TUKDIDJ-; — THE THRUSHES. 



31 



same sjiecios wore met witli in several places between Fort Yukon and 

 Xiilato, always on or near a river-bank and in l(nv and secliidt'd localities. 



Tliey arrive at Nulato about May 15, and prefer the vicinity of water, 

 fr(ii|uentiny: the banks of small streams in retired places. JNlr. Dall states 

 tliat lie has seen the male Itird on a jtrostrate lo^' near the nest, sin<,dng witii 

 all iiis mijfht, suddenly cease and run up and down the log for a few miinites, 

 struttinj,' in a siu;,'ular manner, tiien stojyping and singing again; and keeping 

 up this curious performance. Specimens were received from Sitka, Koiliak, 

 Cook's Inlet and Admiralty Islands. 



SUBF.VMII.Y MIMINiE. 



l)irds of tliis section liave a somewhat thrush-like appearance, but (except 

 in 0)rosro2>f<s) with longer, much more graduated, and broader tail; siiort 

 concave wings, about ecpial to or sliorter than tlie tail, usually lengthened, 

 sometimes decurved bill without notch, and strongly marked scutelhe on the 

 anterior face of the tarsus. Tiie loral feathers are soft, and not ending in 

 bristly points. The colors are dull shades of brown, gray, or plumbeous. 

 Most of the species, in addition t(j a melodious native song, possess tiie 

 power of imittating the notes of other birds ; sometimes, as in the American 

 Mocking r>ird, to an enunent degree. All are peculiar to the New World, 

 and the sj)ecies are much less vagrant tiian those of tlie Tiirdiua', — those 

 of tiie United States scarcely going beyond its northern bounilary ; others, 

 again, restricted to small islands in the West ladies or in the Pacific Ocean. 



Genus OREOSCOPTES, U.uud. 



Oro.vco;('c,v, B.Miin, HiidskN. Am. lK)f^, 346. (\'\\>v Orphtii^ 'iimHkiiiii.% Tiiwss.) 

 Orcoxeojitis, Haiud, liov. Am. liinls, 42. 



Si'. Char. Bill .■iliortor tliaii the head, without ilistiiict notch. Bristles pi'oniiiHMit, their 

 tips reaeliiiii,' l>e\(iii(l the nostrils. \Vinj,'s poiuleil, equal lo, or a littlo loUjj;ur tliuu the 

 tail. First ((uill not hall' the se(;on(l, ahout 

 two (ilUis the lon^^est ; thirtl, fourth, and 

 (irtli <|uills e(|ual and loiiffest ; second be- 

 tween sixth and st^venth. Tail but .slifrhtly 

 gradiia(e(l ; the fealhors narrow. Tarsu.s 

 loajrer than ini(Ullo toe and claw by an ail- 

 ditioual elaw ; .seutelhe distinct anteriorly. 



Of this genus only one species is 

 at present known. Tiiis belongs to 

 the Middle and AVestern ])rovinces 

 of the rniti'd States and extends 

 from the Pacific coast eastward to 

 Fort Laramie and tiie I?lack Hills 

 (ill winter to San Antonio, Texas) ; south to Fort Yuma and Cape St. Lucas. 



hl29 



Oreosrnptf.s iniintiuilts. 



