Kidgway on a New Species of Peuccea. 
221 
thirty feet from the ground, and was fired at, but, being missed, 
escaped further pursuit by diving into the thicket of weeds and 
bushes which bordered the fence near by. Several others were heard 
singing in this locality, after leaving which the species was lost sight 
of until the 11th of August following, upon our return to Mount Car- 
mel. At the latter place it was found to be rather rare in certain 
places just outside the town limits, the localities frequented being 
invariably neglected weedy fields in which scattered dead trees were 
standing. The latter were selected by the males when singing ; 
but when interrupted, they sought safety by diving into the 
shelter of rank weeds beneath them. Unlike most birds, this spe- 
cies sang with the greatest vigor and frequency during the sultry 
mid-day, when the sky was brightest and the heat intense, — the ther- 
mometer ranging from 90° to 103° in the shade. The song, while 
reminding one somewhat of the plaintive chant of the Field Spar- 
row ( Spizella pusilla ), was far sweeter and altogether louder; the 
modulation, as nearly as can be expressed in words, resembling the 
syllables theeeeeee-thut, lilt, lut, the first being a rich silvery trill, 
pitched in a high musical key, the other syllables also metallic, but 
abrupt, and lower in tone. 
In July and August, 1875, several specimens of this species were 
collected by Messrs. E. W. Nelson and F. T. Jencks in the vicinity 
of Mount Carmel and on Fox Prairie, the latter in Richland County, 
about thirty-five miles to the northward of Mount Carmel. Their 
published notes, like my own, are very meagre, and it is to be 
hoped that we may soon know more of this interesting species. 
Since the above was put in type, I have received from Mr. Rags- 
dale the following account of the habits of P. illinoensis as observed 
by him in Texas : — 
“ While riding through open post-oak woods, with tall grass under- 
neath, April 29, 1879, my horse kicked up a bird which I recognized 
as new to me. It flew into the top of a fallen tree which had leaves 
on it, and it took some time to secure it. Riding back to the place 
from which this one was started, I put up a second, which alighted 
in a tree and was killed. Some days afterward a third specimen was 
approached on horseback, while singing from a dead black-jack, and 
shot. After this I was only successful in collecting this bird by 
taking two steps at a time while the bird was singing from the top 
of some dead tree, or from a dead branch in the top of a green tree. 
I secured only about eight good specimens during the season, al- 
though I made their capture a speciality. 
