282 



and April 23, they appeared at Des Moines, Newton, and Grinnell, in 

 Iowa. At New Bichmond, Yfis., a locality far north of the usual range 

 of the species, it was reported May 18. 



In the fall of 1885 the last was seen at Grinnell, Iowa, September 26 ; 

 and at Saint Louis, Mo., September 25. None were seen at Bouham, 

 Tex., after September 1. 



752. Polioptila plumbea Baird. [28.] Plumbeous Gnatcatcher. 



The home of this Gnatcatcher is in southern Texas and thence west- 

 ward to Lower California. 



754. Myadestes townsendii (Aud.). [25.] TownsencVs Solitaire. 



A rare stranger from the western United States. The only accounts 

 of it in the Mississippi district refer to its occasional occurrence in win- 

 ter. Prof. Aughey saw one on the Niobrara Biver in Nebraska, in 1877; 

 January 17, 1880, Mr. Powell took a fine male at Alda, Nebr.; and later 

 Mr. Hall saw it in southeastern Nebraska. Col. N. S. Goss gives it as 

 "an occasional fall and winter visitant in western Kansas," where he 

 saw ten and killed four in October, 1883. One was killed at Waukegan, 

 III., December 16, 1875 (Nelson). Some of the most important of Mr. 

 Lloyd's many ornithological discoveries in western Texas refer to Town- 

 send's Solitaire. He not only determined its occurrence there in winter, 

 by securing three specimens, but in May, 1886, he fouud its nest at 

 Saragossa. It breeds in the Black Hills of Dakota. 



755. Turdus mustelinus Gniel. [1.] Wood Thrush. 



The several Wood Thrushes (members of the subgenus Bylocichla) are 

 so commonly and constantly confounded with one another by all but 

 the practiced ornithologist, that no more hopeless task is encountered 

 in the whole study of migration than that of attempting to determiue 

 which species were actually seen by each observer. Many notes, be- 

 lieved by the observers to relate to the present species, evidently refer 

 to the Hermit Thrush (Turdtis pallasii), which is the earliest member of 

 this group to migrate, and in other cases it is probable that the bird 

 actual^ seen was the Olive-backed Thrush (Turdus. sivainsonii). The 

 Wood Thrush is a common breeder in the middle belt of the Mississippi 

 Valley. It becomes rare toward our northern boundary. The first au- 

 thentic record of the Wood Thrush in 1884 came from Saint Louis, Mo., 

 where a single one was noted April 19. It was not seen again for a 

 w T eek, but April 26 the bulk of males appeared at Saint Louis, and soon 

 after it began to be reported from more northern points. On the last 

 day of April it was noted in latitude 39° 19' in Illinois, latitude 38° 

 45' in Missouri, and latitude 39° 12' in Kansas, showing that on that 

 date the line of advance was pretty nearly coincident with the 39th 

 parallel. The normal advance seems to have reached latitude 41° 

 May 5, and the territory between latitude 42° and latitude 43° May 

 7 and 8. In Wisconsin it was observed at latitude 43° 43' May 12, 

 but in Minnesota at about the same latitude noneweie seen until May 



