22 
WOOD THRUSH. 
birds to the roar of the city, and to sounds and noises, that, 
in other circumstances, would put a whole grove of them to 
flight. 
These birds are several years in receiving their complete 
plumage. Sometimes the whole tail of a male individual in 
spring is yellow, sometimes only the two middle feathers are 
black, and frequently the black on the back is skirted with 
orange, and the tail tipt with the same colour. Three years, 
I have reason to believe, are necessary to fix the full tint 
of the plumage, and then the male bird appears as already 
described, 
WOOD THRUSH.— TURDUS MELODUS. —Plate II. Fig. 1. 
Jlartram , p. 290. — Peale's Museum, No. 5264. 
TURD US MUSTELINUS. — Gmelin. 
Turdus mustelinus, Gm. Linn. ii. 817. No. 57. — JBonap. Synop. p. 75. — Penn. 
ALrct. Zool. ii. p. 337* — The Wood Thrush, Aud. p. 372. 
This bird is represented on the plate of its natural size, 
and particular attention has been paid to render the figure a 
faithful likeness of the original. It measures eight inches in 
length, and thirteen from tip to tip of the expanded wings ; the 
bill is an inch long ; the upper mandible, of a dusky brown, bent 
at the point, and slightly notched ; the lower, a flesh colour 
towards the base ; the legs are long, and, as well as the claws, 
of a pale flesh colour, or almost transparent. The whole upper 
parts are of a brown fulvous colour, brightening into reddish on 
the head, and inclining to an olive on the rump and tail ; chin, 
white ; throat and breast, white, tinged with a light buff 
colour, and beautifully marked with pointed spots of black or 
dusky, running in chains from the sides of the mouth, and 
intersecting each other all over the breast to the belly, which, 
with the vent, is of a pure white ; a narrow circle of white 
surrounds the eye, which is large, full, the pupil black, and 
the iris of a dark chocolate colour ; the inside of the mouth is 
