Brewster on Birds from Arizona and New Mexico. 67 
endorsed by such ornithologists as Ridgway^ Henshaw, and others 
wlio have since had occasion to notice the bird. But although I 
dislike to differ from such an array of authority I cannot for a 
moment believe that lecontei should be associated with redivivus. 
Even if we admit (as I am however by no means prepared to 
do) that the radical color-differences which exist between them 
are explainable by climatic modification, there still remain certain 
structural characters which cannot be similarly disposed of. 
In the first place, the bill of lecontei is very much shorter, 
slenderer, and narrower than that of redivivus. The inferior 
convexity of the lower mandible is evenly rounded, whereas in 
redivivus it is laterally compressed, forming a quite sharp ridge 
or angle which is apparent to the eye as well as upon gently pas^ 
sing the finger along the bill below. A corresponding difference 
is also somewhat similarly shown by the upper mandibles ; that 
of leco7ttei having a nearly perfect convexity beyond its basal third, 
while in redivivus the greater width of the bill gives the sides of 
the maxilla a decided slope or inclination, the lateral outlines of 
which are actually concave to the very tip. 
Furthermore, in lecontei the cutting edges of the maxilla are 
decidedly recurved or rounded to within a short distance of the 
tip, and when the bill is closed the edges of the opposite man- 
dibles nearly meet, those of the upper only slightly overlapping ; 
but in redivivus these edges are not recurved beyond their basal 
fifth, being, on the contrary, nearly as sharp as a knife-blade, 
while they decidedly overlap the lower mandible. 
Leconte’s Thrasher otherwise differs in having the tail very 
much shorter and more rounded ; the soles of the feet smoother ; 
and the rictal bristles much more abbreviated and fewer in num- 
ber. 
On the whole I regard the affinities of this Thrasher as closer 
to H. curvirostris palmeri than to any other known form. 
Despite the fact that palmeri is obsoletely spotted below, their 
coloring is much more nearly alike than is that of lecontei and 
redivivus. And in form and proportions, as well as in the gen- 
eral shape and character of the bill, they are strikingly similar. 
Indeed, were it not for the fact that the habitats of the two over- 
lap it might be difficult to argue their specific distinctness. But 
the occurrence of lecontei at Phoenix, in actual company with 
palmeri , as observed by Mr. Stephens, effectually precludes anv 
