Vol. XVIII 

 igoi 



I O^GOOV), Ne-w North Aviertcan B {yds. 1^5 



tremely rare in our Atlantic districts, where, however, I have 

 procured a few individuals. Indeed, the first intimation which 

 I received respecting it was from my friend Dr. Charles 

 Pickering of Philadelphia, who, having procured one had kept 

 its wings and head, the smallness of which, struck me at once. 

 I was then far from imagining that its native haunts were the 

 valleys of the Columbia River, from which, however, I have since 

 received it through the kindness of my friend Dr. Townsend, who 

 has also sent me its measurements, ' length 6 inches, alar extent 



9-'" 



From this it seems that Audubon's material consisted of several 



eastern specimens procured by himself, one eastern specimen from 



Dr. Pickering of Philadelphia and one western specimen from Dr. 



Townsend, the eastern material thus being in excess of the western. 



The description of nanus except the measurements, is almost a 



verbatim reprint of that given under Turdus niinor'^ no difference 



of color whatever being claimed. In the measurements given 



under nafiits the extent of the wings is stated to be 9^ inches, so 



the specimen measured in this connection could not have been the 



Columbia River specimen which was alluded to previously as 



measuring but g inches in 'alar extent.' If we then eliminate 



the Columbia River specimen there remain only the eastern 



ones for the basis of the name. 



Therefore it seems that Audubon's description of T. nanus was 



entirely based on exceptionally small specimens of the eastern 



Hermit Thrush and since this name antedates Turdus pallasii 



Cabanis,^ the proper name for the eastern Hermit Thrush is 



Hylocichla aonalaschkx fianus (And.).' If additional evidence 



should show the name nanus applicable to the western form, 



which seems improbable, then it would stand for the bird here 



described as verecunda. 



1 Orn. Biog., Vol. I, 304-305, 1831. 

 ^Wiegm. Archiv., 1847, I, 205, 1847. 



'The combination Turdus unalasca nanus was used by Coues in 1883, 

 Avifauna Columbiana, p. 34. 



