208 TEXAS AND ARIZONA 



I first formed their acquaintance ; and a sorely 

 puzzled novelty-seeker I was on that eventful 

 afternoon. The whole desert had seemed to be 

 devoid of animal existence, I remember, when of 

 a sudden there stood those strange birds on the 

 ground before me. At the first instant they gave 

 me an impression of overgrown titlarks. Then, 

 when I watched them running at full speed over 

 the grass, all at once pulling themselves up and 

 standing erect with a snap of the tail, I said : 

 " Why, they must be thrushes of some sort." In 

 attitude and action they were almost exactly like 

 so many robins. The only striking characteristic 

 of their plumage was the peculiarly dense streak- 

 ing of the under parts. 



The mystery was heightened for me by the 

 fact that they maintained an absolute silence. 

 Indeed, although I have seen them many times 

 since then, I have yet to hear them utter the first 

 syllable. For aught I can positively affirm, they 

 may every one be mutes. I chased them about 

 for half an hour, scrutinizing the least detail of 

 their dress, all the while wondering what on earth 

 to call them, till finally it came over me, I could 

 never tell how, that they must be sage thrashers. 



"Yes," I said, " Oroscoptes! I remember 

 that that bird is described as having a short 

 bill." 



