MOCKINGBIRDS AND THRASHERS: Family Mimidae [461] 



istic inhabitants. The notes are startlingly loud and clear for so small a 

 bird and have little competition in the gray landscape, unless perchance 

 a meadowlark or sage thrasher happens to be musically inclined at the 

 same time. West of the mountains, the species is much less common, 

 although it appears often enough to afford an occasional thrill to the 

 enthusiastic hunter of new records. 



Newberry (1857) first reported it for the State from the Klamath Lakes 

 and the head of the Deschutes River. Bendire (Brewer 1875), wno found 

 the first Oregon nest at Camp Harney, May 9, 1875, wrote: 



The nest and eggs of the rock wren were found accidentally by two of my men, who were 

 getting building-stone yesterday. In moving a flat rock lying on the side of a hill close to 

 my quarters, they found a nest and four fresh eggs under it. Unfortunately a small bit of 

 stone fell into the nest and broke two of the eggs. The nest is not such a bulky affair as 

 wrens' nests usually are, no doubt on account of want of room under the rock. It was about 

 a foot and a half from the opening under the rock, on a steep hillside covered with boulders. 

 The nest was composed externally of sticks and bark, and lined with fine rootlets and a 

 little hair. 



In a later paper (Bendire 1877) he mentioned several nests from the same 

 locality. Walker (1917!)) listed a nest of six fresh eggs from Twickenham, 

 in the John Day Canyon. There have been many published references 

 since, and our notes and those of other Biological Survey men show the 

 species to be found in every county east of the Cascades. 



Anthony (Woodcock 1902.) recorded a specimen taken near Beaverton, 

 May 2.1, 1885, the first record for that part of the State. Jewett (1913 a) 

 reported one collected by O. J. Murie at Netarts, December 2.7, 1912., and 

 Shelton (1917) stated that it bred at Spencer Butte, near Eugene, as well 

 as along the eastern edge of Lane County in the Cascades. Gabrielson 

 (1931) included it in the Birds of the Rogue River Valley on a sight record 

 by Jewett. In addition to these western Oregon records, there is a speci- 

 men in the Jewett collection taken by Overton Dowell, Jr., at Mercer, 

 western Lane County, May 2.1, 1915. It is curious that when this bird 

 does go to western Oregon it should go to the coast twice out of five 

 records. 



Mockingbirds and Thrashers: Family Mtmidae 



Western Mockingbird: 



Mimus folyglottos leucoptems (Vigors) 



DESCRIPTION. Adults: upper parts grayish drab; wings and tail blackish, wings 

 with large white patch at base of primaries, wing bars, white-tipped wing quills, 

 and tertick with whitish edgings; under parts white, washed with clay color. 

 Young: more brownish above; back indistinctly spotted or streaked; breast spotted. 

 (Adapted from Mrs. Bailey.) Si%e: Length 10.00, wing 4.2.5-4.72., tail 4.43-5.32.. 



