THRASHERS— THRUSHES— WRENS— NUTHATCHERS— VIREO. 



131 



across, when its wings are spread. Some individuals are, how- 

 ever, larger, and some smaller, those of the first hatch being uni- 

 formly the largest. The upper parts of the head, neck, and back 

 are a dark brownish ash, and when new-moulted, a fine light gray ; 

 the wings and tail are nearly black, the first and second rows of 

 coverts tipped with white ; the primaries, in some males, are 

 wholly white; in others, tinged with brown. The first three pri- 

 maries are white from their roots as far as their coverts ; the white 

 on the next six extends from an inch to one and three-fourths fur- 

 ther down, descending equally on each side the feather; the tail 

 is cuneiform ; the two exterior feathers wholly white ; the rest, ex- 

 cept the middle ones, tipped with white ; the chin is white ; sides 

 of the neck, breast, belly, and vent a brownish white, much purer 

 in wild birds than in those that have been domesticated ; iris of the 

 eye, yellowish cream colored, inclining to golden; bill black; the 

 base of the lower mandible whitish ; legs and feet black and 

 strong. The female much resembles the male, and is only dis- 

 tinguishable by the white of her wings being less pure and broad, 

 and her black feathers having a more rusty hue. 



Palmer's Thrasher. {Harporhynchus curvirostris.) 



Fig. 4 . 



This is a species met with in Arizona, by Dr. Edward Palmer, 

 who says that it is very shy, and passes much of its time upon 

 the ground, where it was seen running beneath the bushes. 



California Mocking Bird; Sickle-billed Thrush; California Thrasher. 



{Harporhynchns red/v/vus.) 



Fig- 5- 



This plainly-colored species is restricted in its distribution to the 

 coast region of California. Dr. Gambel first met with it near Mon- 

 terey. It was taken whilst the bird was gathering insects on the 

 ground. It is difficult to approach. When alarmed, it takes to 

 the thick bushes, running some distance, and becoming afterward 

 unapproachable. He speaks of its song as a flood of melody, 

 equaled only by the song of the Mocking Bird. 



Cinerous Thrush ; Ashy Thrush ; Cape St. Lucas Thrasher. (Hyporkyn- 



chus cinerezts.) 



Fig. 6. 



This is a new species discovered by Mr. Xantus, in 1859, at 

 Cape St. Lucas. So far as known, it is confined to the peninsula 

 of Lower California. Mr. Xantus found it quite numerous at the 

 Cape St. Lucas, in a region which was singularly unpropitious — a 

 sandy shore, extending about a quarter of a mile inland, whence 

 a cactus desert stretched about six miles up to a high range of 

 mountains. 



Bewick's Wren : Western Mocking Wren. 



var. spilurus.) 



Fig. 7. 



( Thryotkorus Bewickii, 



This variety is an inhabitant of the Western coast. Dr. Cooper 

 says they abound throughout the wooded parts of California and 

 northward, frequenting the densest forests as well as the open 

 groves. During the winter, they were found in the vicinity of Fort 

 Morgan, but left in April. They are known as Mocking Wrens, 

 though he thinks they do not really imitate other birds, but rather 

 have a great variety of their own notes, some of which resemble 



those of other birds, and are well calculated to deceive one unac- 

 customed to them. The nest was built in a low bush, only three 

 feet from the ground. It was quite open above, formed of twif Sj 

 grass, etc., and contained five eggs, which were white, with 

 brown specks near the larger end. 



Allied Creeper Wren ; Cape Cactus Wren. {Campylorhynchus ajjinis.) 



Fig. 8. 



This species was first discovered by Mr. Xantus in the southern 

 extremity of Lower California, where it is a very common bird. 

 So far as known it is only observed at Cape St. Lucas, Lower 

 California. 



Pygmy Nuthatch ; California Nuthatch. (Sitta fygmcea^ 



Fig. 9. 



This little species is found on the Pacific Coast, and on the 

 western slope of the Rocky Mountains, from Washington Terri- 

 tory to Southern California. Dr. Kennedy found them quite 

 abundant in the Sierra Madre and San Francisco Mountains, even 

 as high up as the snow-line, seeking their insect food among the 

 tops of the lofty pines. Dr. Gambel mentions their almost ex- 

 traordinary abundance, in the winter months, in Upper California. 

 Around Monterey, at times, the trees appeared almost alive with 

 them, as they ran up and down and around the branches and 

 trunks, uttering their monotonous and querulous cries. Their 

 note he describes as a repeated whistling wit-wit. When one 

 utters this cry, the rest join in. Mr. Ridgeway found it exceed- 

 ingly hard to discover this bird among the branches, or even when 

 flying, owing to the swiftness and irregularity of its flight. When 

 the female of a pair had been killed, the male bird was extremely 

 loud in his lamentations. Diminutive as this bird is, it is also the 

 noisiest of all the feathered inhabitants of the pines, though it is 

 less active in the pursuit of insects than the larger species. 



Slender-billed, or Western Nuthatch. (Sitta carolinensis^ var. aculeata.) 



Fig. 10. 



The Pacific Coast, and east toward the Rocky Mountains, is the 

 habitat of this western variety of the eastern species, the White- 

 breasted Black-capped Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis), represented 

 on plate 2, figs. 5 and 6, page 2. The habits of these birds are 

 similar; their note is a single harsh call, uttered occasionally, and 

 responded to by their comrades. 



Black-whiskered Vireo ; Florida Greenlet; Whip-Tom-Kelly. 



altiloquiis, var. barbatulus^) 



Fig. u. 



( Vireo 



This species is met with in Cuba, the Bahamas, and casually 

 at Charlotte Harbor, Florida. It is very similar in habits and ap- 

 pearance to the common Red-eyed Vireo {Vireo olivaceus), plate 

 49, fig. 8, page 71. Dr. Hurman describes its song as clear and 

 musical, and very distinctly uttered. It was constantly on the 

 search for insects, and appeared even more active than any of the 

 northern species, darting among the foliage, peering into crevices 

 and cobwebs, suspended from branches with its back downward, 

 and occasionally chasing a flying insect in the manner of a true 

 Flycatcher. These movements were usually accompanied by a 

 song. 



