A Sketch of the Thrushes of North America 



107 



underbrush, they pour forth successive bursts of rippling melody. While the 

 song lacks the variety, the deliberation and the "spirituality" of that of the 

 Hermit Thrush, it flows with an irresistible swing that fairly eclipses the 

 Hermit's best efforts. In the dry air of the Pacific coast their ringing tones 

 seemed to me to be even clearer and sweeter than in the East. 



BREEDING RANGES OF THE HERMIT THRUSHES \ HylocUMa 



I. H. s- R-'iiata. 2. H. g. pallasi. i. H. g. auduhoni. 4. B g. nana 



They are much shyer and more restless than are the Hermits, although 

 they carelessly place their nests five or six feet from the ground, commonly 

 in small spruces, where they are very conspicuous. The sitting bird crouches 

 motionless in the nest if surprised, but is generally able to slip away unob- 

 served and flit about silently with its mate in the adjacent bushes, sometimes 

 uttering a liquid ' puk ' of alarm. 



Along the Maine coast and along nearly the whole coast of California, 



