332 BIRDS OF NORTH CAROLINA 



fall. At Weaverville Cairns recorded it from September 11 to November 10, and 

 stated that he once killed one on Black Mountain in August. 



The nest is said to be placed only a few feet from the ground against the trunk 

 of a coniferous tree. The eggs are light bluish green, speckled with brown. Size 

 .87 x .63. 



This is merely a smaller and more southerly nesting form of the Gray-cheeked 

 Thrush, and the two intergrade in size, so identification is often difficult. 



339. Hylocichla ustulata swainsoni (Tsch.). OLIVE-BACKED THRUSH. 



Description: Ad. Upperparts uniform olive; back and tail practically the same color; eye- 

 ring deep cream-buff, lores the same; whole throat and breast with a strong tinge of deep cream- 

 buff or even ochraceous-buff ; the feathers of the sides of the throat with wedge-shaped black spots 

 at their tips, those of the breast with rounded black spots at their tips; middle of the belly white; 

 sides brownish gray or brownish ashy. L., 7.17; W., 3.93; T., 2.76; B., .50. 



Remarks. This bird will be confused only with the Gray-cheeked and Bicknell's Thrushes, 

 from which it differs in the much stronger suffusion of buff on the throat and breast, its buff eye- 

 ring and lores. (Chap., Birds of E. N. A.) 



Range. North America, except the Pacific coast, breeding mainly north of the United States, 

 wintering in extreme southern United States and southward. 



Range in North -Carolina. Transient in the central section of the State, occasionally breeds in 

 the mountains. 



FIG. 273. OLIVE-BACKED THRUSH. 



The Olive-backed Thrush has been observed at Raleigh from April 22 to May 

 17 in the spring, and from September 25 to October 17 in the fall. At Chapel Hill 

 it was taken on September 26 and October 9, 1897 (Pearson). In the mountains 

 we find it recorded from Blowing Rock September 12, 1898 (Kopman), and from 

 Weaverville April 4 to 6, 1890, and September 2 to October 16. Cairns took a 

 nest May 20, 1896, on Craggy Mountain (Smithwick's Catalogue}, and Davis, in 

 a migration schedule for 1899 from Asheville, says it has been taken twice in sum- 

 mer on the higher mountains. 



The nest is built in a bush or small tree usually from four to eight feet from the 

 ground, and is composed of leaves, shreds of bark, small twigs, and moss. The 

 three or four eggs are greenish blue, speckled with reddish brown. Size .92 x .66. 



340. Hylocichla guttata pallasi (Cab.}. HERMIT THRUSH. 



Description: Ad. Upperparts olive-brown, sometimes cinnamon-brown; tail pale rufous, of a 

 distinctly different color from the back; throat and breast with a slight buffy tinge; feathers of 

 the sides of the throat with wedge-shaped black spots at their tips; those of the breast with large, 

 rounded spots; middle of the belly white; sides brownish gray or brownish ashy. L., 7.17; W., 

 3.56; T., 2.74; B., .51. 



