32 



NORTH AMKRICAN JJIUDS. 



Oreoscoptes montanus, r>AiRi). 



8A0E THSA8HEB; MOUHTAIH MOCXEB. 



Orpheus 7nf>v fa Hits, Towxsexd, Jour. Aiatl. Nat. Sri. \*\\i\a.. VII, ii, 1837, 192. —Arn. 

 Birds Anur. II, 1841, 194, pi. cxx.xix. Titr>h(s inontmim, Arn. Orn. Bio;,'. IV, 1838, 

 437, pi. rcflxix, fig. 1. M hints viuahinus, Bonap. Consp. 1850, 276. Oratscoptt's 

 iiionf4iniis, Bviun, Binls N. Ainer. 1858, 347; Rt*v. Am. B. 1864, 42. — Sclatek, 

 r. Z. S. 1859, 340. — Ib. Catal. 1861, 8, no. 30. — CooPEU, Birds t'sil. I, 12. 



Pp. (^iiar. First quill rathor shorter than the sixth. Tail slijjhtly graduated. Above 

 brownish-ash; each feather obsoletely darker in the centre. Beneath dull white, thickly 

 marked with trian<rular spots, except on the under tail-coverts and around tlie aini.s, which 

 regions are tinged with yellowish-brown. Wing-coverts an<l (piills edged with dull white. 

 Tail feathers brown ; the outer edge<I, antl all (except, perhaps, the middle) tipped with 

 white. Length, 8 inches; wing, 4.8.') ; tail. 4.00; tarsus, 1.21, 



Young. Similar, but spots beneath less sharply defnied, and the upjxT parts quite 

 conspicuously streaked with dusky. 



IIab. Rocky Mountains of United States, west to Pacific, south to Cape St. Lucas. 



The careful observations of ^fr. Uohert Ridgway have led him to the con- 

 viction tliat the name be.stowed upon this species of " Mountain Mocking- 

 Bird " is doubly a misnomer. It is not at all imitative in its notes, and it is 



almost exclusively a resident of the ar- 

 temisia ])lains. It seems to be chieflv 

 confined to the great central plateau of 

 North America, from Mexico almost to 

 Washington Teiritory. Specimens have 

 been procured from Cape St. Lucas, the 

 Lower Colorado, Mexico, and Texas, on 

 the south, and Xuttall met with it nearly 

 as far north as Walla- Walla. It proba- 

 bly occupies the whole extent of the 

 Great Basin. 



Dr. Kennerly, who met with it while 



crossing the arid mcms west of the Bio 



Grande, says that while singing it was 



usually lurched upon some bush or low tree. It was frequently seen 



seeking its food upon the ground, and when approached, instead of flying 



away, it ran very rapidly, and disappeared among the low bushes. 



During the winter months it was observed near San Antonio, Texas, by 

 Mr. Dresser ; and was also found by him to l^e common al)out Eagle I*ass. 

 He noticed the same ^peculiarity of their running instead of their flying 

 away when disturbed. They preferred the flat, bush-covered plains. A few 

 remained to breed, as he obtained the eggs there, although he did not him- 

 self meet with one of the birds in summer. 



It is generally I'epresented as keeping chiefly on the ground, and obtaining 



OreoxojHes montanus. 



