THE TAWNY THRUSH. 151 



DESCRIPTION. 



Third quill longest, fourth a little shorter, second nearly a quarter of an inch 

 longer than the fifth ; above, and on sides of head and neck, nearly uniform light 

 reddish-brown, with a faint tendency to orange on the crown and tail; beneath 

 white, the fore part of the breast and throat (paler on the chin) tinged with pale 

 brownish-yellow, in decided contrast to the white of the belly; the sides of the 

 throat and the fore part of the breast, as colored, are marked with small triangular 

 spots of light-brownish, nearly like the back, but not well defined ; there are a few 

 obsolete blotches on the sides of the breast (in the white) of pale-olivaceous, the 

 sides of the body tinged with the same ; tibiae white ; the lower mandible is brown- 

 ish only at the tip ; the lores are ash-colored. 



Length, seven and fifty one-hundredths inches; wing, four and twenty-five one- 

 hundredths ; tail, three and twenty one-hundredths inches ; tarsus, one and twenty 

 one-hundredths. 



Hob. Eastern North America to the Missouri, north to fur countries. 



This species is well distinguished among the American thrushes by the indis- 

 tinctness of the spots beneath, and their being confined mainly to the fore part of 

 the breast. In some specimens, there is a faint tendency to a more vivid color on 

 the rump ; but this is usually like the back, which is very nearly the color of the 

 rump in T. pattasii. 



This quite common species is a summer inhabitant of 

 southern New England. It is quite abundant until we reach 

 the southern portions of Maine, New Hampshire, and Ver- 

 mont, when it begins to grow less common until we reach the 

 latitude of the middle of these States, where it begins to be 

 replaced by the Hermit Thrush, and soon ceases to occur to 

 the north of this latitude. It makes its appearance from 

 the South about the first week in May, often earlier, and 

 commences building about the 20th of May. The nest is 

 placed occasionally in a low shrub, or tangled clump of 

 briers, usually on the ground. The situation is retired, 

 often in the depths of the woods. The nest is constructed 

 of grass, leaves, and weeds ; in some cases, the outer bark 

 of the grape-vine is the principal material used : it is quite 

 thoroughly made, and is deeply hollowed, and lined with 

 fine roots and horsehair. The eggs are usually four in 

 number, sometimes five ; their color is bluish-green, deeper 

 than that of the eggs of the Hermit Thrush, but not so dark 

 as in those of the Cat Bird ; their form is generally an oval, 

 sometimes lengthened and sharpened ; their average size is 



