158 BIRDS OF ILLINOIS. 



Seiurus aurocapillus (Linn.) 



OVEN BIKD. 



Popular synonyms. Golden-crowned Thrush; Wood Wagtail; Land Kick-up (Jamaica); 



Golden-crowned Accentor. 

 Motacilla aurocapilla LINK. S. N. ed. 12. i, 1766, 334. 



Turdus aurocapillus LATH. WILS. Am. Orn. iii,1810,88.pl. 14. fig. 2. NUTT. Man.i.1832, 

 355; 2d ed. i, 1840. 404. AUD. Orn. Biog. ii.1834,253; v. 1839. 447, pi. 143. 



Seiurus aurocapillus SWAINS. Sw. & RICH. F. B. A. ii, 1831, 227. AUD. Synop. 1839. 93: 

 B. Am. iii. 1841,35, pi. 148. BAIBD, B. N. Am. 1858,260; Cat. N. Am. B.1859,No. 186; Re- 

 view. 1865. 214, 266.-COUES. Key, 1872, 105; Check List, 1873, No. 92; B. N. W. 1874. 70.- 

 B. B. & R. Hist. N. Am. B. i. 1874, 280. pi. 14, fig. 11. 



Siurus aurocapillus MooKE.-CouES.B. Col. Val. 1878.298; 2d Check List, 1882. No. 135.- 

 RIDGW. Norn. N. Am. B. 1881. No. 115. 



HAB. Eastern North America, north to Hudson's Bay Terr, and Alaska, west to Rocky 

 Mountains, breeding nearly throughout its range. In winter, Florida, Bermudas, all of 

 West Indies, Mexico (both coasts), and Central America, south at least to Costa Rica. 



"Sp. CHAR. Above uniform olive-green, with a tinge of yellow. ' Crown with two nar- 

 row streaks of black from the bill enclosing a median and much broader one of brownish 

 orange. Beneath white; the breast, sides of the body, and maxillary line, streaked with 

 black. The female and young of the year are not appreciably different Length, 6.00; 

 wing, 3.00; tail. 2,40." (Hist. N. Am. B.) 



First plumage. Remiges, rectrices. etc.. as in the adult. Rest of upper parts dull 

 fulvous-brown; the crown without stripes; all the feathers very indistinctly darker 

 centrally; lower parts paler, more buffy, fulvous, growing gradually white toward the 

 crissum, the buffy portions (breast and sides), with very fine indistinct streaks of dusky. 

 (From a specimen obtained near Washington, D. C.) 



The golden-crowned Thrush or Oven Bird is one of the most 

 generally distributed and numerous birds of Eastern North Amer- 

 ica. It is almost certain to be found in any piece of wood- 

 land, if not too wet, and its frequently repeated song, which is not 

 musical or otherwise particularly attractive, but very sharp, clear, 

 and emphatic, is often, particularly during noonday in midsum- 

 mer, the only bird-note to be heard. It lives much upon the ground, 

 where it may be seen walking gracefully over the dead leaves or 

 upon an old log, making occasional halts during which its body is 

 tilted daintily up and down, much in the manner of the Water- 

 thrushes (S. motacilla and noveboracensis), but more like the Ken- 

 tucky Warbler, often to be seen in the same localities. Its ordi- 

 nary note is a rather faint but sharp chip, prolonged into a chatter 

 when one is chased by another. The usual song is very clear and 

 penetrating, but not musical, and is well expressed by John Bur- 

 roughs, in "Wake Eobin," as sounding like the words "teacher, 

 teacher, TEACHER, TEACHER, TEACHER! the accent on the first 

 syllable, and each word uttered with increased force and shrillness." 

 But, as Mr. Burroughs truly says, "he has a far rarer song which 



