TURDID.E — THE THRUSHES. 



11 



When incubation liiis coinnK'nced, the fenuile is ruliu-tant to leave lier nest. 

 If driven off she utters no eoniplaint, but remains close at hanil and returns 

 at the tirst opportunity. 



They construct tlieir nest early in ^lay, and the youn^' are hatched in the 

 latter part of that montli, or the first of June. They raise two l)ro«)ds in the 

 season. The nest, even more loosely put together tlian that of the Clround 

 Swamp Itobin {T. pallasi), is often witli ditticulty kept complete. It is 

 about 3 inches in height, 4i in diameter, with a cavity U inclies deep and 

 3 in width, and composed of dry bark, dead leaves, stems, and woody fibres, 

 intermingled with grasses, caricas, sedges, etc., and lined with soft skeleton 

 leaves. A nest from Wisconsin was composed entirely of a c^oarse species of 

 Spargan£um ; the dead stalks and leaves of which were interwoven with a 



verv striking effect. 



The eiTiXs, usuallv four, sometimes five in number, are of a uniform green 

 cohn-, with a sligiit tinge of blue, and average .*J4 by .GO of an inch in 

 diameter. 



Turdus alicise, Baird. 



OBAT-CHEEKED THRUSH; ALICE'S THRUSH. 



Tardus aluur, Baiki>, Birds X. Am. IS.'.S, 217, plate 81, i. 2. — Ib. Rt-vicw Am. Birds, I, 

 1864, 21. —Corns, Pr. Ac. N. Sc. Aug. 1861, 217 (I^ibnidor). — In. Catal. Birds of 

 Washington. — (IrNDLACii, Ri'itcrtorio, 1865, 229 (Culia). — Lawu. Ann. X. Y. Lye. 

 IX, 91 (Costa Rica). — Dall and Banmstkii, Birds Alaska. — Riimjwav, Report. 



Si'. CiiAK. Above nearly pure dark olive-green : sides of tiit- head svsh-gray ; the ehin, 

 tluoat, and under parts white; purest behind. Sides of throat and aeross the bre;ust with 

 arrow-shaped spots of dark plumbeous-brown. Sides of body and axilhiries dull grayish- 

 olivaeeous. Tibiie i)lunibeous; legs brown. Length, nearly 8 inches; wing, 4.20; tuil, 

 3.20; tarsus, l.l.x 



Hab. Eastern North America to shores of Aretic Ocean, and along northern coast from 

 Labrador to Kodiak, breeding in immense lunnbers between the mouths of Mackenzie and 

 Coppermine. West to Fort Yukon ami Missouri River States. Winters south to Costa 

 Rica. Chiriqui, Salvix ; Cuba, Guxolach. 



As originally described, this s^^ecies difiei's from sirniusoni in larger 

 size, longer bill, feet, and wings especially, straighter and narrower bill. 

 The back is of a greener olive. The breast and sides of the head are 

 entirely destitute of the buff tinge, or at best this is \ ory faintly indicated 

 on the upper part of the breast. The most characteristic features are seen 

 on the side of the head. Here tliere is no indication whatever of the light 

 line from nostril to eye, and scarcely any of a light ring round the eye, — 

 tlie whole region being grayish-olive, relieved slightly by whitish shaft- 

 streaks on the ear coverts. The sides of body, axi liars, and tibia^ are 

 olivaceous-gray, without any of the fulvous tinge seen in .walnsonL 

 The bill measures .40 from tip to nostril, sometimes more ; tarsi, 1.21 ; 



