486 List of the Birds of the Willamette Valley, Oregon. (July, 
mountains; and the rest of the time at Salem, on the Willamette 
river, and fifty miles south of Portland. The region referred to 
lies between the Cascade and Coast ranges, on an average of sixty 
miles apart, and from the Columbia on the north to the Callipoaia 
mountains on the south, a distance of about one hundred and 
thirty miles. To the north, and along each side, and on the 
streams, it is densely wooded, while on the middie and south is 
a chain of prairies of greater or less extent, giving great variety 
to the landscape. I have been necessarily brief, but with any one 
needing more explicit notes or material, I will gladly correspond. 
. I. Turdus migratorius Linn. (robin)—The robin is very com- 
mon during the breeding season, nesting extensively, and not 
rare during the mild wet winter months, especially along the river 
bottoms. 
2. Turdus nevius Gmel. (varied thrush), called “ Cal. robin,” 
“myrtle robin,” “ painted robin,” and “ Oregon robin.” —More or 
less abundant during the winter months, arriving from the north 
and mountains about December Ist, and remaining until about 
June īst. Usually shy and very thrush-like, they sometimes 
become quite tame about building, learning the habit from the 
common robin. I have always suspected that they nest in this 
State, about the bases of the snow-clad mountains, as hunters 
have told me that they have seen the bird at all times during the 
season in those places. They have no true song, but in its place 
they use the call note, which is a prolonged “ chur-r-r,’ followed 
after a short interval by a prolonged “ chee-e-e” a “ third” higher, 
and both ina minor key. The alarm note is a short decisive 
“churk.” They feed upon the ground, scratching among dead 
leaves, usually in very moist situations. They also come to the 
gardens for cherries and small fruits. 
3. Turdus ustulatus Nutt. (Oregon thrush). — Very common 
during the breeding season, nesting extensively and often raising 
two broods. The usual situation of the nest is in a dense thicket 
of low brush about four feet from the ground; it is composed of 
moss, very bulky and rather more attractive than otherwise, but 
I found one at the root of a maple tree upon a “ burl” about four 
inches above the ground, two others were in a tree, about fifteen 
feet high, and composed entirely of twigs and brush well woven, 
and scantily lined with moss. The alarm note is a short whistle 
“whoet,’ identical with that of a person attracting the attention 
