V °g'^] Dwight, Summer Birds of Prince Edward Island. I C 



within hearing at the same time. They frequent thick growths of spruces, 

 and from some commanding perch pour forth their rich song. If they 

 become aware of your approach even a gunshot or more away, they dive 

 down into the dense undergrowth, and a few soft alarm notes are the last 

 you hear of them. Squeaking to them will bring them to 3-011 for one brief 

 look, which satisfies them, but not you, for they generally see you first 

 and at close range. Sometimes they sing in the thickets of spruces, but 

 are more apt to have a particular perch, perhaps on some towering, dead 

 tree. I heard no songs that I had any reason to suppose were other than 

 true szvai/isonii, for the possibility of finding bicknelli or alicice had to 

 be kept constantly in mind. I found no young, even up to the last day of 

 my stay, but that proves nothing with a bird so retiring. They sang 

 more persistently and in greater numbers in the early morning and late 

 evening hours. 



Turdus aonalaschkae pallasii. Hermit Thrush. — Slightly more 

 abundant than the preceding species, and perhaps more generally dis- 

 tributed. The songs and notes of this species have been so frequently 

 confused with those of other Thrushes, particularly with those of the 

 Olive-backed Thrush, that an effort on my part to call attention to the 

 differences that exist between them may not be without interest. The 

 deliberate character of its song is in marked contrast to that of swainsonii 

 and its musical ability is more varied. The usual song dies out without 

 the rising inflection of sxvainsonii, and there is a pause after the first syl- 

 lable, while in swainsonii there is no pause and the second syllable is 

 strongly accented, the whole song being quickly delivered. The Hermit 

 Thrush has also a nasal note of complaint in two ellided syllables, a cluck 

 like a Blackbird, and a lisp not unlike a Cedarbird. The nasal note has 

 its counterpart in szvainsonii which utters a similar, but more liquid 

 note, and the cluck of pallasii may be compared with a 'puk' or 'pink' (as 

 near as it can be represented) of swainsonii. The lisp is peculiar to 

 pallasii, while there is a queer multiple note of soliloquy peculiar to 

 szvainsonii. 



Merula migratoria. American Robin. — Very abundant in the more 

 open country. An occasional one is said by Mr. Bain to remain through 

 the winter, subsisting on the berries of the mountain ash. 



