52 



NOKTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



The conspicuous naked membraaous border round the eye of some Thrushes, with the 

 bare space behind it, not appreciable. 



There is little difference in form 

 between the single sjiecies of Galeo- 

 scoptes and Mimus 'polyglottv.s, beyond 

 the less degree of definition of the 

 tarsal plates ; and l^ut for the dif- 

 ference in coloration (uniform ]>luiu- 

 beous instead of gray al)o\e and 

 white beneath), we would hardly be 

 inclined to distinguish the two ge- 

 nericaUy. 



Tlie single species known is lead-colured, with black cap, and chestnut- 

 red under tail-coverts. 



Galeoscoples carolinensis. 



Galeoscoptes carolinensis, Cabax. 



THE CATBIRD. 



ifuscwapa carolinensis, Linn. Syst. Nat. 1, 1766, 328. Tunbis carolinensii, LieiiT. 

 Vera. 1823, 38. — D'OltBloNY, La Sagra's Cuba, Ois. 1840, 51. Orpheus carnlinciisis, 

 Jones, Nat. Bermuda, 1859, 27 (breeds). Mimits carolinensis, Giiay, Baird, Birds 

 N. Am. 1859, 346. — Buyant, Pr. Bost. Soc. 1867, 69 (Inagua). — Loud, Pr. R. Art. 

 Inst. (Woolwich), iv, 1S64, 117 (east of Cascade Mts.). Galeoscoptes carolinensis, Cab. 

 Mus. Hein. I, 18.50, 82 (type of genus). — In. Jour. Orn. 1855, 470 (Cuba). — OuNn- 

 LACH, Rcpert. 1865, 230 (Cuba, very common). — Sclateb, Catal. Birds, 1861, 6, no. 

 39. — Sol. & Salv. Pr. 1867, 278 (Mosciuito Coast). — Baird, Rev. 1864, 54. — 

 Samuels, 172. —Cooper, Birds Cal. i. 23. 



Figures : AuD. B. A. II, pi. 140. — Ib. Orn. Biog. II, pi. 28. — Vieillot, Ois. Am. Sept. 

 II, pi. l.xvii. — Wilson, Am. Orn. II, pi. xiv, f. 3. 



Sp. Char. Third quill longest ; first shorter than sixth. Prevailing color dark plumbe- 

 ous, more ashy beneath. Crown and nape dark sooty-brown. Wings dark brown, edged 

 with plumbeous. Tail greenish-lilack ; the lateral feathers obscurely tipped with phimbe- 

 (uis. The under tail-coverts dark brownish-c!liestnut. Female smaller. Length, 8.85 ; 



wing, 3.65; tail, 4.00: tarsu.s, 1.0.5. 



Hab. United States, north to Lake Winnipeg, 

 west to head of Columbia, and Cascade Moun- 

 tains (Lord); south to Panama R. R. ; Cuba; 

 Bahamas ; Bermuda (breeds). Accidental in 

 Heligoland Island, Europe. Oaxaca, Cordova, 

 and Guatemala, Sclater ; Mosquito Coast, ScL. 

 & Salv. ; Orizaba (winter), Sumiciirast ; Yuca- 

 tan. Lawr. 



Western specimens have not apprecia- 

 bly longer tails than Eastern. Central 



Gnteoscoptrs cnrolinfnsis. * • i 11- ±.\. 



American examples, as a rule, have the 

 plumbeous of a more bluish cast than is usually seen in North American 

 skins. 



