Jan., 1909. Birds of Illinois and Wisconsin — Cory. 707 



Subfamily TURDINiE. Thrushes. 

 Genus HYLOCICHLA Baird. 



359. Hylocichla mustelina (Gmel.). 



Wood Thrush. 



Tiirdus mustelinus Gmel., A. O. U. Check List, 1895, p. 316. 



Distr.: Eastern temperate North America, west to the Great 

 Plains and north to Ontario, Michigan, and Wisconsin; south in 

 winter to Cuba and in Middle America to Guatemala; breeds from 

 northern Florida and the Gulf states northward. 



Adult: Top of head, bright tawny cinnamon brown, shading to 

 olive brown on the back and brownish olive on the rump and tail; 



under parts, white, faintly tinged 



with bufiE on the breast, and 

 everywhere except on upper 

 throat; middle of belly and 

 under tail coverts marked with 

 large blackish spots (the con- 

 spicuous spots on the sides of 

 the body being a good distin- 

 guishing character) ; a distinct 

 white eye ring ; auricular region 

 streaked with white and dusky. 

 Sexes similar. 

 Length, about 7.75; wing, 4.25; tail, 3; bill, .64. 



>i-*5> 



The Wood Thrush is a summer resident in Illinois and the greater 

 part of Wisconsin from May until the latter part of September. It 

 is a delightful songster, probably the best of this group of celebrated 

 avian vocalists. It is useless to attempt to describe the song; no 

 adequate idea of it can be conveyed in print, as combined with its 

 peculiar sweetness the peace of the woodland solitude adds to its 

 charm and it must be heard to be appreciated. 



Breeds in May and June. The nest is in woods, built on the 

 branch of a low tree, rarely more than 10 feet from the ground and 

 is made of leaves, small twigs, and mud. The eggs are 3 to 5, plain 

 blue, similar in color to those of the Robin, but slightly lighter. They 

 measure about 1.05 x .73 inches. 



The Field Museum collection contains a series of sets of eggs of 

 this species taken in northern Illinois between May 26 and June 19. 



