|g NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



fibres, the flowering stems of the Gladonia mosses, lichens, fine strips of 

 bark, etc. 



The eo'«Ts, which are four or five in number, exhibit noticeable variations 

 in size, shape, and shades of coloring, bearing some resemblance to those 

 of T. ustii/atifs and to the eggs asserted to be those of T. ncinvs, but are 

 sufficiently distinct, and are still more so from those of T. alicicr. Tliey 

 ran»e in length from .83 to .94, with a mean of .88, their mean breadth 

 is .66, the maximum .69, and the mininmm .63. Their ground color is 

 usually bluish-green, sometimes light blue with hardly a tinge of green, 

 and the spots are of a yellowish-brown, or russet -brown, or a mixture of 

 both colors, more or less confluent, with marked variations in tliis respect. 



Turdus swainsoni, Aar. ustulatus, Nuttall. 



OREGON THRUSH. 



Turdus uatulatus, Xuttall, Man. 1, 1840, 400 (Coluiul)i;i llivi'i). — Baikd, lUnls X. Ain. 

 1858, 215, pi. Ixxxi, lig. 1. — Ib. Rev. Am. B. 1864, 18. — Cooper & Suckley, 

 P. R. Kep. XII, II, 1860, 171. — Ridp^way, Pr. A. N. S. Philad. 1869, 127. — 

 Dall & Banxisteii, Tr. ('liic. Acad. — Cooper, Birds Cal., .5. 



Sp. Char. General appearance of fuscescens, bnt with pattern of stcainsoui ; tlie bnlT 

 orbital ring as conspicuous as in latter. The olive above is more hroum than in this, and 

 less yellowish than in fuscescens, becoming decidedly more rufescent on wings and less 

 observably so on tail. Pectoral aspect dilferent from fn^scescens, the spots narrower and 

 cuneate, sliarply defined, and arranged in longitudinal series ; in color they are a little 

 darker than the crown. Length, T-IO; wing, 3.75; tail. .3.00; tarsus, 1.12. 



Hab. Pacific Province of United States. Tres Marias Isl., Guatemala (winter), 

 Mus. S. I. 



This well-marked race is to be compared with mHiinsom, not with 

 fuscescens, as has generally been done; the latter, except in shade of 

 colors, it scarcely resembles at all ; still greater evidence that such is its 

 affinity is that the T. ustulatus builds its nest on a tree, and lays a spotted 

 egg, like swainsoni, while fuscescens nests on or near the ground, perhaps 

 never in a tree, and lays a plain blue egg. The song of the present bird is 

 also scarcely distinguishable from that of swainsoni. Upon the whole, we 

 see no reason why tliis should not be considered as a Pacific Province form 

 of the Tardus swainsoni; at least it becomes necessary to do so, after 

 referring to T. 2?cd.lasi, as geographical races, the T. auduhoni and T. nanus. 



Habits. So far as we are aware, this thrush has a very limited distribu- 

 tion, being mainly restricted to the Pacific coast region from California to 

 Alaska in the breeding season, though migrating southward in winter to 

 Guatemala. Dr. Kennerly found it in great al)undance breeding at Chila- 

 weyuck Depot,. July 3, 1859. Dr. Cooper also found , it one of tlie most 

 abundant of the summer residents in Washington Territory, arriving there 



