APPENDIX TO OSCINES. 233 



scarlet of his eastern cousin : feeding on nuicli tlie same food, and captnriiig insects on 

 the wing with equal skill. His chirp is tlie same as the Scarlet Taiisiger's, and his song 

 very similar; yet a difference may be detected — a difference to the ))rejudice of the 

 western bird. As a general rule, the western races are a little inferior in scnig to their 

 eastern relatives of the same species and genus, although thfre are many exceptions to 

 this — the Robin, for instance. Birds of colder and more densely wooded regions have 

 sweeter, fuller, and more melodious voices than their kindreil of warmer and more arid 

 districts. 



B. 



The following interesting' notes were comninnicated to me by Dr. ,J. 

 M. Wlieaton, of Columbus, Ohio, favorably known by his excellent List 

 of the Birds of that State, so often quoted in the present work. — E. (J. 



Oli\^e-15acked TiiiiUSH (T. swairisoiii). This is the most abundant of the Hylocichla 

 during the migrations. It pre.sents greater variations of color and size than any othei-. 

 By far the greater number of individuals belong to the typical variety Nirahisoiii, but 

 we have as extremes var. aliclw, the Gray-cheeked Thrush, an<l a small variety, length 

 6^ inches, bill only |, with the oliv^ of the back suffused with tawny, in this resjiect 

 resembling var. ustitlatusot' the Pacific coast, but having the spots on the Itreast darker. 

 The buff of this variety is much more decided, especially on the (;yelids and line from 

 above the eye to the bill. On very high colored fall specimens the buff of the breast 

 is sometimes prolonged in a pale median line to the middle of the belly. The obscure 

 bar at the base of the secondaries and inner primaries is creamy buff in •s)c«i//vo«t 

 proper, white in var. aliciw, and brownish-white in the snuxll variety. 



The Gray-cheeked variety arrives a few days later in the sining than the Wood or 

 Wilson's Thrush, the typical Olive-back nearly a week later, followed shortly after by 

 the small variety, which, in 187:i, remained till June 1, and was the most terrestiial in 

 its habits, frequenting brush heaps in sparse, wet woodland. In the fall the Gray- 

 cheeked vai'iety nuikes its appearance sooner than the others. 



BhVE WxunLKii {D. cam lea). Not conunon inmost places; is tolerably connuon in 

 Central Ohio. I have found them in considerable niimbers in May and June. Tov.ards 

 the close of June I have fouud the young fully Hedged in oak woods, where they )irob- 

 ably breed. The song ot this l)ird bears considerable resemblance to that of the Bay- 

 wing Bunting, though less loiul. 



Ykixow-'hiuoatki) Waiujlkk {D. domhtica). Has perhaps a northern limit in this 

 State. In this vicinity they are among the most regular and earliest to arrive of »he 

 fannly. • I have noted them before the arrival of the Yellow Warbler, and even before 

 the last frosts and snow. They comuionly follow the streams in their nngratious. and 

 may be reailily recognized by their comparatively loud aud fre(juent note, which almost 

 exactly resembles that of the Indigo-bird on its lirst arrival. They soon disperse 

 through the woodland and ajijiear in the shade-trees aud gardens of the city. I have 

 never f(MUid them breeding. They return south in September by the same route as in 

 the spring nngration. 



Cedaic Bii;d (.1. ccdwriim). I Iinve taken one spring specimen in very high plumage, 

 in which the «/x central tail feathers possessed the waxen tips. The length of the 

 specimen was 7.0.^) inches, the color much darker than usual. 



Bi:oTiii;i:i.v-i.()\'E Viiti-.o ( I'ircn philadclphicim). I saw them on Sfpteud)er Ki, to the 

 number of twenty to thirty, in beech woodland, acconip.-niying llie Ked-eyed Vireos 

 on their southern migration. 



LoddKitiiEAD SiiitiKK (C. hidoriciatiiis). Usually considered to be confined to the 

 South Atlantic aud Gulf States, and tiie white-rumped variety {ixcnbitoroidcfi), hereto- 

 fore sn|)posed to have its eastern limit in lllirois; but both occur not uncommonly 

 with us, and appear to be on the increase. They arrive early in April. My observa- 

 tions coincide with those made by ^Ir. Tri]qie in Iowa (Naturalist, If^l'.l, 4'J7), except 

 that we have si)ecimens which might be considered ty[iical litdoricKiiiiin. On tiie I'lst 

 of May, 1H7:>, I captured a family of tlii;se birds, the male of wh.ich was clearly of the 

 white-rumi>ed variety, but lighter than Illinoi.s specimens of the same. Tlie female 

 presented the tyi)ical features of /i/f?r)r(((V(H'(v. The length of the male was l> inches ; 

 the female, Hi' The young were just fmm their nest in a hedge. They were light 

 ashy, dusky waved above, decidedly waved below, and with the head-stripe not vicct- 

 iiKj in front of tlu' eye, and considerably restricted. My obs<'rvations are not sutH- 

 cieutly extended to ventui'e an opinion, but from such as I li;ive maile, I would not 

 be surprised if it sliould be determined, that to the north aud west the White-rumi)ed 

 Shrik(! i)assed insensibly into the nculheiu bird {hvrculix), as with us it does into the 

 southern form. 



Song Spahuow (M. viclodia). Dr. Abbott, in tluN Naturalist, lf^7(). page ;{7f', calls at- 

 tention to a variation in the song of this bird, and asks if otiieis have noticed it. With 

 us it is resident in couqiaratively small numbers in winter. During the fall months its 

 song is seldom or never lu'ard. In Deeember I luive observed ihi'm perched in the top 

 of a forest tree, singing with vivacity a continuous song, which was altogi'ther differ- 



