(^It? Jnuntal 

 Mmw O^niitltnlogtral ^nri^tg 



Published by the Society on the first of March, June, September and December 

 Vol. VIII DECEHBER, 1906 No. 4 



Bicknell's Thrush on Mt. Abraham. 



By Dana W. Sweet. 



Early in the morning, June 22, 1906, I started from Phillips 

 with a friend, Ernest Vining, of Strong, for a trip up Mt. Abraham. 

 The rocky peaks of this mountain are surrounded by a dense ever- 

 green growth, mostly fir. The summit of the highest peak is 3,378 

 feet high, according to the measurement of Phil Stubbs, of Strong. 

 The mountain is in the township of Mt. Abraham, north of Phillips. 



In the White Mountains, the Bicknell Thrush {Hylocichla alicm 

 bicknelli) is said to be found lower down than 3,000 feet. There are 

 a number of mountains in Maine whose Alpine summits, with their 

 scrubby evergreen growth, would be a suitable habitat for this spe- 

 cies, and I have for some time desired to explore some of the peaks 

 in Franklin County in search of it. 



When we reached the top of the mountain, I heard what I be- 

 lieved to be the call notes of the Bicknell Thrush. A thunder shower 

 now came upon us, and we spent half an hour crouching under 

 scrub spruces. When it cleared off, we passed on to another peak, 

 which is an immense pile of rocks. As we were coming out of the 

 woods, I heard what I knew at once to be the song of a Bicknell 

 Thrush. It came from a dense thicket of firs, most of which were 

 about six feet tall, and they grew so thickly that it was with the 

 greatest difficulty that I worked my way through them. Twice I 

 got very near the bird, but not quite near enough to see it. I was 



