200 NORTH AirEIiI('AX-]!IRDS. 



lower tail-covcrts, wliicli arc Ifiinni-yellow ; tliorc is scarcely a tiiif^e of yellow 

 on tiie ju^uluin, ami not a trauo of chestnut on tlic crown. 



Habits. ISut little is <a,s yet known in regard to the habits ami di-slrihution 

 of this somewhat I'iire and recently di.scovered sjic-eies. It was first met witii 

 by Dr. AV. W. Ander.son, at Fort Ihn'Lfwyn in New Mexico, and described 

 by I'rofessor llaird in ISGd, in a note to the ex])lanation of Vol. II. of the 

 I5irds of Nortli America. It was named in iionor of ^Nlrs. Virjiiiiia Ander- 

 son, the wife of its discoverer. An innnature individual of this species was 

 obtained August l."i, 1804, by Dr. ("ones, at Fort Wliipple, near I*re.icott, in 

 the Territory of Arizona. As it bears a close resendilance to the Hehiiiii- 

 (li(ij)li(ii/<i riiJJcdpilla, it is n(!t improbable that its habits bear a ver\' close 

 resemblance to those of that species. 



In the summer of ISliU, ^Ir. Iiobert Ilidgway was so fortunate as to meet 

 with the nest and eggs of this bird near Salt Lake, I'tah (Smith. Coll. 

 lo,2i)',>). This was June 9. The nest was end)edded in tlie depo.sits of 

 dead or decaying leaves, on ground covered by dense oak-brush. Its rim 

 was just even with the surface. It was built on the side of a narrow ravine 

 at the bottom of which was a small stri'am. The nest itself is two inches 

 in dejith liy three and a half in dianu'ter. It consists of a loo.se but intri- 

 cate interweaving of tine strijis of the inner bark of the mountain mahog- 

 any, fine .stems of grasses, roots, and mosses, and is lined with the same 

 with the addition of the fur and hair of the smaller animals. 



The eggs were four in numlier, and measure .('4 by .47 of an inch. They 

 arc of a rounded-moid shape, have a white ground with a slightly roseate 

 tinge, and arc profusely si>otted with numerous small blotches and dots of 

 jiurplish-brown and lilac, forming a crown around the larger cud. 



This bird was first oli.served liy Mr. Itidgway among the cedars and pines 

 of the East Humboldt Mountains, where in duly it was (piitc common. It 

 was very abundant in the Wah.satch Mountains near Salt Like City, through- 

 out the sunnner chiefly iidiabiting tlie thickets of scrub-oak (m the slopes of 

 the can()ns in which they nested, and where tin . were daily seen, but where, 

 owing to the thickness of the bushes, they were with diHiculty o'ltained. Ke 

 descrilies its .song as almost exactly like that of Dcinlruini (r.sfird. The 

 usual note is .» soft pit, (piite dilfcieut from the sharp c/iip of If. nliita. 



Holminthophaga luoiae, Cooi>i:u. 



LUCTS WABBLEB. 



•Iclmiiilhiijihiiijn hiciii\ f'niii'Kl!, Pr. Cal. Ai'iiil. .Inly, IStil, l'.!0 (Fort Mohiivc). -- U.vilii), 

 Hcv. Am. II. 18(M, 17S. — Ki.i.Kii, Illust. Hiiils N. Am. I, v. — Cooi'kh. Orn. f'al. I, 

 1870, 84. 



f>r. CiiAii. (Ic'iicriil loiiii mid size tliiil nl' II. rulh-niitlht. Almvc liirlil-i'iiit'iiMnis; licneath 

 wliiii', linviug u .<oili'(l, very jpale lintl', aliiiti.-sl white liugo on tlio ihront, hroiisf, unil llHnk.i. 



