MERl'LA. 



Genus MERULA Leach. (Pago 571,, pi. CXXIIL, fig. 5.) 



Species. 



Common Characters (of North American species). — Adults (sexes essentially 

 alike, Imt female usually a little paler and duller in color than male) : Above plain 

 graj-ish, the back, scapulars, and wing-coverts sometimes rusty or olive-brownish, 

 the head sometimes blackish ; throat white, streaked with black or grayish ; chest, 

 breast, sides, axillars, and under wing-coverts (sometimes bellj' also), plain rufous or 

 buffy ; under tail-coverts, anal region, and hinder flanks (sometimes belly also) white, 

 the first with concealed spots of grayish. Young : Above streaked with light fulvous 

 or whitish ; beneath whitish, more or less tinged with rusty or buffy, and spotted 

 with blackish or grayish. Nest very compact and rather bulky, with more or less 

 of mud in its composition, usually saddled upon a horizontal branch, but often 

 variously situated. Eggs 3-5, plain bluish (very rarely speckled with brown). 



a}. Upper parts in adults plain grayish, without rusty. 



i'. Breast, etc., in adults rufous, or reddish ochraceous ; exposed culmen usually 

 less than .80, tarsus 1.30, or more. {Adults : Head and neck blackish, 

 or at least decidedlj- darker than hack ; e3-elids, a supraloral streak, and 

 streaks on chin and throat white; wings and tail dusk}- (sometimes black). 

 the feathers edged with slaty ; back, scapulars, and rump uniform slaty, 

 the feather of the first sometimes blackish centrally; bill bright yellow, 

 the upper mandible tipped with black. In winter, similar, but with upper 

 parts tinged with brown, rufous feathers of breast, etc., margined with 

 white, and upper mandible chiefly dusky, the lower duller yellow. Young 

 in first icinter : Head and neck brownish gray, like upper parts, the 

 white of upper eyelid prolonged backward into a more or less extensive 

 postocular streak, and rufous of breast, etc., paler, or more olivaceous.) 

 c". Outer tail-feather with a distinct white spot at tip of inner web ; an- 

 terior portion of back usually more or less clouded with black (in 

 fully adult birds;; length 9.00-10.00, wing 4.90-5.40 (5.28), tail 

 4.10-4.50 (4.34), culmen .85-.92 (.90). tarsus' 1.30-1.40 (1.34). Eggs 

 1.15 X ■'iS. Hah. Eastern and northern North America, breeding 

 south to about 35° (farther in Alleghanies) ; north to Alaska (Yukon 

 district) and Hudson's V,?iy, west to Great Plains; occasional in 



eastern Mexico 761. M. migratoria (Linn.). American Robin. 



c'. Outer tail-feather without distinct white tip (often with no white at 

 all) ; anterior portion of back slaty gra_y. abruptly defined against 

 black of hind-neck; length 10.00-il.OO, wing 5.20-5.70 (5.41), tail 

 3.80-4.70 (4.24). culmen .S5-.95 (.90), tarsus 1.20-1.40 (1.31). Eggs 

 1.17 X -82. Hah. Western United States, north to British Columbia, 

 east to. and including. TJocky Mountains, south over table-lands of 

 Mexico.. 761(T. M, migratoria propinqua Rir>ow. Western Robin. 

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