242 TlIK WESTERN ROBIN" 



A SMAI.I. ])r"iM(rtii>n. imt over <>nc per ccMit. of tlie Rollins which annii- 

 ally cross our l>onlcrs liave enough white in the "corners" of their tails to pro- 

 claim them true "Americans." The tlifference is striking and luimistakable, 

 and we feel sure tlial we have iiere, not a diancc variation, but an alien ele- 

 ment, a slender stream of migration diverted from the acciistome<l channels 

 of typical /'. iiiitiniliiriiis, and straggling down, or up. on the wrong side of 

 tile Rockies. W'iicn it is remembered tlial the American Roljin winters in 

 I'lorida and the Culf States, and that its spring nugrations take it as far west 

 as the Kowak River, in Alaska, that is. due northwest from .\tlanta. it is less 

 surprising tiiat the l)irds sliould occasionally Ix'ar west nortliwcst instead, and 

 so make Wasliingtou en route. It is almost certain that this is tlie case, for 

 the wintering birds west of the Rockies and in Mexico are invariablv of the 

 western type, propiiiquus. 



No. <><>. 



WESTERN ROHIX. 



.\. ( ). V. Xn. yCm\. IManesticiis miKratoriiis propiiuitiiis ( Ridgw."). 



Description. — Similar to /'. titiijrulnrius. but while on inner webs of outer 

 rectrices much reduced or wanting: gray of U])perparts paler and more oliva- 

 ceous, more sharply contrasting with black of head: cinnamon-rufous of under- 

 parts averaging paler: wing, tail, and tar.sus slightly longer. Length of males 

 about 10.^5 t2f<o.i,): wing 5.52 (1401: tail 4.1,^ ( 105 » : bill .80 (20.3); tarsus 

 l._^4 (34.1 ). I'eniales slightly smaller. 



Recognition Marks. -"Robin" size: ciiniamoii-rufous below — everyone 

 knows the Robin — without white on "corners" of tail a.^ distinguished from 

 preceding. 



Nesting;. — Nest: a thick-walled but shapely liowl of mu<l (rarely felted 

 vegetable libers instead) set aboiu with twigs, leaves, string and trash, and lined 

 with tine grass-stems: placed anywhere in trees or variously, but usually at 

 niixleratc heights. E(l(js: 3 or 4. rarely 3: greenish blue, ninnarkcd. Av. size 

 1. 15 X .70 I 2<).2 X 20.1 I. Sciisoii: .\pril 15-July 10: two bn»)ds. 



General Rang;e.- — Western North .America from the Rocky Mountains to 

 the Pacilic. north to limit of trees in coast forest district in .Alaska: south thru 

 highlands of Mexico and occasionally Cuateniala : breeding nearly tbruout its 

 range. 



Range in Washington. — Common summer resident and migrant tbruout 

 the Stale, more common in settled portions: rare in moimtains save in vicinity 

 of settlemein>- : irregularlv resident in winter, sometimes abundantly on I'uget 

 Sound. 



Migrations. — Spriiu/: West-side, last week in l"ebruary ; East-side, first or 

 second week in March, roll: fVtober. 



