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TURDUS MUSTELINUS-GMEL. 



WOOD THRUSH. 



Wood Thrush, Turdus melodus, Wils. Araer. Orn. 

 Turdus mustelinus, Bonap. Syn. 

 Wood Thrush, Turdus mustelinus, Nutt. Man. 

 Wood Thrush, Turdus mustelinus, Aud. Orn. Biog. 



Specific Character — Upper part of the head and hind neck brown- 

 ish red, fore part of the back paler, inclining to olive on the rump 

 and tail ; lower parts white, marked all over excepting on the ab- 

 domen and lower tail coverts with blackish-brown spots. Adult 

 with the upper part of the head and hind neck brownish-red ; fore 

 part of the back tinged with yellow ; hind part of the back, rump, 

 upper tail coverts, and tail, tinged with olive ; lower parts white, 

 distinctly marked with roundish spots of blackish-brown, which run 

 in chains on the fore neck, breast and sides of the body ; throat 

 white, with a line of dusky on either side. Length eight inches, 

 wing four and a quarter. 



The Wood Thrush or Ground Robin arrives on Long Island in 

 the latter part of April, or early in May, according to the progress 

 of vegetation. Although rather solitary in its habits, it is lively and 

 cheerful, and like many of mortal kind, whiles away its solitude 

 with a pleasing song, which commences at morning's dawn, and 

 continues until after sunset, excepting at noon-day, when it retires 

 to the thick woods, where, like the most of our songsters, it passes 

 the hottest part of the day in silence. To those who are fond of 

 rambling through the woodlands, the clear tones of the Wood 

 Thrush must be well known. 



It is found in all parts of the Union, choosing its residence in the 

 shady and tangled parts of woods — usually in the neighborhood of 

 some woodland brook. Its food consists of various kinds of insects 

 and berries. The nest is generally placed in low situations ; the 

 eggs are light blue, and from four to five in number. 



