n^ mB ■r^ r\ ' ■. r^ /i> r\: ; fsy^ T^^<^ FOR THE PEOPLE FOR EDVCATION FOR SCIENCE LIBRARY OF THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY BY GIFT OF ALBERT S. BICKMORE AND CHARLOTTE B. BICKMORE ■-y~-.n--:^%---'-K-^'^ mm-^'^m^c^. T-;-?- 'M ' " '^ - Its ^-i»4 T?/*'^ {^^^ ^^^^v D)^'-^. ^h. ^=i^-^> ^^;^^' ■^t> Iff 1.11^1 cJ.^Ojt^ CS W \ DEPAETMENT OF THE INTERIOR UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE TERRITORIES F. V. HAYDEN, TJ. S. Geolooist-d;-Charge MISCELLANEOUS PUBLICATIONS -No. 11 Birds of the Colorado Valley A REPOSITORY OF SCIENTIFIC AND POPULAR INFORMATION COXCEENTSG NORTH AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY BY ELLIOTT COTJES '^Hld\ ^A'!/£ -^ehdajv xalaf; wpaped and Plumbeous Gnatcatchers 107 19. Head of Bridled Titmouse 118 20. A typical Parus (P. atricajiiUus) 120 21. Head of Canada Nuthatch 136 22. Head, foot and tail-feather of Creeper 143 23. Carolina Wren 169 24. Winter Wren 177 25. Homed Lark 189 26. Head and foot of Yellow Wagtail 192 27. Bill and foot of American Pipit 194 28. A typical Motacilline 195 29. Black and White Creeper 205 30. Worm-eating Warbler 211 31. Blue Golden-winged Warbler 217 32. Black-throated Green Warbler 240 33. Chestnut-sided Warbler 244 34. Black-throated Gray Warbler 264 35. Yellow-rumped Warbler 283 36. Black-poU Warbler 288 37. Black and Yellow Warbler 291 38. Golden-crowned Accentor 296 39. Kentucky Warbler 309 40. Maryland Yellow-throat 312 XV XVI BIEDS OF THE COLOEADO VALLEY Pago. Fig.41. Yellow-breasted Chat 317 42. Canadian Fly-catcliing Warbler 324 43. Hooded Fly-catching Warbler 325 44. Wilson's Green Black-capped Fly-catching Warbler 328 45. Outline of head of Hepatic Tanager 356 46. Details of structure of Barn Swallow 408 47. White-bellied Swallow 414 48. Crescent Swallow 450 49. Wing of Ampelis garrulus 461 50. Head of Cherry-bird 472 50 bis. Seio2)haga picta ( j). 335) 482 51. A Vireo(F. gilvus) 484 52. Vireo flavoviridis 490 53. Vireo harhatuhis 492 54. Vireo j)Mladelj)Mcus 493 55. Vireo flavifrons 494 56. Vireo oUcaceiis 496 57. Vireo gilvus 501 58. Vireo swainsoni 502 59. Vireo solitarius 506 60. Vii'eo plumheus 515 61. Vireo novehoracensis 520 62. Vireo huttoni 525 63. Vireo ielli 527 64. Vireo pusillus 531 65. Bills of Shrikes 536 66. Aspect of a Shrike 547 Tail-piece to "Index" 807 BIRDS OF THE COLORADO VALLEY CHAPTER I. — THRUSHES Fam. TUKDlDiE THE birds of this family, together with those of the families which follow in this work to the Flycatchers {Tyrannidce), inclusively, belong to the great gvo\\\)oi Passer es. Any Passerine bird of this country may be recognized by the character of the feet, which are perfectly fitted for grasping — in other words, for j)ercMng upon such support as the twigs of trees, for instance. Though many kinds of birds, such as Birds of Prey, Herons, and various others that might be mentioned, perch habitually, yet the truly insessorial foot, as exhibited among Passeres, is unmistakable in several features. The hind toe, which is never wanting, is inserted on the same level as the front toes collec- tively; it is always directed straight backward, being thus op- posed directly to the front toes ; it is of considerable length, and its perfect mobility is secured by the separation of its prin- cipal muscle from that one which bends the other toes collec- tively. The claw of the hind toe is at least as long as that of the middle anterior toe, and often longer. Neither of the front toes is ever reversed in position, to effect such arrangement of the digits in pairs as is witnessed in some %w\fi! Picarian birds, as Woodpeckers, Cuckoos, ™''"'"^ «&;c. ; nor are the toes ever soldered together for a long distance, as in the Kingfishers ; nor are their joints abnormal in number, as in some of the Swifts ; nor are the feet webbed or lobed, as in many wading and all swimming birds. In addition to these char- acters, it may be stated that the legs are clothed with feathers down to the tibio-tar- sal joint; and that the tarsus and toes are t..^ , rr • ,t, ^ ' Fig. ] .—Typical Passerine invested with hard, horny integument, like ^*'°*' that encasing the bill. Such a foot as results from these con- 1 B C 2 CHARACTERS OF PASSERES ditious is rarely found outside the group Passeres ; aud auy non-Passeriue bird, the foot of which conforms with the fore- going description, may be recognized by some collateral fea- tures. The foot of a Hawk or Owl, for instance, is strictly insessorial in character, and, in fact, possesses very great grasping powers ; but the bill of these birds is furnished with a soft cere, which no Passerine bird exhibits. In a Pigeon, with decidedly insessorial feet, the covering of the feet, like that of the bill in part, is soft aud skinny, not perfectly horny. A Hummingbird, the foot of which is perfectly insessorial, is ascertained to be non-Passeriue by the fact that it has but six wing-quills of the secondary series — all Passeres having more than six. And, in general, closely as some of the Picarian birds of this country may resemble the Passeres, some peculiar- ity of the feet will suffice for their recognition. Thus, in the Parrots, Cuckoos, and "SVoodpeckers, the toes are in pairs, two before and two behind ; in the Kingfishers, the toes are exten- sively soldered together, the covering of the tarsus is rather soft, and, moreover, the tibia is naked below 5 in the Swifts and Goatsuckers, either the hind toe is elevated above the plane of the rest, or it is turned sideways, or there is a web at the bases of the front toes, or these last have an unusual number of joints, or several of these features occur in combination. Humming- birds, the only remaining North American Picarkv, have, as already said, a nearly Passerine foot ; but, in this case, the above-mentioned feature of the secondaries is distinctive. There is also a peculiarity of the wing of Passeres that serves to distinguish birds of this group from those of probably auy one of the others, excepting Picaricc, and even from the ma- jority of Picarkc. In a Passerine bird, the row of " greater " wing-coverts — those that overlie the secondary quills — are not more than half as long as these quills; while in most non- Passerine birds — perhaps in all birds below Pkarkc — the re- verse is the case. The details of structure of the tarsal envelope of Passeres may be noticed in passing. In the majority of the birds of this group, the tarsus is covered on each side with a horny plate, nearly or quite undivided, meeting its fellow in a sharp ridge behind ; and, in some cases, this general fusion of the envelope proceeds so far that the front of the tarsus likewise presents a nearly or quite undivided surface, the whole tarsus being then encased in a " boot," as it is called. The more complete con- CHARACTERS OF PASSERES 6 ditious of fusion of the envelope— those showing the entire lat- eral plates, sharp-ridged behind, whether or not the front of the tarsus be also fused — are commonly associated with certain anatomical characters which aifect the vocal powers of the birds; there being a complex arrangement of the muscles of the lower larynx. Most of the North American Passeres exhibit these features combined, and constitute a minor group Oscines, which is denominated a suborder by those who hold Passeres as an order. The family of the Larks [Alaudidcc) is the only exception among our birds ; for here the larynx is a highly- developed vocal organ, while the tarsus shows a different struc- ture of the envelope, being covered on the outer side with two series of scales lapping around before and behind, and having the hinder edge blunt. This state of the tarsus prepares us for the further modification witnessed in a single one of the North American families of Passeres, namely, the Tyrannidce, or Fly- catchers, in which the tarsus is blunt behind, being covered with a set of variously-arranged plates lapping entirely around. Such condition, in connection with an incomplete development of the vocal organ, marks off the Tyrannidce as representatives of a second minor group of Passeres, called Clamatores, in con- trast with Oscines. The purpose of these opening paragraphs will have been at- tained, if enough has been said to enable the reader to gain an idea of the limits, and of certain leading features, of the great group Passeres, which includes the majority of all known birds, and something like two-fifths of those of North America. The families of Passeres which occur in the Coloradan region are the Turdidce, Saxicolidw, Cinclidcc, Sylviidce, Chamceidm, Paridcc, Sittidce, Certliiidcc, Trofjlodytidce, Alaudidce, MotaciUidw, Sylvicolidw, Tanagridce, Rirundinidcc, Ampelidcv, Yireonidcc, Lani- idee, Fringillidw, Icteridce, and Corvidce, all of which are Oscine, and the Tyrannidce, which is Clamatorial. These will be sever- ally considered in the sequence here indicated. "With these few preliminary considerations touching the Pas- seres at large, we will at once take up the subject of the present chapter, namely, the 4 CHARACTERS OF TURDIDiE Turdid(v, or Thrushes. Chars.* — Oscine Fasseres, in which the characters of this great group are highly developed. Lateral tarsal plates lami- nar, meeting in a sharp ridge posteriorly; anterior scutella often fused in a continuous lamina. Toes deeply cleft — the outer anterior one to the distal end of its basal joint, the inner anterior almost to its very base. Bill more or less subulate, as usual in insectivorous birds, usually notched near the end, the commissure not angulated, nor very deeply cleft. Nostrils oval, nearly or quite reached but not covered by feathers. Eic- tus with well-developed bristles. Primaries ten, the first of which is spurious, or short ; second shorter than the fourth. Tail-feathers twelve, not stifiened nor acute. The Turdidw are very closely related both to the SaxicoUdce and CinclidcG among American forms, as well as to certain exotic groups — perhaps too closely to justify their separation ■when all their interrelationships are taken into consideratioB. Yiewing, however, the North American forms alone, very fair diagnostic points may be determined, as will be seen on com- paring the characters given in Chapters IL and III. The vocal apparatus of the Thrushes is highly developed, and some of the members of this family, like the Wood Thrush and Mockingbird, are among the most famous of songsters. Thrushes are distributed throughout all of temperate North America, as well as most other portions of the globe. Our species are mainly birds of the woodland, though a few kinds enliven with their song the arid and treeless wastes of the Southwestern Territories. A majority of the North American species are represented within the limits of the Coloradan Easin ; they may readily be grouped in three subfamilies, the eading antithetical characters of which are as follows : — TURDiN^. — Tarsi booted. Bill short, scarcely or not de- pressed, moderately cleft. Legs stout. Tail-feathers widen- ing a little toward the end, the tail thus becoming squarish or fan-shaped. Myiadestinje. — Tarsi booted. Bill very short, much de- pressed, widened at base, deeply cleft. Legs weak. Tail-feath- ers tapering, the tail being thus rendered somewhat cuneate. *The characters of this and of other groups are drawn tip -with reference to the forms treated in the present work, and may or may not require modifi- cation in order to their equal applicahility to extra-limital representatives. , CHARACTERS OF TURDINJL 5 Miming. — Tarsi scutellate anteriorly (scales seven in num- ber). Bill variable ; soiuetimes as in Tiirdbm, sometimes as long as the bead and bent like a bow. Legs stout. Wings usually shorter than the tail, which is more or less graduated, with broad, rounded feathers. Other characters will be adduced under the heads of the respective subfamilies. Subfamily TURDIN.E: Typical Thrushes Chars. — With the tarsus, in the adult, "booted" or envel- oped in a continuous plate, formed by fusion of all the tarsal scutella excepting two or three just above the base of the toes. (This is a strong character; for the ^ few other birds of this country which show the same feature are quite dif- ereut in other respects.) Wings more or less pointed, longer than the tail ; first primary spurious, or very short ; second longer than the sixth. Bill moderate, shorter than the head, straight, more or less subulate, little depressed at base, with moderate bristly rictus. Nostrils oval, nearly or quite reached by the frontal feath- ers. Tail-feathers widening somewhat toward their ends; the tail as a whole somewhat fan-shaped, not decidedlv "f Robin, natural size ' - letteriug of the cut indicates propor- forked at the end, nor much gradu- tioual lengths of tarsus and middle ' toe with claw, and the numeration of ated. the several digits of a bird's foot.) This group is nearly cosmopolitan, and reaches a high state of development in the warmer parts of America, where it is represented by various genera and numerous species. There are in all upward of one hundred and fifty accredited species of TunUnw, most of which are referable to the genus Turdiis and its subdivisions. The United States species are few in number, and all of them belong to the single genus Tardus; though species of CatharuSj an allied form, may possibly be yet found on our southern border. The Thrushes are generally distributed over North America, an wooded regions, but will not be found, except casually, in those localities which are devoid of trees or bushes, even it Jit 4t 3 1 tarsus. (Foot N. B.— The 6 GENERAL ECONOMY OF THE THRUSHES though such places are witbiu the general area of distribution of the respective species. They are insectivorous, like most birds, iu fact; but, like very many others that feed mainly upou insects, they also eat berries and various other soft fruits. The Eobin, for instance, is extravagantly fond of the berries of the common Poke {Phytolacca decandra) ; and, during the season when this fruit is ripe, specimens are often found with not only the plumage, bill, and feet, but also various interior parts of the body, dyed with the purple juice. The Thrushes are migra- tory in the United States. They are not properly to be con- sidered gregarious, though some of them, like the Eobin, go together in troops of hundreds at certain seasons. They are arboreal in general habit; yet much of the time is spent on the ground in the search for worms and insects. To illustrate the case, again, iu the instance of the familiar Robin, every one will recall the sprightly excursions of this bird on the green- sward of our parks and gardens during the breeding-season, and remember how swiftly it runs, with lowered head ; how it then draws itself up at full length, displaying its trim and shapely form to best advantage; how then, satisfied that no danger is to be apprehended, it tugs at the grub that lurks in the roots of the grass, and finally bears it away to the nest, on a bough of the nearest apple-tree. The mode of nesting varies according to the species ; most of the Thrushes build upon trees or bushes, but some, less ambitious, are content to nestle on the ground. The order of their architecture is never elabo- rate or ornate ; the nests, in fact, are rather rude, bulky, and inartistic structures, more notable for strength and stability than for beauty of finish ; they are built of leaves, grasses, rootlets, and similar materials, often strengthened with mud. The eggs are usually four, five, or six in number, blue or green in color, with or without reddish spots ; some of the most closely- allied species lay eggs distinguishable with as much certainty as the birds themselves. Under favorable circumstances, two> or even three, broods of young may be reared in one season. The great voracity of young insectivorous birds is perhaps in no case more strongly illustrated than in this group. If the Eobins were to feed all other seasons exclusively upon the fruits of the orchard and garden, we should still remain in their debt for the numberless thousands of noxious insects they destroy during the period when they are rearing their young. The de- struction of such useful birds cannot be too severely reprobated^ CHARACTERS OF THE GENUS TURDUS 7 even upon selfish grounds, to say nothing of the higher and more generous motives which sliould suffice for their protec- tion. For we are not alone indebted to the Thrushes as friends favoring our economical projects. They lay strong claim to our regard as musicians. It is true that the song of the Kobin is a humble effort, remarkable for nothing so much as for its heartiness, simplicity, and persistence; yet some of the Thrushes, like the Hermit and the Wood Thrush, sing with wonderful power and effect. Genus TURDUS Linn. THE characters of the single genus represented in North America being in effect the same as those of the sub- family already given, need not be recapitulated. The several species to be treated fall in three groups, or subgenera, which may be thus analyzed: — Planesticus. — Sexes similar. Bill notched near the end, little widened at base. Tarsi little longer than the middle toe and claw. Beneath mostly unicolor, with streaked throat. Large ; stout. Hesperocichla. — Sexes dissimilar. Bill unnotched. Male with a black pectoral collar. Otherwise like Planesticus. Hylociclila. — Sexes similar. Bill notched near the end, much widened and depressed at base. Tarsi decidedly longer than the middle toe and claw. Beneath spotted. Of small stature, and rather slender form. It may be remarked that the first plumage of young birds is spotted, in this genus ; and that the tarsal scutella are only fused completely in adult life.