WOOD THRUSH. 115 



" lum. 568. As it abounds in all the neighbourhood of Phila- 

 " delphia, you may, perhaps, by patience and perseverance (of 

 " which much will be requisite) get a sight, if not a possession 

 " of it. I have for twenty years interested the young sportsmen 

 "of my neighbourhood to shoot me one; but as yet without 

 " success." 



It may seem strange that neither Sloane,* Catesby, Edwards 

 nor Buffon, all of whom are said to have described this bird, 

 should say any thing of its melody ; or rather, assert that it had 

 only a single cry or scream. This I cannot account for in any 

 other way than by supposing, what I think highly probable, 

 that this bird has never been figured or described by any of the 

 above authors. 



Catesby has, indeed, represented a bird, which he calls Tur- 

 dus minimus J but it is difficult to discover, either from the fig- 

 ure or description, what particular species is meant; or whether 

 it be really intended for the Wood Thrush we are now describ- 

 ing. It resembles, he says, the English Thrush; but is less, never 

 sings; has only a single note, and abides all the year in Carolina. 

 It must be confessed that, except the first circumstance, there 

 are few features of the Wood Thrush in this description. I 

 have myself searched the woods of Carolina and Georgia, in 

 winter, for this bird, in vain, nor do I believe that it ever win- 

 ters in these states. If Mr. Catesby found his bird mute during 

 spring and summer, it was not the Wood Thrush; otherwise he 

 must have changed his very nature. But Mr. Edwards has also 

 described and delineated the Little Thrush, J and has referred 

 to Catesby as having drawn and engraved it before. Now this 

 Thrush of Edwards I know to be really a different species; one 

 not resident in Pennsylvania, but passing to the north in May, 

 and returning the same way in October, and may be distinguish- 

 ed from the true Song Thrush ( Turdus melodus] by the spots 

 being much broader, brown, and not descending below the 

 breast. It is also an inch shorter, with the cheeks of a bright 

 tawny colour. Mr. William Bartram, who transmitted this bird, 

 * Hist. Jam. ii, 30*. f Catesby, Nat. Hist. Car. i, 31. \ Edwards, 296, 



