Brewster on a Collection of Arizona Birds. 7 •'■ 



557, $ ad.. Camp Lowell. June 21. Length. 10; extent. 13.20; wing, 

 4.10; tail, 4.60; culmen, .95. 



426, $ juv. first plumage, twenty-five miles south of Tucson, May 22. 

 Length, 6.10; extent, 9.40; "Iris light gray; bill dark brown, lighter 

 below; .legs pale bluish." Taken from the nest; wings and tail only 

 partly developed. 



538, $ juv. first plumage, twenty-five miles north of Tucson, June 16. 

 Length, 10.10; extent, 12.50; wing, 3.77 ; tail. 4.59; culmen, .96. 



539, — juv. first plumage, same locality and date. Length, 9.80; extent, 

 12.70; wing, 3.92; tail, 4.67 ; culmen, .92. 



540, $ juv. first plumage, same locality and date. Length, 10; extent, 

 12.80; wing, 3.90; tail, 4.55; cidmen. .95. 



7. Harporhynchus curvirostris palmeri Ridg%v. Pal- 

 mer's Thrasher. — During the present trip this Thrasher was 

 met with at various points in the desert region about Tucson and 

 Camp Lowell, where it was one of the most abundant and char- 

 acteristic summer birds. Its favorite haunts were barren wastes 

 covered with cactuses and stunted mesquites ; but, like many other 

 desert species, it occasionally visited the more fertile valle3's to 

 drink at the springs and water-holes. At these latter places spec- 

 imens were obtained without much difficulty, but on all other 

 occasions they were exceedingly shy and war}-. In February, 

 iSSo, Mr. Stephens found Palmer's Thrasher at Phoenix, and he 

 also took winter specimens along the San Pedro River.* 



Numerous nests were taken. The one before me was placed 

 in a cholla at a height of about seven feet. It is composed out- 

 wardly of large twigs, and is lined with bleached grasses. 

 Althougli by no means a rude structure, it sutlers bv comparison 

 with the nest of H. boidirei. its construction being simpler, and 

 all the materials much coarser. The three eggs whicli it con- 

 tained were onlv slightly incubated on June 14. Thev measure 

 respectively I.05X-S3, i.09X-<*^-2, and 1.0SX-S3. They are pale 

 greenish-blue, finely and very evenly spotted with brown and 

 lavender. The number of eggs making up this set was not 

 exceeded in an\- of the others examined by Mr. Stephens. 



The series of skins embraces no less than twenty-two examples, and 

 very fully illustrates all the variations of age and season. Among the 

 number are several in the hitherto undescribed first plumage. The 



* Its distribution in Arizona is apparently limited to a comparatively small area 

 which, according to Mr. Stephens' experience, is bounded on the east by the valley of 

 the San Pedro ; on the west by a point " a few miles east of the Hassayampa, on the 

 desert between it and Salt River." 