* All of the North American species of this genus occur in the Coloradan region excepting one, the Wood Thrush, T. ninste- Umis. While there will be no difficulty in recognizing the species of Planesticus and of Hesijerocichla, the smaller species of i?i/Zocic/i?a require careful discrimination, nor are ornitholo- gists agreed upon the more correct view to be taken of their interrelationships. Four species are distinct, beyond question : T. mustelimis, T. fiiscescens, T. swainsotii, and T. pallasi ; but *This latter subject is well illustrated by Dr. J. J. Kaup, in aa article en- titled " IJeber die Bedeckung der Fusswurzel des Turdus migratorius ", in : Arch, fiir Naturg., sechszohnter Jalirg. Bd. I. ss. 42, 43, biorzu Taf. ii, Fig. 1-5. 8 SYNONYMY OF TURDUS MIGRATOKIUS some otber forms which have been admitted to be specific are not so well established. It may be further observed that several of the names now currently adopted may have to give way, in the end, if the species described by some of the older authors, as Pennant, Latham, Gmelin, and Pallas, can be fully identified. On the present occasion, however, I shall adopt the usual nomenclature. The Robin Tardus (Planesticus) inig^ratoriiis Tardus migratoriUS, Linn. SN. i. 1766, 292.— Fors«. Phil. Tr. Ixii. 1772, 382, 399.— Got. SN. i. 1788, an.— Lath. 10. i. 1790, 330.— Turt. SN. i. 1806, iOi.—Yicill. GAS. ii. 1807, 5, pis. 60, 61.— Wils. AO. i. 1808, 35, pi. 2, f. "H.—Bp. Journ. Phila. Acad. iv. 1834, 25; Ann. Lye. K. T. ii. 1826, 75 ; Syn. 1828, 15.— Fox, Newc. Mu.s. 1827, l5Q.—Doughty's Uab. NH. i. 1830, 133, pi. I^.-Less. Tr. Orn. 1831, 408.— Brehm, Udbh. VD. 1831,388.— ;Vm«. Man. i. 1832, 338, fig. — ; 1810, —.—Kittl. Kupfert. iii. 1833, 21, pi. 25, f. 2.—Aud. OB. ii. 1834, 190; V, 1839, 442; pi. 131 ; Syn. 1839, 89 ; BA. iii. 1841, 14, pi. U2.—Tcmm. Man. iii. 1835, 91.— Bp. PZS. 1837, iii.—Bp. C. & GL. 1838, n.—Peab. Kep. Orn. Mass. 1839, 303.— Fifl'. Voy. Bloss. 1839, 17.— Towns. Jouru. Phila. Acad. viii. 1839, 153.— Giraud, BLI. 1844, 86.—Gaml>. Proc. Acad. Phila. iii. 1846, 113.— Thicne. Rhea, i. 1846, 125 (Vienna.).— Homey. Khea, ii. 1849, 158 (Europe).— .Bp. CA. i. 1850, 272.— A^awm. Naum. iv. 1851,7 {G6Tma.ny).— Burnett, Pr. Boat. Soc. iv. 1851, 116.— Cafe. Naum. ii. 1852, 122 (Germany). — Oabot, Naum. iii. 1852, 65. — Tliomps. Vermont, 1853, 79, fig. — . — Read, Pr. Phila. Acad. \i. 1853. 398.— Hoy, Pr. Phila. Acad. vi. 1853, 310.— Woodh. Sit- greave's Eep. 1853, ~i.—Cab. J. f. O. 1853, 67 (Germany).— Brew. Pr. Bost. Soc. iv. 1854, 3i5.—Pratten, Tr. Illinois Agr. Soc. 1855, aOl.—Eennic. Tr. Illinois Agr. Soc. 1855, 582.— Henry, Pr, Phila. Acad. vii. 1855, 3iO.—Haym. Pr. Phila. Acad. viii. 1856, 288.— Ptttn. Pr. Esses Inst. i. 1856, 209.— ,Sc?. PZS. 1856, Wl.—Neivb. PEPvE. vi. 1857, 81.— Kneel. Pr. Bost. Soc. vi. 1857, '2.3A.—Bry. Pr. Bost. Soc. vi. 1857, UO.—Scl. PZS. 1857, 126 ; 1858, 300.— lfaa;im. J. f. 0. 1858, 118.— Treadiv. Pr. Bost. Soc. vi. 1858,396.— Scl. PZS. 1859, 225, 331, 362.— Gosse, Alabama, 1859, W5.—Xantiis, Pr. Phila. Acad. xi. 1859, 190.— ^Villis, Smithson. Kep. for 1858, 1859, 281.— ffecrm. PEIlPv. x. pt. iv. 1859, 190.— Mar tens, J. f. O. 1859, ^13.— Tomes, Ibis, 1859, 387.— ,5. <£• -oi/;7i, Ibis, 1868, 420.— Coues, Pr. Bost. Soc. xii. 1868, lOl.—Ooues, Pr. Phila. Acad. XX. 1868, 82.— Butch.Vr. Phila. Acad. xx. 1868,149.— Cones, Am. Nat. ii. 1868, 161.— Hughes, Am. Nat. ii. 1868, 490.— Garlick, Am. Nat. ii. 1868, 492.— Cows, Pr. Essex Inst. v. 1868, 265.— Allen, Am. Nat. iii. 1869, 573.— Coo;>. Am. Nat. iii. 1809, 31, 291.— Ball (£• Bann. Tr. Chicago Acad. i. 1869, —.—Turnb. B. E. Pa. 1809, 22; Phila. ed. 15.— Ball, Am. Nat. iv. 1870, 600.- Coo^j. B. CaJ. i. 1870, 7, fig. —.—ilajn. B. Mass. 1870, 89.— CoMes, Pr. Phila. Acad, xxiii. 1871, 19.— Stevens, U.S. Geol. Siirv. Terr, for 1870, 1871, 463- Aiien, Bull. MCZ. 1871, 2.50.— 2V!p;7e,Pr. Essex Inst. vi. 1871, 115.— Bruhin, Zool. (Jart. xii. 1871, 12 —Mayn. 15. Fla. 1872, 1.— Coues, Key, 1872, 71, f. 13.— Alle7i, Bull. MCZ. 1872, 113.— Drew, Am. Nat. vi. 1872, 52.— iroorf, Am. Nat. vi. 1872, SYNONYMY OF TURDUS MIGRATORIUS d M3.— Lockio. Am. Nat. vi. 1872, 'i~0.—Hold. Pr. Bost. Soc. xv. 1873, 103—Mayn. Pr. Bost. Soc. XV. 1872, 351.— Scott, Pr. Bost. Soc. xv. 1872, '^iO.—Trippe, Pr. Bost. Soc. XV. 1873, 234.— Merr. IT. S. Gool. Surv. Terr, for 1872, 187.3, li^.-Bidg. BulL Essex Inst. V. 1873, 179.— Snow, B. Kan.sas, 1873, 3.—Coues, Prybilov. 18.1873, app. — ; 8vo ed. 1875, 172; Harting ed. 1875, 16.— i?o!/ce. Am. Js'at. viii. 18T4, 203.— .Eds. Am. Nat. viii. 1874, 2~l.—Comstock, Am. Nat. viii. 1874, ~e.—Coop. Am. Nat. viii. 1874, 16.— Bidg. Am. Nat. viii. 1874, ne.—Merrill, Am. Nat. viii. 1874, 5iT.— Allen, Pr. Bost. Soc. 1874, 45, 48.— Cowes, BNW. 1874, 1, 22B.—Coues, Checkl. 1874, No. 1.— Allen, Pr. Bost. Soc. xTii. 1874, iS.-Ridgw. Ann. Lye. N. T. x. 1874, 365.— Rensh. Ann. Lye. N. T. x. 1874, 'H.-Hensh. <£ Yarr. Kep. Wheeler's Exp. 1874, 5, 39, 56, 70, ^^.—Hensli. Zool. "Wheeler's Exp. 1875, 143 (in press).— JJuZflrw. Zool. 40th Par. 187-, 9 (in press).— Boies, Cat. B. Michigan, 1875, — . —Nels. Pr. Bost. Soc. xvii. 1875, 338, 345, 349, 355.— Brew. Pr. Bost. Soc. xvii. 1875, 438. Tardus megratorius, Bodd. Tabl. PE. 1783, 32, pi. 556, f. l. Turdus nilsrratorlus var. luigratorius, Bd. Br. a By. NAB. i. 1874, 25, pi. 2, f. 2. Turdus (Planesticus) migratorius, Bd. BNA. 1858, 218.— Oowes, Pr. Phila. Acad. 1861, 218.— Allen, Pr. Essex Inst. iv. 1864, 58.— Ooues, Pr. Phila. Acad. 1866, 6i.—Merr. TJ. S. GeoL Surv. for 1872, 1873, 670. Planestieus migratorius, Henry, Pr. Phila. Acad. 1859, 106.— Coues, Ibis, 1865, \63.—Merr. V. S. Geol. Surv. Terr, for 1872, 1873, 713 ; Am. Nat. viii. 1874, 7, 8, 86.— Gundl. J. f. 0. 1872, 405. Mcrnla mlgratorla, S. K7iccl. Pr. BoBt. Soc. vi. 1857, 234.— Bry. Pr. Bost. Soc. vi. 1857, 117 (Nova Scotia). — W7J/ is. Smiths. Rep. for 1858, 1«59, 281 (Nova Scotia).— B^aHi, Smiths. Rep. for 1858, 1859, 287 (Bermuda).— Zle^J.- Gerbe, OE. i. 1867, 426 (Europe).— 7'r!>i)e, Pr. Essex. Inst. vi. 1871, 115 (Minnesota). Mcrula SOlitarIa, 5. (,■ R. FBA. ii. 1831, 184, pi. "35" by err. for 37.—" Vieill. OAS. ii. 1807, 7, pi. 63, in part."— Brc;c. Pr. Bost. Soc. 1844, 191. Tiirdus minor, Bp. Journ. Phila. Acad. iv. 1824, 33 (=solitarius Wils. ; nee Gm.). — Naum. Isis, 1826, 520.— B/i. Ann. Eye. N. Y. ii. 1826, 75.~Brehm. VD. 1831, 3S3.—NuU. Man.i. 1832, 3ie.—Aud. OB. i. 13.32, 303, pi. 58; v. 1839, 445.— Pca&. Rep. Orn. Mass. 1839, 305. — ? Towns. Journ. Phila. Acad. viii. 1839, 153 (may have been T. vstulatus).—Giraud, BLI. 1844, 90.— Bald. Naum. i. 1849, 10 ( Anhalt). Tardus gUttatUS, Cab. Fn. Peru. 1845-'46, 187. TurdUS pallasll, Ca6. Arch. f. Naturg. 1847, (1), 205.— Homcycr, Rhea, ii. 1849, 147 (mono- graphic).— GK?idi, J. f. 0. 1855, 470 (Cuba).— JSiMS cbielly along tlie Pacific side, from Kodiak to Lower California. Var. ancluhoni from the Soutlieni Rocky Mountain region and Mexico, wbere resident. Cii. sp. — a. PALLASI. — OUvaceus, cauda discolore, rufescente; Hubtus alius, lateribus griseo-oUvaccis, j^ectore ct jugulo snhjlari- caniibus, maculis nujris angularibus notaiis. $ 9 ) in summer: Upper parts olivaceous, with a brownish oust, and therefore not so piut; as in mraiii-'^oiti ; tl'.is color cliaiiginj; on tho rump and 22 DESCRIPTION OF T. PALLASI AND ITS VARIETIES upper tail-coverts into the rufous of the tail, iu decided contrast with the back. Under parts white, shaded with grayish-olive on the sides, the breast, jugulum, and sides of the neck more or less strongly tinged with yellowish, and marked with numerous large, angular, dusky spots, which extend back of the yellowish-tinted parts. Throat immaculate. A yellowish orbital ring. Bill brownish-black, with most of the under mandible livid whitish ; mouth yellow ; eyes bro'^n ; legs pale brownish. b. NANUS. — Minor; ^ long. tot. circ. 7 ; alec 2^- seu minus; caudcc circ. 2^. c. AUDUBONI. — Major; ^ long. tot. circ. 7f ; ala\ 4 + ; caitdce 3+. AMONG the Western Hylocichlce of the pallasi type, there are a larger and a smaller race, both intergrading com- pletely with the dimensions of Eastern imllasi., their respective averages being at about the maxima and minima of pallasi proper. The difference in size between them is more noticeable than that between either of them and T. pallasi, and appears to be preserved with much constancy. I am unable to appreci- ate any of the differences in coloration which have been as- cribed; at any rate, these differences are fully within the normal range of variation of tj\)'m?i\ pallasi. These subspecies are less strongly indicated than either of those of the sicainsoni type, and little violence would be done by declining to recog- nize them by name. Nanus, in particular, is positively indis- tinguishable from some small specimens of Eastern pallasi. Auduboni is rather better marked. I have never seen the wing of pallasi four inches long, aud doubt that it ever exceeds this dimension, as is the case with some examples of auduhoni. The average of a large series of both sexes of typical pallasi froin the Eastern States is : — Length, 7.00 ; extent, 11.25 ; wing, 3,75 ; tail, 2.75 ; tarsus, 1.15. It is not easy to determine the proper name of this species HISTORY OF THE HYLOCICHL.E 23 with the desired precision. Most of the later descriptions upou which names have been based are perfectly intelligible ; but the doubts which attach to several early accounts will probably never be dispelled. The earliest claimant in this con- nection appears to be the Unalashka Thrush, described with varying orthography by Latham and Pennant, and subse- quently the basis of Turdus aonalaschlcae of Gmelin. To enable the reader to judge for himself how little can be made of the accounts of these authors, Pennant's description is reproduced: " Thrush with the crown and back brown, obscurely spotted with dusky : breast yellow, spotted with black : coverts of the wings, i)rimaries, and tail, dusky, edged with testaceous. Size of a lark. Found on Unalascha.'' This description might be supposed to refer to a young bird of the present species, still in the speckled plumage ; but it is inadequate to the establish- ment of a species. To pursue the subject of the Unalashka Thrush, we may next notice a bird described by the celebrated traveler and natural- ist, Peter S. Pallas, in the Zoographia Eosso-Asiatica, a work which appears to have been actually printed in 1811, though not published, nor generall}^ accessible, until 1831. This author describes as a new species a certain 2Iuscicapa guttata^ from the island of Kodiak, querying the Unalashka Thrush as syn- onymous. But how much doubt he felt on this score is evident from the fact that he also cites the same bird, with a note of interrogation, as a synonym of his Turdus auroreus. The gen- eral drift of the description of Muscicapa guttata indicates some species of Turdus of the Hylocichla group, in the speckled plum- age of the young; while the expressions '-uropygium rufo- lutescens", " rectrices rufescentes ", would seem to jwint to the Hermit Thrush. This identification was made by Dr. Cabanis in the critical commentary accompanying Tschudi's Fauna Peruana ; but the learned German ornithologist seems to have soon felt the uncertainty attaching to this case, for he relin- quished his Turdus guttatus, to bestow upon the Hermit Thrush the name of T. ijallasii, by which it has of late years been gen- erally known. While I admit the high probability of the per- tinence of Pallas's " Muscicapa^'' to the i)resent species, I scarcely think that we are required to adopt the name, especi- ally in the uncertainty as to which of the varieties of the species the name more particularly applies. Meanwhile, in 1812, Alexander Wilson described the Hermit 24 HISTORY OF THE HYLOCICHL^E Thrush with sufficient accuracy, though his plate accompany- ing rather indicates the Olive-backed Thrush. He gave it the appropriate name of Turdus soUfarius, which has been adopted by many ornithologists, but which, unfortunately, cannot stand, there being already a Turdus soUtarius of Linnteus. The next original name bestowed upon the Hermit Thrush was Turdus nanus, applied by Audubon in 1839, used almost without exception, of late years, for the Western variety. The name antedates Cabanis's paUasii by several years; the de- scription is evidently that of the Dwarf Thrush, for the main point Audubon makes is the smaller size of his bird; and Dr. Brewer has recently contended that the name should replace that of pallasi. It has been supposed that Audubon intended only to signalize the Western Hermit, or Dwarf Thrush, in bestowing the name nanus. But reference to his original de- scription will show the contrary ; Audubon having first noted the bird from the Atlantic States. " It is extremely rare in our Atlantic districts, where, however, I have procured a few indi- viduals. Indeed, the first intimation which I received respect- ing it was from my friend Charles Pickering of Philadelphia, who, having procured one, had kept its wings and head, the smallness of which struck me at once. I was then far from imagining that its native haunts were the valleys of the Colum- bia River", «&c. Since the Dwarf Thrush, as understood -by modern ornithologists, is confined to the West, the Eastern specimens Audubon procured must have been only unusually small examples of the common Hermit Thrush, in which a dif- ference of an inch in length is not seldom found. It is thus evident that the name names includes both the Hermit Thrush proper, T. imllasi of most late authors, and the AVestern variety, or Dwarf Thrush; and I really do not see how Dr. Brewer's conclusion, that we should reverse our usual nomencla- ture, make the Dwarf Thrush the original species, and write T. nanus var. pallasi instead of T. pallasi var. nanus, can be gainsaid. It will, however, tend to prevent further misunder- standing of a matter already sufficiently involved to accept the identification of the names made by Professor Baird in 1858. The name of Turdus minor Gmelin has been applied by Bonaparte to this species, and his example has been followed by several writers; the name, therefore, requires examination in this connection. Eeferring to Gmelin, it will be found that his Turdus minor is not available for use in any connection, HISTORY OF THE HYLOCICHL.E 25 being a thorouglily " made up" species. The diagnosis given is too short to answer any purpose, and, in fact, applies almost equally well to several different species of Hylocichla. His quotations are of Brisson, Buffon, Pennant, Edwards, Catesby, and Latham, whose several descriptions are those of different species. To take only two of them : Pennant's " Little Thrush" was the species now known as T. sicainsom ; while Latham's '' Little Thrush " was T. fuscescens. The natural result of Gmelin's compilation in this case was that his name minor has been applied repeatedly to each one of at least three species, namely, T. pallasi, T. swainsom, and T. fuscescens. In 1827, William Swainson described a variety of the Hermit Thrush from Mexico, under the name of Merula silens. This is the same bird afterward named auduboni by Professor Baird — the name silens being pre-occupied in the genus for another species, Vieillot having first applied the term silens to the musteUmis of Wilson, which is the fuscescens of Stephens. This' sketch of the early history of the Hermit Thrush's troubles in the way of a name may be continued with a similar account of the two most nearly allied species, to avoid the neces- sity of again recurring to such dry and uninviting matters. We will first take up the Olive-backed Thrush, T. sioainsoni of most late authors. The earliest name of supposed applicability to the Olive- backed Thrush is derived from Buffon's Grive de la Caroline, as described by that author, and as figured in the Planches Enlu- minees (pi. 556, fig. 2). This figure became the exclusive basis of two different names ; for P. L. S. Miiller, in his Supplement to Linnteus' Systema Natura?, of date 1776, at page 140, named it Turdus caroUnus ; and P. Boddaert, in his rare Ta- bleau (1783) of the Planches Enluminees, page 32, called it Turdus hrunneus. G. E. Gray, in the Genera of Birds, claims that the name hrunneus should stand for the species ; this could not have been, even were it not anticipated by MUller's name ; for it so happens that Buffon's figure, as Mr. Cassin has re- marked, is one of the few of the whole series of Planches Enlu- minees that is utterly unrecognizable. It may have been either one of the smaller Thrushes, if not some other bird ; and the reference is entirely out of the question as the basis of a species. Turdus "carolinus" I have seen nowhere except in Miiller; T. " brunneus " is used by Dr. Brewer in 1852, but for a differ- ent s^H^cics, namely, T. fuscescens. 