WOOD THRUSH. 
27 
on the breast and belly. Mr , my son-in-law, was in 
possession of one, which had been shot by a neighbour ; he 
pronounced it a Muscicapa , and I think it much resembles the 
Mouche rolle de la Martinique , 8 Buffon, 374, PL enlum. 568. 
As it abounds in all the neighbourhood of Philadelphia, you 
may, perhaps, by patience and perseverance, (of which much 
will be requisite,) get a sight, if not a possession, of it. I 
have, for twenty years, interested the young sportsmen of my 
neighbourhood to shoot me one, but, as yet, without success.” 
It may seem strange that neither Sloane, * Catesby, 
Edwards, nor Buffon, all of whom are said to have described 
this bird, should say any thing of its melody ; or rather, assert 
that it had only a single cry or scream. This I cannot account 
for in any other way than by supposing, what I think highly 
probable, that this bird has never been figured or described 
by any of the above authors. 
Catesby has, indeed, represented a bird, which he calls 
Turdus minimus, \ but it is difficult to discover, either from the 
figure or description, what particular species is meant; or 
whether it be really intended for the wood thrush we are now 
describing. It resembles, he says, the English thrush ; but is 
less, never sings, has only a single note, and abides all the 
year in Carolina. It must be confessed, that, except the first 
circumstance, there are few features of the wood thrush in 
this description. I have searched the woods of Carolina and 
Georgia, in winter, for this bird in vain, nor do I believe 
it ever winters in these States. If Mr Catesby found his 
bird mute during spring and summer, it was not the wood 
thrush, otherwise he must have changed his very nature. But 
Mr Edwards has also described and delineated the little 
thrush, J and has referred to Catesby as having drawn and 
engraved it before. Now this thrush of Edwards I know to 
be really a different species ; one not resident in Pennsylvania, 
but passing to the north in May, and returning the same way 
* Hist. Jam. ii. 305. f Catesby’s Nat. Hist. Car. i. 31. f Edwards, 296. 
