328 



North American Birds Eggs. 



m 





753. Black-tailed Gnaicatcher. Polinjifiht ralilornira. 

 Range. — Pacific coast of soutliern California and nortliern Lower California. 



This bird is very similar to the last but has still less white on 

 the outer tail feathers. Like the last, the nests of this species 

 usually lack the exterior covering of lichens, being made of 

 vegetable fibres and plant down, firmly quilted together and 

 saildled on horizontal limits or placed in forks of trees at any 

 [Greenish white. Iheight from the ground. Their eggs are greenish white, specked 

 with bright reddish brown. Size .55 x .44. Data. — Escondido, Cal., May 17, 

 1903. 5 eggs. Nest on a large limb of a sycamore, 30 feet above ground; made 

 of weed fibres, etc., lined with hair and fine fibres. Collector, J. B. Dixon. 



THRUSHES, SOLITAIRES, BLUEBIRDS, ETC. Family TURDIDAE. 



7 54. Townsend Solitaire. Mtjadcstts tdtruscitilil. 



Range. — Western I'nited States, breeding from Arizona, New Mexico and 

 southern California north to British Columbia. 



This unique species is of a uniform brownish gray color, 

 with a white eye ring, narrow bar on wing, and outer tail 

 feathers, and with the bases of the primaries rusty colored. 

 It is a ground inhabiting bird, feeding upon insects and 

 berries in shrubbery and thickets. Their song is said to be 

 liquid, melodious and often long continued, equalling 

 that of any other bird. They nest on the ground in hollows 

 under banks or crevices about roots of trees or fallen 

 stumps, making a large, loosely constructed pile of weeds 

 and trash, hollow^ed and lined with rootlets. The three (jr four eggs, which are 

 laid in June, are grayish white, spotted with pale brown, chiefly or most abun- 

 dantly about the large end. Size .96 x .70. (Plate of nest, p. 320). 



[<irayish white. 



755. Wood Thrush. 



Hijlocirh la niustelina. 

 Range.— Eastern United 



States, breeding from North 

 Carolina and Kansas north to northern United States; 

 fe^,, winters south of our borders. 



■HHii^^^^^^^ This Thrush with his brightly spotted breast is the most 



^^^HHHH|H|tfr handsome of this group of musical birds . They are 



^^^^^^^^^r common in damp woods and thickets, in which places they 



^^^^^^^ breed, placing their nests of straw, leaves and grasses in 



[Greenish hlue.l low trees usually between four and ten feet from the 



ground; their nests are often very rustic, being ornamented by pieces of paper 



and twigs with dead leaves attaclaed hanging from the sides of the quite bulky 



structures. During May or June they lay three or four greenish blue eggs of 



about the shade of r Robin's. Size 1.05 x .70. 



756. Wilson Thrush; Veery. Hylon'rhla fusccsccns. 



Range. — Eastern North America, breeding in the northern 

 half of its United States range and in the southern British 

 Provinces. 



The Veery is very abundantly distributed in woodland, 

 either moist or dry, and nests on the ground or within a very 

 few inches of it, usually placing its structures of woven liark 

 strips and grasses, in "the midst of a clump of sprouts or 

 ferns. The three or four eggs which they lay in May or June 

 are bluish green, much darker than those of the Wood Thrush, 

 and nearly the color of those of the Catbird. Size .90 x .65. 





I Bluish green. 



