122 DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



to about 1,600 feet, and not much lower. Its breeding has 

 now been reported from Berkshire County east to northwestern 

 Worcester County. It nests in swamps where spruce and 

 white pine grow, and along streams shaded with spruce and 

 hemlock. 



Formerly the Hermit Thrush was regarded, rightly or 

 wrongly, as absent or as a very rare breeder in most of the 

 State, though always more or less common on the western 

 highlands. Now, however, it occupies most of our territory 

 as a summer resident, though still rare or wanting locally in 

 southern Worcester County, seldom seen in the breeding season 

 near Boston, and not reported from Nantucket. It is es- 

 pecially common in southeastern Massachusetts, as in Plymouth 

 and Bristol counties, and on the upper half of Cape Cod 

 (Barnstable County), where it is the forest thrush of this entire 

 section, being known as "Wood Thrush" by many of the in- 

 habitants. It prefers woods containing some coniferous trees 

 and seems to have been increasing in recent years. 



Recommendations. 

 A Report on the Birds of the Commonuwalth. 



During the service of the present incumbent, a demand has 

 been manifested at this office for a report giving full descrip- 

 tions of all forms of Massachusetts birds, with colored plates 

 of all the species. There is no such work extant. The two 

 volumes published by the Commonwealth, "Useful Birds and 

 their Protection" and "Game Birds, Wild-Fowl and Shore 

 Birds," having run through their several editions, are now 

 out of print. Reprints cannot be made unless authorized by 

 special legislation. There is nothing to take their place, and 

 they gave only a partial view of Massachusetts bird life, with 

 brief descriptions and only two colored plates. The Common- 

 wealth has not published even a list of its birds since 1863. 

 In recent years many other States have put out reports on 

 their birds, some of them quite well illustrated with colored 

 plates, none, however, giving full descriptions. 



The writer has had twenty-five years' experience in learning 

 what the people of the Commonwealth desire to know about 

 our birds. With the help of many correspondents from all 



