352 INSECTIVOROUS BIRDS. 



ally bottomed with dry oak or beech leaves, coarse stalks 

 of grass and weeds, and lined very generally with natur- 

 ally dissected foliage, i;s stalks, some fine grass, and, 

 at other times, a mixture of root-fibres ; but no earth is 

 employed in the fabric. The eggs, 4 or 5, are of an em- 

 erald green, without spots, and differ from those of the 

 Cat-bird only in being a little smaller and more inclined 

 to blue. So shy is the species, that though I feigned a 

 violent chirping near the nest containing their young, 

 which brought Sparrows, and a neighbouring Baltimore 

 to the rescue, the parents, peeping at a distance, did not 

 venture to approach, or even express any marked con- 

 cern, though they prove very watchful guardians when 

 their brood are fledged and with them in the woods. 

 They have commonly two broods in the season : the sec- 

 ond being raised about the middle of July ; after which 

 their musical notes are but seldom heard. I afterwards, 

 by an accident, obtained a young fledged bird, which re- 

 tained in the cage the unsocial and silent timidity pe- 

 culiar to the species. 



Wilson's Thrush is about 7 inches long, and 12 in alar extent. 

 Above, of an uniform tawny-brown. Beneath white ; the sides of 

 the breast and under the wings, slightly tinged with ash-color j chin 

 white ; throat and upper part of the breast creams-color, marked with 

 pointed spots of brown. The tail nearly even, the shafts, as well as 

 those of the wing-quills, continued a little beyond their webs. Bill 

 black above, below flesh-colored at base. Iris dark. Legs slender, 

 pale brown. 



Subgenus. — Se'iurus. (Genus Seiurus, Swainson.) 



Bill scarcely depressed at base, and with the bristles at the open- 

 ing of the mouth scarcely visible. — The two species here associated 

 have little affinity in character and habit ; they are however insep- 

 arable from the true Thrushes, and are rather remarkable for the 



