TrRDID.K — THE TIIRrSIIE.^. 



29 



Turdus nsBvius, (Imkl. 



OBEOON BOBIH; VASIEO THBUSH. 



Turdiis nwvitis, Gm. S. N. I, 1788, 817. — Sclateh, P. Z. S. 18r>7, 4; 1859, 331.— 

 Baikd, lUnls N. Am. 1858, 211) ; Kcv. Am. B. 18t>4, 32. — Coofku & Sickley, 1'. K, 

 R. K. XII, II, 1859, 172. —Corns, Pr. A. N. S. 1866, 65. (Quotes occunvnti- on 

 Colorado Kivcr, alnive Fort Mohaw, as t'Xcej)tional. ) — Maynaud (Massachusetts I). — 

 TinxBi'LL (X. Jt-rsey !). — Dall & Baxmstkr (Alaska). — Ct»«>PEU, Birds Cal. 10. 

 Orpheus mcrulnidis. Rich. F. B. A. II, 1831, 187, pi. x.Kxviii. 



Other figures: Vikillot, Ois. Am. Sept. II, 1807, pi. Ixvi. — Aud. Oru. Biog, IV, 1838, 

 pi. ecclxix, and ccccxxxiii. — Ib. Birds Am. Ill, pi. exliii. 



Sp. Char. Tail nearly oven ; the lateral feather shorter. Above, rather «lark bluish 

 slate ; un<ler parts generally, a pateli on the upper eyelids continuous with a stripe behind 

 it alon*; the side of the head and neek, the lower eyelids, two bands ai-ross the wing 

 coverts and the etlo^es of the <iuills. in l)art, rufous oranjre-brown : niichlle of belly white. 

 Sides of the head and neck, continuous with a broa<l pectoral transverse ban<l, black. 

 Most of tail featlu-rs with a terminal patch of brownish white. Bill l)lack. Feet yellow. 

 Female more olivaceous al)ove : the white of the abdomen more extend«'d ; the brown 

 beneath paler; the pectoral band obsolete. Lenji^th, 9.7.") inches; wing, 5.00; tail, 3.90 ; 

 tarsus, 1.25. 



Young (45,897, Sitka. Aug, 18G0 ; F. Bischoff ). E.'factly resembling the adult female, 

 hm'ing no spots other than seen in the adult plumage ; but the pectoral collar is composed 

 only of badly defined blackish transverse crescents, and the upper parts ant<Mior to the 

 rump are of an umber brown tint. The markings about the head and on the wings are 

 precisely as in the adult. 



This species does not appear to be liable to any noticeal)le variation. 



Hab. West coast of North America, from Behring Straits to California: straggling to 

 Great Bear Lake. Accidental on Long Island (Cab. G. N. Lawrence), New Jeiscy (Cab, 

 Dr. Samuel Cabot), and Ipswich, Mass. (Cab. Boston Society Natural History) ; iowa 

 (Allex). 



Habits. Tlie accidental occurrence of a few specimens of tliis 

 marked bird in the Eastern Stages * * 



is its only claim to a place in that 

 fiuina, it being strictly a western 

 species, belonging to the Pacific 

 Coast. It was first discovered by 

 the naturalists of Captain C'ook's 

 expedition, who met with it as far 

 to the north as Xootka Sound. It 

 is only very recently that we have 

 become possessed of reliable infor- 

 mation in regard to its breeding 

 and its nest and eggs. Sir John 

 Richardson was informed that it 

 nested in bushes in a manner simi- 

 lar to that of the common robin. -nndus nrrvius. 



Nuttall and Townsend found it abundant among the we.stern slopes of the 



well- 



