HERMIT THRUSH. 
31 
Mbrula solxtaria , Hermit Thrush , Swains. & Rich. F. Bor. Amer., vol. ii. p. 184. 
Hermit Thrush, Turclus minor, Aud. Orn. Biog - ., vol. i. p. 303 ; vol. v. p. 445. 
Adult Male. 
Bill of ordinary length, nearly straight, compressed towards the end ; 
upper mandible with the dorsal outline a little convex, the tip slightly 
decimate, the margins acute, inflected towards the end, slightly notched 
close upon the tip ; lower mandible slightly convex in its dorsal line, the tip 
rather obtuse. Head of ordinary size ; neck and body rather slender. Feet 
rather long ; tarsus longish, compressed, slender, anteriorly covered with a 
few elongated, indistinct scutella, posteriorly edged, longer than the middle 
toe ; toes scutellate above, lateral ones almost equal, the outer connected as 
far as the second joint. 
Plumage rather loose. A few longish bristles at the base of the upper 
mandible. Wings of ordinary length, the third quill longest, the first very 
short. Tail rather short, even, of twelve broad feathers, the shafts of which 
project a little beyond the extremity of the webs, as is the case with the 
outer primaries. 
Bill dark brown, yellowish towards the base of the lower mandible. Iris 
hazel. Feet flesh-colour. The general colour of the upper parts is light 
yellowish-brown, changing on the rump and tail into dull yellowish-red. 
Quills dusky, margined externally with yellowish-brown. Primary coverts 
yellowish-brown, dusky at the end ; secondary coverts tipped with yellowish- 
red. Under parts greyish-white, the neck and breast spotted with dark 
brown. 
Length 7 inches, extent of wings lOi ; bill along the ridge T 7 f , along the 
gap f ; tarsus 1^. 
Adult Female. 
The female differs only in having the spots on the breast somewhat larger, 
and the tints of the upper parts rather deeper. 
The branches so thickly covered with dull red berries, and upon which 
two Hermit Thrushes are seen, belong to a shrub which grows in the swampy 
recesses preferred by these birds. Its leaves fall off at an early period, and 
are of an ovato-lanceolate form, thin consistence, and deep green colour, 
their under surface light grey. The common name of it is Rohm Wood. 
It seldom grows taller than from seven to eight feet, and all the branches, in 
a favourable season, are thickly covered with the berries, on which many 
birds, besides the Turdus migratorius, from which it seems to have derived 
its common name, are seen to feed. 
