DESCRIPTIVE LIST 331 



Pearson heard one singing at Blowing Rock in August, 1905. The Veery seems 

 to prefer thick, damp woods as a usual habitation. 



The nest is placed on the ground at the base of a sapling, or occasionally in the 

 hollow trunk of a tree at some distance from the ground. It is composed of leaves, 

 strips of bark and weed stems, and is lined with black rootlets. The eggs are usually 

 four, pale greenish blue, without markings, and measure about .87 x .65. 



The song of the Veery, in common with other species of the genus, is exceedingly 

 melodious, and is frequently rendered late in the evening. 



337. Hylocichla alicise alicise (Baird.) GRAY-CHEEKED THRUSH. 



Description: Ad. Upperparts uniform olive, with little difference between the colors of the 

 back and tail; eye-ring whitish, lores grayish; middle of the throat and middle of the belly white; 

 sides of the throat and breast with a very faint tinge of cream-buff (richer in the fall) ; the feathers 

 of the sides of the throat spotted with wedge-shaped marks, those of the breast with half-round 

 black marks; sides brownish gray or brown'sh ashy. L., 7.58; W., 4.09; T., 2.96; B., .55. 



Remarks. The uniform olive of the upperparts of this species at once separates it from our 

 other eastern thrushes, except its subspecies bicknelli and the olive-backed Thrush. From the 

 latter it may be known by the comparative absence of buff on the breast and sides of the throat, 

 by its whitish eye-ring and grayish lores. (Chap., Birds of E. N. A.) 



Range. Northern North America, breeding far northward, and wintering in Central America. 



Range in North Carolina. Spring and fall transient throughout the State. 



FIG. 272. GRAYCHEEKED THRUSH. 



This species has been observed at Fort Macon in April and May, 1871 (Coues); 

 at Raleigh, May 4 to 24; in the fall, October 2 to 12 (C. S. Brimley) ; and at Weaver- 

 ville, September 20-22, 1890 (Cairns). 



It is a dark and slender Thrush, and in measurements is very similar to the 

 Wood Thrush, though not in build. 



338. Hylocichla aliciae bicknelli (Ridgw.}. BICKNELL'S THRUSH. 



Description. Similar to preceding but smaller. L., 6.25-7.25; W., 3.35-3.75; T., 2.60-2.70. 

 Range. Higher mountains of eastern United States in summer. 



Range in North Carolina. So far, only known as a transient at Raleigh and Weaverville and a 

 possible breeder on Black Mountain. 



Bicknell's Thrush occurs at Raleigh sparingly in the migrations, having been 

 taken from May 3 to 18 in spring, and from September 24 to October 12 in the 



