THRUSHES, BLUEBIRDS, ETC. 491 



the feeling that one observes the choir-boy doffing his surplice and 

 joining his comrades for a game of tag. 



751. Polioptila cserulea caerulea (Linn.). BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER. 

 (Fig. 756.) Ad. <?. Upperparts bluish gray; forehead and front of the head 

 narrowly bordered by black; wings edged with grayish, the secondaries bor- 

 dered with whitish; outer tail-feathers white, changing gradually until the 

 middle ones are black; underparts dull grayish white. Ad. 9. Similar, 

 but without the black on the head. L., 4'50; W., 2'05; T., 2'00; B., '40. 



Range. SE. U. S. Breeds in Austroriparian and Carolinian faunas 

 from e. Nebr., and s. parts of Wise., Mich., and Ont., and sw. Pa., Md., and 

 s. N. J. s. to s. Tex. and cen. Fla.; winters from s. Tex., Gulf States, and n. 

 Fla. to the West Indies and Cen. Am.; casual n. to se. Minn., New Eng- 

 land, and N. Y. 



Washington, rather common S. R., Mch. 30-Nov. 23. N. Ohio, common 

 S. R., Apl. 20-Sept. 15. Glen Ellyn, not common, S. R., Apl. 22- Aug. 20; 

 possibly later. SE. Minn., rare S. R. 



Nest, of tendrils, fine strips of bark, and fine grasses firmly interwoven 

 and covered externally with lichens, on a horizontal branch or in a crotch, 

 10-60, usually 30 feet up. Eggs, 4-5, bluish white, thickly spotted and 

 speckled with cinnamon-, rufous-brown, or umber, '56 x '46. Date, Mt. 

 Pleasant, S. C., Apl. 17; Iredell Co., N. C., May 6. 



The Blue-gray Gnatcatcher frequents rather densely foliaged trees, 

 generally in the woods, showing a preference for the upper branches. 

 He is a bird of strong character, and always seems to me like a minia- 

 ture Mockingbird with some of the habits of Kinglets. His exquisitely 

 finished song is quite as remarkable as the ordinary performance of his 

 large prototype, but is possessed of so little volume as to be inaudible 

 unless one is quite near the singer. His characteristic call-note a 

 rather sudden ting, like the twang of a banjo string can be heard at a 

 greater distance. 



66. FAMILY TURDID^E. THRUSHES, BLUEBIRDS, ETC. (Fig. 76.) 



The some six hundred species included in this large family are placed 

 by systematists in several subfamilies. About two hundred and forty 

 are true Thrushes belonging in the subfamily Turdince, the Juvenal 

 plumage of which is always more or less spotted. These are distributed 

 throughout the world, eighty inhabiting the New World, twelve of 

 which are found north of Mexico. Thrushes inhabit wooded regions; 

 our species are migratory, and gregarious or sociable to a greater or less 

 extent during their migrations and in winter. As songsters, they are 

 inferior to some of our birds in power of execution, but their voices are 

 possessed of greater sweetness and expression, and they are conceded 

 first rank among song birds by all true lovers of bird music. 



KEY TO THE SPECIES 



I. Tail blue, back blue or bluish 760. BLUEBIRD. 



II. Tail not blue. 

 1. Tail with white. 



A. Tail black, outer feathers tipped with white . 761. 7616. ROBIN. 



B. Tail white tipped with black . . 765a. GREENLAND WHEATEAR. 



