TURDID.E — THE TIIIIUSIIES. 13 



sunt, on the other hand, exhibits much less variation in the scale, all the 

 notes being of nearly the same altitude. 



I am also infornied that while the T. swainsoni is far i'rom being- a timid 

 species, but may be easily approached, and while it seems almost invarial)ly 

 to prefer the edges of the pine woods, and is rarely ol>served in open grounds 

 or among the l)are deciduous trees, the habits of the T. alicia: are the exact 

 reverse in these respects. It is not to be found in similar situations, but 

 almost always frequents copses of hartl wood, searching for its food among 

 their fallen leaves. It is extremely timid and diificult to approach. As 

 it stands or as it moves u[)on the ground, it has a peculiar erectness of 

 bearing which at once indicates its true specific character so unmistakably 

 that any one once familiar with its appearance can never mistake it for 

 T. sivainsoni nor lor any other bird. 



The nests measure about 4 inches in diameter and 2| in height. The 

 cavity is 2 inches deep, and its diameter 2| inches. They are unusually 

 compact for the nest of a thrush, and are composed chiefly of an elal)orate 

 interweaving of fine sedges, leaves, stems of tlie more delicate Equisetacccr, 

 dry grasses, strips of fine bark, and decayed leaves, the whole intermingled 

 with the paniculated inflorescence of grasses. There is little or no lining 

 other than these materials. These nests were all found, with but few 

 exceptions, on the branches of low trees, from two to seven feet from 

 the ground. In a few exceptional cases the nests were built on the 

 ground. 



Occasionally nests of this species are found constructed with the base 

 and sides of solid mud, as with the conmion Eobin (Turdns 'mifjraforius). 

 In these, as also in some other cases, their nests are usually found on oi- 

 near the ground. So far as I am aware neither its occasional position 

 on the ground, nor its mud frames, are peculiarities ever noticealile in 

 nests of ' T. stoainsoiii. 



The eggs were usually four in nmuber. Their color is either a deep 

 green tint, or green slightly tinged with blue ; and they are marked with 

 spots of russet and yellowish-brown, varying both in size and frequency. 

 Tlieir mean length is .92 of an inch, and tlieir mean breadth .64. Tlic 

 maximum length is .94 and the minimum .88 of an inch. Tlicre is 

 apparently a constant variation from the eggs of the 2\ swauison.l ; tliosc 

 of the aliciw having a more distinctly l)lue ground color. The nests are 

 also quite different in their appearance and style of structure. The Hi/pnviti 

 mosses, so marked a feature in the nests of T. swainsoni, as also in those of 

 T. ushdatus, are wholly wanting in those of T. aliria\ 



This bird and the robin are tlie only species of our thrushes that cross 

 the Arctic Circle to any distance, or reach tlie shore of the Arctic Ocean. 

 It occurs from Labrador, all round the American coast, to the Aleutian 

 Islands, everywhere bearing its s]i('cific character as indicated above. It is 

 extremely abundant on and iie;n' tlie Arctic coast, between tlie mouth of 



