188 NORTHERN ZOOLOGY. 



This bird 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. 65^°, 

 in the spring of 1826. We did not hear its song, nor acquire any informa- 

 tion 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 lists of the birds of the United 

 States, it most probably does not go far to the eastward of the Rocky Moun- 

 tains in its migrations north and south. It may, perhaps, be more common to the 

 westward of that ridge. — R. 



DESCRIPTION 

 Of a specimen killed at Fort Franklin, lat. 65i°, in May, 1820. 



Colour of the dorsal aspect blackish-grey ; the head, sides of the neck, and an imperfect 

 belt across the breast, are pitch-black. The blackish auricular feathers are encircled by a 

 narrow stripe of reddish-orange, which commences on the posterior part of the upper eyelid. 

 The tail is greyish-black, the inner webs of its feathers being blackish-brown ; there is a large 

 white spot on the tip of the inner web of the outer feather, and brownish-white spots on the tips 

 of all the other feathers, the spots being less, however, the nearer they are to the middle of the 

 tail, and the central feathers having merely a minute brownish speck on their tips. The quill 

 feathers, greater coverts, and the adjoining row of lesser coverts, are liver-brown ; two rather 

 broad bands of pale reddish-orange cross the wings on the tips of the two last-mentioned sets 

 of feathers. There is also a conspicuous patch of the same colour on the primaries, near 

 their quills, and a smaller one about half way to their tips. The primary coverts and their 

 secondaries are likewise edged with the orange, but more narrowly. The tertiaries are slightly 

 tipped with white. 



Under surface. — The chin, throat, and belly are reddish-orange ; the vent feathers white, 

 and the under tail coverts are blackish-grey, edged with orange, and largely tipped with white. 

 The flanks and axillary feathers are bluish-grey. The wing-linings are white and lead-grey, 

 slightly marked with orange ; and the insides of the quill feathers are lead-grey, with a 

 broad whitish band on their bases, and on the tips of the greater inner coverts. The bill is 

 black, pale-yellow at the base of the under mandible. Legs flesh-coloured. 



Form. — Bill straight, compressed, more slender than that of Merula migratoria, but other- 

 wise bearing a strong general resemblance to it. Cutting margin of the upper mandible 

 slightly and gradually curved towards its point, without a notch. Rictus bristled. The 

 wings fall an inch and a half short of the end of the tail ; they approach those of Merula 

 migratoria in form, being much longer and more pointed than those of Orpheus felivox. 



