TUBDID.E -~ TUIWIN^E : TYPICAL THRUSHES. 243 



I. Subfamily TURDIN/E: Typical Thrushes. 



With the tarsus, iu the ;idalt, " booted" or 

 euvehjpeil iu a continuous jjlate, formed by fusion 

 of all th(! tursiil scutella excepting two or three 

 just above? tlie base of the toes (fig. 36). Tcjes 

 deeply cleft, — the inner to tlic very liase, the 

 outer coherent -^i-ith the middle only for tlie length 

 of its basal joint. Wings more or less pointed, 

 M>.m«.^___r Linger than the tail; 1st primary spurious, and 



TmiM^SSl^Li^^^^^^B^^^^^^^ very short; 2d longer than Gth. Bill moderate, 

 •■• ' ^ - shorter than the head, straight, more or less sub- 



ulate, little depressed at base, with bristly rictus. 

 Fig. 115. — A typical Thrush, the European Nostrils oval, nearly or quite reached by the 

 Blackbird (r«rd«sme™fa). From Dixon. frontal feathers. (Fig. 116.) Tail-feathers 



widening somewhat toward their ends; tail as a whole scjmewhat fan-shaped ; neither decidedly 

 forked at the end, nor much graduated. Upwards of one hundred aud fifty sjiecies are now 

 usually assigned to the Turdince, most of them referable to the single genus Turdiis and its 

 subdivisions. They are nearly cosmopolitan, and have a great development in the warmer 

 parts of America, where they are mainly represented by types closely allied to Turdus proper ; 

 more aberrant forms, constituting very distinct genera, occur in the Old World. We have 

 but one genus iu North America, of which the robin is the most familiar, as it is a very 

 characteristic, example; a species of Catharus, however, occurs very near if not actually 

 over our IVIexican border. The thrushes are diifused over all the woodland parts of our 

 country, and are all strictly migratory insectivorous birds, though feeding also upon berries and 

 other soft fruits. Though ntit truly gregarious, some, as the robin for instance, often collect in 

 troops at favorite feeding places, or migrate iu companies. They build rather rude nests, 

 often plastered with mud, never pensile, but saddled on a bough or fixed on a fork, or set 

 on the ground; and lay from four to six green or blue eggs, sometimes plain, sometimes 

 spotted. All are vocal ; and some, like the wood thrush, are exquisitely melodious. 



These birds may be taken in illustration of a character which runs through other of the 

 groups (if TurdidcB besides the TurdincB proper. The young, in their first feathering, which 

 is worn but a short time, are curiously speckled and streaked, in a manner quite different 

 from the adults. This feature is well shown by a young robin, or blue-bird, as described 

 beyond. 

 1. TUK'DUS. [l^ai. turdus, a thxvinh.) Thrushes. The characters of the tyiiical aud single 

 genus represented in North America are in effect the same as those of the subfamily already 

 given. The several species fall in three subgenera, which may be thus analyzed : — 

 Merula. — Sexes similar. Bill notched near end, little -widened at base. Tarsi little longer 

 than middle toe and claw. Beneath mostly unicolor, with streaked throat. Large ; stout. 

 (Type, Turdtts merula ; includes our robins.) 



Hesperocichla. — Sexes dissimilar. Bill unnotched. Male with a black pectoral collar. Other- 

 wise like Merula. (Type, and only species, Turdus naevius.) 



Turdus. — Sexes similar. Bill notched near end, much widened and depressed at base. Tarsi 

 decidedly longer than middle toe and claw. Beneath spotted. Of small stature, and rather 

 slender form. 



Analf/sis of Species and Varieties. 

 Neither spotted nor banded below, but throat streakeil. ' Eobins. ) 

 Upper parts slate-colored ; breast chestnut. 



Outer tail-feather -with white tipping. (Eastern) mif/raioJ'ina 1 



Outer tail-feather without decided white tippiug. (Western.) prnpinguufi 2 



Upper parts grayish-ash ; breast yellowisli-buff. i Cape St. Lucas.) conjivifi 3 



