LAND BIRDS. 713 



on the throat and upper breast, while the spots on the breast arc paler and 

 more scanty than in any other species. 



Distribution. — Eastern United States to the Plains, north to Manitoba, 

 Ontario, Anticosti, and Newfoundland. Breeds from northern New 

 Jersey and the northern part of the Lake States northward: winters 

 sparingly in Florida, but chiefly south of the United States.. 



A delightful songster, common as a migrant throughout the entire 

 state, and a common summer resident of all except the southernmost 

 counties. Even in these counties it can hardly be called a rare summer 

 resident, since its nest has been found repeatedly in Wayne, Washtenaw, 

 Monroe, Lenawee and Hillsdale counties, and it doubtless nests sparingly 

 in the remaining counties of the southernmost tier. On the other hand 

 it is a characteristic summer bird of our northern forests, and is found 

 everywhere along the south shore of Lake Superior, as well as on Isle 

 Royale. 



It enters the state from the south about the first of May, in early seasons 

 a week earlier, occasionally considerably later. Mr. Swales gives his 

 earhest spring record at Detroit as April 22, 1900, and his latest. May 4, 

 1902. At Ann Arbor Norman A. Wood gives April 16, 1889 as the earliest 

 record for twenty-five years, and its average appearance the first week in 

 May. It nests from the middle of May to the middle of June, according 

 to latitude, and commonly places the nest upon the ground or very close 

 to it, usually in low or at least damp situations. The nest is frequently 

 found at the base of a clump of alders or willows, not infrequently among 

 the "water sprouts" which start from the side of a stump, occasionally 

 on a log, or even on the top of a stump, while instances are recorded of its 

 location at a height of four or five feet from the ground, in a bush or tree. 



Ordinarily the nest is very bulky, built of leaves, moss and rubbish, 

 which forms a solid foundation, the nest proper being formed of leaves 

 and grasses, with a few roots, but without any mud. It is deeply hollowed 

 and often more or less hidden from above, but in many cases the eggs would 

 be decidedly conspicuous when not covered by the parent. The eggs vary 

 from three to five, but are usually four, and are pale blue and unspotted, 

 averaging .85 by .67 inches. Very rarely a few specks of brown may be 

 found on them, and there are a few records of eggs which were fairly well 

 sprinkled with brown dots; as a rule, however, they are entirely immaculate. 



This bird gets most of its food from the ground, and since it frequents 

 woodlands almost exclusively during the nesting season, its work is not 

 of any great value to the farmer or fruit grower. Like all thrushes it 

 feeds largely upon beetles, snails, myriapods and a great variety of insects, 

 eating small fruits freely whenever obtainable. In the case of the present 

 species, however, the fruit eaten is almost all wild fruit, and the bird 

 cannot be considered in any way injurious. 



The song of the Veery is one of the sweetest and most remarkable to be 

 heard in our summer woods. Seton Thompson sa5'S: "The song is a 

 high-pitched whistle, yet rich and clear, with a rippling cadence like a 

 little brook. It seems almost profane to represent this faint, soft, silvery 

 tinkling by uncouth syllables, yet I think the best idea of the mere articu- 

 lation may be suggested by the syllables veero, veery, veery. veery, from 

 which no doubt the singer got his name" (Birds of IManitoba, p. 633). 

 Ridgway describes the song as "An inexpressil)ly delicate metallic utterance 

 of the syllables ta-weel-ah, twil-ah, twil-ah, accompanied by a fine trill." 

 The metallic quality of the song is usually very noticeable, and the fact 



