626 THE BIRDS OF MAINE 



Geog. Dist. — North America, breeding from Labrador northwestward to 

 Alaska ; migrating southward through eastern North America ; wintering in 

 Central America. 



County Records. — Cumberland; uncommon transient, (Brown, C. B. P. 

 p. 3). Penobscot ; probably regular transient near Bangor in spring at least, 

 but rare or hard to find, owing to the limited time it is with us, (Knight). 



This species should be recorded from many places through- 

 out the State, as it must occur more generally than the records 

 show, though at best it is probably a rare bird with us. Mr. 

 Brown has stated that near Portland the period of occurrence is 

 the middle of May for two weeks and from the middle to the last 

 of September. It has been taken near Bangor between May 

 twentieth and twenty-fifth, and probably occurs also in fall, 

 but owing to the very close resemblance to the Olive-backed 

 Thrush may well pass unnoticed unless a systematic campaign 

 is waged against the Thrushes with the sole purpose of detect- 

 ing the present species and the Willow and Bicknell's Thrushes 

 as well. 



In migration the species occurs associated with the Olive- 

 backed Thrush to a greater or less degree and can only be 

 distinguished with certainty by actually having the bird in 

 hand. The food and general habits are probably quite similar. 

 The Gray-cheeked Thrush is said to nest in the branches of 

 low trees, from two to seven feet from the ground, building a 

 nest of leaves, sedges, stems and dry grasses, lined with fine 

 grasses and strips of bark. The eggs are greenish blue, 

 marked faintly over the surface with reddish brown. Three 

 or four eggs are said to be laid and they measure about 0.91 

 X 0.71. Occasionally nests are said to be placed on the ground. 

 Sets in various collections come from Mackenzie river, Ander- 

 son River, Alaska and Labrador. 



I' 758a. Hylockhla ustulata sroainsonii (Cab.). Olive-backed 



Thrush; Swainson's Thrush; Fly catching Thrush; Mosquito 



Thrush. 



Plumage of adults : above uniform olive ; superciliary stripe, lores, whole 

 throat and upper breast rich cream or ochraceous buff ; the breast and sides 