26 HISTORY OF THE HYLOCICHL^ Pennant, as we have already seen, described the Olive- backed Thrush ia 1785 under the name of the " Little Thrush", in this differing from Latham, whose " Little Thrush" was the T.fuscescens. But both Pennant and Latham, in their respect- ive works, introduce a " Brown Thrush", which afterward be- came the exclusive basis of Turdus fuscus of Gmelin. That this bird is certainly no other than the Olive-backed is evident from the following description, quoted from Pennant: — " Thrush with the head, neck, back, cheeks, coverts, and tail, of an olive- brown : primaries dusky : breast and belly of a dirty white, marked with great brown spots : legs dusky. Size of the former [L c, the Tawny Thrush, T. mustelinus Gm.] ; and a native of the same country [Xew York]." Here is a per- fectly accurate and diagnostic phrase : the name Turdusfuscus, based upon it, would therefore require adoption, were it not anticipated in point of date by Turdus fuscus of Milller, Syst. Nat. Suppl. 1776, p. 142, which is an altogether different bird, described from the Cape of Good Hope. So this name fuscus of Gmelin is thrown out of the case. In 1831, Swainson and Eichardson described the Olive- backed Thrush as Merula wilsoni. This, however, was not an original imposition of a name, but merely an erroneous identi- fication of Bonaparte's Turdus wilsonii, which latter was the mustelinus Wils. («ec Gmelin, i. e., the fuscescens Steph.). A few year^ subsequently, in 1814, Mr. J. P. Giraud and Dr. T. M. Brewer, independently of each other, applied to the Olive- backed Thrush the name of oUvaceus — appropriate indeed, and only exceptionable in the fact that there were already one or two entirely different species called Turdus oUvaceus. The name therefore cannot stand in this connection, unless the earlier birds of the same name are shown to belong to a differ- ent genus. In this evident lack of a tenable specific name for the Olive- backed Thrush, Dr. Cabauis proposed to dedicate it to Swain- son, and the term Turdus swainsoni has been almost exclusively adopted for the species of late years. Two varieties of this species, called respectively ustulatus and alieicc, have been named, but do not require comment here. Turning now to the Tawny or Wilson's Thrush, or Veery, as it is indifferently called, we find what is probably the earliest indication of this species iu the "Little Thrush" of Latham (but not of Pennant), on which Gmelin based his T. minor iu HISTORY OF THE HYLOCICHL.E 27 part, as already shown. It appears to have been first ade- quately described by Alexander Wilson, in 1812, under the unfortunate name of Tawny Thrush, Turdus musfelinus, not- withstanding that this author clearly perceived it was not the "Tawny Thrush" of Pennant, upon which Gmelin's name T. mtistelinus rested. The same bird was redescribed by Stephens, in his continuation of Shaw's General Zoology, in 1817, under the new name of Turdus fuscescens, which is now generally adopted. Yieillot, perceiving Wilson's double employ of the term T. mustelhius, hestowed upon it the name T.sitens in 1823. Very shortly afterward, the Prince Bonaparte, also noting Wilson's error, but either ignoring or ignorant of both Steph- ens' and Yieillot's prior designations, dedicated the species to Wilson, calling it Turdus ui'ilsonii, a name current among authors for several years. These are the only original names I have met with of undoubted applicability' to the present species; though Swainson and other writers have called the bird T. minor after Gmelin, and Dr. Brewer has once applied to it the term T. hrunneus. The Wood Thrush being a bird of more marked characters than any one of the others, there has been little or no uncer- tainty respecting it. The original descriptions — the earliest at least that have come to light so far — were those of Latham and Pennant, who describe it from Xew York under the name of Tawny Thrush, the basis of T. mustelinus of Gmelin. W'ilson, having appropriated this name to another species, as we have already seen, called the Wood Thrush T. melodus — in so doing apparently following Bartram,who had called it T.melodesm 1791. ^'^' Fig. 4.— Head of "Wood Thrush. Kat. size. The synonymy given at the head of the several species rep- resents an epitome of the whole subject here treated, with a great many additional references to the writings of various authors. As the Wood Thrush will not be formally introduced 28 SYNONYMY OF TURDUS MUSTELINUS into tlie preseut work, since it is not known to occur in the Colorado Basin, its synonymy and description are subjoined,* to complete a review of the subject. A figure of the head of this species is likewise given. WHEX we come to sketch the life-history of the Hermit Thrush, we shall be met by difficulties as great as those that beset the interpretation of its written record, if we attempt to discriminate between the three recognized varieties. Their mode of life is the same, notwithstanding the points of dissimi- *The Wood TSirnsla.— Turclns (Ilylocichla) miistelinus. Tawny Tiirusll, Pmn. AZ. ii. 1785, 337, No. 198 (New York).— Lath. Syu. ii. pt. i. L7S3, 28, No. 15. (Not of Wilson. ) TnrdllS musteliaus, Gm. SN. i. pt. ii. 1783, 817, No. 57 (based on Pcnn. &, Lath.). — r»rt. SN. i. 1806, 497.— £a«/i. 10. i. 1790, 33!, No. 15.— VieilL O.A.S. ii. 1807, 6, pi. 62.— Dp. Ann. Lye. N. Y. ii. 1826, yj.—Xitu.Man. i. 1832, 31X—Aud. OB. i. 1832, 372; v. 1839, 446 ; pi. 73.— Sp.C.& GL. 1838, n.—Pcab. Rep. Orn. Mass. 1839, 304.— D'Or&. La Sag. Cuba, Ois. 1839, 48 (Cuba).— ^;(rf. BA. iii. 1841, 24, pi. 144.— Gosse, B. Jam. 1847, 144 (in winter).— Bp. CA. i. 1850, ^lO.-Read, Pr. Phila. Acad. vi. 1853, 398 {Ohio).— Hoy, Pr. Phila. Acad. Ti. 185.3, 310 (Wisconsin).— fFood/i. Sitgr. Rep. 1853, 72.—Gerhnrdt, Naum. iii. 1853, 38.—Kennic. Tr. Illinois State Agric. Soc. i. 1855, 601. — Pratten, Tr. Illinois State Agric. Soc. i. 1855, 5S'2.— Guild. J. f. O. 1855, 469 (^Ciiba).—Hayin. Pr. Phila. Acad. viii. 1856, 289 (Indiana). — Pm«?j. Proc. Esses Inst. i. 1856, 209.— Scl. PZS. 1856, 294 (Cordova).— Kneel. Pr. Bost. Soc. vi. 1857, 234.— Maxim. J. f. O. 1858, 179.— Brf. BNA. 1858, 213.— .B/n?((f. Smiths. Rep. for 18.58,1859, 287 (Bermudas).- 5cZ. (,■ Salv.lhia, 1859, 6 (tluate- ma.\a) .—Scl. PZS. 1859, 325 (critical), 362 {Xa\apa.).—Moore, PZS. 1859, 55 (Omoa).— War- tens, J. f. 0. 1859, 212 (Bermudas).— GJtfieZ, Viig. 1860, 37, tig. 8i.— Brew. Pr. Bost. Soc. vii. 1860, 307 (Cuba).— Barn. Smiths. Rep. for 186.), 1861, 435 (Pennsylvania).— ScZ. Ibis, iii, 1861, 282.— Giindl. J. f. O. 1861, 324 (Cuba). — Comcs ^\ Prent. Smiths. Rep. for 1861, 1862, —.—Hayd. Tr. Am. Philos. Soc. xii. 1862, 158 (Missouri River).— ^»r. J. f. O. 1862, 194, 201 (Jamaica).— ^»cn, Pr. Ess. Inst. iv. 1864, 55.— Brf. Rev. AB. 1864, U.—Hoij, Smiths. Rep. for 1864, 1865, 437 (Missouri).— Laifr. >nu. Lye. N. Y. viii. 1866, 2SI.—Mcllv>r. Pr. Ess. Inst. V. 1856, 84 (Canada West).— Allcji, Am. Nat. i. 1867, UO.-Coues, Pr. Bost. Soc. xii. 1868, 106 (South Carolina).— (7o;SN. i. 1806, Aale ; iris dark brown ; feet pale ashy-brown. Length of ^ , 7-7^ ; extent, 12-12^ ; wing, about 4; tail, about 3; bill, i; tarsus, Ij'u. 9 averaging smaller — 6|+ extent, lli+ ; &c. b. ALICIA. — 5 9 OUvaceus, lateribus capitis concoloribus, jugulo vix flobvido-tincto. 3Iajor; rostro longiore, graciliore; long, tot. 7J-8; alar. exp. 12J-13J; ala 4+, cauda 3+. Similar to sivainsoni; sides of the head like the back, or merely more gray- ish ; the distinct yellowish orbital ring and lores of sivainsoni not being seen, or but faintly indicated. Breast but slightly tinged with yellowish. Rather larger than sioainsoni, the length averaging rather over the maximum of the latter, sometimes exceeding 8 inches, and other dimensions to correspond bill rather over | an inch, and comparatively slenderer than in swainsoni. c. USTULATUS. — 6 2 Eufo-oUvaceus ; ccvteris T. sicainson sat similis. This form is entirely like sivainsoni proper, excepting in a rufous shade o the olive of the upper parts approaching that of fuscescens, from which it is distinguished by the different tone and pattern of the coloration of the under parts. These characters, which it shares with swainsoni, distinguish it from alicicv, no less than does the shade of the upper parts. It is simply the more rufous phase of sivainsoni from the northwest coast region. T. alicice is more decidedly different from swainsoni in the characters note above, and is held by many excellent ornithologists as a distinct species. The interrelationships are treated in ray " Birds of the Northwest ", and more fully in the " History of North American Birds ". ONE of the most peculiar traits of the Olive backed Thrush is its erratic dispositioa. If not a greater vagabond than the Robin itself, this Thrush commonly wanders further south than any of its relatives; its journeying into distant portions of South America being conspicuous. While the rest of our Thrushes whicli leave the United States in the autumn rarely if ever pene- HABITS OF THE OLIVE-BACKED THRUSH 37 trate beyond the Isthmus, the Olive-backed Thrush has ap- peared ia Ecuador, Peru, aud Brazil, as recorded by Sclater, Cabanis, and von Pelzeln, respectively. It likewise occurs in Cuba and in Greenland, and, like all onr other HylocichlWj except- ing the Wood Thrush, has been reported from Europe. There is also a record of its presence in Siberia; though very possibly the actual reference in this case is to the variety alicke, lately accredited by Taczanowski to the same country. Its disper- sion over the eastern portions of North America is general. The southern limit of its usual breeding-range has been fixed by Dr. Brewer in Massachusetts, but I am under the impression that such restriction requires to be removed. I have mislaid a reference I once possessed to its breeding in Connecticut and in the mountains of Pennsylvania, and cannot now recall the authority ; but such extension of its range in summer agrees better with the accounts of some of the earlier writers as well as with what we now know of its distribution during the same season in the West. Late observations have informed us of its westward extension beyond the main chains of the Rocky Mountains. My correspondent, Mr. T. M. Trippe, found the bird in Colorado Territory in May and September; and on one occasion in October, when the snow lay a foot deep on the ground, he observed it in company with various other species which had gathered about the Hot Sulphur Springs, in the Middle Park, ajiparently atti-acted by the warmth of these tepid pools. " In the vicinity of Denver," says Mr. H. W. Henshaw, "the species makes its aj)pearance about the 10th of May; and by the 17th the thickets and partially open ground in swampy localities were fairly swarming with these birds. They were perfectly silent, and busied themselves after the usual manner of the family in scratching and seeking among the leaves for food. The males preceded the arrival of the females by at least a week." The most explicit accounts from the Far West are, however, those given by Mr. Ridgway, in his still unpublished Report on the Birds observed during Clarence King's Survey of the Fortieth Parallel. I quote from proof-sheets which he kindly placed at my service : " Swainson's Thrush is a very abundant species among the W^ahsatch Mountains, and is, in fact, one of the most characteristic summer birds of that region. It there breeds plentifully in the canons, where its song may be heard almost continually during the nesting season jSTumerous nests wej-e found among the thickets bordering the 38 HABITS OF THE OLIVE-BACKED THRUSH streams ; they were generally situated about five or six feet from the ground, in the willows or other shrubs, near the water." This paragraph leads me to speak at once of another pecu- liarity of the Olive-backed Thrush in comparison with all its congeners, excepting, of course, its two varieties alickc and ustulatus. I refer to its laying speckled eggs in a nest several feet from the ground. The Wood Thrush, indeed, builds in bushes and low trees ; but then its eggs are whole-colored, like those of the Veery and Hermit, both of which nestle on or very near the ground. In high Arctic regions, whither many of Swain- son's Thrushes resort for the summer, the nest has been fre- quently observed on the stunted vegetation not a yard from the ground ; but, in more favored places, the altitude is usually about a man's height. The nest is more compact and more elaborately finished than those of the ground-builders, the Yeery and Hermit, the outer portions of which are coarser and less consistent. The material is very miscellaneous, and varies, moreover, with the locality; but mosses, lichens, leaves, bark- strips, and fibrous weedy substances are usually found, while in some the Hypnum mosses are said to be most conspicuous, and to give a distinctive character. In size, the nests are only about four inches in diameter by half as much in depth; the walls being about half an inch thick. The eggs, numbering four or five, measure about seven-eighths of an inch in length by five-eighths in breadth ; but much variation, both in size and shape, has been observed. They are light greenish-blue in color, fully speckled with reddish-brown and other shades. Any Thrush's eggs like this found in a nest above the ground, described by early authors, were almost certainly those of the Olive-backed Thrush, to whatever species they may have been accredited. As to the general habits of this bird in comparison with those of its congeners, there is little to be said, since they are scarcely distinctive. It is perhaps less decidedly terrestrial and less solicitous of concealment than the Hermit, being often observed in open woodland, and gleaning much of its food among the branches of trees. 1 do not think that I have ever recognized its voice, excepting the short single note which is much the same as that of its allies. Dr. Brewer describes it as having a certain resemblance to that of the Hermit, yet quite distinct; " it is more prolonged ; the notes are more equal and SYNONYMY OF TURDUS FUSCESCENS 39 rise with more regularity and more gradually, are richer, and each note is more complete in itself. Its song of lamentation, when robbed of its young, is full of indescribable pathos and beauty, haunting one who has heard it long after." AVilsoii's Tlirii!>$h, or Veery Tardus (Hylociclila) fuscescens Little Thrush, Latham, Syn. ii. pt. i. 1783, 20 No. 5 (not of Pennant). Turdus minor, Gm. SN. i. pt. ii. 1788, 809, No. 32 (in part ; mixed with swainsoni). Turdus musteliuus, was. AO. v. 1812, 98, pi. 43, f. 3 {nee Gm., necauct.). Turdus fuscescens. Step),.. Shaw's GZ. x. 1817, \%'i.'—? Kneel. Pr. Best. Soc. vi. 1857, 234. —M. BNA. 1858, 214.— Sri.PZS. 1859,326 (critical).— .STcL Ibis, 18R1, 282— Gi^id. J. f. 0. 1861, .Til (Cuba).— £a?er. Ann. Lye. N. Y. vii. 1861, 326 (New Granada). Ooues ^ Prent. Smiths. Rep. for 1861, 1862, iOi.—Scl. Cat. AB. 1862, 'i.—Hayd. Tr. Am. Philos. Soc. 1862, 158. — Kerr. Pr. Essex Inst. iii. 1862, 14.j.—BteA;is(. Ibis, v. ISW, 58 (Saskatchewan). — B(i. Rev. AB. 1864, 11.— All. Pr. Ess. Inst. iv. 1864, 5(J.—Lawr. Ann. Lye. N. Y. viii. 1866, 'iii.—McIliD. Pr. Ess. Inst. v. 1866, 81 (Canada West).— Cowes, Pr. Ess. Inst. v. 1868, 266.— Co«es, Pr. Bost. Soc. xii. 1868, im.— Allen, Mem. Boat. Soc. i. 1858, 493, 514.— ^ZZ. Am. Nat. ii. 1868, 489. — Pe^i. Orn. Bras, ii, 1868, ^^.—Turnb. B. E. Pa. 1869, 21; Phila. ed. \i.—Ridg. Pr. Phila. Acad. xxi. 1869, 127 (critical).— May^i. Nat. Guide, 1870, 90.— Ahbou, Am. Nat. iv. 1870, 540, 541.— Afayi. Pr. Bost. Soc. xiv, 1871, —. — Stevenson, U. 8. Geol. Surv. Terr, for 1870, 1871, 463.— .i;/. Bull. MCZ. ii. 1871, 256 ; iii. 1872, 155, 173 (Colorado).— A/ny?;. B. Fla. 1872, \Q.— Coues, Kpy, 1872, 73.— £(ijf. Am. Nat. viii. 1874. 271.- Oundl. J. f. O. 1872, 405 {C\iha.).—Mayn. Pr Bost. Soc. xiv. 1872, 357.