New England about the middle of April. 

 It pursues its migration leisurely and 

 does not arrive in its nesting region until 

 about the middle of May. A few nest in 

 the northern part of the United States, 

 but the great majority choose their nest- 

 ing site in the forests of Northern ]vlaine 

 and northward into Canada, in wRich lo- 

 calities only can its song be heard. 



The Hermit Thrush builds its nest on 

 or near the ground, in a secluded spot. 

 It is large and made of leaves, grasses, 

 mosses and pieces of bark, and is lined 

 wath finer pieces of the same material. 

 Unlike the wood thrush it uses no mud 

 in the construction of its nest. Writers 

 seem to differ somewhat in describing 

 the location of the nest, some stating that 

 U is built in very low scrubby trees or 

 bushes, quite near the ground, while oth- 

 ers state that it is sunken into the ground 

 among the plants or ferns of the forest. 

 It is probable that the nesting site varies 

 in dift'erent localities. Four eggs are 

 laid, of a pale, greenish-blue color, which 

 measure three-fifths by nine-tenths of an 

 inch. 



From its retiring habits the Hermit 

 Thrush is more rarelv seen than the 



other members of the thrush family, as 

 the wood thrush and Wilson's thrush, 

 and for this reason it has received its 

 name of "Hermit." It is known under 

 a variety of names, the more noteworthy 

 being Ground Swamp Robin, Swamp 

 Angel, Ground Gleaner, Tree Topper 

 and Seed Sower. It may be easily dis- 

 tinguished by its bright reddish or tawny 

 tail, it being the only thrush with the tail 

 brighter than the back. 



The Hermit Thrush starts on its 

 southward migration late in September 

 and spends, the winter in the Southern 

 part of the United States, and as far 

 north as Pennsylvania and Illinois. The 

 range includes the Eastern part of the 

 United States, from the Gulf Coast to 

 the mouth of the St. Lawrence River and 

 ^lanitoba. To the west and north, as far 

 as the Arctic circle, the Hermit Thrush 

 is represented by several varieties, the 

 dwarf hermit thrush being found on the 

 Pacific Coast and the Audubon's hermit 

 thrush in the Rocky Mountain region. 

 These varieties breed far to the north 

 and winter in Mexico and Central Amer- 



ica. 



Collins Thurber. 



THE HERMIT THRUSH. 



The glory of the sunset sky 



Fades into violet and gray 

 As from the wooded copse near by 



A voice in music floats away. 

 It soars on wings of rapturous flight ; 



It trills with undertones of pain ; 

 It languishes to reach the light. 



Then mounts again. 



It tells of all things fair to see. 



Till wrong and sorrow seem in vain ; 

 It breaths of all I long to be. 



It whispers of immortal gain ; 

 So silence falls, as fades the light 



And deeper grows the purple shade, 

 While on the altar of the night 



!My heart is laid. 



— Edith Willis Lixx. 



53 



