BIRDS—LIOTRICHIDAE—OROSCOPTES MONTANUS. 
347 
The exposed poi’tion of first primary is two-fifths that of the longest one, and the tarsus is very 
distinctly scutellate. It is very different from the typical Mimus in the tail and wings, 
as well as the longer, slenderer, and straighter bill. Its characteristic color consists in the 
following points : Above, grayish brown ; beneath, white, with arrow-shaped brown spots. 
Tail feathers blotched at the end with white. 
OKOSCOPTES MONTANUS, Baird. 
Mountain Mocking Bird. 
Orpheus montanus, Townsend, J. A. N. Sc. VII, n, 1837, 192.— Aud. Synopsis, 1839, 87.—In. Birds Amer. II, 
1841, 194 ; pi. 139. 
Turdus montanus, Aud. Orn. Biog. IV, 1838, 437 ; pi. 369, f. 1. 
Minus montanus, Bonap. List, 1838.— Ib. Consp. 1850, 276. 
Sp. Ch.—F irst quill rather shorter than the sixth. Tail slightly graduated. Above brownish ash ; each feather obso- 
letely darker in the centre. Beneath dull white, thicky marked with triangular spots, except on the under tail coverts 
and around the anus, which regions are tinged with yellowish brown. Wing coverts and quills edged with dull white. Tail 
feathers brown ; the outer edged, and all (except, perhaps, the middle) tipped with white. Length, 8 inches; wing, 4.85; 
tail, 4.00; tarsus, 1.21. 
Hub. —Rocky mountains ; south to Mexico, and along valley of Gila and Colorado and to San Diego, California. 
In this species the lateral tail feathers are about .25 of an inch shorter than the middle ones; 
all are rather attenuated and rounded at the tip. The under parts are sometimes strongly 
tinged with brownish yellow, most visible in raising the feathers of the breast. The spots on 
the throat are arranged in two maxillary series, being otherwise sparse and small. There is a 
faint indication of a pale superciliary stripe and of a whitish ring round the eye. The white 
tip to the outer tail feather is about half an inch long; in the others less. This white is 
sometimes quite obscure. All the tail feathers are narrowly edged with the color of the back; the 
exterior one with white. The bill is black, the feet dusky. 
An immature bird (8821) has the spots beneath larger ; the under parts tinged with brown ; 
the upper parts quite conspicuously streaked. 
List of specimens. 
Catal. 
No. 
Sex. 
Locality. 
When col¬ 
lected. 
Whence obtained. 
Orig’l 
No. 
Collected by— 
Length. 
Stretch 
of wings. 
Wing. 
Remarks. 
8251 
Fort Laramie, Neb. 
Sept. 23, 1857 
213 
8.75 
12.75 
4.50 
and w’te, feet slate 
and yellow. 
8250 
8821 
Q 
Black Hills, Neb. 
8.75 
13.25 
4.25 
8134 
W. Texas, near 32° L .. 
8131 
Fort Thorn, N. M. 
Dr. T. C. Henry..,. 
4019 
Q 
Tamaulipas, Mex. 
108 
7 50 
11 00 
3 75 
4018 
88 
8.00 
11.00 
3.75 
ish lead color. 
8136 
Nov. 26, 1853 
8137 
Bill Williams’ Fork, 
Camp 120... 
Feb. 12, 1854 
93 
8.50 
11.50 
4.00 
8138 
Camp 119. 
Feb. 11,1854 
90 
8.00 
] 1.50 
4.00 
8132 
9 
Espia, Mex. 
March—, 1855 
50 
8.00 
11.75 
3.75 
8133 
3 
.do. 
49 
.do. 
8 00 
11.75 
3.50 
4562 
Gila river, N. M. 
39 
4899 
San Diego, Cal.. 
8.75 
12.50 
3.62 
8129 
3 
8143 
9 
Los Angelos valley. 
