132 



XORTH AMEHFCAN «IRI)S. 



Campylorhjmchus brunneicapillus, Gray. 



CACTUS WBEN. 



I'li-iihiptn hninnricnpilliin, I,afi!F.s\ayk, Mng. dc Zool. 1835, 61, j)l. xlvii. — Lawr. Ann. 

 X. Y. I,yc. V, 1851, 114. — Cassis, Hirds C'ul. Tex. 1854, 15(i, \>\. xxv. — Hkkumann, 

 .1. A. N. Se. II, 1853, 263. ('. Iiniiiiidcapllhi.1, (!kay, Gimhmii, I, 1847, 15i). — Bp. 

 I'onsii. 1S50, 'i'iS. — Sci,. P. A. N. S. 156, 264. — lUiim, Kinla N. Am. 1858, 355; 

 I'r. riiil. Aciul. 185!", 3, otc. ; Ucv. itH. — Hkkiimann, 1*. K. K. X, 185S>. — Dkessek, 

 llns, 186.5, 482 (Tcxiis). — Cdoi-kh, Oim. ("al. 1, 1870, 6;. 



Sp. CiiAii. Hill as lon<; as tlic lioad Abovo brown ; darkest on the head, wliifh i.<» 

 nnspottod. Fealhcrs on thi' back sticakod centrally with white, nencatli whiti.sli, tiii)?ed 

 with rusty on the belly ; tiic leathers of the throat and upper parts, and under tail-eoverts, 

 with larp'. rounded black spots; tlio.-ie of the reinainini; inider parts with snndler, more 

 linear ones, i 'liin and line over the eye white. Tail-leathers black beneath, barred subter- 

 luinally (the outer one throufrhout) with white. Iris, reddish-yellow. Leiifrth, 8 inches; 

 winjr, 3.40 ; tail, ,3..')."). 



Hah. Adjacent borders of the United States and Mexico, from the mouth of the Rio 

 (irande to the Valley of the Colorado, and to the Paeilio coast of Southern California. 

 Replaced at Cape St. Lneas liy <\ nffiiiis. 



Tliis sjiet'io.s is lotnul iiliundaiilly along tlie line of the IJio drande and 

 Ciila, extoiuling noitlnvard .some di.stance, and everywhere conspicuous by 

 its wion-like habits and cnornions nest. v 



Habits. The Brown-headed ('iee])er is a compnratively recent addition 



to the fauna of the rnited Staters, 

 but ajtjiears to be common idong 

 tlie southwestern borders of tlie 

 I'liited States, from the valley of 

 the liio (irande to San Diego, in 

 California. In Lower California 

 it is rejilaced by the C. ajfinis. 



It was liist added to our avi- 

 fauna by Mr. Lawrence in IHol, 

 on the strength of a sj)ecimen 

 obtained in Texas by Ca])tain 

 McCown. 



Dr. Hecrmann, in his \m\wv on 

 the Birds of California, s|ieai<3 

 of finding it in the ariil country liack of (Juymas, on the (iiilf of Cali- 

 fornia. Tills country, jircscnting oidy broken surfaces and a coiifu.sed 

 mass of volcanic rocks, covered liy a scanty vegetation of thorny buslies 

 ami cacti, among other interesting birds, was found to contain this species 

 ill aiiiiiidaiicc. Mc describes it as a lively, sprightly 8])ecies, uttering, at 

 intervals, clear, Imid, ringing imics. Us nest, compo.sed of gni.s.ses and lined 

 witli fcallieis, was in tlic sliapc of a long ])ur.sc, enormous for tiie size of tlie 

 bird, aiul laid fiat between tiio forks or on the branches of u cactus. TIio 



Ctimptjlorhynrhus bninnticuf'i//it>. 



