TUKDID.E — THE THiiUSHES. 



13 



soni, on the other hand, exhibits much less variation in the scale, all the 

 notes being of nearly the same altitude. * 



I am also informed that while the T. sirainsoni is far from being a timid 

 species, but may be easily approached, and while it seems almost invariably 

 to prefer the edges of the pine woods, and is rarely observed in open grounds 

 or among the bare deciduous trees, tlie habits of the T. alicice are the exact 

 reverse in these respects. It is not to l)e founds in similar situations, but 

 almost always freciuents copses of hard wood, searching for its food among 

 their fallen leaves. It is extremely timid and dithcult to approach. As 

 it stands or as it moves upon the ground, it has a peculiar erectness of 

 bearing which at once indicates its true specific character so unmistakably 

 tliat any one once familiar with its appearance can never mistake it for 

 T. sivaimoni nor for any other bird. 



The nests measure about 4 inches in diameter and 2 J in height. The 

 cavity is 2 inches deep, and its diameter 2 J inches. They are unusually 

 compact for the nest of a thrush, and are composed chiefly cf an elalxjrate 

 interweaving of fine sedges, leaves, stems of tlie more delicate Eqiiisdacccc, 

 dry grasses, strips of fine bark, and decayed leaves, the whole intermingled 

 with the paniculated inflorescence of grasses'. There is little or no lining 

 other than these materials. These nests were all found, with but few 

 exceptions, on the branches of low trees, from tw^o to seven feet from 

 the ground. In a few exceptional cases the nests were built on the 

 ground. 



Occiisionally nests of tliis species are found constructed with the base 

 and sides of solid mud, as with the common Kobin {Turdm migrator im). 

 In these, as also in some other cases, their nests are usually found on or 

 near tlie ground. So far as I am aware neither its occasional position 

 on the ground, nor its mud frames, are peculiarities ever noticeable in 

 nests of T. swainsoiii. 



The eggs were usually four in number. Their color is either a deep 

 green tint, or green slightly tinged with blue ; and they are marked wdth 

 spots of russet and yellow ish-brow^n, varying both in size and frecpiency. 

 Their mean length is .92 of an inch, and their mean breadth .64. The 

 maximum length is .94 and the minimum .88 of an inch. There is 

 apparently a constant variation from the eggs of the T. swahisoni ; those 

 of the alicice having a more distinctly blue groun(i color. The nests are 

 also quite different in their appearance and style of structure. The Hj/pnum 

 mosses, so marked a feature in the nests of T. swairisoni, as also in those of 

 T. iistulatus, are wholly wanting in tliose of T. alicice. 



This bird and the robin are the only species of our thrushes that cross 

 the Arctic Circle to any distance, or reach the shore of tlie Arctic Ocean. 

 It occurs from Labrador, all round the American coast, to the Aleutian 

 Islands, everywhere bearing its specific character as indicated above. It is 

 extremely abundant on and near the Arctic coast, Ijetween the mouth of 



