218 TROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF 



the Missouri."* On the 24th of July I came upon a family of these hirds in 

 a deep thickly wooded ravine. The young were apparently just commencing to 

 fly. Both parents uttered constantly a rather melancholy ^^pheu^h," in a low 

 whistling tone. The female evinced the greatest anxiety for the safety of her 

 brood, and endeavored to lead mo from their vicinity by fluttering from bush 

 to bush ; and it was only with some difficulty that I secured both parents. In 

 the course of the same day I saw several of these Thrushes, only, however, 

 among the thickest firs. Tiiey all uttered precisely the same note, and were 

 very timid, darting into the most impenetrable thickets, so that it was with 

 great difficulty they could be procured. They appear to be very abundant in 

 Labrador ; probably full as much so as the 2'. Swainsoni in most portions of 

 eastern United States. 



There are readily appreciable characters by which this species may be dis- 

 tinguished from the closely allied T. Swainsoni. The uniformly longer, 

 straighter, and narrower bill is a striking feature. The upper parts are of a 

 much darker shade of olive, as are also the sides under the wings, and the 

 spots on the throat and breast. But the most prominent feature is the entire 

 absence of any buff tinge on the throat and sides of the head and around the 

 eye, so conspicuous in T. Swainsoni. The whole bird is also considerably 

 larger. 



TuRDUs (Planesticus) migratorius Linn. — Robin. 



Turdus migratorius, And., Birds Amer. iii. 121, pi. 142. 

 Turdiis (Planesticus) migratorius, Baird, Gen. Rep. 218. 



The Robin, so common and well known throughout the United States, is 

 equally abundant in all well wooded districts in Labrador. Its habits are so 

 familiar to every one, that a detailed account of them would be superfluous. 

 I remarked, however, that they appeared to be shyer than might be expected 

 in a country where they are so seldom molested. 



Saxicola (enanthe Bechst. — Stone Chat. 



Saxicola ananthe, Baird, Gen. Rep. 220. 



? Saxicola cenantlwides, Vigors, Zool. Voyage Blossom, 1839, 19. Cass. 111. i. 

 1854, 208 ; pi. xxxvi. 



I had the good fortune to procure a specimen of this interesting bird, at 

 Henley Harbor, on the 25th of August. The sailor who brought it to me 

 stated that it was in company with two others, but could give no intelligible 

 account of its voice or manners. It was in immature plumage, very difi"erent 

 from that of the adult, and was excessively fat. 



The North American Saxicola has by some authors been considered distinct 

 from the common European S. ceuanthe, under the name of S. ainanthoides, 

 first applied by Vigors to a bird from the North-west Coast. The author re- 

 marks upon its very close affinity to the European bird, and apparently con- 

 siders the locality as the strongest ground for supposing a specific distinction. 

 The name was subsequently applied by Cassin, in the work above cited, to a 

 bird from Nova Scotia, the larger size and rather different proportions of the 

 tarsus being with this author the most important characters. In a critical 

 comparison of specimens from Europe, Greenland and Labrador, I have been 

 unable to detect any distinctive features beyond those of size, and very slight 

 differences of proportion ; which last, however, are not constant, or greater than 

 exist between undoubted specimens of S. cenanthe. The difference in size is 

 no greater than would be expected from the more northern locality of the bird 



*I have since detected this species at Washington, D.C.; and well characterized spe- 

 cimens have also been obtained in the same locality by my friend, Mr. D. W. Prentiss. 

 This would seem to indicate an eastern range at least equal to that of T. Swainsoni, 

 witii which it is found associated, in the region west of the Mississippi. 



[Aug. 



