Appendix. 



the 'two outer feathers white tipped. Female 

 similar but duller and without the black cap. A 

 resident of southern California, apparently less 

 common north of Los Angeles. 



THE THRUSH FAMILY. 



The highest of North American song birds. Never 

 streaked, but generally speckled, principally on 

 the breast, at least in the young plumage. 

 Colors often brown, sometimes slaty, reddish 

 brown and blue. The characteristic mark of the 

 thrushes is the ** booted tarsus." The tarsus is 

 the foot, commonly but erroneously called the 

 leg of a bird. In most birds this is covered, at 

 least on the front, with scales. In the thrushes 

 these scales are run together into a single piece, 

 known as the '*boot. " The thrushes are 

 insect eaters and fine singers. The foot is long 

 and slender, and the bill moderately sharp and 

 slender. 



198. Townsend's Solitaire; Myadestes townsendii 

 (Aud.). 



The least thrush-like of the group. Length eight 

 inches. It is colored brownish gray above and 

 gray below, while the young is spotted above 

 and below with buff and dusky. There is a 

 faint line of white around the eye, and a con- 

 cealed buffy band on the wing. Outer tail- 

 feather edged and broadly tipped with white. 

 Breeds in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, and 

 south through the valleys in winter, but gener- 

 ally a rare and retiring bird. 



