^g'o!"'] PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUxM. 633 



to shoot one, and was surprised to find it a Ruby-crowned Wren, for 

 the volume of sound would have done credit to a much larger bird. 



In its habits, as well as its food, this species closely resembles many 

 of the wood warblers, so that it is difficult of identification when among 

 the branches ; but its peculiar nimbleness and its trick of playing and 

 dashing after insects among the topmost twigs, together withits chick- 

 a-dee-like manner of climbing about, will often cause its identity to be 

 suspected, if these ways do not entirely distinguish it from the Mnio- 

 tiltida3. 



261. Turdus fuscescens. Wilson's Thrush. Veery. 



Abundant summer resident of thickets. Observed only in vicinity 

 of Pembina; breeding in abundance during June (Coues). Eed River 

 Valley: Summer resident; tolerably common (Hunter). Selkirk and 

 Eed River (Guun). Shoal Lake : May 20, 1887, seems to arrive on this 

 date (Christy). Oak Point : 1884, arrived May 17 ; 1885, first seen, one, 

 on May 3; next seen on May 5 ; is common and breeds here (Small). 

 Portage la Prairie: Abundant summer resident; arrives April 23, 

 departs at the end of September (Nash). Lake Manitoba and west- 

 ward, nest found on the ground (Macoun). Carberry : Abundant sum- 

 mer resident ; breeding ; noted in all the willow thickets from Carberry 

 along the south slope of the Riding Mountain, and north to Cote's 

 Reservation (Thompson). Qu'Appelle : Tolerably common summer 

 resident; arrives about May 20 (Guernsey). 



On June 18, 1882, I heard again and again, the first time for the sea- 

 son, a song that has been familiar for years. I had always attributed 

 it to a thrush, but now was able to identify the bird more exactly as 

 the Tawny Thrush, or Yeery. The song is a high-pitched whistle, yet 

 rich and clear, with a rippling cadence like a little brook. It seems 

 almost profane to represent this soft silvery tinkling by adopting 

 uncouth syllables, yet I think the best idea of the mere articulation 

 may be suggested by the syllables "Feer?/, veery, veery, veery,'''' from 

 which, no doubt, the singer got his name. 



261a. Turdus fuscescens salicicolus. Willow Thrush. 



Taken on the Souris at the boundary, in the fall migration, Septem- 

 ber 16, by Br. Coues. Recorded as Turdus swainsoni. 



262. Turdus aliciae. Gray-cheeked Thrush. 



Migrant. Common migrant at Winnipeg (Hine). Migrant at Car- 

 berry (Thompson). 



263. Turdus ustulatus swainsoni. Olive-backed Thrush. 



Tolerably common summer resident. I am disposed to question all 

 these records, as this bird is generally confounded with T. aliciw (E. E. 

 T). Winnipeg: Summer resident (Hine). Portage la Prairie : Rare; 



