VIUXCJILLID.K — THE FIXlMIKS. 



57 



nest of the two species, lie adds, were nlso so imicli alike in nmnuer of con- 

 Hlnictidu and sit imtion, anil the t'^^n so siiuihir, that it reciuired a careful 

 ohservution to idenlil'y a nest when one was found. 



The I'gjis from one nest of the J'tifisirc/ltt Hclmtncca measure .9(J by .70 of 

 an iiieli, have a j^round of a light mountain-green, and are profusely spotted 

 witii hlotclies of a rufous-brown, generally ililfused over the entire egg. 



Anotlier nest of tiiis species, obtained in Parley's Park, in tlie Waiisatch 

 Mountains, hy Mr. liidgway, June 23, 1869, was built in a clump of willows, 

 about two feet from the ground. The nest is two inches in lieight, two and 

 a lialf in diameter, cavity one and a half deep, witli a diameter of two. It 

 is composed externally of coar.se decayed water-gras.s, is lined witli fine hair 

 and finer material like the outside. Tiie eggs, four in number, are .8i) Ijy .07 

 of an inch, of a very rounded oval shape, the ground-ct)lor of a pale green, 

 blotched and marked chiefly at the larger end with brown spots of a wine- 

 colored hue. 



Fasserella townsendi, var. megathynchus, Baird. 



THICK-BILLED SFABBOW. 



rnsscrdhi .vcliintdiYti, liAiitn, liinls N. Am. IS.IS, p. 4!»0 (in part; Ft. Tojon .specimens). 

 l',iii.v)r/l(i Meijiirliiniclnis, U.\ii!n, Biiils N. Am. 18,18, p. 1)25 (.Vppciuli.x). — C'oopElt, 

 Oni. Ciil. I, 222. I'(tsscrel/(t schisliura, vur. metjurhijnclms, Kidoway, Uept. Geol. 

 Expl. 40tli I'ur. 



but bill 



Sp. Chah. Similar to var. schi.itacea in oolor.'^, size, and general proportions ; 

 unnrniously tlii(;l<, its doptli beinj; very miiuh 

 greater tiian the distaiico from nostril to tip, 

 instead of much less; eolor of lower mandilile 

 ro.sy milk-white, instead of maize-yellow. Jiill, 

 ..3ij from nostril, .4" deep; wing, li.uO; tail, 3.00; 

 tarsus, .83 ; middle too without claw, .G3 ; hind 

 claw. ")0. 



ILvn. Sierra Nevada, from Fort Tejon north 

 to 40° latitude (Carson City, Nevada, breeding, 

 RibawAY). 



Tliis very remarkable variety of P. townsendi is quite local in its distribu- 

 tion, having been observed only in the Sierra Nevada region, as above 

 indicated. The first specimens were brought from Fort Tejon by Mr. J. 

 Xantus, but at what season tiiey were found there is not indicated on the 

 labels. Eecently, specimens were procured by Mr. Ridgway at Carson City, 

 Nev., in April, tliey Iiaving arrived there about the 2()th of April, fre- 

 quenting the ravines of the Sierra near the snow. At the same place the 

 var. schistacca was found earlier in the spring, but among the willows along 

 the streams in the valleys, and not met with in the mountains ; and all the 

 individuals had passed northward before those of megarhijnchus arrived. 



VOL. 11. 8 



