J5 NORTH AMEinCAX BIRDS. 



l!i'|icitorio, lSfl5, 2-2S. — .Maynaki). — Samit.ls, 14i1. Timliis milmhix, Wiis. Am. 

 Orii. 1, IMIS, 'i'l, jil. ii. Tunhis (Icnsnx, linNAl'. ('i>iiii)te.s liiiulus, XXVUl, 1853, 2. 

 -- 111. Notes Dclaltiv, 1854, 2(i (Taliasci)). 

 Aclclilioiial (ifjiiivs ; VlKil.l.oT, OLs. Am. Srjit. II, pi. I.\ii. — AVii.soN, Am. Oni. I, pi. ii. 



Si'. CiiAii. Aliovc clciir ciiiimmon-hrown. on tlio tdp ol' the licail bcfoniing more 

 nil'oiis, on tlic nuiii) iiiul tail olivaeoons. The uiiilcr jiarls aio clear wliiti-, .'^oinct lines 

 tiiij,'eit willi Imir oil tho breast ov aiiteiiorly, and thickly iiiarke(l Ijeni'ntli, except on tlie 

 chill anil tliroat ami aliout the vent and lail-covcrls, with suli-triantjiilar. .'ilmrply dcliiieil 

 spni.s ol' lilacki.-ih. The .-^ide.-; of the head are dark lirowii, .■Jlrcakcd with white, and there 

 is also a maxillary series ol'sireaks on each side ol'liie throat, the central portion ol' which 

 sonietiines has iiidicalioiis of small s])ots. I,enj.'th, 8.10 inches; wini.'. 4.'J") ; tail, 3.()."i ; 

 tarsus, 1.2(). Voniiii' liird .-iiiiilar to adult, but with rusty yellow ti-iangular spots in the 

 ends of the Aviiif; coverts. 



IIaii. U. S. east of Missouri plains, sonlh to Gnateinnla. Bermuda (not rare). Cuba, 

 LaSaoha; Gt xni.Acil. llondura.s, ^[ooui;. Cordova, Scl. Orizaba (winter), Si'miciih. 



Haiuts. Till! W(i(i(l Tlinisli, witlimit beiiio- miywlicio u very iilniiKlniit 

 sjit'cies, is coiiuiion tlinm^'lidiit iicnrly t'vcry jiuition of the United Stati!,s 

 between tlic ]\Iississi])pi liivor iiiid the Allaiilic. It breeds in every 

 ])ortion of tlie siiiiie extended area, at least as tar as Oeoi'cjia (in tlie .sdutli 

 and ^lassaelnisetts on the north. Iieyond the last-named Slate, it rarely, 

 if ever, lireeds on the coast. In the interior it lias a liigiier range, iiestino' 

 around irainilton, C. W. So far iis I am iiware it is unknown, or very rare, 

 in the States (jf Vermont, Xew Hampshire, and ]\Iainc. 



It makes its ajtpearance early in Ajn-il in the Aliddle States, but in Xew 

 England not until four or five weeks later, ajipearing about the Idtli of May. 

 Their migrations in fall are more irregular, being tipparently determined l»y 

 the abundance of their food. At times they ilepart as early as tiie iirst 

 of September, but sometimes not until the last of October. It winters 

 in Central America, where it is (juitt! abundant at tliat season. 



Tlie favorite localities of the Wood Thrush are the borders of dense 

 tliicket.s, or low damp hollows shaded by large trees. Yet its liabits arc 

 by no means so retiring, or its nature so timid, as these jilaces of resort 

 would lead us to infer. A small grove in IJoxlmry, now a iiart of I'xiston, 

 in close iiro.ximity to a dwelling-house, was for mtiny years the favorite 

 resort of these birds, where several pairs nested and reareil their young, 

 rarely even leaving their nests, which were mostly in low bushes, wholly 

 unmindful of the curious children who were their fretjuent visitors. The 

 same fearless familiarity was obser\ed at Blount .Vuburn, then Iirst used 

 as a pulilic cemetery. IJut in the latter instance the nest was always 

 placed high up on a branch of some spreading tree, often in cons]iicuous 

 lilaces, but tnit of reach. Mr. J. A. Allen refers to several similar instiinces 

 where the Wood Thrush did not show itself to be such a reclu.se as many 

 describe it. In one ca.se a pair built tiieir ne.st witliin the limits of a 

 thickly peopled village, where there were but lew trees, and a scanty 

 umlergrowtli. In anotlkir a Wood Thrush lived for several successive 

 suiumers among the elms and majiles of Court St^uare iii the city of 



