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THE TAWNY THRUSH. 151 
DESCRIPTION. 
Third quill Icngest, fourth a little shorter, second nearly a quarter of an inch 
longer than the fifth; above, and on sides of head and neck, nearly uniform light 
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 decided contrast to the white of the belly; the sides of the 
throat and the fore part of the breast, as colored, are marked with small triangular 
spots of light-brownish, nearly like the back, but not well defined; there are a few 
obsolete blotches on the sides of the breast (in the white) of pale-olivaceous, the 
sides of the body tinged with the same; tibiz white; the lower mandible is brown- 
ish only at the tip; the lores are ash-colored. 
Length, seven and fifty one-hundredths inches; wing, four and twenty-five one- 
hundredths; tail, three and twenty one-hundredths inches; tarsus, one and twenty 
one-hundredths. 
Hab. — Eastern North America to the Missouri, north to fur countries. 
This species is well distinguished among the American thrushes by the indis- 
tinctness of the spots beneath, and their being confined mainly to the fore part of 
the breast. In some specimens, there is a faint tendency to a more vivid color on 
the rump; but this is usually like the back, which is very nearly the color of the 
rump in 7. pallasit. 
This quite common species is a summer inhabitant of 
southern New England. It is quite abundant until we reach 
the southern portions of Maine, New Hampshire, and Ver- 
mont, when it begins to grow less common until we reach the 
latitude of the middle of these States, where it begins to be 
replaced by the Hermit Thrush, and soon ceases to occur to 
the north of this latitude. It makes its appearance from 
the South about the first week in May, often earlier, and 
commences building about the 20th of May. The nest is 
placed occasionally in a low shrub, or tangled clump of 
priers, usually on the ground. The situation is retired, 
often in the depths of the woods. The nest is constructed 
of grass, leaves, and weeds; in some cases, the outer bark 
of the grape-vine is the principal material used: it is quite 
thoroughly made, and is deeply hollowed, and lined with 
fine roots and horsehair. The eggs are usually four in 
number, sometimes five ; their color is bluish-green, deeper 
than that of the eggs of the Hermit Thrush, but not so dark 
as in those of the Cat Bird; their form is generally an oval, 
sometimes lengthened and sharpened ; their average size 1s 
