TURDID.E — THE THRUSHES. Q 



Springfield, Mass., undisturbed by the passers by or the walkers beneath. 

 or the noise and rattle of the vehicles on the contiguous streets. 



The song of this tlirush is one of its most remarkable and pleasing 

 characteristics. No lover of sweet sounds can have failed to notice it, 

 and, having once known its source, no one can fail to recognize it when 

 heard again. The melody is one of great sweetness and power, and consists 

 of several ])arts, the last note of which resembles the tiidvling of a small bell, 

 and seems to leave the conclusion suspended. Each part ui' its song seems 

 sweeter and richer than the })receding. 



The nest is usually built on the horizontal branch of a small forest-tree, 

 six or eight feet from the ground, and, less frequently, in the fork of a bush. 

 The diameter is about 5 inches, and the depth 3|, with a cavity averaging 

 3 inches across by 2| in depth. They are firm, compact structures, chiefiy 

 composed of decayed deciduous leaves, closely impacted together, and a})- 

 parently thus combined when in a moistened condition, and afterward 

 dried into a firmness and strength like that of parchment. These are 

 intermingled with, and strengthened liy, a few dry twigs, and the whole 

 is lined with fine roots and a few fine dry grasses. Occasionally, instead 

 of the solid frame of impacted leaves, we find one of solidified mud. 



The eggs of the Wood Thrush, usually four in nund)er, sometimes five, 

 are of a uniform deeji-lilue tint, with but a slight admixture of yellow, 

 which imparts a greenish tinge. Their average measurements are 1.00 by 

 .75 inch. 



Turdus fuscescens, Stephens. 



TAWNY THRUSH; WILSON'S THRUSH. 



Turdus mustelinus, Wilson, Amer. Ormtholog}^ V, 1812, 98, pi. 43 (not of Gmelin). 



Ticrdus fuscescens, Stephens, Shaw's Gen. Zool. Birds, X, i, 1817, 182. Cab. Jour. 1855, 

 470 (Cuba).— Baird, Birds N. Am. 1858, 214. —Ib. Eev. Am. B. 1864, 17. — Gundl. 

 Repertorio, 1865, 228 (Cuba, not rare). Pelzeln, Orn. Bras, ii, 1868, 92. (San 

 Vicente, Brazil, December.) — Samuels, 150. — Sclateh, P. Z. S. 1859, 326. —Ib. 

 Catal. Am. Birds, 1861, 2, No. 10. Turdus silens, Vieill. Encyclop. Meth. II, 1823, 

 647 (based on T. mustelinus, Wils.V Turdus loilsumi. Box. Obs. AVils. 1825, No. 

 73. Turdus minor, D'Okb. La Sagra's Cubn, Ois. 1840, 47, pi. v (Cuba). 



Sp. Char. Above, and on sides of head and neck, nearly uniform lioht reddish-brown, 

 with a faint tendency to orange on the crown and tail. Beneath, white ; the fore part 

 of the breast and throat (paler on the chin) tinged with pale brownish-yellow, in decidci! 

 contrast to the white of the belly. The sides of the throat and the fore part of the l)reast, 

 as colored, are marked with small triangular spots of light brownish, nearly like the back'. 

 but not well defined. There are a fiew obsolete blotches on the sides of the breast (in the 

 white) of pale olivaceous; the sides of the body tinged with the same, Tibiro white. 

 The lower mandiblu is brownish only at the ti|i. The lores are ash-eolored, the orlutal 

 region grayish. Length, 7.. ">0 ; wing, -4.2.") ; tail, 3. '20 ; tarsus, 12(). 



Hab. Eastern Xorth America, Halifax to Fort Bridger, and north to Fort Cnury. 

 Cuba, Panama, and Brazil (winter). Orizaba (winter), Sl'Micur.vst. 



