BROWX TIIRVSII. 21 



GENUS IV. IIARPOUIIYNCHUS. THE CURVE-BILLED TIIKI SIIKS. 

 OCH. On. Hill I, ,11,1,1- than the head, with both mandibles more or less curved. The sternum differs from that of 

 Minnis in hai-iiif/ tin t -net proportionately longer, and the marginal indentations proportionately deeper. 



HABPOBHYNCHUS RUPUS. 



Brown Thrush. Thrasher. 

 Harporhynchus ru/us CAIIAMS, Mus. Hein., 1851, 82. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Sp. On. Size, large. Tail, long and somewhat graduated. Bill, but little longer than the head, not slender; 

 both mandibles slightly arched, and with the upper considerably curved at the tip. Tongue, rather straight, being but 

 little narrower at the tip than in the middle; the end is slightly rounded; in some specimens minutely cleft, and 

 always fringed on the tip. Sternum, quite stoutly built. 



Count. Adult in spring. Above, uniform bright rufous; darkest on the rump and lower part of the back, but 

 becoming lighter on the crown, while the forehead has a bleached appearance. Beneath, rather dirty white; with 

 the breast, sides of the throat, and sides and flanks, covered with triangular spots of dark brown, becoming rufous 

 on the sides of the upper parts of the breast; they are generally smaller and more numerous on these parts than on 

 others. There is a tinge of buff on the breast, flanks, and under tail coverts. The sides of the neck, the lores, and 

 oar coverts arc ashy, streaked with dusky. The upper parts of the wings are like the back, excepting the inner webs 

 of the secondaries and primaries, which are dusky ; this color becomes darker on the outer quills. The two rows of 

 coverts are tipped with white, which is narrowly preceded by black, forming two bars. The spurious wings are 

 dusky, edged with white on the lower sides. The under portions of the wings are pinkish, excepting the terminal 

 portions of the outer primaries, which are dusky. Axillaries and under wing coverts, pale buff; the latter are 

 spotted with brown. The upper part of the tail is like the back, with two or three of the outer feathers narrowly 

 tipped with yellowish-white. One specimen, now before me, has a single small spot of brown on the centre of each 

 of the outer feathers, just above the white of the tips. Bill, dark brown ; lighter at the base of the lower mandible. 

 Feet, brown. Irides, orange yellow. 



In autumn the colors above are deeper, and more uniform ; there is also a more reddish suffusion beneath. 



Ynitnij. (lifters from the adult in being much deeper colored above, and in having a generally rufous suffusion 

 beneath, especially on the breast. The tertiaries are tipped with white, which is preceded by a dusky band. The 

 secondaries are also narrowly edged with whitish. The yellowish-white of the tips of the tail is not as restricted 

 and extends over more feathers. 



nil jiluiitnye, differs from the adult in being paler, especially on the rump. The feathers of the middle of 

 the back and lesser wing coverts show darker centres. The spots on the back are narrower and darker. The irides 

 are yellowish-white. 



OBSERVATION'S. 



This species differs from all others, in the bright rufous color of the back; except, perhaps, //. longirostris, 

 which is probably only a variety of II. riifim. It is distributed throughout the Eastern United States duriug the 

 breeding season, excepting perhaps the more Northern portions. Winters in the Southern States. 



DIMENSIONS. 



Average measurements of twelve specimens. Length, 11-24; stretch, 13-28; wing, 4-02; tail, 4-86; bill, 1-00; 

 tarsus. 1-39. Longest specimen, 11-72; greatest extent of wings, 14-CO; greatest length of wing. 4-LTi ; of tail, 4-89; 

 of bill, 1-05; of tarsus, 1-40. Shortest specimen, 10-30; smallest extent of wings, 13-25; smallest length of wing, 

 3-15; of tail, 4-40; of bill, -95; of tarsus, 1-10. 



DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 



Nests, composed outwardly of dried leaves, weeds, and roots ; lined with not very fine roots. They are of 

 moderate depth, and well proportioned to the size of the birds. Dimensions. External diameter, 5 inches; Internal, 

 3 inches. External depth, 3 inches; internal, 1-50 inches. 



Eggs, tour or five in number; pale blue in color, spotted and dotted everywhere with reddish-brown. These 

 spots cluster on the larger end, and in some specimens they form rings around it, of varying diameters. Form, 

 generally, rather elliptical. Dimensions, from l-OOx-75 to l-10x-80. 



HABITS. 



At the commencement of my first campaign in Florida, in December, 1868, we had pitched 

 our tent in the pine barrens, about three miles south of Jacksonville. It was a very pretty .spot. 

 To the northward was an immense plain, covered with a verdant carpet, from which rose the 



