28 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol. 124 



United States, also accurately describes breeding populations of a 

 considerably greater area of eastern Canada northeast of the range 

 of faxoni. 



All eastern populations of the hermit thrush have distinct color 

 phases — rufescent and grayish— and it is important to sort specimens 

 into their respective phase groups before comparisons for identifi- 

 cation are attempted. Compared with each other, phase with phase, 

 plumage of the upper parts of breeding specimens from southern 

 Quebec, New England, and the Appalachian Mountains shows a 

 paler shade than that of birds from farther north in Quebec and 

 Newfoundland. Specimens from the mainland of Labrador and Quebec 

 are somewhat more greenish, less brownish than Newfoundland birds, 

 but are closer to them than to faxoni. 



Breeding specimens from northern Maine, eastern New Brunswick, 

 and Prince Edward Island are intermediate between faxoni and 

 crymophilus but closer to the former, while those from Cape Breton 

 Island of extreme northeastern Nova Scotia are referable to 

 crymophilus. 



Summary 



The hermit thrush, Catharus guttatus, is distributed widely on the 

 North American continent, breeding in seven different ecological 

 climax zones or "Life Areas," and wintering mostly south of these 

 areas in the southern United States, Mexico, and Guatemala. 



Females are smaller in wing but proportionately larger in bill 

 measurements than males; there are no color differences correlated 

 with sex. 



Young birds may carry a few recognizable ju venal wing coverts 

 until then first postnuptial molt. 



There are two slightly differentiated color phases. 



There are marked geographical differences in color, size, and pro- 

 portion among hermit thrushes. 



The greatest geographically correlated variation occurs west of the 

 Rocky Mountains. 



The smallest birds, except for bill, breed in the vicinity of the 

 Pacific Coast; the largest in the middle and southern Rockies. 



The population with the longest bill and the shortest wing breeds 

 near the California coast. 



Eastern populations are medium sized but have the longest legs. 



Relatively rufescent coloration is associated with more northern 

 and eastern distribution; relatively grayish coloration with more 

 southern coastal and interior mountain areas of the west. Darkest 

 tones are associated with the northern Pacific coastal islands and 



