36 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS 
leaves, which rustle pleasantly beneath one’s feet, when the 
clear, cold, exhilarating weather is well adapted to exercise, 
when the maples are in the utmost splendor of their brilliant 
coloring, and finally when the hills, covered with the oaks of 
low growth, where once forests stood, glow with the rich crim- 
son, which at last becomes a dull brown, showing winter to be 
near at hand. 
(d). The Hermit Thrushes very rarely sing except in the 
summer-season, and generally, while with us, their only notes 
are a mellow chirp, a loud chuck, rarely uttered (especially in 
spring?), and a single low whistle, which seems to come from 
a more distant point than that which the bird occupies. When 
frightened from their nests they often utter a very character- 
istic dissyllabic note, expressive of their sorrow. Their song 
is strikingly fine, and recalls the melody of the Wood Thrush 
to one familiar with that melody, though lacking the power 
and full music of the latter, being, as Mr. Burroughs has said, 
silvery rather than golden. It usually begins with a few low, 
rich notes, which are followed by the higher and more ringing 
ones. 
Though the Hermit Thrushes bear a strong general resem- 
blance to the two other ‘‘ wood thrushes,” whom an inexperi- 
enced observer is likely to see in any part of this State 
(A and B), yet they are rarely seen in the company of those 
birds, preceding them in the spring-migrations, and returning 
to the South later. They sometimes are.found during their 
annual journeys in company with the Gray-cheeked or Swain- 
son’s Thrush, but the former is rare, and seldom has any red- 
dish-brown tinting on the upper parts, and the latter has both 
rather distinct habits and notes. Let the young student, who 
wishes to distinguish several closely allied species, mark the 
points of difference, and not the similar characteristics of each, 
and let him avoid employing only one means of distinction, 
such as coloration. 
(D) swatnsonr. Swainson’s Thrush. Olive-backed Thrush. 
“ Swamp Robin” ? 
