TURDID.E — THE THRUSHES. 21 



without any mud, and were lined with decayed leaves. Their height and ex- 

 ternal diameter measured 4 inches. The diameter of tlie cavity was 2| inches 

 and the depth 2\. The eggs measured .'JO by .70 of an inch. They are of a 

 pale bluish-green, speckled with cinnamon-brown, cliieily at the larger entl. 



The nest, supposed to be of this species, supplied by Dr. Cooper, is large 

 for the bird; constructed of a base loosely made up of mosses, lichens, and 

 coarse fil)res of plants. It is a strong and compact structure of matted 

 leaves, put together when in a moist and decaying condition ; with these 

 there are interw^oven roots, twigs, and strong fibres, surrounding the nest 

 witli a stout band and strengthening the rim. In fact, it corresponds so w^ell 

 — as do the eggs also — with those of T. ustulatas, that it is extremely proba- 

 ble that they really belong to that species. The only observable difference 

 is the absence of the Hjjpnum mosses characteristic of northern astulatus. 



Dall and Bannister mention in their list of Alaska birds that the species 

 is not common there. It was also taken at Sitka and Kodiak by Bischoff. 



The fact that this tln-usli builds its nest above the ground, and lays 

 spotted eggs, if verified, would at once warrant our giving it independent 

 rank as a species, instead of considering it as a local race of jmllasi. 



Turdus pallasi, var. auduboni, Baird. 



ROCKY MOUNTAIN HERMIT THRUSH. 



Turdus auduboni, Baird, Eev. Am. Birds, 1864, 16. — Ridgway, P. A. N. S. 1869, 129.— 

 Elliot, lUust. (fig.). Merula sile7is, Swainson, Philos. Mag. I, 1827, 369 (not Turdus 

 silens of Vieillot, Eucycl. Meth. l\, 1823, 647, based on T. 7mistelmus, WiLS. = 1\ 

 fusccscem). — lB. Fauna Bor.-Amer. II, 1831, 186. — Baikd, Birds N. Amer. 1858, 

 213, and 922. — Sclatei;, P. Z. S. 1858, 325 (La Parada), and 1859, 325 (Oaxaca). — 

 IB. Catal. Am. Birds, 1861, 2, no. 9. 



Sp. Char. Colors much as in Turdus nanus, but the upper tail-coverts scarcely different 

 from the back. Tail yellowish-rufous. Length of wing, 4.18; tail, 3.60; bill from nostril, 

 •45 ; tarsus, 1.26. 



Hab. Rocky Mountains, from Fort Bridger south into Mexico. Orizaba (Alpine regions). 



SUiMICIIRAST. 



This is a very distinct race of thrushes, although it may be questioned 

 whether it be truly a species. It is, however, sufficiently distinct from the 

 eastern and western Hermit Thrushes to warrant our giving it a place of 

 some kind in the systems. 



The young plumage differs from that of ^laUasi as do tlie adults of the 

 two, and in about the same way. The olive is very much purer, witli a 

 greenish instead of a brownish cast, and the tail is very much lighter, 

 inclining to dull ochraceous instead of rufous ; this yellowish instead of 

 rufous cast is apparent on the wings also. The yellowish " drops " on head, 

 back, etc., are very much narrower than in pallaxi, wliile the greater coverts, 

 instead of being distinctly tipped with yellowish, merely just perceptibly 

 fade in color at tips. 