— Coues, BNW. 1874, 5; Trippe, ibid. 228 (Colorado).— ^Z/e?i, Pr. Bost. Soc. xvii. 1874, 48 (Dakota).— i?. B. (f R. NAB. i, 1874, 9, pi. i. f. s.— Brew. Pr. Bost. Soc. xvii. 1875, 438. Turdus fuseesens. Bam. Smiths. Rep. for 1860, 1861, 435. Turdus Sllens, Vieill. EM. ii. 1823, 647 {=mustelinus Wils.; ncc silens Sw.). Turdus Wilsonlt, Bp. Journ. Phila. Acad. iv. 1824, 34 (based onmnstelinus Wils. nee Gm.).—Bp. Ann. Lye. N. Y. ii. 1826, 16. — Peah. Rep. Orn. Mass. 1839,306.— And. OB. ii. 1834, 362, pi. lei.— And. Syn. 1839, 90.—Aud. BA. iii.1841, 27, pi. 145.— Oa6. Pn. Peru. 1845-46, \8i.—0ab. Arch. f. Naturg. 1817 (i), Wo.—Homeyer, Rhea, ii. 1849, 148 (monog.). —/foy, Pr. Phila. Acad. vi. 1853, 310 (Wisconsin). — TAom/js. Vermont, 1853, 79.—Bead, Pr. Phila. Acad. vi. 1853, 398 (Oh\o). —Ke7inic. Tr. 111. Agrie. Soc. i. 1855, 601.— Pratten, Tr. 111. Agric. Soc. i. 1855, 601.— Hoy, Smiths. Rep. for 1864, 1865, 437 (Missouri).— rrz>i>e, Pr. Essex Inst. vi. 1871, 115. Turdus wUsoill, Bp. C. & GL. 1838, 17.— B;;. CA. i. 1850, -^IL-Gund. J. f. O. 1855, 470 {Cuha).—Putn. Pr. Ess. Inst. i. 1856, 209.— Brew. Pr. Bost. Soc. vii. 1860, 307 (Cuba).— Gund. 3. f. O. 1861, 405 (Cuba). Merula WilSOnll, Brew. Pr. Bost. Soc. 1844, 191. Merula minor, Sw. 4- Rich. FBA. ii. 1831, 179, pi. 38.—.' Denny. PZ5. 1847, 38. Turdus minor. Less. Tr. Orn. 1831, 408.— D'OrJ. LaSagra's Cuba, Ois. 1840, 47, pi. 5.—Degl.- Gerbe, OE. i. 1867, 424 (Europe). Turdus bruneus, Brew. Journ. Bost. Soc. vi. 1852, 304 (chare, and habits).— Ca6o«, Naum. Bd. ii. Hft. iii. 1852, 66 (Lake Superior). Merl« grivette, Degland- Gerbe. Ch. sp. — 9 ^ Rufo-hrunneus, cauda concolore ; infra albus^ lateribus canis,jugulo tantum ixdlide Jlavo-hrunnescente, maculis minimis, sparsis, sagitlatis fuscis notato. Entire upper parts reddish-brown, with a faint olivaceous tinge ; no con- trast of color between back and tail ; quills and tail-feathers darker and 40 DESCRIPTION AND DISTRIBUTION OF THE VEERY purer brown, the former with white or butty spaces at the concealed bases of the inner webs, as usual in this subgenus. No orbital light ring around the eye ; auriculars only obsoletely streaky. Below, white ; the sides shaded with hoary-gray or light grayish-olive; the jugulum buff-colored, contrast- ing strongly with the white of the breast, and marked with a few small brown arrow-heads, the chin and middle line of throat, however, nearly white and immaculate. A few obsolete grayish-olive spots in the white of the breast; but otherwise the markings confined to the buff area. Bill dark above, mostly all pale below, like the feet. (^,7-7^; extent, about 12 ; wing, 4-4J ; tail, 3-3J; bill, f ; tarsus, Ij. $ averaging smaller, I have not observed a very early spotted and streaked stage of plumage, which, however, is presumed to occur, as in other species of this group. The sexes are alike in color, and the seasonal changes are slight. The differ- ences consist mainly in the stronger reddishness of the upper parts, or its tinging with an appreciable shade of olivaceous. But the upper parts are never of the decidedly olive shade seen in swainsoni and in the fore parts of pallasi. The color of the upper parts, however, viewing its occasional shad- ing toward olive, is less strongly distinctive of the species than the peculiar coloration of the under parts is. The pinkish-buff of the jugulum, restricted and sharply contrasting with the white of the breast, and its few small brown (not black or even blackish) spots, which do not extend into the white of the breast, are perfectly characteristic, as are the absence of a decided yellowish orbital ring and of distinct streaks on the auriculars. A curious malformation is exhibited in a specimen in Mr. Ridgway's col- lection, in which the upper mandible is overgrown, and as much hooked at the end as that of a Shrike. The average dimensions of a large series of specimens of both sexes are : — Length, 7.35 ; extent, 11.75; wing, 3.90; tail, 2.85 ; tarsus, 1.12. WILSON'S Thrush is aiiotlier species which, a few years ago, could not have been properly brought into the j)resent connection, owing to our lack of knowledge of its ex- treme western limits. The first authentic record of its occur- rence in the Rocky Mountains is, I think, that giveu in 1858 by Professor Baird, who received a specimen from Fort Bridger, Utah. Latterly, Mr. J. A. Allen found the bird in Colorado Terri- tory, where Mr. Trippe also observed it, in July, at an eleva- tion of over 8,000 feet, and where it was doubtless breeding. Both Mr. Ridgway and Mr. ETenshaw discovered it to be an abundant species in Utah and Colorado, and the former re- garded it as one of the most characteristic birds of the valleys of the Provo, Bear, and Weber liivers in Utah. Two nests were found by the latter near Fort Garland, Colorado, at nearly the altitude just mentioned ; one of them was curiously built above an old nest of the previous season, which had been remodeled for the purpose. As Mr. Henshaw remarks, though the Veery is thus common on the northern confines of the Colo- HABITS OF THE VEERY 41 rado Basin, no one appears to have found it in New Mexico or Arizona. It must consequently take a somewhat circuitous route in gaining its winter home in Central America, unless perchance it migrates at a considerable elevation along the mountain-chains. The latter supposition seems more probable, since Professor Sumichrast has observed it in Orizaba in Mexico. Its general northward dispersion appears to be more restricted than that of either the Hermit or the Olive-backed Thrush, being perhaps coincident with the limit of arboreal vegetation. In Cuba, it is one of the commoner species of the genus. A few linger through the winter in our Gulf States, but the majority leave our shores for the more genial climate of subtropical America, and proceed as far as Panama — in exceptional case 5 still farther, as in the instance noted by A. von Pelzelu, of an occurrence at San Vicente, Brazil, in December. There is even a record of the appearance of the bird in Europe ; but I under- stand that this is open to doubt. It will be seen that its dis- tribution is much like that of the Hermit and the Olive-backed, yet on the whole somewhat restricted, though less so than that of the Wood Thrush. Its breeding-range, similarly, is more southerly, approximating to that of the Wood Thrush ; it includes the Xorthern, Eastern, and some of the Middle States, and an adjoining belt of country in British America ; while in the Eocky Mountains it stretches southward to the confines of Xew Mexico and Arizona. The Veery's mating and nest building season, when the bird is in full song, is the genial month of May, in most parts of the United States ; and two broods may be reared under propitious surroundings. But further northward, where alone have I my- self found the bird in its home, and heard its seductive epitha- lamium, the shorter span of the summer season suffices but for a single brood. The yearly crisis of the bird's life is delayed till June, and the young are not seen abroad till the latter part of that month, if indeed before July. The heavy growth of timber that fringes the streams includes many nooks and dells, and broken ravines overgrown with thick shrubbery, from out the masses of which the tall trees tower, as if stretching forth their strong arms in kindly caressing of the humbler and weaker vegetation, their offspring. In such safe retreats, where the sombre shade is brightened here and there with stray beams of sunlight, in the warmth of which myriads of insects bathe their wings and flutter away their little span of life, 42 NESTING AND SINGING OF THE VEERY bumming' a qiiaiut refrain to the gurgle of the rivulet, the Veery meets his mate — the song rises — the wooed is won — the home is made. Should we force our unwelcome presence upon the bird who is brooding her newly-found treasures with the tenderest solicitude, she will nestle closer still, in hope of our passing by, till we might almost touch her; when, without a word of remonstrance or reproach, she takes a little flight, and settles a few yards away, in silent appeal. If the time, the place, the scene, suffice not for our forbearance, with what poor words of hers may we then be moved ? The nest will be found at our feet, most likely beneath some bush, resting upon a bed of leaves, or supported in the forks of some stems that spring directly from the ground. It seems large for the size of the bird, and perhaps not so neat and finisbed as we might expect; for the Veery, though a patient and faithful housekeeper, cares little for appearances. Among the various materials which enter into its composition, withered leaves form a larg'e part, especially of the outer walls, while grass-stems, weed-stalks, and bark-strips are more compactly woven inside. There is no special lining of the interior, and the cavity is small. The nest may contain four, perhaps five, eggs, like those of the Hermit, greenish-blue, without markings, except in rare instances, when a few specks appear, especially about the larger end. Varying estimates have been made of the Veery's powers of song. For myself, I rate this bird as one of the sweetest of our songsters, of whose " clear bell-like notes, resonant, distinct, yet soft and of indescribable sadness", I have spoken on a former occasion. I think Dr. Brewer's faint praise the most cruelly unjust of all ; can he have ever heard the Veery's full utter- ance, and then have written, "The song of this thrush is quaint, but not unmusical ; variable in its character, changing from a prolonged and monotonous whistle to quick and almost shrill notes at the close"? He speaks as he might of a hurdy- gurdy, instead of an exquisite oboe. No one of the voices of the woodland is less quaint than the Veery's ; no one is truer to its theme, more measured in its cadences, or softer and clearer in tone than that of the Veery — rival of the Olive, the Hermit, and the Wood Thrush, completing the quartette of silver-tongued cantatrices^ who pledge the promises of spring- time in choral symphony. CHARACTERS OF MYIADESTIN^E 43 Subfamily MYIADESTIX.E Flycatching Thrushes The essential character of this group has been indicated on a preceding page. It lias usually been associated with Ptilo- gonys and Phamopepla in the family {Ampelidce) whicli contains the Ce- dar Bird and Bohemian Wax wing; from all these birds, however, the boot- ed tarsi, speckled state of the young, and other char- acters sufficiently distin- guish it. In comparison with the Thrushes, among which it is now located, it differs in the shorter, broader, more depressed, and flycatcher-like bill, with its deeply-cleft ric- tus and very short gonys, the smaller and weaker feet, and in the peculi- arly double - margin ate pj^ 5 __oetails of external form of Mijiadcstes (M. town- tail, the feathers of which '""^'^ = i''" ^"'^ ^«^* "^*"^'*' "'""^ ' ^'""^ ^''^ '"^^ *• taper gently from base to tip. It is a small group, nearly con- fined to the warmer portions of America, comprising only two or three genera, the leading one of which is the — Genus MYIADESTES, Sw., which was established by Mr. William Swainson, in 1838, in his arrangement of the Flycatchers, a work forming part of Sir William Jardine's " Naturalists' Library ". It consists of ten or twelve species, only one of which occurs w-ithin our limits, the others being more southerly. In addition to the characters just noted, it may be observed that the species of Myiadestes agree in their rather uniform dark or dull coloration, variegated with brighter tints on the wings. They form part of an interesting 44 CHARACTERS OF MYIADESTES TOWNSENDI and somewhat isolated group, having no very intimate rela- tions with the other birds of our country, inhabiting woodland and shrubbery, feeding on insects and berries, and capable of musical expression in an exalted degree. Townseiid's FIjcalcliiii§ Tlir«isli Myiadestes towiisendi PtilOgonys townsendi, Aud. OB. v. 1839, 206, pi. 419, f. 2.—Aud. Syn. 1839, 4H.—N7iU. Mau. 2d ed. i. 1840, 361. PtilOgonys townsendli, Aud. BA. i. 1840, 243, pi. 69.— GamJ. Pr. Phila. Acad. i. 1843, 261 (California).— Gamfi. Pr. Phila. Acad. iii. 1847, 157 (California).— //ecrm. Journ. Phila. Acad. ii. 1853, i&'i.— Woodh. Sitgreave'sRep. 1853, 1^.— Henry, Pr. Phila. Acad. viii. 1855, 308 (^New Mexico). PtlliOROnys townsendii, Gam&. Journ. Phila. Acad. 1.1847, W.—^'twh. PRRR. vi. 1857, 82. CuUclVOra townsendi, DcKay, N. Y. Zool. ii. 1814, 110. Mjiadestes townsendtl, Cah. Arch. f. Nat. 1847 (i), 208— BaiW, BNA. 18.58, 321.— //enry, Pr. Phila. Acad. xi. 1859, 106 (New Mexico).— A'eww. PRRR. x. 1859, 25.— //term. PURR. x. 1859, 2%.—Xantus, Pr. Phila. Acad. xi. 1859, 191 (California).— //nyd. Tr. Am. Philos. Soc. xii. 1862, 162.— torrf, Pr. Roy. Arty. Inst. iv. 1864, U&.—Cnues, Pr. Phila. Acad, xviii. 1866, 72 (Arizona).— B(i. Rev. AB. 1866, 429, &g.—Coop. Am. Nat. iii. 1869,34.— Coop. B. Cal. i. 1870, 134, &g».—Stcv. U. S. Geol. Surv. Terr, for 1870, 1871, 464.— Allen. Bull. MCZ. iii. 1872, 176.— Cones, Key, 1872, 117, f. 57.— Cones, BNW. 1874, 93. Myiadestes townsendi, Scl. PZS. 1857, 5.—Scl. PZS. 1858, 97.— Oowes, Ibia, 1865, 163 (Ari- zona).— ^iVce/i, Pr. Bost. Soc. XV. 1872, 198 (Colorado).— 5. B. ff R. BNA. i. 1874, 406, pi. 18, figs. 3, A.—Henshmc, Zool. Expl. W. 100th Merid. 231 (in presi*). Myiadestes ObSCUruS, Bp. CA. i. 1850, 336 (in part ; includes townsendi). (Not of Lafr.) Townsend's Ptilogonys, Aud. l. c. Townsend's Fiycatching Thrush, Ooues, l. c. Townsend's Solitaire, b. b. S( r. l. c Hab.— Western United States, from the easternmost foothills of the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific and British Columbia. Not known to penetrate any distance into Mexico, where replaced by other species. Ch. SP. — (? 9 SorcUde cinereus, infra dilutior, gula cnssoque alUcantibus; alls nigricantibus, fulvo bisignatls; cauda nigricantey rectrice extima albo-limbata, rectrice proxima albo-ternwiata; orbi- Us albis; rostro pedib usque nigris. $ 9 .—General color dull brownish-ash, paler below, bleaching on the throat, lower belly, and crissum. Wings blackish, the inner secondaries edged and tipped with white, nearly all the quills extensively tawny or ful- vous at the base, and several of the intermediate ones again edged exter- nally toward their ends with the same color. In the closed wing, the basal tawny shows upon the outside as an oblique spot in the recess between the greater coverts and the bastard quills, separated by an oblique bar of black- ish from the second tawny patch on the outer webs of the quills near their ends. Tail like the wings (the middle pair of feathers more nearly like the back) ; the outer feather edged and broadly tipped, the next one more nar- HABITS OF TOWNSENd's FLYCATCHING THRUSH 45 rowly tipped, with white. A white ring around the eye. Bill and feet black. Eye brown. Length, about 8 inches; wing and tail about equal, 4-4^; the latter forked centrally, graduated laterally ; bill, i ; tarsus, | ; middle toe and claw rather more. Young : — Speckled at first, like a very young Thrush. Each feather with a triangular or rounded spot of dull ochraceous or tawny, edged with blackish. AMONG the birds of our Western country, Townsend's Thrush is almost the only one of general distribution which I have never been able to study in its native haunts. Until very lately, the Dipper was another which had always given me the slip; but, during the summer of 1874, 1 added that sprightly and vivacious ornament of the mountain-torrent to the list of my i^ersonal friends, and in good time, perhaps, I shall come to know the Flycatching Thrush as well. In pen- ning an account of this stranger for the " Birds of the North- west", I could only state that I had found it rather rare, in sum- mer, in the upper portions of Arizona, and gather from my cor- respondents, or from the published records of other observers, some items of its life-history. I would refer to this article, however, as a fair epitome of what was then known, and, avoiding repetition, can now supplement it with some further particulars, the principal of which relate to the nidification of the species. None of the earlier observers appear to have ever found the nest of this bird ; and to this day the eggs remain unknown. A few years ago, however, Mr. Ridgway discovered a nest, an account of which was communicated to Dr. Brewer, and pub- lished in substance in the work above quoted. The original notice, as prepared and printed (but up to the date of present writing, February 8, 1876, remaining unpublished), I am able to quote through the kindness of the writer, who has placed at my service the i)roof-sheets of his report on the birds observ.ed during the Exploration of the Fortieth Parallel by Clarence King: — " In July, 18G7, we