2.V THE ALASKA HERMIT THUjSH. 



11 1 1", iimic open wiHxIs and iimrc abundanl suns of eastern Wasliington 

 elTcct tlial reiluclion of color in the "burnt" Thrush, which henceforth charac 

 leri/es the species clear thru to the Atlantic. It wouM he idle to trace in detail 

 all acconi|)anyin}( changes of manner and hahit. hut we can hardly fail to note 

 the improved cpiality of the Olive-hack's soiifj. This is most nearly compar- 

 ahle to that of the Willow Thrush and has something of the same rolling 

 vibrant (piality. It is, however, less prolonged and less vehement. It may or 

 may not retain the liifuid I's. but it di.scards outright the rich r's. which the 

 V'cery rolls under his tongue like sweet morsels; and the i)ilch of the whole 

 rises slightly, jjcrhaps a musical third, as the volume of sound diminishes 

 toward the end : U'c-r-o. tir-c-o. "Ci'-o Ttr-o 'Ci'cc. \ song heard some years 

 ago at the head of Lake Chelan, irccloo wccloo wccloocc loocc, seemed to have 

 all the nuisic of perfected x^iuiinsouii in it. yet it was not till the season of 

 ir;oS that Mr. Howies established the fact of the Olive-back's presence and the 

 Kusset-back's absence from the Slehekin N'alley. On the other hand. Ridg- 

 w.ty finds that l)oth forms sometimes occur together, even during the breeding 

 season; so we are not yet i)repared to make generalizations as to the relative 

 distriluition of these birds in Washington. 



No. Q.S. 



ALASK.X Ili:RMir TIIRISH. 



A. ( 1. r. Xo. 739. Hylocichla guttata 1 ralla>). 



Synonym. — K.\i>i.\k Dw \ki- Tiikism (Ridgw. ). 



Description. — .Idtilt: I'pperparts plaiTi grayish brown (hair brown to near 

 broccoli brown ) changing on riniijis to dull cinnamon-brown of upjicr tail-coverts 

 and tail: a |>rominent wliiti^h orbital ring: sides of head luingled grayish brown 

 and (lull whitish; under])arts dull white, clear only on belly. — throat and breast 

 tinged with |)alc creamy bulT: sides and tianks washed with pale grayish brown; 

 throat in continent chain on side and lower throat, chest and upper breast — 

 s|)otted with dusky or sooty, the spots narrow and wedge-shaped on lower throat, 

 broadening and deepening on chest, fading and becoming rounded on breast. 

 Hill drab brown paling on mandible ba'^ally : feet and leg'; brown ; iris dark brown. 

 ll'iiili'r specimens are brighter and more strongly colored thruont. Yoiiin/ birds 

 are streaked with bntTy above and the siiotting of un<ler])arts inclines to bars on 

 breast ami sides. Length f>. .^0-7.40 (1^0-188); wing 3.46 (88); tail 2.52 (64); 

 bill .50 ( IJ.7 I : tar-n< 1.14 (29). 



Recognition Marks. — Sjiarrow size; cinnamon of tail (and iip])er-covcrts 1 

 coiurasting more or less with duller brown of remaining uppcrparts. 



Nestinj;. — F^oes not breed in Washington. Xrst and lif/fis as in //. g 

 si'iiiioii-iisis. 



General Ran^e. — Coast di'^trict of .\Iaska breeding northward and wcNtward 



