(91 ) 



TURDUS OLIVACEUS. 



OLIVE-BACKED THRUSH. 



Specific Character — Upper parts uniform dark brownish-olive. — 

 Adult with the second primary longest, first and third equal ; a line 

 from the bill to the eye, circle round the eye, and sides of the neck 

 rufous ; throat cream color, inclining to rufous ; fore part of breast 

 and the throat marked with saggitate spots, smaller and more decid- 

 ed than those of T. minor ; sides light grayish-brown ; under tail 

 coverts pure white ; abdomen white, spotted with light grayish 

 brown ; tarsi one inch long, [tarsi of T. minor one and a quarter ;] 

 bill short, stout, dark brown, approaching to black ; form compar- 

 atively slender ; upper parts uniform dark brownish-olive ; outer 

 webs of the primaries rather brighter ; tail feathers duller. Length 

 seven inches, wing four. 



On referring to the Minutes of the Lyceum of Natural History, 

 New York, we find in the month of December, 1839, a communi- 

 cation made by the late H. C. De Rham, in reference to a confu- 

 sion existing among the North American Family Turdinae [Thrush- 

 es.] Mr. De Rham in his communication stated that he had de- 

 tected a confusion in the arrangement of this branch of our Orni- 

 thology, but not having had an opportunity fully to investigate the 

 subject, he was not at that moment prepared to unravel it, but he 

 hoped to be able to do so at a future period. Shortly after this 

 statement, and while practically in pursuit of this department of Nat- 

 ural History, [Ornithology,] he fell a victim to disease. By that 

 sad event, the Society was deprived of a highly valuable member, 

 and the science of Ornithology of one of its most zealous and liber- 

 al supporters. 



Li pursuing the same subject, we find the confusion relative to 

 the synonyms applied to the Thrushes by various authors, still ex- 

 ists. After a careful investigation, made by comparisons with speci- 



