88 



GOLDEN-CROWNED THRUSH. 

 TUEDUS AUROCAPILLA. 

 [Plate XIV.— Fig. 2.] 



Edw. 252. — Lath. lit, 21 La Jiguier a tete d'or, Briss. Ill, 504 — La Grivelette de Sf^ 



Domingue, Buff. Ill, 317. PL enl 398. — Arct, Zool p. 339, No. 202>.—Turdus minimus^ 

 vertice Aurio^ the least Golden- crown Thrush, Bartram, p. 290. — Peale's Museum^ 

 No. 7122. 



THO the epithet golden crowned^ is not very suitable for this 

 bird, that part of the head being rather of a brownish orange; yet^ 

 to avoid confusion, I have retained it. 



This is also a migratory species, arriving in Pennsylvania late 

 in April, and leaving us again late in September. It is altogether 

 an inhabitant of the woods, runs along the ground like a lark, and 

 even along the horizontal branches, frequently moving its tail in 

 the manner of the Wagtails. It has no song; but a shrill, ener- 

 getic twitter, formed by the rapid reiteration of two notes, peche, 

 peche, peche, for a quarter of a minute at a time. It builds a snug, 

 somewhat singular nest, on the ground, in the woods, generally 

 on a declivity facing the south. This is formed of leaves and 

 dry grass, and lined with hair. Tho sunk below the surface, it 

 is arched over, and only a small hole left for entrance; the eggs 

 are four, sometimes five, white, irregularly spotted with reddish 

 brown, chiefly near the great end. When alarmed it escapes from 

 the nest with great silence and rapidity, running along the ground 

 like a mouse, as if afraid to tread too heavily on the leaves ; if you 

 stop to examine its nest, it also stops, droops its wings, flutters and 

 tumbles along, as if hardly able to crawl, looking back now and 

 then to see whether you are taking notice of it. If you slowly fol- 



