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THRUSHES, HLUKBIRDS, ETC. 



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it resembles the sound produced by striking large pebbles together, 

 (juite unlike the whistled whieu of the V'eery. The Wood Thrush is a 

 lovable bird, with a voice suited to his gentle disposition, but when his 

 young are in real or fancied danger his sharp alarm-note gives painful 

 evidence of his fear and anxiety. 



The songs of the Wood and Hermit Thrushes are of the same char- 

 acter, but, while the Hermit is the more gifted performer, the Wood 

 Thrush does not suffer by the comparison. His calm, restful song 

 rings through the woorls like a hymn of praise rising |)ure and clear 

 from a thankful heart. It is a message of hope and good cheer in 

 the morning, a benediction at the close of day : 



The flutelike oi)ening notes are an invitation hz;if^"zr_htJffi:zz3 

 to his haunts; a call from Nature to yield our- ['.ZZfrrzZ'jf^^Z'lZlJ. 

 selves to the ennobling influences of the forest. Come to me. 



766. Turdus ftiscescens S(>/)h. Wilson's Tiiitisii; Vkkkv. Ad. 

 — upper purts, wings, and tail nuarly uniform eiiinanioii-hrowii, not so brijrht 

 OK in the Wood Thrush ; ccntiT of the tlirout white ; sides of tlic throat and 

 breast witli a tldiiate tinge of creani-butl', spotted witli small ivulge-Khajml 

 spots of nearly the mine color ax the buck ,' belly wlilte; sides wliite, with only 

 a faint tinge of grayish. L., 7-52 ; W., 3-84 ; T., 2-87 ; B., -53. 



liemarlcs.~'^\w, Veery's distinguisliing eharaeters are (1) its uniform cin- 

 namon-brown upper parts; (2) its deiieately marked t)renst; and (■'!) particu- 

 larly its almost wliito sides. The Wood Thrush has the ti Jes lieavily spotted, 

 and the other Thrushes have this part more or less strongly waslied with 

 grayisli or l)rownisli. 



Range. — Eastern North America; breeds from nortliorn Illinois and Penn- 

 sylvania to Manitoba and Newfoundland, and southward along the AUegha- 

 nies to North Carolina; winters in Central America. 



Washington, conmiou T. V., Apl. 'Jti to May 'J8 ; Aug. 20 to Sept. .30. Sing 

 Sing, common S. U., Apl. 2'J to Sept. 5. Cambridge, very eonimon S. K., May 

 10 to Sept. 8. 



Nest., of strips of bark, rootlets, and leaves, wrapped with leaves and lined 

 with rootlets, on or near the ground. /;>/[/.«, three to live, greenish i)lue, of the 

 same shaile as those of tiie Wood Tlirusli, -88 x •C5. 



The Veery's home is in low, wet, rather densely undergrown wood- 

 lands. He is a shyer, more retiring bird than the Wood Thrush ; he 

 lives nearer the ground and is less likely to leave the cover of his 

 hauntt^. For this reason, even in localities where both are equally 

 common, the Wood Thrush is more frequently observed. 



The Veery's usual call-note is a clearly whistled ichknt, which can 

 be closely imitated ; his song is a weird, ringing monotone of blended 

 alto and soprano tones. Neither notes nor letters cm tell one of its 

 peculiar qjiality ; it has neither break nor pause, and seems to emanate 

 from no one place. If you can imagine the syllables tee-r-r-hu re- 