found a nest of this species in a deep ravine on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada, at an alti- tude of about 5,000 feet. This nest was placed in a cavity of the rocks forming the perpendicular upper bank of a sluice, constructed for mining purposes, and through which ran the water of a considerable mountain-stream. The nest, which was about a foot above the water, was nearly as bulky as that of the Brown Thrasher {Rarporhynchus rufiis), and similarly con- 46 HABITS OF TOWNSEND'S FLYCATCHING THRUSH structetl 5 it coutained four young. When we approached it, the female was much excited, flying before us or running upon the ground in the manner of a thrush, a species of which she was at first thought to be, from her entirely thrush-like man- ners and appearance. Even afterward, and until the species was identified by obtaining specimens, we were led into this delusion, its gliding, noiseless flight, and graceful running upon the ground being so perfectly thrush-like." This curious fact, which would never have been anticipated, of the nesting of the bird in the rifts of rocks, is corroborated by the later observations of Mr. Henshaw, whose article, as pre- pared for the zoological volume of the Reports upon Explora- tions West of the One Hundredth Meridian — a work which will doubtless issue from the press during the present year — is to the following effect: — During a week's stay in June, at the base of Baldy Peak, in Colorado, he frequently saw this bird in the pine forests, and as high up on the mountain sides as 10,000 feet ; its summer range doubtless extends up to timber line. Its habits, as far as he noticed them, are singularly like those of the Bluebirds. Besides a loud, liquid call note, the male has a beautiiul warbling song, which somewhat resembles that of the Purple Finch, but far excels it in power, sweetness and modulation. Though he searched carefully for the nest, he only succeeded in satisfying himself that the bird breeds in the crev- ices of rocks. Its preference for such localities during the sum- mer, with the evident solicitude manifested on more than one occasion, left little doubt in his mind on this point. The birds are quite common (Mr. Henshaw continues), in the fall, in Eastern Arizona and Western New Mexico. Having reared their young, they appear to forsake the pine woods, which constitute their summer abode, and are seen lower down, on the hillsides covered with pinons and cedars. Their food at this season appears to consist almost exclusively of berries, particularly of the piiions and cedars, and the crops of many examined contained little else save a few insects. Though in summer a bird of retiring and unsocial habits — never more than a single pair being found in one locality — in the fall they are to a considerable extent gregarious, associating usually in small companies of from five to ten. At the Old Crater, forty miles south of Zuiii, they had congregated in very large numbers about a spring of fresh water, the only supply for many miles around; and hundreds were to be seen sitting on the CHARACTERS OF THE MIMIN.E 47 bare volcanic rocks, apparently too timid to venture down and slake their thirst while we were camped near by. Their song is occasionally heard even in November and. December, and is very sweet, but not so full and varied as during the vernal season. The sociable disposition which Townsend's Thrush manifests during the winter, contrasting with those traits it shows at other seasons so conspicuously that it has acquired the soubri- quet of '' Solitaire ", is also attested by Mr. J. K. Lord, from observations made at Colville during November, when the leaves had fallen, snow covered the ground, and the cold was intense. His attention was attracted by the sound of singing, unusual at that inclement season ; and he soon discovered a score of these brave little birds perched upon the sprays of some thorn-bushes, and was reminded, by their low, sweet notes, of the Song Thrush of Europe. Commend me to the rare bird that sings in winter, whose pipe, yet limpid when the rivers cease to flow, is tuned to sounds harmonious amid the discord of the elements, in earnest of more genial times to come ! Subfamily MIMING : Mocking Thrushes Chars. — There is little to be added to the comparative diag- nosis of this group already given (p. 5). The tarsi are scutellate anteriorly, with seven scales (rarely obsolete, as sometimes oc- curs in Galeoscoptes). The wings are short and rounded — usually shorter than the tail, the feathers of which are graduated in length. There are bristles about the base of the bill, but the feathers themselves are soft. The bill is extremely variable in length and shape ; sometimes it is much shorter than the head, and as straight as that Of a typical Thrush, but in other cases it equals or exceeds the head in length, and is bent like a bow. The members of this group have been sometimes classed with the Wrens, to which they bear a strong resemblance in many respects. They are peculiar to America, and abound in species in the warmer parts of this hemisphere. In its broader features, the economy of these birds is much the same as that of the true Thrushes. They are insectivorous, but also feed on various soft fruits. They inhabit shrubbery rather than high open wood- land, and as a rule keep nearer the ground, some of the species being decidedly terrestrial, as indicated by their large strong feet. Their nidification is inartistic ; the stout bulky nests are 48 CHARACTERS OF THE GENUS OROSCOPTES placed in bushes ; the eggs are three to six in number, usually speckled (the Catbird furnishes an exception to this last state- ment). In this group, the vocal powers are carried to the highest known degree, some of the species being able to imitate not only the notes of other animals, but various sounds which are mere noises, without musical quality. There are three North American genera of this subfamily, all •of which are represented in the Colorado Basin. Although the generic characters are not very strongly marked (all the species used to be placed iu the single genus Mimus), tangible differ- ences will be observed on comparing the diagnoses given. Genus OROSCOPTES Baird Chars. — Wings and tail of equal lengths, the former more pointed than iu the other genera of 31i7nince, with the first quill not half as long as the second, which is between the sixth and seventh 5 the third, fourth, and fifth about equal to each other, and forming the point of the wing. Tail nearly even, its feathers being but slightly graduated. Tarsus longer than the middle toe and claw, anteriorly distinctly scutellate. Bill much shorter than the head, not curved, with obsolete notch near the end. llictal bristles well developed, the longest reaching beyond the nostrils. 0. montamis is the type and only known species of this genus. JTIoiiutain Iflockiiigbircl Oroscoptes uiontauus Orpheus montanus, Om. Comm. Joum. Phila. Acad. vii. 1837, 193 (Columbia River).— ^urf. Syu. 1839, 89.— ^«rf. BA. ii, 1841, 194, pi. XZ^.— Henry, Pr. Phila. Acad. vii. 1655, 310 (New Mexico). Turdus montanus, Aud. OB. iv. 1838, 437, pi. 369, f. 1. Tardus (Orpheus) montanus, Towns. Joum. Phila. Acad. viii. 1839, 153. Mimus montanus, B;). C. & GL. 1838, Yl.—Gamb. Pr. Phila. Acad. iii. 1846, 114 (California).— Gamh. Journ. Phila. Acad, i, 1847, A%—Bp. CA. i. 1850, 276.— IfcCaW, Pr. Phila. Acad. V. 1851, 216 (Texas).- JFoodA. Expl. Zuui River, 1853, IZ.—Heerm. PRRR. x. 1859,44. Oroscoptes montanus, Bd. BNA. 1858, Ml.— Cones, Pr. Phila. Acad, xviii, 1866, 65 (Arizona). Oreoscoptes montanus, Scl. PZS. 1859, 340 (critical).— i/enry, Pr. Phila. Acad. xi. 1859, 107 (New Mexico).— Bd. Ives' Rep. Expl. Colorado, pt. v. 1861 , 6.—Hayd. Tr. Am. Phil. Soc. xii. 1860, 163 (Black HHIb).— 5d. Rev. AB. 1864, 42.— Dress. Ibis, 1865, 482 (Texas) — Butch. Pr. Phila. Acad. xx. 1868, 149 (Laredo, Tex.).— Coop. Am. Nat. iii. 1869, 73.— Coop. Pr. Gala. Acad. 1870, 75 (Colorado River).— Coop. B. Cal. i. 1870, U.—SCev. U. S. Geol. Surv. for 1870, 1871, 464.— .^oW. Pr. Boat. Soc. 1872, 194 (Black UilU).— All. Bull. MCZ. iii. 1872, 174.- Cnues, Key, 1872, 74.— Merr. U. S. Geol. Surv. for 1872, 1873, 670, 705,712,713.— Ridg. Bull. Ess. Inst. v. 1873, 179.— Coop. Am. Nat. viii. 1874, 17.— Allen, DESCRIPTION OF OROSCOPTES MONTANUS 49 Pr. Boat. Soc. xvii. 1S74, 97 (Yellovratone Kiver).— Cones, BXW. 1674, 7, 2Q8.-B. B. \ R. NAB. i. 1874, 31, fig. pi. 3, f. 6.—Yarr. Rep. Orn. Specs. 1374, Zi.— Yarr. ff Hensh. Rep. Orn. Specs. 1874, 6.— Hensh. Rep. Orn. Specs. 1874, 40, 71, 9~.—Hensk. List B. Ariz. 1875, 150*— Aelson, Pr. Bost. Soc. xvii. 1875, 339, 349, 35^', 355 (Califoruia, Nevada, Utah). Mountain Mockingbird; Sage Tiirasher. J'liior. Hab.— United States, from the Rocky Mountains to the Paciiic ; eastward to the Black Hills and Fort Laramie. Texas and Lower California. Ch. sp. — S 9 Griseo-cinereus ; infra aJhidus, fusco-maculatus ; alis caudaque fnscls, illis alho-bifasciatis et limhatis, hac albo- terminatd ; rostro pedihusque nigricantihns. ^ 9 , in summer : Above, grayish or brownish ash. the feathers with obso- letely darker centres. Below, whitish, more or less tinged with pale buflfy- brown, everywhere marked with triangular dusky spots, largest and most crowded across the breast, small and sparse, sometimes wanting, on the throat, lower belly, and crissnm. Wings fuscous, with much whitish edging on all the nuills, and two white bands formed by the tips of the greater and median coverts. Tail like the wings : the outer feather edged and broadly tipped, and all the rest, excepting usually the middle pair, tipped with white in decreasing amount. Bill and feet black or blackish, the former often with pale base. Length, about 8 inches ; wing and tail, each 4 or rather less (not nearly 5, as given by Baird and copied in my " Key '') ; tarsus, 1^ ; bill, f . Young : Dull brownish above, conspicuously streaked with dusky ; the markings below streaky and ditfuse. Specimens ditier little with sex or season, or with age after the first streaked stage is passed. The individual variation consists in the purer or more brownish ash of the upper parts, and especially in the shade of the under parts, Avhich ranges from whitish to a decided brownish-cinnamon cast, and in the amount of spotting. Ordinarily, the lower belly and vent, and sometimes the throat, are immaculate, but the whole under surface is sometimes pretty uniformly covered. The brownish .shade is usually strong- est on the breast, flanks, and crissnm. The newly-grown quills and tail- feathers are darker than the old ones, aud have more white edging. The wing-coverts are sometimes edged as well as tipped with white. THIS interesting species resembles a Mockingbird — espe- cially a young one, before the spots on the under parts are lost — in many respects, but differs altogether in the quality of its song, and shares much of the ground-loving nature of a * Since these references to Messrs. Yarrow and Henshavrs writings (which are important in the present connection) may not be generally understood, it should be stated, that " Rep. Orn. Specs." refers to a pamphlet (8vo, pp. 148) published at the office of the United States Geograph- ical and Geological Explorations and Surveys West of the One Hundredth Meridian, under auspices of the Engineer Department of the United States Army, relating to the collections made by the gentlemen named in 1871, 1870, 1873. containing five separate papers, one of which is an "Annotated List of the Bird.t of Utah ", republished from Ann. Lye. N. H. New York, xi, 1874; and that "List D. Ariz." refers to a paper by Mr. Henshaw in Appendix LL of Annual Report of Chief of Engineers of the United States Army for 1S75 ; the pagination being given accord- ing to the separately-printed pamphlet edition of this Appendix (8vo, pp. 196). These papers are full of interesting field-notes, aud bear directly upon the subject in hand. 4 B C 50 MIGRATION, ETC., OF THE MOUNTAIN MOCKINGBIRD Thrasher. It was one of the birds discovered by Mr. J. K. Towusend, who, with his some time compauion Nuttall, explored the region of the Cohimbia, bringing many ornithological novel- ties to light. Xuttall speaks of its pleasant song, which he says resembles that of the Thrasher, and ascribes to it powers of imitation ; but as his statement of such ability has not been since corroborated, we are left to infer that it possesses nothing beyond the flexible modulation of the voice for which all its tribe are famous. He discovered a nest, situated in a worm- wood-bush, containing four eggs. The original accounts of the species constituted the sum of our information respecting it for many years, until the general openingup of almost untrod- den wastes put other eager and curious observers upon its track. From what we have learned, it would appear to have been mis- named the Mountain Mockingbird, since, as has been intimated, its repertoire is not remarkably extensive, while its favorite haunts are the arid and desolate sage plains of the great cen- tral plateau. We are now jn^etty well acquainted with its geographical distribution, though more precise knowledge of its movements w^ould be acceptable. It is migratory, like most of its tribe, but only within a limited area. It is known to be resident in Texas, where my friend H. E. Dresser, of London, observed it at San Antonio and Eagle Pass in winter and sum- mer, and where he procured the eggs. He found it, like others, in brushy plains, and noticed its terrestrial habits. As well as I can judge from the accounts to which I have referred for in- formation — havingnothingoriginalto presentupon the subject — the bird offers one of the many instances of what I should call ^^ migration at iciW\ if I dared to propose a sort of paradoxical term. That is to say : out of the sum-total of individuals com- posing the species, congregated in their winter haunts, a cer- tain percentage elects to go north in the spring, dropping loi- terers by the way, while the rest breed where they wintered. In this manner, the species spreads latitudinally until the limit of its dispersion, which cannot be far from the northern bound- ary of the United States, is reached, and may be found nesting anywhere within the area it inhabits. In the fall the return movement is accomplished, and the species is then withdrawn into its comparatively narrow winter quarters, the limits of which I believe remain to be ascertained. This kind of optional or elective migration, witnessed in many other cases besides the present one, contrasts with the regular migration perforce HABITS OF THE MOUNTAIN MOCKINGBIRD 51 of those other species, all the iudividuals of which are mysteri- ously impelled to journey toward the pole, and settle for the summer in areas perhaps more contracted than their winter homes. For the general habits of this species I shall presently quote Mr. Ridgway, who has made good use of the favorable oppor- tunities he enjoyed ; but will first describe the eggs, which I have examined in the National Museum at Washington. The clutch usually numbers four, measuring from 0.94: to 1.03 in length, and from 0.69 to 0.75 in breadth (inches and decimals). The ground-color is light greenish-blue ; this is heavily marked with burnt-umber or olive-brown spots, and a few others of neutral tint. The pattern is generally bold and sharp, but in some cases finer and more diffuse, when the numberless speck- les and dots give an effect similar to that of some styles of Mockingbirds' eggs. Instead of collating the fragmentary notices of writers who have recorded their transient impressions or isolated observa- tions, I shall conclude the history of the Mountain Mocking- bird with an extract from the author last mentioned. looting that it inhabits sage-plains, especially of the '-Great Basin", and suggesting the name " Sage Thrasher "' as more appro- priate than " Mountain Mockingbird", Mr. Ridgway goes on to say, in his note-book now lying before me : — " Carson City, Xevada, March 24, 1S(3S. — To-day we saw the Sage Thrasher for the first time this spring, and heard its song. The sage-brush was full of the birds, and many were singing beautifully when the evening shades were lengthened by the sinking of the sun behind the Sierras. Owing to the earliness of the season, the son^- was uttered in a subdued tone, and its full merits could not be appreciated. The bird was generally seen sitting in an upright position upon a sage bush, but when approached would dive — apparently into the bush, though close examination failed to reveal its hiding-place ; often, however^ we again heard it*sweetly warbling, perhaps a hundred yards away in the direction from which we had come. This con- cealed, circuitous flight is characteristic of the species. ^^ April 2. — Rained throughout