34 TUEDID^. 



bars ; taH dark liver-brown, the outer three feathers with a greyish spot pn the inner web at the end ; 

 quills of the same colour as the tail, the larger ones narrowly edged with duU white, the others with dull 

 pale rufous ; the entire under plumage is pale yellowish fulvous, sides darker, with longitudinal brown 

 stripes ; bill black ; tarsi and toes blackish-brown. Length (fresh) 11| inches, wing 4i, tail 5i, bill |, 

 tarsi 1^." — Lawrence, I. s. c. 



Hob. Mexico, Socorro Island [Grayson'^). 



Of this species, which Mr. Lawrence ^ says is so distinct from all others of the 

 genus that no comparisons are necessary, we have never seen specimens. From the 

 description it would seem to be allied to the H. redivivus section of the genus, in which 

 the plumage is unspotted, Grayson, to whom the credit of the discovery of the 

 species is due, found it during his expedition to the island of Socorro, and in his paper 

 on the birds of that island has given the following note respecting it ^ : — 



" Not very abundant, but seems to be well distributed over the island. It has aU 

 the characteristics of the true Mocking-bird in its habits (Mimus polyglottus). Of 

 solitary disposition, it attacks every bird of its own species that approaches its usual 

 haunts. 



" One took up its quarters in our camp, and was certainly the tamest bird of this 

 genus I ever saw ; he appeared to take pleasure in our society, and attacked furiously 

 every bird that came near us. He doubtless regarded us as his own property, often 

 perching upon the table when we were taking our meals and eating from our hands, 

 as though he had been brought up to this kind of treatment ; at times ascending to 

 the branches over our head, he would break forth into loud and mellow song, very 

 Thrush-like. In the still hours of the night, while roosting in the branches near us, 

 he would sometimes utter a few dreamy notes, recalling to mind the well-known habits 

 of the true Mocking-bird." 



MIMUS. 

 Mimus, Boie, Isis, 1826, p. 973. (Type Turdus polyglottus, Linn.) 



With the single exception of M. polyglottus, all the species of this genus are found 

 in South America, their distribution over the southern continent being almost universal, 

 extending from the northern shores to Patagonia, and including the greater Antilles 

 and the Galapagos Islands. The common North-American species M. polyglottus is 

 found throughout Mexico to the isthmus of Tehuantepec, where its place is taken by 

 M. gilvus, a species, under slightly varied plumage, extending through Yucatan, 

 Guatemala, and Honduras to Colombia, Venezuela, and Guiana. 



In introducing the generic name Mimus, Boie gave no characters, merely men- 

 tioning the type species. This want is fully supplied in works on North-American 

 ornithology *. 



* Baird, Brew. & Eidgw. N, Am. B. i. p. 48. 



