498 NESTS AND EOGS OF 



.and about one foot from the end of the log. The foundation of the nest was a great 

 quantity of trash, bits of sticks, etc., the nest proper being constructed chiefly of 

 jine needles, grasses, and disintegrated weed-stalks — the whole, loose and slovenly, 

 could hardly be handled without coming apart. Mr. Walter B. Bryant describes tho 

 location of three nests taken by Mr. L. Belding, at Big Trees, California, in various 

 Tears, in June. They were placed on the ground in a slight depression, and con- 

 -cealment waa attempted by the aid of weeds, a stone, or a large piece of bark. One 

 nest was built on the ground, within the semi-circular cavity of a standing tree. The 

 nests were composed mostly of pine needles. Mr. Lamb describes the eggs which he 

 obtained as resembling those of the Shrikes, and gives the sizes of three specimens 

 preserved out of the set of four as l.Olx.66, .94x.68, .88x.66. The usual number laid 

 is four, with an average size of .93x.67. 



755. WOOD THRUSH. Turdus muxtelinus Gmel. Geog. Dist.— Eastern United 

 .States, in summer north to Southern Michigan, Ontario, Massachusetts, etc.; south 

 in winter to Northern Central America and Cuba. 



A common bird in the woodland of Eastern United States and as far West as 

 ^Eastern Kansas, where Colonel Goss gives it as an abundant summer resident. 

 Its favorite resorts are low, damp woods and thickets, where it spends much of its 

 iime on the ground scratching among the leaves. The bird has a sweet song, which 

 it sings from the higher branches of trees, generally towards the close of summer 

 afternoons. The nest is usually saddled upon the horizontal limbs of saplings and 

 low trees, six to ten feet from the ground; on the outside it is composed of leaves, 

 grasses and stems of weeds, which are gathered when wet, and become solid and 

 firm; and between these are tracings of mud; the lining is of small fibrous roots. The 

 breeding season is in May. Usually four eggs are laid, often only three. Their 

 color is a plain greenish-blue, and their average size is 1.02x.74, with considerable 

 variation. 



756. WILSON'S THRUSH. Turdus fusccscens. Steph. Geog. Dist.— Eastern 

 United States and British Provinces to the Plains, north to Manitoba, Ontario, Anti- 

 -costi and Newfoundland. 



Wilson's, the Tawny Thrush, or Veery, is an abundant species in the wooded 



Tegions of Eastern United States. It is rather partial to low, wet woods. Breeds 



^rom about latitude 40° north to Manitoba, Ontario, Anticosti and Newfoundland. It 



:has been considered a doubtful breeding bird in Central Ohio ; has lately proven to be 



-quite common during the summer months. I took a nest May 27, 1885, in the char- 



acterisflc position — at the base of a sapling in^swampy woods. The nest is of the 



usual type, composed of leaves, strips of grapevine bark, weed stems, and lined with 



black rootlets. This nest contained three eggs of Its owner and one of the Cowbird. 



An illustration of a Wilson's Thrush's nest appears in Jones' magnificent work, 



"Nests and Eggs of Birds of Ohio," which was taken May 21, 1884. Dr. Jones took 



another nest which was placed at the base of the leaf of the skunk-cabbage plant, 



eighteen inches from the ground, at the °dge of swampy woods. Nests of this bird 



aave been found in hollow trunks of trees, fifteen feet from the ground, and in "old 



tin cans lying on the ground in the woods. The eggs are four or five in number, and 



are plain, pale greenish-blue; average size, .87x.64. 



756a. WILLOW THRUSH. Turdus fusccscens salicicola (Ridgw.) Geog. 

 Dist. — Rocky Mountain region of the United States, east casually during the migration 

 to Dakota, Minnesota, Illinois, etc. 



