114 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



temiiiial spot, l)ut usually leaves a brown streak near tlie end never seen in 

 arctiins, whicli also has the wliole outer web wliite except at the base. 

 From oiryonus tlie species ditlers in the much greater amount of white on 

 the wings and the less rounded character of the spots. Omjonus, too, has 

 the whole outer web of external tail-feather black, and the terminal white 

 spot of the inner wel) less than an inch in length. We have never seen in 

 orff/onns any concealed white spotting on the sides of the head. 



The trreatest dilfereuce between this race and the two others lies in the 

 stout tarsi and enormously large claws, as described, both the lateral extend- 

 ing greatly beyond the l)ase of the middle one, the hinder toe and claw 

 nearly as long as the tarsus. The only North American passerine birds 

 having any approach to this length of claw are those of tlie genus Pam'nlhi. 



This great develoi)ment of tlie claws is especially apparent in specimens 

 from the Southern Sierra Xevada, the maxinmni being attained in the Fort 

 Tejon examjdes ; those from {is far north as Carson City, Xev., however, 

 are scarcely smaller. In most liocky Mountain Pipilos, the claws are but 

 little longer than in ardiciis. 



In this race the female is not noticeably different from the male, being of 

 a merely less intense black, — not brown, — and conspicuously different as in 

 arctirvs and orefjonus ; there is, however, some variation among individuals 

 in this respect, but none are ever so light as the average in the other races. 



The young bird is dusky-brown above, with a slight rusty tinge, and 

 obsolete streaks of blackish. White markings as in adult, but tinged with 

 rusty. Throat and breast rusty- white, broadly streaked with dusky; sides 

 only tinged with rufous. 



Habits. According to Mr. liidgways observations, the P. megalonyx 

 replaces in the IJocky Mountain region and in the greater portion of the 

 Great Basin the P. arcticvs of the Plains, from their eastern slope eastward 

 to the Missouri Eiver, and the P. oregonns of the Northern Sierm Nevada 

 and Pacific coast. It is most nearly related to the latter. He became 

 familiar with the habits of this species near Salt Lake City, having already 

 made like observations of the Oregon n^ at Carson. A short acquaintance 

 with the former, after a long familiarity with the latter, enabled him to note 

 a decided difference in the notes of the two birds, yet in their external 

 appearance they were hardly distinguishable, and he was at first surprised 

 to find the same bird apparently uttering entirely different notes, the call- 

 note of P. megalonyx being very similar to that of the common Catbird. 

 The song of this species, he adds, has consideralde resemblance in style to 

 that of the eastern P. ergthrojyhthahnns, and though lacking its musical 

 character, is yet I'ar superior to that of P. oregonus. This bird is also much 

 less shy than the western one, and is, in fact, quite as unsuspicious as the 

 eastern bird. 



Nests, with eggs, were found on the ground, among the scrul)-oaks of the 

 hillsides, from about the 20th of ^lay imtil the middle of June. 



