ZOOLOGY. 171 



Family TURDIDAE. 

 Sub-Family TURDINAE.— T he Thrushes. 



TURDUS USTULATUS, Nuttall. 



Turdus ustulatus, Nuttall, Man. Om. I, (2d cd.) 1840, 400. Columbia river; (printed ceshilatus bj- a typograbical 

 error.) — Baird, Gen. Eep. Birds, p. 215. 



Sp. Ch. — Third and fourth quills longest; second intermediate between fourth and fifth. Tail nearly even. Upper parts 

 uniform reddish brown, with a faint olivaceous tinge. Fore part of the breast tinged with brownish yellow, becoming paler 

 to the chin ; the remaining under parts are white. The sides of the throat and the fore part of the breast, with small distinct 

 triangular spots of well defined brown, much darker than the back ; the sides of the breast more olisoletely spotted, and the 

 sides of the body washed with olivaceous yellow brown. The tibiae are yellowish brown. Nearly the whole of the lower 

 mandible, except the rami, is brown. Length, 7.25 to 8 ; extent, 11.75 to 12.25; wing, 3.75; tail, 3.00; tarsus, 1.12. Iris, 

 brown; legs, light brown; bill, brown; lower mandible, yellow at base. 



ffab. — Coast region of Oregon and Washington Territories. 



The "western thrush" of Nuttall is one of the most common summer residents in the wooded 

 part of the Territory, arriving in May and remaining until the beginning of September. It 

 closely resembles Wilson's in appearance and habits, but quite distinct. Its song is similar, 

 but shorter, and without the metallic ringing sound of that bird. It frequents the borders of 

 woods and bushes along streams, and, except just after its arrival, is not very shy. About the 

 middle of June I found its nests containing eggs built commonly on a small horizontal branch, 

 and very strongly constructed of twiggs, grass roots, and leaves, sometimes covered outside 

 entirely with moss, which, in the damp climate near the coast, grows, and forms large masses. 

 It appears to raise two broods, as I have found a nest with eggs in it as late as July 13. The eggs, 

 unlike those of most thrushes, are white, spotted thickly with brown, and four or five in number. 

 This thrush sings most in the early morning and evening, when numbers may be heard answering 

 each other from all aides. They do not seek the darkness of thickets so much as the hermit 

 thrush, but often feed in gardens, <fec., in the sunshine.- — C. 



This bird is quite abundant west of the Cascade mountains. In the neighborhood of For t 

 Steilacoom, at the edges of the large forests and in the vicinity of swamps and damp lands, 

 this bird is found abundantly in spring and summer. It has a great faculty for hiding itself 

 securely, and, although very numerous, is difficult to obtain. Its voice is a low, soft, sad, lonely, 

 whistle, generally confined to one note about three seconds in length, and repeated at very 

 regular intervals. One specimen, (No. 517,) shot August 2, 1856, at Fort Steilacoom, measured 

 7.62, 11. Another, a young bird, killed July 26, I find in my note book, had "the membrane 

 at angle of mouth lemon yeUoiv." — S. 



Note. — I have twice only seen a thrush resembling the hermit thrush in general apjiearance, 

 but quite differently colored. The first was brought to me December 4, with its tail pulled out, 

 having been caught in a house. It was of a very dark brown, without a tint of olive, and its 

 breast more thickly marked with spots of the sajne color, large and round. I afterwards saw 

 another, on Whitby's island, in March, but could not get a shot at it. I suppose, therefore, it 

 is a winter visitor only in the lower country. This seems to resemble T. soh'lan'us of Wilson, 

 (the brown thrush of Pennant and Latham ?) and T. minor of Swainson, which was probably 

 obtained far to the north. — C. 



