavender, 

 the spots largest at the great end, where they tend to accumulate 

 and form a wreath near that extremity. It measures 19 X 29 

 mm. This is the most eastern point at which the species has 

 yet been found. 



When returning over this route, between Casa Grande and 

 Sweet Water, on the nth of May, I shot a young Leconte's 

 Thrasher ; and when near Sweet Water took a pair of adults, 

 and positively identified and secured their nest and three fresh 

 eggs. They were first seen in the bush in which the nest was 

 built, but flew out of sight when approached. After examining 

 the nest, I concealed myself under a neighboring mesquite, in a 

 position that was scarcely tolerable, on account of the burning 

 heat radiated from the white sand. The sharp whit of the 

 female kept me apprised of her whereabouts. At length, when 

 I was almost roasted, she flew into the mesquite and almost im- 

 mediately took her place upon the eggs. A chirping call from 

 me quickly brought her to the top of the bush, where I shot 

 her. With the male the case was different. It required a chase 

 of an hour to secure him, and he would certainly have escaped 

 were it not for his persistency in returning to the nest as often as 

 lost sight of. His flight was often low, among the bushes, and 

 impossible to follow with the eye ; but, when soaring upward 

 into a bush, he was usually detected. The sharply reiterated 

 whit^ or quit^ also served me to keep track of him. At 

 length I winged him at long range when flying, and then had an 

 exciting chase upon the ground, shooting at him as I ran. His 

 dexterity in running and hiding among the scattered greasewoods 

 was admirable. This nest was placed in a mesquite. at a height 

 of six or eight feet. It rested upon a fork and received additional 

 support from a neighboring branch. It was composed of fine 