the night; tbis morning the air is fresh and balmy ; clouds are lowering about the bases of the mountains, concealing them from view. The air is vocal with the music of the spring birds, singing with vigor and joyousness. The Meadow Larks are singing throughout the 52 SONG AND NEST OF THE MOUNTAIN MOCKINGBIRD sage-brusb, and with their rich notes are heard the sweet warb- lings of Oroscopfcs monfanm. To-day we heard this soDg in all its loveliness. Although weaker than that of either the Brown Thrasher or the Catbird, it is more varied and longer sustained as well as superior in sweetness and delicac}" of tone. The song has, in modulation or style, a great resemblance to the soft tender warbling of th3 Ruby-crowned Kinglet, although it is stronger, of course, in proportion to the size of the bird. ^^ A])rlld. — The Sage Thrasher is now one of the most com- mon birds in this vicinity. Today a great man^- were noticed among the brush-heaps in the city cemetery. Its manners dur- ing the pairing season are peculiar. The males, as they flew before us, were observed to keep up a peculiar tremor or flutter- ing of the wings, warbling as they flew, and upon alighting (generally upon the fence or a bush), raised the wings over the back, with elbows together, quivering with joy as they sang. '''•April 23. — Although we saw these birds everywhere among the sage-brush, their nests were found onl}' with great diflS- culty. In the cemetery, the sage bushes had all been pulled up and thrown in piles in different parts of the inclosure, and upon these the birds were most frequently seen. On one occa- sion, a female was observed to fly into one of these brush-heaps, with a bunch of building material in her mouth ; but it was only by taking off bush after bush that the nest was discov- ered; this, though unfinished, contained one egg, and, in its construction and situation, resembled some of the nests of the Thrasher, though less bulky. The bushes were carefully re- placed, and the nest left undisturbed. In walking through the sage-brush on the open commons, several more nests were found, in similar situations, being placed in the thickest por- tion of the bushes, generally about two feet from the ground, but occasionally imbedded in the ground beneath them. They were all well concealed. At one time, while blowing some eggs, the parent birds came near us, running gracefully upon the ground in the manner of a Eobin, stretching* their necks, curi- ous to see what we were doing, and watching our movements with an anxious look, but uttering no note whatever. " The only note of this species, besides its song, is simply a weak ' f??c7>:', seldom uttered unless the young are disturbed; except during the pairing and nesting seasons, it is one of the most silent birds with which I am acquainted. In September I saw it feeding upon the ' service-berries,' which grew abund- antly in certain localities at the foot of the mountains." MIMUS— SYNONYMY OF M. POLYGLOTTUS 53 Genus MIMUS Boie Chaks. — Bill much shorter thau the head, scarcely curved as a whole, but with geutlj curved commissure, notched near the end. Rictal vibrissae well developed. Tail rather longer than the wings, rounded, the lateral feathers being con- siderably graduated. Wings rounded. Tarsal scutella some- times obsolete. Tarsi longer than the middle toe and claw. Of this genus, there are two well marked sections, represented by the Mockingbird and Catbird respectively. These may be most conveniently distinguished by color: — 31imus. — Above ashy-brown, below white; lateral tail- feathers and bases of primaries white. (Tarsal scutella always distinct.) Galeoseoptes. — Blackish-ash, scarcely paler below; crown and tail black, unvaried; crissum rufous. (Tarsal scutella some- times obsolete.) The jflockf lis; bird Miinns polyglottiis TlirdtlS UOlyglOttOS, L. SN. i. lOth ed. 1758, 169, no. 7 (based on Sloane, ii. 306, pi. 253, f. 3 ; Gates, i. 27; Kalm, ii. 335); 12th ed. 1766, 293, no. 10 (includes other spp. or vars.).— Bp. Journ. Phila. Acad. iv. 1824, 32 (critical).— B;). Ann. Lye. N.'Y. ii. 1826, 74. Turdus polyglOttUS, Gm. SN. l. 1788, 612.— Lath. 10. i. 1790, 329. — Turt. SN. i. 1806, 493.— Wils. AO. ii. 1810, 14, pi. 10, f. l.—Foz, Newc. Mug. 1827, 150.— iess. Tr. Orn. 1831, 410.— Aud. OB. i. 1831, 108, pi. 2l.—Niat. Man. i. 1832, 320.— Pea6. Rep. Orn. Mass. 1839, 300 (rare).- Hayw. Pr. Phila. Acad. yiii. 1856, 289.— Gossf, Alabama, 1859, 4.7.—Gieb. Vog. 1860, 37, f. 85. Mimas polyglOttUS, Bote, Isis, 1826, 97-2.—Sp. C. & GL. 1838, \7.—Gamb. Pr. Phila. Acad, lii. 1846, 114 (California).— Bp. CA. i. 1850, 276.—McCaU, Pr. Phila. Acad. v. 1851,216 (Texas).— Burnett, Pr.Bost. Soc. iv. 1851, 116.— Hoij, Pr. Phila. Acad. vi. 1853, 309 (Wis- consin).— i2ec(i, Pr. Phila. Acad. vi. 1853. 398 (Ohio).— U'oodk. Expl. Zuiii R. 1853, 72.— Kennic. Tr. Illinois Agric. Soc. i. 1855, 582 (Illinois).— iun^crs/i. J. f. 0. 1856, 69 (in captivity).— ScZ. PZ.S. 1857, 212 (Orizaba).— ..Vazm. J. f. O. vi. 1858, 179.— Be?. BNA. 1858, 344.— 5cZ. PZS. 1859, 340 (critical).- i/cnry, Pr. Phila. Acad. xi. 1859, 106 (New Mexico).- BaiVrf, Pr. Phila. Acad. xi. 1859, ZOZ.—Kenn. PRRR. x. 1859, 25.— i/e«rm. PRRR. X. 1859, i4.— Vflieat, Ohio Agric. Rep. for 1860, 1861, 365, no. 115 (Ohio).— Barn. Smiths. Rep. for 1860, 1861, 436 (Pennbylvania).— Coi(£S SfPrent. Smiths. Rep. for 1861, 1862,410 (Washington ; rare). — Scl. Cat. AB. 1862, S.— Tayl. Ibis, 1862, 128 (Florida),— Bd. Rev. AB. 1864, 48.—Alle7i, Pr. Essex Inst. iv. 1864, 67 (Massachusetts— northern limit).- Hoy, Smiths. Rep. for 1864, 1865, 437 (Missouri).— Bry. Pr. Bost. Soc. ix. 1865, 372.— Co!us, Ibis, 1865, 159 (New Mexico).— Prc.«s. Ibis, 1865, 481 (Texas).— Co«es, Pr. Phila. Acad, xviii. 1866, 65 (Fort Whipple, Ariz.).- Zaicr. Ann. Lye. N. Y. viii. 1866, 282 (New York).— Corns, Pr. Bost. Soc. xii. 1868, 107 (South Carolina, resident).— BufcZi. Pr. Phila. Acad. xx. 1808, 149 (Laredo, Tex.).— Co«cs, Pr. Essex Inst. v. 1868, 267 (New England).— >-i;?en, Mem. Bost. Soc. i. 1868, 523 (Indiana).— 5«mifcA. Mem. Bost. Soc. i. 1869, 543 (Vera Cruz; Gulf coast up to plateau, breeding at Orizaba). — r«r7i&. B. E. Pa. 1809,22; Pliila. ed. 15.— Steams, Am. Nat. iii. 1869, 282.— Coop. B. Cal. i. 1870,21.— Mayn. Nat. Guide, 1870, 92 (Massachusetts).— ^;^ Bull. MCZ. ii. 1871, 239 (Florida, 54 DESCRIPTION OF THE MOCKINGBIRD winterluff). — Ooucs, Pr. Phila. Acad, xxiii. 1871, 19 (North Carolina). — Parker, Am. Nat. V. 1871, 168. — Boarrfm. Am. Nat. v. 1871, \2l.—Grayso7i, Pr. Bost. See. xiv. 1872, 277 eany, PZS. 1847, 38.—Gerhardt, Naum. iii. 1853, 37 (aong). — Wailes, Rep. Mississippi, 1854, 3W.—Pratte)i, Tr. 111. Agric. Soc. 1855, 601 (Illinois).— Henry, Pr Phila. Acad. vii. 1855, 310 (New Mexico). Merinus polyglOttUS, Baird, Ives' Rep. Colorado, pt. vi. 1861, 5 (lapsu). Orpbeus leucopterus, Fj>. Zool. Voy. Bloss. 1839, 18. Mimus leucopterus, Baird, Stansbury's Rep. GSL. 1852, 328. Orpheus polygOthUS, Putn. Pr. Essex lust. i. 1856, 224 (lapsu). Mimus CanadatUS, Baird, BNA. 1858, 345 (err. for "caudatus"). Mimus caudatUS, Xant. Pr. Phila. Acad. xi. 1359, 191 (California).— Ooo/;. Am. Nat. iii. 1369, 186.— Coop. Pr. Cal. Acad. 1870. 75. Mimus polyglOttUS rnr-. caudatUS, Coues, ibis, 1865, 533 (Arizona). — Zif'rf^. Bull. Essex last. V. 1873, 179 (Colorado). Oreoscoptes montanus!, Coues, Ibis. 1865, 164 (lapsu). Mimic Thrush, Penn. AZ. ii. 1785, 333, no. 194 and 194 B (young). Mocliingbird, Vulg. Merle moqueur, French. SpottTOgel, German. Hab. — United States, southerly, from Atlantic to Pacific. North regu- larly to the Middle States, sometimes to Massachusetts and Wisconsin. Northerly portions of Mexico. Cuba ? Ch. sp. S 9 Griseus, infra sordkle alb us ; alls fuscis spatio alho, Cauda fusco alhoque dimidiatd, rostro pedibusque nigr'is. $ , adult : Upper parts ashy-gray, the lower i^arts soiled white. Wings blackish-brown, the primaries, with the exception of the first, marked with a large white space at the base, restricted on the outer quills usually to half or less of these feathers, but occupying nearly all of the inner quills. The shorter wbite spaces show as a conspicuous spot when the wing is closed, the longer iuner ones being hidden by the secondaries. The coverts are also tipped and sometimes edged with white ; and there may be much edging or tipping, or both, of the quills themselves. Outer tail-featliers white ; next two pair white, except on the outer web ; next i)air usually white toward the end, and the rest sometimes tipped with white. Bill and feet black, the former often pale at the base below ; soles dull yellowi-sh. Length about 10 inches, but rangingfrom 91 toll; extent about 14 (13 to 15) ; wing,4-4J; tail, 4^-5; bill, J; tarsus, 1^. 9 , adult : Similar to the male, but the colors less clear and pure ; above rather brownish than grayi.sh ash, below sometimes quite brownish-whitej at least on the breast. Tail and wings with less white than as above de- scribed for the male. But the gradation in these features is by impercepti- ble degrees, so that there is no infallible color-mark of sex. In general, the clearer and purer are the colors, and the more white there is on the wings and tail, the more likely is the bird to be a male and prove a good singer. The female is also smaller than the male on an average, being generally under DISTRIBUTION OF THE MOCKINGBIRD 55 and rarely over 10 inches in length, with extent of wings usually less thau 14, the wing little if any over 4, the tail about 4i. Young : Above decidedly brown, and below speckled with dusky. There is comparatively little variation in this species except in size. A tendency is seen in specimens from the southwestern parts of the United States to elongation of the tail, this member averaging about.o inches, and sometimes measuring rather more. Fig. 6.— The Mockingbird. IT is unnecessary to give an extended account of this famous bird, to which full justice has already been done in several treatises which the reader will instantly call to mind; and should he be desirous of looking up the subject, the citations given at the head of this article — representing a small portion of the literature devoted to the Mockingbird — may help him somewhat. The bird is common in suitable situations in the Colorado Basin, and especially so in the lower and warmer portions. Its general range is indicated in a foregoing paragraph. I have refrained from citing the various \Yest India islands which are occupied by subspecies or varieties of the Mocking- bird distinguished by some very modern authors. The Xorth American representative is almost confined to this country, though it also occurs in portions of Mexico, as Colima, Mira- dor, Orizaba, and Mazatlan, as well as the Tres Marias Islands, and perhaps in Cuba. It winters in the Southern States in 56 SYNONYMY OF MIMUS CAROLINENSIS great numbers — on the Atlantic side at least as far as South Carolina, where I have observed it at all seasons. In the spring, a small proportion of the whole number of individuals migrate " at will ", commonly reaching the Middle States and correspondijig latitudes further west. The northernmost records generally quoted fix the limit in Massachusetts ; but Dr. Brewer speaks of a single individual seen near Calais, Me., by Mr. George A. Boardman. Another record from an extreme point, given l)y Dr. P. R. Hoy, is above quoted; the extension of the bird to Wisconsin, as there indicated, has been commonly overlooked. Other States in which the bird is known to have occurred are jS'ew York, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois,. Missouri, Iowa, and Kansas. The parallel of J:0° X. has been named as its usual or normal limit. The Catbird ' Minins (Galeoscoptes) earoliiiehsis MuSCiCapa carolinensiS, L. SN. i. 1766, 328, no. 18 (based on Briss. ii. 365 and Gates, i. 66). — Bodd. Tabl. PE. 1783, 42 (PE. 676).— G/;;. SN. i. 1788, 946, no. 18 (" Camtschatc* " &c.).—Lath. 10. ii. 1790, 483, no. 6i.— Turt. SN. i. 1806, 581. TurdUS carolinensiS, iJcAz. "Verz. 1823, 33^'; "P.-eis-Verz. Mex. Vog. 1830,2"; J. f. O. 1853, 57.— D'Orb. Ois Cuba, 1839, 51.— Manger, Zool. Gart. viii. 1867, 191 (in captivity). Orpheus carolinensiS, ^«rf. Syn. 1839, 88.— /!(«?. BA. ii. 1841, 195, pi. UO.—Piun.Pr. Ess. Inst. i. 1856, 209.— Bland, Smiths. R<^p. for 1858, 1S59, 287 (BeTmndas). — Martens, J. f. O. 1859, 213 (Bermudas).- JoHcs, Nat. Bermuda, 1859, 27. Mimus carolinensiS, Gray.—Sd. PZS. 1856, 294 (Cordova).— Kneel. Pr. Bost. Soc. vl. 1857, Q34.—Bd. BNA. 1858, SiS.—Breic. Pr. Bost. Soc. vii. 1860, 307 (Cixb&).— Bam. Smiths. Rep. for 1860, 1661, i36.—Gundl. J. f. O. 1861, 324 (Cnha.).—Boardm. Pr. Bost. Soc. ix. 1862, 126 (Maine).— Blak. Ibis, iv. 1862, 5 (Saskatchewan).— Taj/Z. Ibis, 1862, 128.— Ferr. Proc. Essex Inst, iii. 1862, U8.—Haijd. Tr. Amer. Philos. Soc. xii. 1862, 163 (Missouri to Rocky Mountains).— £Za4. Ibis, 1863, 66 (British America).— Lord, Pr. Roy. Arty. Inst. Woolwich, iv. 1864, 117 (east of Cascade Mountains).— il/c/Zjcr. Pr. Essex Inst. v. 1866, 87 (Canada West).— Bryaue, Pr. Bost, Soc. 1667, 66 (Inagua).— Oomm, Pr. Essex Inst, V. 1868, 267. — Tfirrafe. B. E. Pa. 1869, 22; Phila. ed. 15.— Coop. Am.. Nat. iii. 1869, 73, 295 (CcBur d'AIeue Mountains).— (7o«es, Pr. Phila. Acad, xxiii. 1871, 19.— Cones, Key, 1872, 74.— Mayjt. B. Fla. 1872, 19.— Allen, Bull. MCZ. iii. 1872, 174 (Kansas, Colorado, Utah).— Trippe. Pr. Bost, Soc. xv. 1873, 236 (Iowa).— PeZ:. Ibis, 3d ser. iii. 1873, 25.— Comstock, Am. Nat. viii. 1874, 76.— Packard, Am. Nat. viii. 1874, 27\.— Allen, Pr. Bost. Soc. 1874, 49 (Dakota).— Co«fs, BNW. 1874, 8.— Trippe, ibid. 228 (Colorado;. MiniiUS carolinensiS, Clifford, Tr. Illinois Agric. Soc. V. 1865, 925 (habits). Galeoscoptes carolinensiS, Cab. MH. i. 1850, 82 'type).— Gundl. J. f. O. 1855, 470 (Cuba).— 5. ffS.lhis, i. 1859, 7 (Guatemala).— &Z. PZS. 1859, 336 (critical), 362 (Xa\apa). —Gundl. J. f. O. 1861, 406 (Cuba).— &2. Cat. AB. 1862, 6.— Allen, Pr. Essex Inst. iv. 1864, 68.— Bd. Rev. AB. 1864, 5i.— Gundl. Repert. 1865, 230 (Cuba).— Bryrt?i«, Pr. Bost. Soc. ix. 1865, 372.— Laicr. Ann. Lye. N. Y. viii. 1866, 282.-5. (f S. PZS. 1867, 278 (Mosquito Coast).— Coucy, Pr. Bost. Soc. xii. 1868, 107.— Stcmich. Mem. Bost. Soc. i. 1869, 544 (Vera Cnz).—Laicr. Ann. Lye. N. Y. ix, 1869, 204 (Yucatan).— Coo;?. B. Cal. i. 1870, 23.-5. 0.-Merr. U. S. Geol. Surv. DESCRIPTION OF^ THE CATBIRD 57 Terr, for 1873, 1873, 670, 705, 713 (far viem).—Rid^. Bull. Essex lust. v. 1673, 179 (Colo- rado).— ivW^. Am. Nat. vii. 1873,201, 550; viii. 1874, 19S.— .l/cm Am. Nat. viii. 1874, 7.— B. B. {,- R. NAB. i. 1874, 53, fig. pi. 3. f. 5.—Hcnsh. Rep. Orn. Specs. 1874, 40, 56, 71 (Utah, &.c.).—Breic. Pr. Bost. Soc. xvii. 1875, i38.— Hensh. Zool. Expl. W. 100 Jlerid. 1876, 153. Caleoscoptes carolineusis, 5. .s- ■?• Pzs. 1859, 370 (Oaxaca). Felivox caroiinensis, Bp. CR. 1853. Lucar caroiinensis, Coucs Pr. Phila. Acad. 1875, 349 (commeut. on Bartram). lucar lividUS, Bartr. Trav. Fla. Amer. ed. 1791, p. 390bi8. TurdUS lividus, IVils. AO. U. 1810, 90, pi. 14, f. 3 (after Bartram).— i??. Journ. Phila. Acad. iv. 1824, 36 (critical).— Xess. Tr. Orn. 1831, 4lO.— Gaetke, J. f. O. 1856, 71 (Heligoland \).—Hmjm. Pr. Phila. Acad. viii. 1856, 289. OrpIieilS lividus, Bias, ibis, iv. 1862, 66 (Heligoland). TurdUS felivox, VieillOX^. ii. 1807, lO, pl.67.— £/>. Journ. Phila. Acad. iv. 1824, 36.— Bp. Ann. Lye. N.Y. ii. 1826, 75.—Peab. Rep. Orn. Mass. 1839, 302.—Tkomps. Vermont, 1853, 78, &g.--ll'iUis. Smiths. Rep. for 1858, 1859, 281 (Nova Scotia). Orpheus felivox, Sw. d: Rich. FBA. ii. 1831, 19-2.— Praimi. Tr. Illinois Agr. Soc. 1855, 601. MimUS felivox, Bp.C.Sc GL. 1838. IS.—Bp. CA. i. 1850,'in6.— Burnett, Pr, Bost. Soc. iv. 1851, 116.— Rearf, Pr. Phila. Acad. vi. 1853, 398.— Hoy, Pr. Phila. Acad. vi. 1853, 309 (Wisconsin).— A'£«?uc. Tr. 111. Agr. Soc. i. 1855,'582.— 3/fli!/H. J. f. O. vi. 1858, 180.— i/oy, Smiths. Rep. for 1864, 1865, 437 (Missouri). Oat Flycatcher, Penn. AZ. ii. 1785, 388, no. 272. Merle ii derriere roux, vorb.i.c. Zorzal gato, Cuban. FlG.7.— Foot of Merle Catbird; Chat, Le Maine, Oi^. Canad. 