THRUSHES. 



497 



has nothing to recommend it but its elegant and graceful form. In this plainness of 

 dress they are equalled, however, by some Central American species of the genus 

 Catharus, one of which, C. gracilirostris, is most astonishingly like the true nightin- 

 gales, and travelers insist that their vocal powers are not inferior. On the other hand, 

 the plate facing page 496 shows us two northern, nearly arctic songsters, of fine musi- 

 cal qualities, but also adorned with the most brilliant and exquisite colors of the 

 throat, one, Cyanecula suecica, with the richest blue, the other, Melodes calliope, with 



FIG. 242. Luscinia luscinia, nightingale ; L. philomela, thrush-nightingale. 



a lovely scarlet, which, when the warbling bird faces the setting sun, shines with the 

 lustre of an amethyst. The present writer can testify to the fitness of its name, the 

 Kamtschatkan nightingale, for, although its song is not so melancholy, or quite as 

 varied, as that of its western rivals, it certainly is a ' star ' of the first order. 



How nearly the thrushes and the true fly-catchers are related is illustrated by the 

 three species depicted in our next cut, inasmuch as the left-hand figure without dis- 

 pute is referred to the former, while the other two, by some recent authors, are con- 

 VOL. iv. 32 



