THRUSHES. 41 



d. The Robins have besides their song, and a very faint 

 whistle like the Cedar-bird's lisp, but one note, which is con- 

 stantly varied, usually being in the winter, early spring, and 

 fall more dreary than in the summer, when it is sometimes 

 merely a chirp, but at other times it is uttered in a tone of 

 excitement or vehemence and rapidly repeated. The cry of 

 the young is somewhat harsher than that of the mature birds, 

 who are very pleasant singers, and often warble a cheerful, 

 energetic song, consisting of a few monotonous notes, which 

 are repeated with some little variation, chiefly in the morning 

 and at dusk, in spring or summer. 



It is to be hoped that eventually the American people will 

 become as fond of the American Robins as the English are of 

 their smaller " Robin Red-breasts," whose name our Pilgrim 

 Fathers bestowed upon the Thrushes of this country, now so 

 common and familiar to us. 



(HESPEROCICHLA.) 



G. NJEVIA. Varied Thrush. Oregon Robin. One speci- 

 men of this bird, whose proper habitat is the Pacific Slope* 

 has been taken at Ipswich, Mass., in December.* 



a. 9-10 inches long ; slate color. Beneath, orange brown. 

 Band across the breast, black. Under tail-coverts, white.. 

 $> duller. 



5. The eggs of this species measure about 1.15 X .80 of an 

 inch, and are greenish blue, darkly spotted. 



c. Its habits are presumably much like those of our 

 Robin. 



d. " From this bird it may be readily distinguished by the 

 difference of its notes, which are louder, sharper, and deliv- 

 ered with greater rapidity." Dr. Cooper " describes the song 

 as consisting of five or six notes in a minor key, and in a scale 

 regularly descending." 



* This still remains the only known men referred to is now in the collection 

 instance of the occurrence of the Varied of the Boston Society of Natural His- 

 Thrush in New England. The speci- tory. W. B. 



