44 XORTII AMEIUCAX BIRDS. 



s[jecies, its hal)itat l>ein«^' exactly between them, too. \Ve liave great pleasure 

 in dedicating this curious form to Dr. Edward Palmer, who luis added very 

 much to our knowledgvi of the Natural History of the interesting region 

 u here the present bird is found. 



Desriipfiou of nest and eggs. — (13,311, Camp Grant, Arizona; Dr. E. Palnioi). Nest 

 very bulky. — inclu-s in heijjrht l»y <> in width. Very elaborately constniotc*!. The true 

 nest, of svmnietrieal form, aiul composted of thin jmiss-stalks and flax-hke fibres, is 

 enclosed in an outer case of thorny sticks, thiidy but strongly put together. This inner 

 nest has a deep cavity measurinf^ 4 inches in diameter by 3 in depth. 



Eggs (two in number) measure I.IG by .80 ; in sha])e exactly like those of C cnrriros- 

 tris ; pale blue (deeper than in curn'rosfris), rather thinly sprinkled with niimite, but 

 distinct dots of pale sepia-br«)wn. Markings more distinct than those o^curvi'roJris. R. R. 



The nest was situated in a cactus- hush, four and a half feet alxive the 

 ground. 



Dr. Palmer rememhers nothing special concerning its luibits, excei^t that 

 the bird was very shy, and kept much ou the ground, where it was seen 

 running beneath the bushes. 



Harporhynchus redivivus, var. lecontei, P»()nap. 



I1ECONTF8 THRASHEB. 



Toxostoma hcontci, L.vwn. Ann. N. Y. Lyo. V, Sept. 1851, 109 (Fort Yuma). Ifar/M- 

 rhiimhus hcontci, lioN.VP. C. U. XXVIIl, 1854, 57. -lu. Notes Dclattre, 39.— 

 Baiud, Birds N. Am. 1858, 350, pi. 1 ; In. Review, 47. — CooI'ER, Birds Cal. I. 17. 



Sp. Cn.vi: Bill much curved. Se(;ond quill about ecpial to the tenth ; exposed portion 

 of the first more than half the longest ; outer tail-feather an inch shortest. General color 

 above light grayish-ash, beneath much paler; the chin and throat above almost white; 

 the sides behind brownish-yellow or pale rusty-yellow ash, of which color is the crissum 

 and anal region. Tail-feathers rather dark l)rown on the under surfiice, lighter above; 

 the outer edges and tips of exterior ones obscurely j)aler. Quills nearly like t .e back. 



H.\B. Gila River ; Fort Yuma ; Fort Mojave. 



Since the description of the type, a second specimen (40,7 1H<J, Fort 

 ^lojave, 20 miles from Colorado IJiver, Sept. 30, 1865) has been obtained 

 by Dr. Coues. This skin difi'ers slightly from the type in size, being 

 somewhat larger, measuring, wing 3.90, tail 5.30, bill (from nostril) 1.05 ; 

 while the other measures, wing 3.70, tail 4.70, bill .98. This ditference in 

 size very probably rei)resents that between the sexes, the type most likely 

 being a female, though the sex is not stated. Owing to the different seasons 

 in whicli the two specimens were obtained, they differ somewhat in plu- 

 mage also. Dr. Coues's specimen is somewiiat the darker, and the plumage 

 has a softer, more Vdended aspect, and a more ashy tinge of color ; tiie 

 ochraceous of the crissal region is also slightly deeper. No other differences 

 are appreciable. 



Habits. Leconte's Thrasher is a new and comparatively little known 



