51 BIRDS OF IU.IMOIS. 



Sr. Cb. Above UDlform, rutlier lielit (uIvoub brown, varylDB in preclBO t>hu<le: no 

 trace ot u IlKbtor orbitul-rlni;. tliu bidos of the bead boluK uearly uulfurm m'avlHb, a» in 

 T.alicia: Jueulum and posttirior iiortlon of tliroiit crcaiuv bufT, wlili uunuuttt 8pc>t» of 

 brown, usiiuUy ii llttli- darker tban tbu color of the crown, thcpe murkiiiKs narrower and 

 more di^itluct antoriurly: cbin and upper part of throat, nearly white, iiumuculuto, but 

 bordered alunu oaeb side by a longitudinal series of brown HtroakH.bomeliujvs blended 

 Into a Hinelo stripe, below an lll-dellned whitt.sb or bulTy malar stripe: lores pale eruylsb 

 or Krayisli white; auriculars darker and more brownish. Bides of breast, sides, and 

 flanks. Ilicht brownish gray, the sides of the breast sooiotlines faintly spotted with a 

 deeper shade, but fretiuently uniform; tlbliu grayish white in front, brown on posterior 

 side: rest of lower parts pure white. ISill du.'^ky, the basal half of the mandible paler; 

 iris dark brown: tarsi pale brown (in skin), toes darker. Wing '■•."5-4.15 H.MI; tall J.7i>-3.3i> 

 (3.«); tarsus 1.05-1.25 (1.15); middle toe .ti5-.72 (.69); culmeo icxposed portion) .5i-.W (.5«).* 



In sutnmer, the colors paler: in fall and winter, the brown above brlehter, the bull of 

 juuulum deeper, and spots darker. 



'First tilmnaoe: female. Above brieht rcddish-bulT. deepest on back and rump; 

 feathers of pileum, nape, back, and wlnc-covorts mareined with dark brown, conllnInK 

 the lighter color to somewhat Indefinitely doflned central drop-shaped spots. Lores and 

 line from lower mandible alontt sides of throat, dark sooty-brown: throat, sides and 

 abdomen pale brownish-yellow with indistinct transverse bands of brown: breast deep 

 bulT, each feather edged broadly with dull sooty-brown; anal reKlon dirty white. In my 

 collection, taken lu Cumbridne, Mass., July 23, isii.' (Bbewsteji. Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, 

 January, 1878. p. 18.) 



Specimens vary a great deal in the precise shade of brown on 

 the upper parts, which, however, is always decidedly more fulvous 

 or tawny than in any other species, while there is also much varia- 

 tion in the depth of the bull" color and the disliuctucss of the spots 

 or streaks on the jugulum and sides of throat ; the latter are occa- 

 sionally, but rarely (as in No. G30u8 3, Massachusetts, and 2115 5, 

 Pennsylvania), very small and no darker in color than the upper 

 parts. 



^Yil8on's Thrush is a common enough bird of the northern United 

 States, but south of the parallel of 40' it is known only as a 

 migrant, or winter resident, and on the AUeghanies, where, at the 

 proper altitude it spends the summer. According to Dr. Brewer 

 {Hht. N. Am. B., I, p. 10; "it is timid, distrustful, and retiring; 

 delighting in shady ravines, the edges of tliick, close woods, and 

 occasionally the more retired parts of gardens." 



The song of this Thrush is so very delicate and wiry that the 

 hearer must be near by to catch all the subtle quavers and trills 

 which are its characteristics. Dr. Brewer says it "is quaint, but 

 not unmusical ; variable in its character, changing from a prolonged 

 and monotonous whistle to quick and almost shrill notes at the 

 close. Their melody is not unfrcquently prolonged until quite late 

 in the evening, and, in consequence, in some portions of Massa- 



'Extreme and average measurements of IG adults. 



