BROWN THRUSH. 
21 
GENUS IV. HARPORHYNCHUS. THE CURVE-BILLED THRUSHES. 
Gen. Ch. Bill longer than the head, with both mandibles more or less curved. The sternum differs from that of 
Mimus in having the coracoid bones proportionately longer, and the marginal indentations proportionately deeper. 
HARPORHYNCHUS RUFUS. 
Brown Thrush. Thrasher. 
Harporhynchus rufus Cabanis, Mus. Hein., 1851, 82. 
DESCRIPTION. 
Sp. Ch. Size, large. Tail, long and somewhat graduated. Bill, hut little longer than the head, not slender; 
both mandibles slightly arched, and with the upper considerably carved at the tip. Tongue, rather straight, being but 
little narrower at the tip than in the middle; the end is slightly rounded; in some specimens minutely cleft, and 
always fringed on the tip. Sternum, quite stoutly built. 
Color. Adult in spring. Above, uniform bright rufous; darkest on the rump and lower part of the back, but 
becoming lighter on the crown, while the forehead has a bleached appearance. Beneath, rather dirty white; with 
the breast, sides of the throat, and sides and flanks, covered with triangular spots of dark brown, becoming rufous 
on the sides of the upper parts of the breast; they are generally smaller and more numerous on these parts than on 
others. There is a tinge of buff on the breast, flanks, and under tail coverts. The sides of the neck, the lores, and 
ear coverts are ashy, streaked with dusky. The upper parts of the wings are like the back, excepting the inner webs 
of the secondaries and primaries, which are dusky; this color becomes darker on the outer quills. The two rows of 
coverts are tipped with white, which is narrowly preceded by black, forming two bars. The spurious wings are 
dusky, edged with white on the lower sides. The under portions of the wings are pinkish, excepting the terminal 
portions of the outer primaries, which are dusky. Axillaries and under wing coverts, pale buff; the latter are 
spotted with brown. The upper part of the tail is like the back, with two or three of the outer feathers narrowly 
tipped with yellowish-white. One specimen, now before me, has a single small spot of brown on the centre of each 
of the outer feathers, just above the white of the tips. Bill, dark brown; lighter at the base of the lower mandible. 
Feet, brown. Irides, orange yellow. 
In autumn the colors above are deeper and more uniform; there is also a more reddish suffusion beneath. 
Young, differs from the adult in being much deeper colored above, and in having a generally rufous suffusion 
beneath, especially on the breast. The tertiaries are tipped with white, which is preceded by a dusky band. The 
secondaries are also narrowly edged with whitish. The yellowish-white of the tips of the tail is not as restricted 
and extends over more feathers. 
Nesting plumage, differs from the adult in being paler, especially on the rump. The feathers of the middle of 
the back and lesser wing coverts show darker centres. The spots on the back are narrower and darker. The irides 
are yellowish-white. 
OBSERVATIONS. 
This species differs from all others, in the bright rufous color of the back; except, perhaps, II. longirostris, 
which is probably only a variety of H. rufus. It is distributed throughout the Eastern United States during the 
breeding season, excepting perhaps the more Northern portions. Winters in the Southern States. 
DIMENSIONS. 
Average measurements of twelve specimens.—Length, 11-24; stretch, 13-28; wing, 4-02; tail, 4-86; bill, 1-00; 
tarsus, 1-39. Longest specimen, 11-72; greatest extent of wings, 14-60; greatest length of wing, 4-25; of tail, 4-89; 
of bill, 1-05; of tarsus, 1-40. Shortest specimen, 10-30; smallest extent of wings, 13-25; smallest length of wing, 
3-15; of tail, 4-40; of bill, -95; of tarsus, 1-10. 
DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 
Nests, composed outwardly of dried leaves, weeds, and roots; lined with not very fine roots. They are of 
moderate depth, and well proportioned to the size of the birds. Dimensions.—External diameter, 5 inches; internal, 
3 inches. External depth, 3 inches; internal, 1-50 inches. 
Eggs, four or five in number; pale blue in color, spotted and dotted everywhere with reddish-brown. These 
spots cluster on the larger end, and in some specimens they form rings around it, of varying diameters. Form, 
generally, rather elliptical. Dimensions, from l-00x-75 to lT0x-80. 
HABITS. 
At the commencement of my first campaign in Florida, in December, 1868, we had pitched 
our tent in the pine barrens, about three miles south of Jacksonville. It was a very pretty spot. 
To the northward was an immense plain, covered with a verdant carpet, from which rose the 
