APPENDIX TO OSCINES. 233 



scarlet of his eastern consin ; feeding on mucli the same food, and capturing insects on 

 the wing with ertnal skill. His chirp is the same as the Scarlet Tanager's, and liis song 

 very similar ; yet a difference may be detected — a difl'urence to the prejudice of the 

 western bird. As a general rule, the western races are a little inferior in song to their 

 eastern relatives of the same species and genns, although thiro are many exceptions to 

 this — the Robin, for instance. Birds of colder and more densely wooded regions have 

 sweeter, fuller, and more melodious voices than their kindreo of wanner and more arid 

 districts. 



B. 



The following interesting notes were comraunicated to me by Dr. J. 

 M. WheatOQ, of Columbus, Ohio, favorably known by bis exc'ellent List 

 of the Birds of that State, so often quoted in the present work. — E. G. 



Omve-backed Thrush (T. swainsoni). This is the most abundant of the Hijlnvichla 

 during the migrations. It presents greater variations of color and size than any other. 

 By far the greater number of individuals belong to the typical variety sicainsoni, but 

 we have as extremes var. aliciw, the Gray-cheeked Thrush, and a small variety, length 

 6^ inches, bill only f, with the olive of the back suffused with tawny, in this resi)ect 

 resembling var. ustulatus of the Pacific coast, but having thp spots on the breast darker. 

 The butt' of this variety is much more decided, especially on the eyelids and line from 

 above the eye to the bill. On very high colored fall specimens Jlie butf of the breast 

 is sometimes prolonged in a pa;le median line to the middle of the belly. The obscure 

 bar at the base of the secondaries and inner primaries is creamy buff in moaiiisoni 

 proper, white in var. aliciw, and brownish-white in the small variety. 



The Gray-cheeked variety arrives a few days later in the spring than the Wood or 

 Wilson's Thrush, the typical Olive-back nearly a -week later, followed shortly after by 

 the small variety, which, in 1873, remained till Juno 1, and was the most terrestrial in 

 its habits, frequenting brush heaps in sparse, wet woodland. In the fall the Gray- 

 cheeked variety makes its appearance sooner than the others. 



Blue Warbler (D. cffintto). Not common inmost places; is tolerably common in 

 Central Ohio. I have fonnd them in considerable numbers in May and June. Towards 

 the close of .lune I have found the young fully fledged in oak woods, where they prob- 

 ably breed. The song ot this bird liears considerable resemblance to that of the Bay- 

 wing Bunting, though less load. 



Yellow-throated Warbler (D. dominlca). Has perhaps a northern limit in tliis 



State. In this vicinity they are among the most regular and earliest to arrive of the 



family. I have noted them before the arrival of the Yellow Warbler, and even before 



the last frosts and snow. They commonly follow the streams in their migrations, and 



may be readily recognized by their comparatively loud and frequent note, which almost 



exactly resembles that of the Indigo-bird on its lirst arrival. They soon disperse 



through the woodland and appear in the shade-trees and gardens of the city. I have 



never found them breeding. Thejj return south in September by the same route as in 



the spring migration. 



i Cedar Bird {A. cedrorum). I have taken one spring specimen in very high pluthage, 



/ in which the six central tail feathers possessed the waxen tips. Tlie length of the 



' specimen was 7.05 inches, the color much darker than usual. 



/Brotherly-love Vxreo ( Fireo philadeljMcus). I saw them on September 16, to the 

 number of twenty to thirty, in beech woodland, accompanying the Red-eyed Vireos 

 on their southern migration. 



Loggerhead Shrike (C. hidoviciamis). Usually considered to be confined to the 

 South Atlantic and Gulf States, and the white-rumped variety (cxcubitoroUles), hereto- 

 fore supposed to ha,ve its eastern limit in Illinois; but hotli occur not uncommonly 

 with us, aud appear to be on the increase. They arrive early in April. My observa- 

 tions coincide with those made by Mr. Trippe in Iowa (Natiiralist, 1873, 497), except 

 that we have specimens which might be considered typical liidovicianus. On the 31st 

 of May, 1873, I captured a family of these birds, the male of which was clearly of the 

 white-rumped variety, but lighter than Illinois specimens of the same. The female 

 presented the typical features of hidovidantts. The length of the male was 9 inches ; 

 the female^ 8J. The young .were just from their nest in a hedge. They were light 

 ashy, dusky waved above, decidedly waved below, and with the head-stripe not meet- 

 ing in front of the eye, and considerably restricted. My observations are not sufB- 

 ciently extended to venture au opinion, but from such as I have made, I would not 

 he surprised if it should be determined, that to the north and west the White-rumped 

 Shrike passed insensibly into the northern bird (borealis), as with us it does into the 

 southern form. 



Song Sparrow {M. melodia). Dr. Abbott, in the Naturalist, 1870, page 378, calls at- 

 tention to a variation in the song of this bird, and asks if others have noticed it. With 

 us it is resident in comparatively small numbers in winter. During the fall months its 

 song is seldom or never heard. In December I have observed them perched in the top 

 of a forest tree, singing with vivacity a continuous song, which was altogether differ- 



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