Varied Thrush— dwarf thrush— steller's jay-black-bird. 



101 



May, and reaches the State of Maine and the British Provinces by 

 the end of that month. On its return, besides settling in the 

 Southern States, it spreads over the provinces of Mexico, from 

 whence individuals in spring migrate, by the vast prairies, and 

 along the shores of the western parts of the Union, entering Can- 

 ada in that direction in the first days of June j . . . breeds in 

 the eastern parts of Maine and in the British Provinces of New 

 Brunswick and Nova Scotia." Maynard says: "The Orange- 

 crowned Warblers are lively little birds, usually frequenting hum- 

 mocks and the underbrush which grows about them. I think they 

 rarely visit the pine woods. These birds are very unsuspicious 

 and may be approached quite nearly, but when alarmed will utter 

 a quick, sharp chirp, and instantly conceal themselves in the 

 nearest thicket." 



Varied Thrush— Oregon Robin. (Turdus nczvws.) 



Fig. ii. 



" The Chicago Field," a superior journal, published in the 

 interest of the sportsman, contains a very interesting account of 

 this species, written by Dr. Elliott Coues. We extract as follows : 

 " In the United States, it seems to have been first noticed by two 

 American naturalists, Thomas Nuttall and J. K. Townsend, who 

 found it in Oregon. The first named of these observed its arrival 

 on the Columbia River from the North in October, when it was 

 flirting through the forests in small flocks, maintaining perfect 

 silence, and proving very timid and difficult to approach. It winters 

 in that region, and has a pleasing song before it departs for its 

 northern summer home. Dr. J. G. Cooper and Dr. George Suck- 

 ley, the well known naturalists, have given us more extended notices 

 of the Oregon Robin. They found it common in Oregon and 

 Washington Territories during the spring, autumn, and winter, 

 and occasionally saw it in the dark spruce forests in June and July. 

 They describe it as much more shy and retiring than the common 

 Robin, and as having an entirely different song. During severe 

 winter weather, it becomes more familiar, often coming about the 

 houses and feeding on the ground in company with the common 

 Robin. It is known to the settlers as the « spotted,' ' painted,' and 

 golden Robin, and is always conspicuous by the black crescent 

 on the breast. ... It inhabits North America, part of the 

 Rocky Mountains, from high Arctic regions in Alaska to the ex- 

 tremity of Southern California, unless at a considerable altitude in 

 the Sierra Nevada and Coast Ranges, the latitude of San Francisco 

 perhaps, being about as far south as it is at all common. In this 

 great extent of country the bird appears as a winter visitor, arriving 

 in the fall and departing in the spring, in all the region south of 

 the Columbia River, while north of this point it occurs in summer, 

 nesting and rearing its young." 



Dwarf Thrush. {Turdus nanus.) 

 Fig. 12. 



This bird is a variety of the species Hermit Thrush, or Ground 

 Swamp Robin. It is met with west of the Rocky Mountains, and 

 is also accredited to Pennsylvania. Dr. Coues says: " There is 

 unquestionably but a single species of Hermit Thrush in North 

 America. It is impossible to draw any dividing line between the 

 so-called species, and, in fact, it is sufficiently difficult to predicate 

 varietal distinction." 



PLATE LXXI. 



Steller's Jay. ( Cyanurus stellerti.) 



Fig. i. 



This species was found by Steller at Nootka. It is frequently 

 met with in the western part of North America. Nuttall, in his 

 interesting account of this bird, says : "We first observed this bird 

 in our western route in the Blue Mountains of the Oregon, east of 

 the Walla- Walla. Here they were scarce and shy, but we met 

 them in sufficient abundance in the majestic pine forests of the Co- 

 lumbia, where, in autumn, their loud and trumpeting clangor was 

 heard at all hours of the day, calling out djay, djay, and some- 

 times chattering and uttering a variety of other notes very similar 

 to those of the common Blue Jay. They are, however, far more 

 bold, irritable, and familiar. Watchful as dogs, a stranger no 

 sooner shows himself in their vicinity than they neglect all other 

 employment to come round, follow, peep at, and scold him, some- 

 times with such pertinacity and irritability as to provoke the sports- 

 man, intent on other game, to level his gun against them in mere 

 retaliation. At other times, stimulated by curiosity, they will fol- 

 low you in perfect silence, until something arouses their ready ire, 

 when the djay, djay, -pay, fay, is poured upon you without inter- 

 mission till you are beyond their view. So intent are they on vo- 

 ciferating, that it is not uncommon to hear them busily scolding, 

 even while engaged with a large acorn in the mouth." 



The food consists of insects, acorns, and pine seeds, found along 

 the Pacific. The nest consists of mud, roots, and twigs, and lined 

 with root fibers. The eggs, usually four, are of a pale green color, 

 with small olive-brown dots. 



Yellow-headed Black-bird. {Xanthocephalus icterocephalus.) 

 Fig. 2. 



Prince Bonaparte first published an account of this bird in his 

 continuation of Wilson's American Ornithology in 1825. It is ac- 

 knowledged to be one of the handsomest Black-birds to be met 

 with in North America. It is abundant in the Western States, es- 

 pecially so on the prairies and marshes from Illinois and Wisconsin 

 westward. It also reaches eastward to British America, retiring 

 as soon as cold weather approaches. 



The Yellow-headed Black-birds, as usually met with, gather 

 together in large flocks, and in their habits and characteristics re- 

 semble the Red-wing Black-birds. They frequently make good 

 use of their long, strong legs and large claws by appearing on the 

 ground in search of food. In the spring their food consists of in- 

 sects and their larva, which they dig out of the soil with their 

 bills, and in the fall chiefly on the seeds of vegetables. According 

 to Nuttall, "they are very active, straddle about with a quaint 

 gait, and now and then, in the manner of the Cow Bird, whistle 

 out, with great effort, a chuckling note sounding like ko-kukkIe-d.il, 

 often varying into a straining squeak, as if using their utmost en- 

 deavor to make some kind of noise in token of sociability. Their 

 music is, however, even inferior to the harsh note of the Cow 

 Bird. 



" The nest," says Coues, " is placed in a tuft of upright reeds or 

 rank grasses, some of which pass through its walls, fastening it se- 

 curely, like that of a Marsh Wren, though it may sway with the 

 motion of the rushes. Probably, to render it light enough to be 

 supported on such weak foundation, no mud is used in its composi- 

 tion ; the structure is entirely woven, and plaited with bits of dried 

 reeds and long, coarse, aquatic grasses, not lined with any different 

 material, although the inside strands are the finer. . . . The 

 whole thing measures five or six inches across, and is nearly as 

 deep. The eggs may be from three to six in number ; two selected 



