356 BIRDS OF ALABAMA 



cheeked — and, indeed, is often found associated with them in 

 the woods during their migrations. The present species is 

 tamer than either of the others and one may often approach 

 near enough to distinguish the buffy breast, cheeks, and eye- 

 ring — characters which separate it from the gray-cheek. Not 

 infrequently in spring it renders snatches of its beautiful 

 song. Dr. Avery frequently observed this bird in autumn 

 with other species of thrushes, feeding on the berries of the 

 black gum. 



Food habits. — The food of this thrush, as studied by Prof. 

 Beal, consisted of animal matter 6314 per cent, and vegetable 

 matter 36V^ per cent. The animal portion comprised beetles, 

 weevils, ants, wild bees, wasps, caterpillars, crickets, flies, 

 bugs, and spiders. The vegetable food consisted of small 

 fruit, including cherries, frost grapes, elderberries, blackber- 

 ries, pokeberries, and the fruit of the dogwood, sumac, and 

 many other species.* 



HERMIT THRUSH : Hylodchla guttata faxoni 

 Bangs and Penard.f 



State records. — The hermit thrush (fig. 31), is one of the 

 hardiest of the thrushes and most individuals of the species 

 remain all winter in the Southern States. It is fairly common 

 in Alabama from about the middle of October to the middle of 

 April. McCormack observed the bird at Leighton between 

 October 16 and April 8 ; Avery found it at Greensboro between 

 October 24 and April 3, and Saunders noted it at Woodbine 

 till April 13. At Orange Beach, in January, and Bayou 

 Labatre, in February, I found it fairly numerous in swamps 

 and palmetto scrub. It was noted by E. G. Holt and myself 

 on numerous dates in February, March, and April at Carlton, 

 Jackson, York, Auburn, Dothan, Montgomery, Autaugaville 

 (last April 16), and on Sand Mountain (near Carpenter). 



General habits. — During the winter season this thrush is 

 found in wooded swamps, river-bottom thickets, and to a less 

 extent in dry, upland timber, when it lives chiefly on or near 

 the ground. It is a quiet bird, retiring and solitary in habit, 



•Beal, F. E. L., Bull. 280, U. S. Dept. Agr., pp. 13-18. 1915. 



tHylocichla guttata pallasi of the A. O. U. Check-list; for change of name see The 

 Auk, vol. 38, p. 433, 1921. 



