LAND BIRDS. 713 
on the throat and upper breast, while the spots on the breast are paler and 
more scanty than in any other species. 
Distribution.—Eastern United States to the Plains, north to Manitoba, 
Ontario, Anticosti, and Newfoundland. Breeds from northern New 
Jersey and the northern part of the Lake States northward: winters 
sparingly in Florida, but chiefly south of the United States. 
A delightful songster, common as a migrant throughout the entire 
state, and a common summer resident of all except the southernmost 
counties. Even in these counties it can hardly be called a rare summer 
resident, since its nest has been found repeatedly in Wayne, Washtenaw, 
Monroe, Lenawee and Hillsdale counties, and it doubtless nests sparingly 
in the remaining counties of the southernmost tier. On the other hand 
it is a characteristic summer bird of our northern forests, and is found 
everywhere along the south shore of Lake Superior, as well as on Isle 
Royale. 
It enters the state from the south about the first of May, in early seasons 
a week earlier, occasionally considerably later. Mr. Swales gives his 
earliest spring record at Detroit as April 22, 1900, and his latest, May 4, 
1902. At Ann Arbor Norman A. Wood gives April 16, 1889 as the earliest 
record for twenty-five years, and its average appearance the first week in 
May. It nests from the middle of May to the middle of June, according 
to latitude, and commonly places the nest upon the ground or very close 
to it, usually in low or at least damp situations. The nest is frequently 
found at the base of a clump of alders or willows, not infrequently among 
the “‘water sprouts” which start from the side of a stump, occasionally 
on a log, or even on the top of a stump, while instances are recorded of its 
location at a height of four or five feet from the ground, in a bush or tree. 
Ordinarily the nest is very bulky, built of leaves, moss and rubbish. 
which forms a solid foundation, the nest proper being formed of leaves 
and grasses, with a few roots, but without any mud. It is deeply hollowed 
and often more or less hidden from above, but in many cases the eggs would 
be decidedly conspicuous when not covered by the parent. The eggs vary 
from three to five, but are usually four, and are pale blue and unspotted, 
averaging .85 by .67 inches. Very rarely a few specks of brown may be 
found on them, and there are a few records of eggs which were fairly well 
sprinkled with brown dots; as a rule, however, they are entirely immaculate. 
This bird gets most of its food from the ground, and since it frequents 
woodlands almost exclusively during the nesting season, its work is not 
of any great value to the farmer or fruit grower. Like all thrushes it 
feeds largely upon beetles, snails, myriapods and a great variety of insects, 
eating small fruits freely whenever obtainable. In the case of the present 
species, however, the fruit eaten is almost all wild fruit, and the bird 
cannot be considered in any way injurious. 
The song of the Veery is one of the sweetest and most remarkable to be 
heard in our summer woods. Seton Thompson says: ‘‘The song is a 
high-pitched whistle, yet rich and clear, with a rippling cadence like a 
little brook. It seems almost profane to represent this faint, soft, silvery 
tinkling by uncouth syllables, yet I think the best idea of the mere articu- 
lation may be suggested by the syllables veero, veery, veery, veery, from 
which no doubt the singer got his name” (Birds of Manitoba, p. 633). 
Ridgway describes the song as “An inexpressibly delicate metallic utterance 
of the’syllables ta-weel-ah, twil-ah, twil-ah, accompanied by a fine trill.” 
The metallic quality of the song is usually very noticeable. and the fact 
