TURDID.E — THE THRUSHES. 41 



ated tail, of course readily distinguish it. It agrees in some respects with 

 H. rn/i's and //. longirostris, but is smaller, the bill longer and more curved ; 

 the u})per parts are ashy olivaceous-brown instead of rufous, etc. 



Habits. So far as is at present known in regard to this species it appears 

 to be confined exclusively to the peninsula of Lower California. It has, at 

 least, been met with nowhere else. Mr. Xantus found it quite numerous 

 in the vicinity of Cape St. Lucas, in a region which, as he descriljes it, was 

 singularly unpropitious. This was a sandy sliore, extending about a quarter 

 of a mile inland, whence a cactus desert stretched about six miles up to a 

 hiffh rauijfe of mountains. Throu<j[hout this tract the «::round is covered with 

 a saline etHorescence. There is no fresh water within twenty-eight miles. 



Mr. Xantus speaks of the habits of this bird as being similar to those of 

 the Oreoscoptcs motitanus. It was a very abundant species at this cape, where 

 he found it breeding among the cactus plants in large numbers. He men- 

 tions that £is early as the date of his arrival at the place, April 4, he found 

 them already with full-fledged young, and states that they continued to 

 breed until the middle of July. 



He was of the impression that the eggs of this species more nearly re- 

 semble those of the common Mocking- r>ird than any others of this genus. 

 The aggravatingly brief notes that accompanied his collecti<jns show that the 

 geneml position of the nest of this species was on low trees, shrubs, and 

 most usually, cactus plants, and in no instance at a greater elevation from 

 the ground than four feet. Their nests were flat structures, having only a 

 very slight depression in or near their centre. They were about 5 inches 

 in diameter, and were very little more tlian a mere platform. 



The eggs vary somewhat in their ground cohjr, but exhibit only slight 

 variations in size or shape. Their greatest length is 1.13 inches, and their 

 average 1.12 inches. Their mean l)readth is .77 inch, and their niaximun^ 

 .70 inch. The ground color is a greenish-white, profusely marked w* . 

 spots of mingled purple and brown. In others Jie ground color is a . ' i- 

 green. In some sj)ecimens the spots are of a yellowish-brown, and jine 

 the markings are much lighter. 



Harporhynchus curvirostris, Cab. .. 



GBAT CTTBYE-BILL THSA8HEB. 



Orphrm atrvirnsfrifi, Swainson, Philos. Mag. 1S27, 369 (Kastorn Mexico). — M'Call, Pr. 

 A. X. So. May, 1848, 63. MimKs itfrvirf>sfn'.'i, CtKAY, Oonera, 1844-49. Torosfonia 

 cw'cirosfris, BoNAi*. Cous|K?ctus, 18.'>0, 277. — Solateii, P. Z. S. 1857, 21'2. IlaifH)- 

 rhifnchiis curvirosfris, Car. Mus. Hriii. 1. 18."»0, 81. — Baiud, Birds N. Am. 1858, 

 351, pi. li. ; in. liev. 45. — Hekkmann, P. H. R. Kq). X, Parke's Uq». 1859, 11.— 

 ScLATEK, P. Z. S. 1859, 339: In.Catal. 1861, 7, no. 46. — Dkessei:, Tins, 1865, 483. 

 PuiimtorhiiiHS turdiiiHs, Temm. PI. (>ol. 441. .** Tuxostoma vdula, Waui.eu, Isd.s, 1831, 

 528. 



6 



