54 BIRDS OP ILLINOIS. 



SP. CH. Above uniform, rather light fulvous brown, varying in precise shade; no 

 trace of a lighter orbital-ring, the sides of the head being nearly uniform grayish, as in 

 T. alicias. Jugulum and posterior portion of throat creamy buff, with cuneate spots of 

 brown, usually a little darker than the color of the crown, these markings narrower and 

 more distinct anteriorly; chin and upper part of throat, nearly white, immaculate, but 

 bordered along each side by a longitudinal series of brown streaks, sometimes blended 

 into a single stripe, below an ill-defined whitish or buffy malar stripe; lores pale grayish 

 or grayish white; auriculars darker and more brownish. Sides of breast, sides, and 

 flanks, light brownish gray, the sides of the breast sometimes faintly spotted with a 

 deeper shade, but frequently uniform; tibiae grayish white in front, brown on posterior 

 side; rest of lower parts pure white. Bill dusky, the basal half of the mandible paler; 

 iris dark brown; tarsi pale brown (in skin), toes darker. Wing 3.75-4.15 (3.95); tail 2.70-3.30 

 (3.02); tarsus 1.05-1.25 (1.15); middle toe .G5-.72 (.69); culmen 'exposed portion) .52- .60 (.56).* 



In summer, the colors paler; in fall and winter, the brown above brighter, the buff of 

 jugulum deeper, and spots darker. 



"First plumage: female. Above bright reddish-buff, deepest on back and rump; 

 feathers of pileum. nape, back, and wing-coverts margined with dark brown, confining 

 the lighter color to somewhat indefinitely defined central drop-shaped spots. Lores and 

 line from lower mandible along sides of throat, dark sooty-brown; throat, sides and 

 abdomen ple brownish-yellow with indistinct transverse bands of brown: breast deep 

 buff, each feather edged broadly with dull sooty-brown; anal region dirty white. In my 

 collection, taken in Cambridge. Mass.. July 23, 1874." (BREWSTEB. Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, 

 January, 1878. p. 18.) 



Specimens vary a great deal in the precise shade of brown on 

 the upper parts, which, however, is always decidedly more fulvous 

 or tawny than in any other species, while there is also much varia- 

 tion in the depth of the buff color and the distinctness of the spots 

 or streaks on the jugulum and sides of throat; the latter are occa- 

 sionally, but rarely (as in No. 63058 S, Massachusetts, and 2145 $, 

 Pennsylvania), very small and no darker in color than the upper 

 parts. 



Wilson's Thrush is a common enough bird of the northern United 

 States, but south of the parallel of 40 it is known only as a 

 migrant, or winter resident, and on the AHeghanies, where, at the 

 proper altitude it spends the summer. According to Dr. Brewer 

 (Hist. N. Am. B., I, p. 10) "it is timid, distrustful, and retiring; 

 delighting in shady ravines, the edges of thick, close woods, and 

 occasionally the more retired parts of gardens." 



The song of this Thrush is so very delicate and wiry that the 

 hearer must be near by to catch all the subtle quavers and trills 

 which are its characteristics. Dr. Brewer says it "is quaint, but 

 not unmusical ; variable in its character, changing from a prolonged 

 and monotonous whistle to quick and almost shrill notes at the 

 close. Their melody is not unfrequently prolonged until quite late 

 in the evening, and, in consequence, in some portions of Massa- 



Extromo and average measurements of 16 adults. 



