iSSS.] Scott on f//c Birds of Arizona. l6l 



Mr. Sennett's specimens from Texas agree verv closely in general fea- 

 tures with the Scott birds from Arizona. — J. A. A.J 



220. Harporhynchus bendirei. Bendire's Thrasher. — On the plains 

 about Tucson and to the southward, this species is resident, but even here 

 there seems to be a very considerable migration, as the birds are much 

 more common in the spring and during the breeding season than during 

 the late fall and winter months. 



I also observed the birds to be quite common in the \icinity of Florence 

 during the warmer months. 



In the foothills of the Catalinas the birds were not resident but were 

 present for about eight months of the year, and were quite common dur- 

 ing the breeding season, though they did not range above 4000 feet. Here 

 they arrive early in March, the 7th of that month being the earliest record 

 made, and begin mating and nesting almost at once. The earliest nests 

 with eggs that I recorded was on March 2S, and the eggs were partly incu- 

 bated. On the 20th of Maj' there were many young birds fully grown, and 

 some of the parent birds were nesting a second time. The voung birds, 

 as soon as they are fully grown, begin to congregate in companies, often 

 being associated with one or two //. citrvirostris pabneri and H. crissalis. 

 I have seen forty or fifty young Thrashers, mostly beiidirei, together in 

 such a flock in late May and early June. At such times the birds seek a 

 somewhat higher altitude, as high as five thousand feet, and aftect thickets 

 of low oaks and juniper. 



The old birds are at all times shy and wary and dillicult to approach, 

 even when nesting. The song of the male is particularly beautiful, and 

 is to be compared with the best efforts of the Mockingbird. 



The period of song seems to begin very early in the season with all 

 three species of Thrashers that I have observed here. H. crissalis is fre- 

 quently to be heard in late December in the Catalinas, and in January 

 they are in full song, while palmeri is in song late in January, and l>e?idi- 

 rei is in full song on its arrival. 



221. Harporhynchus curvirostris palmeri. Palmer's Thrasher. — 

 Wherever the choUa, a kind of very prickly and repellant cactus, is found 

 in this region, there one is almost sure to find these Thrashers. They are 

 common residents but do not, so far as I am aware, range much above 

 3000 feet in altitude on the sides of the mountain ranges. I found them in 

 the Catalinas, at about this altitude, the year round, though they were not 

 quite as abundant in winter as at other times. Here they begin to nest 

 early in March, and by the middle of the month are breeding generally. 

 Three eggs is the usual number in a clutch, though I have found four on 

 rare occasions, and two not infrequently form the set. Rarely only one 

 egg is laid. Two broods are generally raised here. These birds do not 

 sing nearly as much after nesting has begun as thej' do for the six weeks 

 preceding the laying of the first set of eggs. Near Tucson the breeding 

 season begins fully a month earlier than on the San Pedro slope of the 

 Santa Catalinas. 



222. Harporhynchus crissalis. Crissal Thrasher. — This species is 



