22 



VARIED THRUSH. 



Turdus N-Evius, GmeL 

 PLATE CXLIII.— Male and Female. 



Of this beautiful Thrush, of which a figure not having the black band 

 running quite across the breast, as is the case in the adult male, is given by 

 Mr. Swainson, in the Fauna Boreali-Americana,.Dr. Richardson speaks as 

 follows: — "This species was discovered at Nootka Sound, in Captain Cook's 

 third voyage, and male and female specimens, in the possession of Sir 

 Joseph Banks, were described by Latham: Pennant has also described 

 and figured the same male. The specimen represented in this work was 

 procured at Fort Franklin, lat. 65i°, in the spring of 1S26. We did not 

 hear its song, nor acquire any information respecting its habits, except that 

 it built its nest in a bush, similar to that of the Merula migratoria. It 

 was not seen by us on the banks of the Saskatchewan; and, as it has not 

 appeared in the list of the Birds of the United States, it most probably does 

 not go far to the eastward of the Rocky Mountains in its migrations north 

 and south. It may perhaps be more common to the westward of that ridge." 



Dr. Richardson's conjecture as to the line of march followed by it has 

 proved to be correct, Mr. Townsend and Mr. Nuttall having found it 

 abundant on the western sides of the Rocky Mountains. The former of 

 these naturalists informs me that he "'first found this Thrush on the Columbia 

 river in the month of October, and that it becomes more numerous in winter, 

 which it spends in that region, though some remove farther south. It there 

 associates with the Common Robin, Turdus migratorius, but possesses a 

 very different note, it being louder, sharper, and quicker than those of the 

 latter, and in the spring, before it sets out for its yet unascertained breeding- 

 place, it warbles very sweetly. It is called Ammeskuk by the Chinooks." 



Mr. Nutt all's notice respecting it is as follows: — "Of this bird, whose 

 manners so entirely resemble those of the Common Robin, we know almost 

 nothing. They probably breed as far north as Nootka, where they were first 

 seen by the naturalists of Cook's expedition. On the Columbia they are 

 only winter birds of passage, arriving about October, and continuing more or 

 less frequently throughout the winter. At this time they flit through the 

 forest in small flocks, frequenting usually low trees, on which they perch in 

 perfect silence, and are at times very timorous and difficult of approach, 



