THRUSHES, BLUEBIRDS, ETC. 
491 
the feeling that one observes the chojr-boy doffing his surplice and 
joining his comrades for a game of tag. 
751. Polioptila cserulea cserulea {Linn.). Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. 
(Fig. 756.) Ad. cf. — Upperparts bluish gray; forehead and front of the head 
narrowly bordered by black; wings edged with grayish, the secondaries bor- 
dered with whitish; outer tail-feathers white, changing gradually until the 
middle ones are black; underparts dull grayish white. Ad. $. — Similar, 
but without the black on the head. L., 4'50; W., 2'05; T., 2'00; B., *40. 
Range. — SE. U. S. Breeds in Austroriparian and Carolinian faunas 
from e. Nebr., and s. parts of Wise., Mich., and Ont., and sw. Pa., Md., and 
s. N. J. s. to s. Tex. and cen. Fla.; winters from s. Tex., Gulf States, and n. 
Fla. to the West Indies and Cen. Am.; casual n. to se. Minn., New Eng- 
land, and N. Y. 
Washington, rather common S. R., Mch. 30-Nov. 23. N. Ohio, common 
S. R., Apl. 20-Sept. 15. Glen Ellyn, not common, S. R., Apl. 22-Aug. 20; 
possibly later. SE. Minn., rare S. R. 
Nest, of tendrils, fine strips of bark, and fine grasses firmly interwoven 
and covered externally with lichens, on a horizontal branch or in a crotch, 
10-60, usually 30 feet up. Eggs, 4-5, bluish white, thickly spotted and 
speckled with cinnamon-, rufous-brown, or umber, '56 x '46. Date, Mt. 
Pleasant, S. C., Apl. 17; Iredell Co., N. C., May 6. 
The Blue-gray Gnatcatcher frequents rather densely foliaged trees, 
generally in the woods, showing a preference for the upper branches. 
He is a bird of strong character, and always seems to me like a minia- 
ture Mockingbird with some of the habits of Kinglets. His exquisitely 
finished song is quite as remarkable as the ordinary performance of his 
large prototype, but is possessed of so little volume as to be inaudible 
unless one is quite near the singer. His characteristic call-note — a 
rather sudden ting , like the twang of a banjo string — can be heard at a 
greater distance. 
66. Family Turdim], Thrushes, Bluebirds, Etc. (Fig. 76.) 
The some six hundred species included in this large family are placed 
by systematists in several subfamilies. About two hundred and forty 
are true Thrushes belonging in the subfamily Turdince, the juvenal 
plumage of which is always more or less spotted. These are distributed 
throughout the world, eighty inhabiting the New World, twelve of 
which are found north of Mexico. Thrushes inhabit wooded regions; 
our species are migratory, and gregarious or sociable to a greater or less 
extent during their migrations and in winter. As songsters, they are 
inferior to some of our birds in power of execution, but their voices are 
possessed of greater sweetness and expression, and they are conceded 
first rank among song birds by all true lovers of bird music. 
KEY TO THE SPECIES 
I. Tail blue, back blue or bluish 760. Bluebird. 
II. Tail not blue. 
1. Tail with white. 
A. Tail black, outer feathers tipped with white . 761. 7616. Robin. 
B. Tail white tipped with black . . 765a. Greenland Wheatear. 
