714 MICHKiAN JilJil) Llli:. 



that it is heard oftenest at twilight, and often has a distant effect even when 

 Ihe bird is quite near, renders it particularly attractive. There is little 

 likelihood of confounding this song with that of other thrushes; the nearest 

 a{)proach to it is seen in the imperfect spring song (during migration) of 

 the Olive-back, but this latter is an inferior performance as compared 

 with the nuptial song of the Veery. liicknell says: "Often it does not 

 sing for several da3's after arrival from the south, sometimes not until 

 two wrecks after the Wood Thrush is heard. It stops singing early in 

 July, 10th to 15th, being rarely heard later." 



TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION. 



Adult: Upper parts, iiicludiitii \vin,<is and tail, uniform ])ale nHldish-brovvn; below 

 mainly whitjc, the throat and lucast slightly huff-tinted; middle of throat, helly, and sides, 

 white; the sides of the throat and most of the upper l)reast spotted sparingly with pale 

 l)r()wn. 'I'he sexes alike. 



Lengtli ().r)() to 7.75 inches; wing 3.75 to 4.15; tail 2.75 to 3.25. 



321. Gray-cheeked Thrush. Hylocichla aliciae aliciae (Baird). (757) 



Synonyms: Alice's Thrush. — Tunlus alicia', Baird, 1858, and most authors until 

 1880. — Hylocichla alicise, Ridgw., 1880, A. O. U. Committee, 1899, and most recent writers. 



The Gray-cheeked Thrush resembles the Olive-back, and differs from 

 other members of the genus, in having the entire upper i)arts, head, back, 

 wings and tail, of the same shade of olive-brown; it differs from the Olive- 

 back in having the cheeks clear gray and in lacking a distinct light ring 

 about the eye; it is also slightly larger. 



Distribution. — Eastern North America, west to the Plains. Alaska and 

 eastern Siberia, noi'th to the Arctic coast, south in winter, to Costa Rica. 

 Breeds chiefly north of the United States. 



The Gray-cheeked Thrush is one of our less common thrushes, and 

 indeed was hardly known to the earlier observers. It occurs during 

 migration only, not being known to nest within our limits. In habits 

 it does not differ noticeably from the Olive-back, with which it is most 

 often associated, and with which it is frequently confounded. 



It arrives from the south from the last of April to the middle of May, 

 but the reports from observers throughout the state ai'e neither sufficiently 

 ;d)umlant nor accurate to determine the time of arrival with much certainty. 

 The identiflcation of this bird by the unaided eye, by the field glass, by 

 note, or by action, is entirely unsatisfactory; records based on anything 

 less than the actual capture of specimens must be disregarded. The 

 few unquestionable records which we have w'ould seem to indicate that 

 it arrives somewhat later than the Olive-back and moves southw'ard in 

 the fall a little earlier. Mr Swales states that near Detroit it is "a not 

 uncommon migrant. Arrives April 27 — May 21, again in September. 

 First taken here in 1898 by J. Claire Wood." Mr. S. E. White records 

 one specimen taken on i\Iackinac Island August 23, 1891, and W. Wilkowski 

 took one at Kalamazoo May 13, 1904. Perhaps the most satisfactory 

 records are those afforded by the lighthouses, as follows: Killed on 

 Spectacle Reef Light, Lake Huron, May 22 and May 24, 1890, May 23, 

 1897, June 1, 1892, September 21, 1890, September 25, 1899 (2 specimens); 

 on Presque Isle Light, Lake Huron, September 15, 1890; Port Oneida 

 Light, September 25, 1886; Big Sable Light, Lake Superior, October 7, 