1861, 167. Catbird, nat. size. Catbird, Vulg. Hab. — Nearly all the United States, and adjoining British Provinces. North to the Red and Saskatchewan Rivers (latitude 54^^). West to Washington, Oregon, Wyoming, and Utah. South in -winter to Panama. Mexico. Cuba. Resident in the Southern States. Breeds throughout its range in North America. Ch. sp. 5 2 ScJiistaceo-plumbeiis, subtus dilutior ; v€rtice,cauddj rostro pedibufque yiigris, alis tiigricantibus, crisso castaneo. S 9: Slaty-gray, paler and more grayish-plumbeousbelow; crown of head, tail, bill and feet black. Quills of the wing blackish, edged with the body-color. Under tail-coverts rich dark chestnut or mahogany-color. Length, 8^-9; extent,llormore; wing, 3^-3f ; tail,4; bill, f; tarsus, l-lro. Young: Of a more sooty color above, with little or no distinction of a black cap, and comparatively paler below, where the color has a soiled brownish cast. Crissum dull rufous. The outer edge and tip of the lateral tail-feather is sometimes decidedly palerthantherest, indicating the space occupiedby the white in Oroscoptes. IT is not ea.sy to account for the vulgar prejudice agaiust tbis bird. The contempt he inspires cannot be entirely due to familiarity; for other members of the household, like the Robin, Bluebird, and Swallow, do not come under the ban. If his harsh, abrupt, and discordant note were the cause, the croaking 58 SOME OF THE CATBIRD's TRAITS Crow and cliattering Blackbird vrould sliare the same disgrace. Yet the fact remains that the Catbird is almost always re- garded unfavorably, not so much for what he does, perhaps, as for what he is, oris not. To eyes polite, he seems to be " off color''; in the best society, he is lookeduponas un pen conipro7nis, There must be a reason for this — the world is too busy to in- vent reasons for things — for there never was a popular verdict without roots in some fact or principle. It is instinctive : the school-boy despises a Catbird just as naturally as he stones a frog; and when he thinks a thing is mean, no argument will convince him to the contrary. For myself, I think the boys are right. Like many of the lower animals, they are quick to detect certain qualities, and apt to like or dislike unwittingly, yet with good reason. The matter with the Catbird is that he is thoroughly common-place. There is a dead level of bird-life, as there is of humanity ; and mediocrity is simply despicable — hopeless and helpless, and never more so than when it indulges aspirations. Yet it wears well, and is a useful thing ; there must be a standard of meas- ure, and a foil is often extremely convenient. The Catbird has certainly a good deal to contend with. His name has a flip- pant sound, without agreeable suggestiveness. His voice is vehement without strength, unpleasant in its explosive quality. His dress is positively ridiculous — who could hope to rise in life wearing a pepper-and-salt jacket, a black velvet skull-cap, and a large red patch on the seat of his pantaloons ? Add to all this the possession of some very x)lebeian tastes, like those which in another case render beer-gardens, circuses, and street- shows things possible, and you will readily perceive that a hero cannot be made out of a Catbird. But to be common-place is merely to strike the balance of a great number of positive qualities, no single one of which is to be overlooked. It is accomplished by a sort of algebraic proc- ess, in wiiich all the terms of an equation are brought to- gether on one side, which then equals zero. There is said to be a great deal of human nature in mankind, and I am sure there is as much bird-nature in the feathered tribe. There is as much life in the kitchen as in the parlor : it is only a mat- ter of a flight of stairs between them. We who happen to be above know none too much of what goes on below — much less, I suspect, than the hasse-cour often learns of the salon and the boudoir. I sometimes fancv that the Catbird knows us UNSCIENTIFIC NOTIONS OF THE CATBIRD 59 better than we do him. He is at least a civilized bird, if he does hang by the eyelids ou good society : if he is denied the front door, the area is open to him: he may peep in at the basement window, and see the way up the backstairs. His eyes and ears are open ; his wits are sharp ; what he knows, he knows, and will tell if he chooses. His domesticity is large ; he likes us well enough to stay with us, yet he keeps his eye on us. His is the prose of daily life, with all its petty concerns, as read by the lower classes ; the poetry we are left to discover. Explain him as we may, the Catbird is inseparable from home and homely things; he reflects, as he is reflected in, domestic life. The associations, it is true, are of an humble sort; but they are just as strong as those which link us with the trusty Eobiu, the social Swallow, the delicious Bluebird, or the elegant Oriole. Let it be the humble country-home of toil, or the luxurious mansion where wealth is lavished on the gar- den — in either case, the Catbird claims the rights of squatter sovereignty. He flirts saucily across the well-worn path that kads to the well, and sips the water that collects in the shallow depression upon the flag-stone. Down in the tangle of the moist dell, where stands the spring-house, with its cool, crisp atmos- phere, redolent of buttery savor, where the trickling water is perpetual, he loiters at ease, and from the heart of the green- brier makes bold advances to the milkmaid who brings the brimming bowls. In the pasture beyond, be waits for the boy who comes whistling after the cows, and follows him home by the blackberry road that lies along the zigzag fence, challeng- ing the carelessly thrown stone he has learned to dodge with ease. He joins the berrying parties fresh from school, soliciting a game of hide-and-seek, and laughs at the mishaps that never fail when children try the brier patch. Along the hedge row, he glides with short easy flights to gain the evergreen coppice that shades a corner of the lawn, where he pauses to watch the old gardener trimming the boxwood, or rolling the gravel walk, or making the flower bed, wondering why some people will take so much trouble when everything is nice enough already. Ever restless and inquisitive, he makes for the well- known arbor, to see what may be going on there. What he discovers is certainly none of his business: the rustic seat is occupied ; the old, old play is in rehearsal; and at sight of the blushing cheeks that respond to passionate words, the very roses on the trellis hang their envious lieads. This spectacle 60 ROMANCE OF A POOR OLD CATBIRD tickles bis fancy; always ripe for mischief, he startles the loviug- I)air with his quick, shrill cry, like a burlesque of the kiss just heard, and enjoys their little consternation. " It is only a Cat- bird", they say reassuringly — but there are times when the slightest jar is a shock, and pledges that hang in a trembling balance may never be redeemed. " Only a Catbird "meanwhile remembers business of his own^ and is off. The practical question of dining recurs. He means to dine sumptuously, and so, like the French philosopher, place himself beyond the reach of fate. But nature, in the month of May, is full of combustible material, and the very atmosphere is quick to carry the torch that was kindled in the arbor where the lovers sat. His fate meets him in the only shape that could so far restrain masculine instincts as to postpone a dinner. The rest is soon told — rather it would be, could the secrets of the impenetrable dark-green mass of Smilax whither the pair betake themselves be revealed. The next we see of the bird, he is perched on the topmost spray of yonder pear tree, with quivering wings, brimful of song. He is inspired; for a time at least he is lifted above the common-place ; his kinship with the prince of song, with the Mockingbird himself, is vindicated. He has discovered the source of the poetry of every-day life. Genus HARPORHYNCHUS Cabanis Chars. — Bill of indeterminate size and shape, ranging from one extreme, in which it is straight and shorter than the heady to the other, in which it exceeds the head in length and is bent like a bow (see figs, of the several species, beyond). Feet large and strong, indicating terrestrial habits; the tarsus strongly scutellate anteriorly, about equaling or slightly exceeding in length the middle toe with its claw. Wings and tail rounded, the latter decidedly longer than the former. Rictus with well- developed bristles. Viewing only the extremes of shape of the bill, as witnessed in H. rtifus and such species as H. redivivus or R. crissalis, it would not seem consistent with the minute subdivisions which now obtain in ornithology to place all the species in one genus; and two eminent European ornithologists have already pro- posed to separate them. But the gradation of form is so gentle that it seems impossible to dismember the group without vio- ON THE GENUS HARPORHYNCHUS 61 leuce. The arcuation of the bill proceeds j>a>-/ x)a.ssH with its elongation ; the shortest bills being the straightest, and con- versely. There is also a curious correlation of color with shape ef bill; the short-billed species being the most richly colored and heavily spotted, while the bow-billed ones are very plain, sometimes with no spots whatever on the under parts. The genus is specially interesting in the present connection, since it reaches its highest development in the Colorado Basin, where nearly all the known species occur, some of them in abundance; while several of them are entirely confined, so far as we now know, to this region. As much can be said of no other genus. Harporlujnchus is, in fact, the leading feature of the Colorado avifauna, whether we consider the relative num- ber of species there represented, or the extremely local distribu- tion of some of them. The fringilline genus Pipilo offers much the same case ; and there is a farther singular parallelism be- tween the two. Both are represented, in the United States at large, by a single species, heavily and even richly colored in comparison with the pale dull shades of the numerous species or races of the Coloradan region: in both cases, there are species restricted to this Basin; in both, rounded wings shorter than the graduated tail, large strong feet, and terrestrial habits are conspicuous features in comparison with their respective allies. The parallel might even be pushed to the length of recognizing individual species of one genus as representatives of those of the other. Pipilo aberti is the counterpart of H. crissalis, and several others are almost as clearly analogous. Brown Tlir.isher Harporliynclins rufus TurdUS rufus, L. SN. i. ICth ed. 1758, 169, no. 6; liith ed. 1766, 293, no. 9 (Gates, i. 28).— Gm. SN. i. 1788, 812, no. 9.— Lath. 10. i. 1790, 338, no. 44.— r«rt. SN. i. 1806. 493.— Vieill. OAS. ii. 1807, 4, pi. 59.— rnZs. AO.ii. 1810, 83, pi. \A.—Bp. Journ. Phila. Acad. iv. 1824, 33.— B/J. Ann. Lye. N. Y. ii. 1826, ~o.—Lcss. Tr. Orn. 1831, AO^.—Pcah. Rep. Orn. Mass. 1839, Ziid.—Aitd. OB. ii. 18.34, 102; v. 1639, 441, pi. 116.— GerA. Naum. iii. 1853, 21.—Thomps. Vermont, 1853, 78.— Haijm. Pr. Phila. Acad. viii. 1856, 288.— GfltAe, J. f. O. 1856, 71 (Heligoland).— Gfl«Ae, Naura. 1858, 424 (same).— Go«sc, Alabama, 1859, 54, 295. Orpheus rufus, S. ^-R. FBA. ii^l831, 189— V«J«. Man. i. 1832, 3i3.—Aud. Syn. 1839, SS.—Aud. BA. iii. 1841, 9, pi. 141.— JVailc^. Rep. Mississip. 1854, 319.— Prattcii. Tr. Illinois Agric. Soc. 1855, eOl.—PtiUi. Pr. Essex Inst. i. 185G, 2m.— Trippe, Pr. Essex lust. vi. 1871, 115 (Minnesota). Orphea rufa, Gould, pzs. 1824, 15. 62 SYNONYMY OF HARPORHYNCHUS RUFUS Mimusrurus, Graij.— Bp.C. & GL. 1638, \i.—BiLrncU, Vr. Bost. Soc. iv. 1851, ll&.— Woodh. Rep. Expl. Zufii, 1853, 12.— Read, Pr. Phila. Acad. vi. 1853, 398.— fl^o!/, Pr. Phila. Acad, vi. 1853, 309 (Wisconsin).— A'c^n/c. Tr. Illinois Agric. Soc. i. 1855, ZW.—Mazim. 3. f. O. vi. 1858, im.—Ho!j, Smiths. Rep. for 186-1, 1865, i37. — Turnb. B. E. Pa.l869, 22 ; Phila. ed. 15. Tcxostoma rufuni, Cab. Arch. f. Nat. IS-l?, BJ. i. 20~. — Bp. CA. i. 18.50, ill. —Bias. Ibis, iv. 1862, 66 (Heligoland). Toxostoma rilfa, Erukin, Zool. Gart. 1871. 15. Harporbynrbus rufus. Cab. MH. i. 1850, &2.—Bd. BNA. 1S58, 353.— Scl. PZS. 1859, diQ.-Scl. Cat. AB. 1861, 8.— Barn. Smiths. Rep. for 1860, 1861, 436.— Coues S,- Vrent. Smiths. Rep. for 1861, 1862, A\0.—Hayd. Tr. Am. Phil. Soc. xii. 1862, 163.— Fcjt. Proc. Essex Inst. iii. 1862, \AB.—Blak. Ibis, iv. 1862, 5 (Saskatchewan).— TnT^Z. Ibis, iv. 1862, l^B.—Blak. Ibis, V. 1863, 67 (Fort Carlton).— ,J«e«, Pr. Essex Inst, iv. 1864, m.—Bd. RAB. 1864, 44.— Lawr. Ann. Lye. N. Y. viii. 1866, Wl.—Mcllwr. Pr. Essex Inst, v. 1866, 87 (Canada West).— Coites, Pr. Essex Inst. v. 1868, 267.— Coaes, Pr, Bost. Soc. xii. 1868, im.—Coop. Am. Nat. iii. 1869, 296 (Upper Missouri),— ,4/Ze/(, Am. Nat. iii. 1869, 5m.— Allen, Am, Nat, vi, 1872, 266 —(7oMes, Key, 1872, 75.— .4ZZe/i, Bull. MCZ. iii. 1872, 173.— i^/a^/?^, B, Fla. 1872, "H.-Ridg. Am. Nat. vii. 1873, 550.— Coues, Am. Nat, vii. 1873, 326, f. 65,— Trippe, Pr, Bost. Soc. xv. 1873, 'i3G.—Merriam, Am. Nat, viii. 1874, l.—Rcdg. Am, Nat. viii, 1874, im.— Coues, BNW. 1874, 9 (see p. 229).— .42Ze«, Pr.. Bost. Soc, xvii, 1874, 49 (Dakota). — Hews/i. Rep. Oru, Specs. 1874, 57 (Colorado).— 5. B. ^- R. NAB. i. 1874, 37, pi, 3, f. \.—Brew. Pr, Bost. Soc, xvii. 1875, i3'i.—Htnsh. Zool. Expl. W. ICO Merid. 1876, 154 (Rocky Mountains oi Colorado) . Fig. 8.— Head of Prowa Thrasher, nat. size. Antiniiinus rufus, Sundcv. Meth. Av. Disp. Tent. 1372, 13 (type\ Harporbynrhus riit'us var. longicauda, Bd. BNA. 1858, 353 [ia tew). —Ridgw. Bull. Essex Inst. V. 1873, 179 (Colorado), Harporbynchus longicauda, Stev. V. S. r.eol. Surv. Ten. for 1870, 1871, 464. Ferruginous Tbrusb, Pe?in. AZ. ii. 1785, 333, no. ig,";. Fox-coloured Mock-bird, .'^, SfR. 1, c. Ferruginous Mocking-bird, Aud. 1. o. erlve roussf, Le Moine. Ois. Cauad. 1861, 171. Thrasber, Brown Tbrusb, Brown Thrasher. Sandy MockingbirJ, French Mockingbird, Vvlg. [Some quotations of the subspecies H. LONGlKOSTias I happen to have at hand are : — Or- pheus longirostris, Lafr. RZ. 1838, 55 ; MZ. 1839, pi. l.— Toxostoma longirostre. Cab. Arch. f. Naturg. 1847, Bd, i, Wl.—Toxostoma longirostris, Bp. CA. i. 18.50, 217.— Miinus longirostris, Bd. Rep. Expl. GSL. 1852, 328 —5f/. PZS. 1856, 294 (Cordova),— A'a/y/or/iyncftus longirostris, CHARACTERS OF HARPORHYNCHUS RUFUS 63 Cab. MH. i. 1850, 81.— Bd. BXA. 1858, 352; ed. of 1860, 352, pi. 5-2.— Bd.V. S. Mex. B. Surv. ii. pt. ii. 1859, Birds, 13, pi. U.—Scl. PZS. 1859, 339 (critical) ; 1859, 362 (Xalapa) ; 1864, 172 (City of Mexico) ; Cat. AB. 1861, B.—Bd. RAB. 1864, 44.— Butch. Pr. Phila. Acad. 1868, 149 (Laredo, Tex.). — Harporhynchits rufus var. longirostris, Coucs, Key, 1872, 75. — i?. B. If R. NAB. i. 1874, 39, pi. 3, f. 2.— Hab.— Valley of tbe Rio Grande and southward.] Hab. — Unitefl States, and acijoiuiug belt of British America; north to Canada, Lake Winnipeg and the Saskatchewan ; west into the mountains of Colorado and AVyoming. Breeds throughout its range. Winters in the Southern States. No extraUmital American quotations. Accidental in Europe (Heligoland, Gatke; see above). Ch. sp. — a. RUFUS. S $ Siiprd ferruglncus, alis albo-hifas- ciatis; infra ex rufo alhidus; pectore laterihusque maculis hrunneh guttato-lineatis ; (jonyde recto; mandibuld ad basin flavescente. $ 9 : Upper parts uniform rich rust-red, with a bronzy lustre. Concealed l)ortions of quills fuscous. Greater and median wing-coverts blackish near the end, then conspicuously tipped with white. Bastard quills like the coverts. Tail like the back, the lateral feathers with paler ends. Under parts white, more or less strongly tinged, especially on the breast, flanks, and cris- sum, with tawny or pale cinnamon-brown, the breast and sides marked with a profusion of well-defined spots of dark brown, oval in front, becoming more linear posteriorly. Throat is immaculate, bordered with a necklace of spots; the middle of the belly and under tail-coverts likewise unspotted. Bill black, with yellow base of the lower n^andible ; feet pale ; iris yellow. Length, about 11 inches; extent, 12^ to 14 ; wing, 3f-4;J; tail, 5 or more; bill, 1 ; tarsus, 1.25. b. LONGIROSTRIS. — Prfccedciiti similis; supra rufo-brunnens, alis albo-bifasciatis; infra albus, pectore lateribnsque maculis ni- gricantibus guttato-lineatis; gonyde incurvato. Similar in general to H. rufus; upper parts reddish-brown, instead of rich foxy-red; under parts white, with little if any tawny tinge, the spots large, very numerous, and blackish instead of brown. The wing shows dusky and white bars across the ends of the median and greater coverts, as in 7-ufus, but the ends of the rectrices are .scarcely or not lighter than the rest of these feathers. The bill is almost entirely dark-colored. Besides these points of coloration, which are readily appreciable, there is a decided difference in the shape of the bill. In H. rufus, the bill is quite straight, and only just about an inch long; the gonys is straight, and makes an angle with the slightly concave lower outline of the mandibular rami. In II. longirostris, the bill is rather over an inch long, and some- what curved ; the outline of the gonys is a little concave, making with the ramus one continuous curve from base to tip of the bill. AS ill the case of the Mockingbird, I shall have but a word to say respecting- the Brown Thrush or Thrasher, whose biography has already been several times written, before tak- 64 SYNONYMY OF HARPORHYNCIIUS CURVIROSTRIS ing up the other species of the genus, which are far better rep- resented iu the Colorado Basin. It is scarcely, in fact, an in- habitant of this region at all, only reaching, as far as we now know, the extreme northeastern portion, where it has been found, by Mr. J. A. Allen, iu the mountains of Colorado Ter- ritory, up to an altitude of 7,500 feet. The foregoing para- graph indicates its general range, iu every part of which it ap- pears to nestle with equal readiness, while it passes the winter in the southerly portions. Very singularly, the only extralim- ital records I possess of this species refer to its occurrence, not near our boundaries, as would be expected, but in Europe. It has been found in Heligoland, that wonderful little island in the North Sea, where the ornithology of the four quarters of the world seems to come to a focus. To epitomize some other points in its history, I may say that it is a delightful songster, like all its tribe; inhabits brushwood and shrubbery, spending much of its time on the ground, scratching for food with all the persistency ftf a Towhee ; feeds on insects and berries ; nests, according to locality, from March to June, in brushes, vines, or brier-patches ; builds a bulky structure of twigs, weed-stalks, withered leaves, bark-strius, and fibrous roots, and lays from four to six eggs, about an inch long by four-fifths broad, white or greenish-white, marked with innumerable reddish-brown dots, usually more numerous at or around the larger end. Curve-billed TSaraslier Ilarporliynclin^i curvirostris palineri a. curvirostris. Orpheus curvirostris, Sw. Philos. Mag. iii. 18-27, 3G9 (Eastern ilexicn).