TURDUS SWAINSONI I OLIVE-BACKED THRUSH. 57 



grasses. The eggs, four or five in number, resem- 

 ble those of the Wood Thrush or Robin in being 

 greenish-blue, normally without spots, but are smaller, 

 measuring about 0.90 by 0.65 ; they are indistinguish- 

 able from those of the Veery. The Hermit is an emi- 

 nent vocalist, but sings only for a short period during 

 the nesting season, when the retiring and exclusive 

 habits of the bird withdraw it from common observa- 

 tion. It utters a plaintive note of two syllables when 

 driven from its nest, and at other times has only a 

 single call-note. As the name implies, it is the most 

 secretive of the Thrushes in its habits, and would be 

 little known were it not so abundant and so widely 

 dispersed during the migrations. 



OLIVE-BACKED THRUSH. 

 TURDUS SWAINSONI Cab. 



Chars. Above, clear olivaceous, of the same shade over all the 

 upper parts ; below, white, strongly shaded with olive on the 

 sides ; the throat, breast, and sides of the head and neck tinged 

 with buff, and most of the under parts, except the throat, marked 

 with numerous large dusky spots ; a strongly-marked yellowish 

 ring around the eye ; mouth yellow ; bill blackish, the basal half 

 of the lower mandible pale ; iris dark brown ; feet pale brown. 

 Length of male, 7.00-7.50 ; extent, 12.00-12.50; wing, 4.00; tail, 

 3.00 ; bill, 0.50 ; tarsus, i.io. Female smaller: length, 6.75 ; ex- 

 tent, 11.50, &c. 



The range of the Olive-backed Thrush in New Eng- 

 land is closely coincident with that of the Hermit. 

 Like the latter, it breeds in the Canadian, and is a mi- 

 grant in the Alleghanian, Fauna. It is rather less 



