296 



KOUTII AMKUICAN BIHD8. 



Xanthoitrn hixnoxa* 



As reiufii'kod iil)r)vc, the |iiissa.!,'o into tlie yclldw-lioUiod t/iKtlcmalaisis is 

 giaduiil as wo jiiocucel soiitli; and tiiu latter, and jicriiaiis even tliu inras, can 

 only bo consiiloiod as follow races of u common orininal siiocios. 



llAlUT.s. Within the limits of the United States this lieautiful sjiecies 



has thus far been only met with in 

 Southeastern Texas in the lower val- 

 ley of the liio Uraude. It was lirst 

 described in 1H;!!», by M. Lesson, u 

 French naturalist, from a Mexican 

 si)ecimen, and in 1851 was first 

 brou,nht to our notice as a bird of the 

 United States by Mr. Ueo. N. Law- 

 rence of New York. S])eciiuens of 

 this bird were obtained liy tlie l)arty 

 of the Mexican J>oundary Survey, 

 and by Lieutenant Couch on the itio 

 Grande, at Matanioras, New Leon, and 

 San Dio^^o, jMexico. The only note 

 as to its habits by Lieutenant Couch is to the elfect that it eats seeds and 

 insects. 



The late Dr. l>orlandier of ^Litamoras obtained R])0cimens of this bird in 

 the vicinity of that city, which were found among his collections. Among 

 his manuscript notes occurs a description of the plumage and habits of 

 this species, which he had described under the name of Pictt (rrrantcnii. 

 In this he states that this bird inhabits the whole eastern coast of Mexico, 

 but that he has only met with it f>n the banks of the liio I'.ravo del Norte, 

 in the vicinity of ^latamoras. It is said to be both carnivorous and grami- 

 nivorous, and comes about the houses in search of the refuse. Although it 

 can swallow whole grains of corn, before eating it Itreaks them with its 

 beak, holding them between its claws, in the manner of liirds of jirey, and 

 biting with great force. It is commonly known as I'ajaro rcvde, or tireen- 

 bird. 



Mr. Dre.sser states that this species was common on the lower IJio Grande 

 during the winter, but was not found on the Upper Itio Grande or in Texas, 

 except as a straggler I'rom Mexico. 



This bird, Mr. Sumichrast states, is common throughout the Department 

 of Vera Cruz, whore it is generally known by the name of V^'crdc (htoca and 

 Sonajn. It is said to be one of the birds most generally difl'used through- 

 out the whole de])artment. It iidiabits both the hot and the temperate 

 regions, and is ff)und even at the foot of the alpine, to the altitude of nearly 

 six thousand feet aliovo the .sea. It is also said to be abundant in other 

 parts of ^Mexico. It was observe 1 to be quite numerous on the Ticrra 

 ti'77iplada, or table-lands, and also among the hills that bound the jdains of 

 Perote and Puebla on the east, Ijy Mr. William S. Pease, a naturalist who 