—McCnl',. Pr. Phila. Acad. iv. 1848, 63 (Matamoras). Minius curvirostris, Gray, G. of B. Toxostoma curvirostris, Bp. CA. i. 1850, 277.— imzT. Ann. Lye. X.Y. vi. 1850,223 (Texas).— lid. Stansbury's Rep. GSL. 1852, 329. Toxostoma curvirostre, Scl. PZS. 1857,212 (Orizaba). HarporhjllCllUS curvirostris, Cah. MH. i. 18.50, si. — Bd. BNA. 1858, 351 ; ed. of 1860, 351, pi. 51.— CA U.S. Mex.B. Surv.ii.pt. ii, 1859, Birds, 12, pi. 13.— /Sd. PZS. 1859, 339 (critical); 1859, 370 (Oaxaca).— J?(i. RAB. i. 1864, io.— Dress. Ibis, 2d ser. i. 1865, 482 (Texas).— Butch. Pr. Phila. Acad. xx. 1868. 149 (Laredo, 'Iex.).—Coues, Am. Nat. vii. 1873, 328 (critical).— B. i?. ^- R. NAB. i. 1874, 41. pi. 3. f. 3 ('-adjacent region.s of United States and Mexico, southward", &c.). Pomatorliinus turdinus.ronm. PC. 411. Toxostoma vclula, irn^/. Isis, 1831, 528. [Note. — Some of the forefjoing United States ref-ireoCi'S actually or virtually uiclwl-^ palmeri.] CHARACTERS OF H. CURVIROSTRIS AND VAR. 65 6. palmeri. HarporhynchUS curyirostrls, Heerm. PRRR. x. 1859, Parke's Route, 11 (Arizona.— Heer- mann's specimen, No. 8128, Mus. Smiths., afterward became a type of var. palmeri). — Cones, Pr. Phila. Acad. 1868, 83 (Arizona).— (7o!ifs, Key, 1872, 75. HarporbynchU8 CUrvirostrls var. palmeri, Ridgw. MSS.— Cones, Key, 1872, 35\.— Cones, Am. Nat. vii. 1873, 329, &g.68.— Brewer, Pt. Bost. Soc. xvi. 1873, 108 (eggs).— S. B. .V iJ. NAB. i. 1874, 43 (Tucson, Ariz.).— Hensh. List B. Ariz. 1875, \5i.—He7ish. Zool. Expl. W. 100 Merid. 1876, 156 (Arizona). Hab. — Of the typical form, from the valley of the Rio Grtiude along the border of the United States, to Mazatlan, aud southward iu Mexico. Var. palmeri has only been found iu Arizona. Ch. sp. a. CURVIROSTRIS. — Fusco-cinereus, alls cauddqiie fuscis; infra alhidns, macuUs rotmidatis fnsco-cinereis nehuloso- notatus, hi/pot'hondriis crissoqiit ochraceo-tinctis, alls alho bifasci- atis, Cauda albo-terminatd. $ 9 '• Above, uniform brownish-gray (exactly the color of a Mockingbird, M. ])ohjglottus), the wings and tail darker and purer brown. Below, dull whitish, tinged with ochraceous, especially on the flanks and crissum.and marked with rounded spots of the color of the back, most numerous and blended on the breast. Throat quite white, immaculate, without maxillary stripes; lower belly and crissum mostly free from spots. No decided mark- ings on the side of the head. Ends of greater and median wing-coverts white, forming two decided cross-bars; tail-feathers distinctly tipped with white. Bill black ; feet dark-brown. Length of (^ , about 11 inches ; wing, 4i-4i ; tail,4^-r>; bill, 1^; tarsus, IJ ; middle toe and claw, 1^. $ averaging rather smaller. ' 'I Fig. 9. — Head of Curve-billed Thrasher (var.); nat. size. 1). PALMERI. — Similis; fascHs alarum et apicibus recfrieum albis obsoletis; infra griseoalbiduSj rufo-tinctus, maculis fusco- cinereis obsoletis; rostro graciliore. Although the differences between this and the typical form are not very easy to express, yet they are readily appreciable on comparison of specimens, and fully warrant Mr. Ridgway's discrimination of a var. palmeri. The upper parts are quite similar; but the under parts, instead of being whitish, with decided spotting of the color of the back, are grayish, tinged with rusty, especially behind, and the spotting is nebulous. The white on the ends of wing-coverts and tail-feathers is reduced to a niinimnm or entirely suppressed. The bill is slenderer and apparently more curved in all the specimens I 5 B 66 HABITS OF THE CURVE-BILLED THRASHER have seen. (In the figure, the bill is rather too stout). Average dimensions of four specimens of both sexes : length, 10.75 ; wiug, 4.33; tail, 5.00; chord of culmen, 1.12; tarsus, 1.25 ; middle toe and claw rather more. This form was first indicated, in 1853, by Professor Baird, who noted the peculiatities of a specimen (No. 8128 of the National Museum) collected near Tucson, Ariz., by Dr. A. L. Heermann, whose notice is above quoted. This same specimen afterward became a type of Mr. Ridgway's var. palmeri, as first published by rne, from his MS., in the " Key ", p. 351 (1872). THE habitat of the true Curve-billed Thrush is stated to extend to the southern border of the United States. This would bring it within the area the birds of which are treated in the present volume ; but it will be understood that the re- marks which follow relate to the northern variety, which, so far as we know, is peculiar to Arizona. It was discovered near Tucson by Dr. Heermann, wlio has left a short note of his observations, and its peculiarities were first noted by Professor Baird, although it was not named or formally described as dis- tinct until 1872. In 1873, I gave a short account of the bird in the "American Naturalist", as above quoted, accompanied by a figure of the head (here reproduced, as are the others illustrating the speciesof this genus), drawn from specimens sent to me while I was in Dakota by Lieut. C. Bendire, United States Army. This gentleman's memoranda accompanying the specimens indicated that the habits of the bird are much the same as those of other Thrashers ; and that it nests in cactus, mezquite, and other low bushes, laying usually three eggs. Two sets of eggs which he obtained were taken, one July 18, the other August 20. They measure about 1.10 inches in length by 0.80 in breadth, and are pale dull greenish- blue, speckled evenly and profusely with reddish-brown dots. Later observations, made by Mr. H. W. Henshaw in Arizona, afford further insight into the life of this bird. He found it common in the dreary desert region about Camp Lowell, where it was associated with H. hendirii and R. crissalis, and easily distinguished it during life by certain peculiarities of flight. It frequented the edges of the mezquite thickets, hopping lightly over the ground in search of insects. It flew rapidly, keeping generally close to the ground, retreating when alarmed from one thicket to another, and hiding in the dense brush. Sometimes, when startled, it mounted to the tops of the mez- quites with quick nervous movements and continual jetting of the long tail, emitting meanwhile a succession of loud cluck- CHARACTERS OF HARPORHYNCHUS BENDIRII 67 ing notes to indioate its anger or alarm. In its general dis- position, it appeared wild and suspicious. Hundreds of the nests were observed in the ^'cholla" cactuses ; but at the time (September 1 to 10) they were empty, and only one bird in nest- ing-plumage was found. " Near a water-hole, some thirty miles from Camp Lowell, where is found a meagre supply of the precious fluid, which, from long standing, becomes so stagnant and thick with mud that the thirsty animals which pass through, though suffering terribly from the effects of many miles' weary travel over the burning sands, often reject it, considerable numbers of these Thrushes were noticed in the throngs of the commoner kinds, as Sparrows and White-winged Blackbirds, which resort here through the day to slake their thirst. The brink of the pool was often crowded with hundreds of birds brought thus together from common necessity, and forgetful of aught else save the urgent need which impelled them to seek that spot from great distances." Arizona. Thrasher Harporbynchns benilirii Harporhynchns bendlrei, Corns, Am. Nat. vii. 1873, 330, f. G^.— David Scott, Am. Nat. vii. 1873, 565 (disallows the species, upon presumptive applicability of Darwinism). -B. B. (f iJ. NAB. sii. 1874, 500. HarporhynchUS bendiri, Brew. Pr. Bost. See. xvi. 1673, 108 (eggs redescribed). Harporhynchus cinereus var. bendirei, Hensh. List B. Ariz. 1875, 154. HarporhyuchUS ClnereHS car, bendieri, Hensh. Zool. Expl. W. 100 Merid, 1876, 154 (critical). Bendire's Thrush, Coues, 1. c. Hab. — Arizona. Ch. sr. — $ 2 Bostro capite breviore, ad basin robusto, ad a])icem acuminato, gonyde subrecto; tarso digito medio cum un- gue longiore. Fiisco-cinereiis, subtus fusco-albidus, pectore macu- lis fiiscis acutis, lateribus crissoque rufescentibm; strigis max- illaribus nuUis. $ : Bill shorter than head, comparatively stout at base, very acute at tip, the culmen quite convex, the gonys however only just appreciably concave. Tarsus a little longer than the middle toe and claw. Third and fourth pri- maries about equal and longest, fifth and sixth successively slightly shorter, second equal to seventh, first equal to penultimate secondary in the closed vfiug. Entire upper parts, including upper surfaces of wings a»id tall, uniform dull pale grayish-brown, with narrow, faintly rusty edgings of the wing-coverts and inuer quills, and equally obscure whitish tipping of the tail-feathers. No maxillary nor auricular streaks ; no markings about the head except slight speckling on the cheeks. Under parts brownish- 68 CHARACTERS OF HARPORHYNCHUS BENDIRII white, palest (uearly white) on the belly and throat, more decidedly rusty- hrownish ou the sides, flanks, and crissum, the breast alone marked with uumerons small arrow-bead spots of the color of the back. Bill light colored at base below. $ : Length, about 9^; wing, 4 ; tail, 4^ ; bill (chord of cul- men), I; along gape, 1^; tarsus, IJ ; middle toe and claw, 1^. $ rather smaller ; wing, 3f , &c. This species is allied to, and in some respects intermediate between, H. curvirostris palmeri and H. cincrens : its closest relationships being decidedly with the latter, though the appearance of the under parts is altogether dif- ferent. It is distinguished from palmeri in being much smaller, with a much Fig. 10. — Head of Arizona Thrasher, nat. size. shorter and differently shaped bill, different proportions of tarsus and toes, and obviously different coloration (compare measurements and description). It comes much nearer H. cinereus, in spifle of some decided differences both of form and color. In the latter, the bill, though of uearly the same length, is more curved; the tarsus is not longer than the middle toe and claw ; the third-sixth quills of the wing are about equal and longest, the second being about equal to the eighth ; while the under parts are as distinctly and heavily spotted as those of H. rii/us itself. The two are of about the same size, and in the coloration of the upper parts are much alike. While fully recognizing the close relationships of R. hendirii to H. cinereus — in fact, hav- ing insisted upon them from the outset, when it was assumed that the bird was nearer palmeri — I am not prepared to assent to Mr. Henshaw's reduction of the species to a variety of cinereus. I recognize the conscien- tious care with which he has made his comparisons, and regret that I can- not agree with conclusions so drawn, unlike those of Mr. D. Scott, which rest upon hasty speculation. The synonymy and characters of H. cinereus* with a figure of the head, are given in the subjoined note, to facilitate comparison. * HARPORHYNCHUS ciXEREUS. — Saint Lucas Thrasher. HarporhyilChUS cinereus, Xant. Pr. Phila. Acad. xi. 1859, 298 (Cape Saint Lucas). — Baird, Pr. Phila. Acad. xi. 1859, 303 (the same).— 5oZ. Cat. AB. 1861, 8.—Bd. RAB. 1864, 46.— Elliot, BNA. pi. l.—Ooop. B. Cal. i. 1870, 19.— Ooues, Key, 1872, 75.—Coues, Am. Nat. vii. 1873, 327, 331, f. 70.— B. B. . Zool. Joum. iii. 1827, 173 ".—Peab. Rep. Orn. Mass. 1839. 3\6.— Burnett, Pr. Bost. Soc. iv. 1851, 116.— Gabot, Naum. ii.Heft iii. 1852, m. — Thomps. NH. Vermont, 1853, 85, 6g.— lVoodh. Sitgreave's Rep. 1853, 68.— Hoy, Pr. Phila. Acad. vi. 1853, 313.— Read, Pr. Phila. Acad. vi. 1853. 399.— Kenriic. Tr. lUiiioiw Agric. Soc. i. 1855, 583.— Prat- ten, Tr. Illinois Agric. Soc. i. 1855, 603.— Haym. Pr. Phila. Acad. viii. 1856, i>9Q.— Bland, Smithsou. Rep. for 1858, 1859, 287 (Bermuda).— fr<7iis, Smilhson. Rep. for 1858, 1859, 212 (Nova Scotia).— Hoy, Smithson. Rep. for 1864, 1865, 438.— [Ohittenden,] Am. Nat. v. 1871, 1G7. Erythaca (Sialia) wllsoiill, 5. \ R. PBA. ii. 1831, 210. Sialia Wilsoui, Bp. C. & GL. 1838, 16.—Puln. Pr. Esa. Inst. i. 1856, 208.— 5cZ. PZS. 1856, 293 {Cordova).— Kneel. Pr. Po^t. Soc. vi. 1857, 233.— Max. J. f. O. vi. 1858, 120.— Scl. PZS. 1858, 297 (Parada).— 5cZ. PZS. 1859, 362 (Xalapa).- 5c2. PZS. 1859, 371 (Oaxaca).— 5. .^5. Ibis, i. 1859, 8 (Guatemala).— Afarterts, J. f. O. 1859, 213 (Bermuda).- TayZ. Ibis, ii. 1860, 110 (Honduras).- 5. {,■ S. Ibis, ii. 1860, 29 (Guatemala) —Owen, Ibia, iii. 1861, 6U (Guate- mala, breeding). Sialia Wilsonla, IFailes, Rep. Mississippi, 1854, 319. Sialia azurca, Sw. Philos. Mag. l. 1827, 369.— Bd. Rev. AB. 1864, 62 (Mexico).— SumzcA. .Mem. Bost. Soc. i. 1869, 544 (Vera Cruz). Rubeciila carollnensis, Briss. Orn. iii. 423. Blue-backed Red-breast Warbler, Penn. AZ. li. 1785, 398, no. 281. Rouge-gorge blcue de la Caroline, Buff. "v. 212" ; PE. 390, f. l, 2, Blaue Rotli-Kehlein, Schaeff. 1. c. Blaue Sanger, Giebel, 1. c. Fuuvette bleuc et rousse Le iioine, 1. c. Bluebird, Cates, Car. i. 47, pi. 47. Blue Redbreast, Edw. Birds, pi. 24. Blue Warbler, Lath. Syn. ii. pt. ii. 1783, 446, no. 40. Coniuiou Bluebird, Eastern Bluebird, Wilson's Bluebird, American Bluebird, Red- breasted Bluebird, Vnls'. Hab. — Easteru United States, Canada, and Nova Scotia. West to the bor- ders of Montana and Wyoming (Milk River, Cooper ; Black Hills, Holden) ; and the Rocky Mountains of Colorado and New Mexico. Bermudas. Cuba. Mexico (with iS. " azurea"). South to Guatemala. Breeds throughout its range. Winters in the Southern States. Ch. sp. — S Asurea, suhtiis castanea^ ventre albo, rostro pedi- husqiie nigris. 9 Fuscoccerulea, alls cauddque ccvrulescentibus, ii\fra pallidb rufa, ventre albo. $, in full plumage: Rich azure-blue (clear cobalt), the ends of the wing- quills blackish ; throat, breast, and sides of the body deep chestnut ; belly and crissum white or bluish-white. The blue extends around the head on the sides and often fore part of the chin, so that the chestnut is frequently cut off from the bill. Length, (3^-7 ; extent, 12-13 ; wing, 3|-4 ; tail, 2|-3. ^, in winter, fall, and in general when not fuU-plumaged : Blue of the upper pjirts interrupted by reddish-brown edging of the feathers, or obscured by a general brownish wash. White of belly more extended ; tone of the other under parts paler. In many eastern specimens, the reddish-brown skirting of the feathers of the back blends into a decided dorsal patch ; and DISTRIBUTION AND SONG OF THE BLUEBIRD 79 when this state, as sometimes happens, is accompanied by more than ordinary extension of blue on the throat, they very closely resemble , ir^i.—Hensli. Zool. Expl. W. lUO Merid. 1876, 162. Sylvia arctica, Aud. OB. v. 1839, 38, pi. 393. 8alia arctica, Stevenson, U. S. Geol. Surv. Terr. 1871, 463. Sialia macroptcra, £(^ Stausbury's Rep. 18.52, 314, 328. Arctic ISluebird, Rocliy Mountain Bluebird, Vuls^. Hab.— United States, and British America to Great Bear Lake, from the easieru foothills of the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific. Texas. Ch. sp. — S Azurea, infra dilutior, subvirescens^ ahdomine sensim albo; apicihus remigum fuscis, rostra pedibusque uigris. ])ESCRIPTION AND DISTRIBUTION OF S. AKCTICA 83 9 Grisea, uropi/gio, caudd alisque ccvruleseentihus ; infm rufo- grisea, ahdomine alhicanfe.