672 



WOOD THliUSH. 



FAMILY. TUKDIDAE. THE THRUSHES. 



Marginal indentations of sternum exceeding in depth the height of the keel. Width of sternum not 

 more than half the length of the keel. Hind claws less than twice the length of the anterior claws. Gener- 

 ally birds of plain colors, but what they lack ni this respect is made up in vocal powers, for among them are 

 some of the finest singers in the world. The stomach is quite muscular. The proventriculus is not large 

 and is provided with simple glands which arc arranged in a zonular band. The pancreas is (juite large and 

 the spleen is a cylindrical body, usually curved. The coeca are present but very small. 



GENUS. TURDUS. THE THRUSHES PROPER. 



Gen. On. Bill, shorter than the head, conical, with the tip slightly curved and notched, cither yel- 

 low in color or brown, lighter at the base of the lower mandible. Anterior face of tarsus, in adult specimens, 

 fused into a continuous plate. Members of this genus are spotted below, at least in some stages of plumage, 

 but a few species exhibit this character only when very young. Sexes, similar. 



Sp. Ch. Size, large. Form, 

 brightest on the head and becoming 





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Fig. 1 1 3. Head of adult Wood Thrush. 



TURDUS MUSTELiNUS. 

 Wood Thrush. 



DESCRIPTION. 



robust. Color, Adult. Above, including wings, reddish brown, 

 slightly olivaceous on the tail. Beneath, white, slightly tinged with 

 reddish, marked everywhere excepting on chin, abdomen 

 and under tail coverts, with large rounded spots of dark 

 brown. Sides of head mottled with dark brown and white. 

 Iris, bill and feet, brown. Young, similar to the adult. 

 Nestlings are spotted and streaked above with whitish, and 

 there are drop shaped marks on the wing coverts forming 

 bars, and the spots beneath are less sharply defined, other- 

 wise, similar to the young. 



OBSERVATIONS. 



This species is at once distinguishable by the large 

 size, comparatively deeply colored top of the head and large 

 numerous spots beneath. Occurs during the breeding sea- 

 son throughout Eastern United States, north to Massachu- 

 setts, Ontario, Wisconsin and Eastern Dakota, west to the 

 Great Plains, south to Georgia on the east coast. Winters 

 in Guatemala, and occasionally in Cuba. 



DIMENSIONS. 



Length, 8.00 to 8.55 ; stretch, 13..50 to 14.00 ; wing, 3.35 to 4.50 : tail, 2.85 to 3.00 ; bill, .65 to .75 ; tar- 

 sus, 1.10 to 1.25. 



DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 



Nests, placed in large trees or bushes, composed of an outer layer of leaves, roots and mud, lined with 

 fine roots and leaves. Eggs, four or five in number, oval in form, bluish green in color, usually unspotted. 



HABITS. 

 Tlie Wood Thrushes mak6^' their appearance in Ma.tsachusetts in May, in the niiddle 

 States a little earher. Wiien the males arrive they are in full song and their clear bell- 



