30 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



Tiocky ^lonntains, near tlie Columbia lliver, in October. In the winter it 

 became still more numerous, passing the season in that region as well as in 

 more southern localities, associating with the robin. From this bird it may 

 be readily distinguished by the difierence of its notes, which are louder, 

 sharper, and delivered with greater rajiidity. In the spring, before leaving 

 for their breeding-places, they are described as having a very sweet warljle. 



On the Columbia Itiver they were not resident, arriving there in October, 

 continuing throughout the winter, and leaving early in May. During their 

 stay they moved through the forest in small flocks, frequenting low trees, 

 and ior the most part keeping perfect silence. They were timorous and diffi- 

 cult of approach. 



Its habits are said to resemble those of the robin, but in some of them 

 the descriptions given appear to correspond more with tliose of the Fiehlfares 

 and Iledwings of Europe. Like those species it is a summer resident of 

 high northern latitudes, affects secluded forests and thickets bordering upon 

 streams, and is found only in unfre(piented localities. 



Dr. Cooper was of the opinion tliat a few of these thrushes remained in 

 "Washington Territory throughout the summer, as he fre(iuently met with 

 them in the dark s})ruce forests of that region as late as June and July. 

 He describes the song as consisting of five or six notes in a minor key, and 

 in a scale regularly descending. It was heard continually throughout the 

 summer, among the tops of the trees, but only in the densest forests. Dr. 

 Suckley states that after a fall of suow they would be found along the sandy 

 beaches near the salt water, where they were both abundant and tame. AVe 

 are indebted to Mr. W. H. Dall for our first authentic knowledge of its 

 nest and eggs. The former measures 6 inches in diameter with a depth of 

 2h inches. It has but a very slight depression, apparently not more than 

 half an inch in depth. The original sha}>e of the nest had, however, been 

 somewhat flattei^d in tra^isportation. 'The materials •of which it was com- 

 I)osed were fine dry mosses and lichens impacted together, intermingled with 

 fmgments of dry stems of grasses. 



A nest of this thrush obtained by Dr. Minor, in Alaska, is a much more 

 finished structure. Its base and ])eriphery are composed of an elalx)rate 

 basket-work of slender twigs. Within these is an inner nest consisting of 

 an interweaving of fine dry grasses and long gray lichens. 



The eggs in size, shape, ground color, and markings are not distinguishable 

 from those of the Twdiis musicus of Europe. They measure 1.13 inches in 

 length by .80 in breadth, are of a light blue with a greenish shading, almost 

 exactly similar to the ground color of the T. mi/jratoriHs. They are very 

 distinctly marked and spotted with a dark umber-brown approacliing almost 

 to blackness. 



Mr. Dall informs us that the nest found by him was built in a willow 

 bush, about two feet from the ground, and on the top of a large mass of 

 rubbish lodged there by siome previous inundation. Other nests of the 



