1876.] 
253 
AMERICAN AGrRIC ULTURIST. 
The Yaried Thrush—(Myrtle Kobin of 
Oregon). 
and friendliness 
The so-called “robins ” of America are very in¬ 
teresting birds ; their quiet habits, pleasing form 
and plumage, inoffensiveness 
when encouraged, their 
sagacity, and devotion to 
their young, all tend to 
make them acceptable vis¬ 
itors, even though they 
at times may make some¬ 
what free with the ripe 
cherries and other small 
fruits. Undoubtedly they 
do the farmer a valuable 
service, for they are ac¬ 
tive foragers, and the disa¬ 
greeable cut worms and 
grubs furnish a large por¬ 
tion of their diet. The 
Common Robin of the 
eastern and middle part of 
this continent, the Turdus 
migratonus , of the natur¬ 
alists, is the one best 
known to most of our 
readers, but another spe¬ 
cies of more beautifully 
marked plumage, the 
Turdus ncevius, or Varied 
Thrush, is very common 
west of the Rocky Moun¬ 
tains, especially in Ore¬ 
gon, where it is known 
by the popular name of 
“ Myrtle Robin ” from its 
habit of frequenting the low bushes of the Califor¬ 
nia Bay ( Oreodaphne Californicd), which in Oregon 
is called Myrtle. We recently received specimens 
of this bird from Dr. F. S. Matteson, of Coos Co., 
Oregon, a naturalist and taxidermist. The engrav¬ 
ing was made from a specimen of the male bird, 
whose distinguishing marks are the black band en¬ 
tirely across the breast, and the white stripe across 
the extremity of the tail. This species was discov¬ 
ered at Nootka Sound, which borders the extreme 
south-western point of British America on the coast 
of Vancouver’s Island, in 1826, in Captain Cook’s 
third voyage, and it was 
afterwards found by Mr. 
Nuttall to be abundant on 
the western sides of the 
Rocky Mountains. Mr. 
Nuttall noticed that this 
bird was migratory on the 
Columbia River, arriv¬ 
ing from the north about 
October, and spending 
the winter there. Of its 
habits he was able to 
learn very little further 
than that it is found in 
the forest flitting about in 
small flocks, and perch¬ 
ing upon low bushes. It 
is generally silent, shy, 
and difficult of approach, 
and occasionally disap¬ 
pears entirely for a time. 
The male has a black 
bill; the back and poll 
are dark leaden gray; 
the tail feathers rather 
lighter, tipped with 
white; a band of red¬ 
dish-orange exteuds from 
over each eye down the 
sides of the neck; the 
wings are banded with 
reddish-orange, and the throat and breast are of the 
same color, the breast banded entirely across it be¬ 
low the throat with a broad blacldsh-gray stripe ; 
the middle of the abdomeu is white. The length 
from bill to tail is 10 inches. In the female the 
orange-yellow markings are paler, and the upper 
parts are tinged with olive-brown ; the tail feathers 
are margined with dull reddish-brown, and the 
band across the breast is lighter than in the male. 
Of its habits of nesting we are not informed, but 
hope to procure more exact information in this and 
other respects from Dr. Matteson. Occasional 
specimens have been detected on Long Island and 
in other Eastern localities, but these are regarded 
the vakieb thkush. —(Turdus ncevius.) 
as wanderers strayed beyond their ordinary limits, 
although they may possibly become acclimated here. 
The Snow Bunting, 
A few months ago some interest was excited by 
the appearance in the New York city markets, of a 
number of small birds offered for sale, which had 
black wing and tail feathers, but were otherwise 
plucked. These were purchased and served up at 
the tables of one of the restaurants as a delicacy. 
the snow bunting. —(Flectrophanes nivalis.) 
The fact was noted iu the Turf, Field and Farm, a 
journal devoted to field sports, and natural history 
connected therewith,and its notice gave rise to some 
differences of opinion amongst its correspondents, 
as to the scientific name of the bird; and brought 
out some information as to its haunts and habits. 
Having been quite well acquainted with the bird, 
during a residence of some years in the north¬ 
western part of the country, we at once recognized 
it as the “ Snow Bunting,” Plcctrophanes nivalis, of 
Linnseus, or Emberiza nivalis, of Wilson and Nuttall. 
This little bird is common all over the northern 
parts of the continent, and is seen in large flocks 
during the winter time, restlessly flitting hither and 
thither, and most actively 
a short time before the 
sweeping snow storms oc¬ 
cur, that are so common 
to that region. They are 
generally found in the 
open places, upon fences, 
bushes, or on the ground ; 
and during storms, or in 
settled fine weather, they 
disappear in the woods 
and swamps, or appear 
in smaller flocks, or in 
a scattered manner indi¬ 
vidually, in the latter 
case quietly seeking food 
upon the roads, or 
around houses or lum¬ 
berers’ camps. The en¬ 
graving is from a speci¬ 
men of a male bird, 
which has the body gen¬ 
erally white, with the 
wing and tail feathers 
and also the bill black. 
The female has less con¬ 
spicuous markings, and 
her back and head are 
tinged with brown. 
During the winter this 
bird migrates southward, 
and is found in New England and the Middle 
States, sometimes as far south as Kentucky. Un¬ 
fortunately for the peace of this little creature, its 
flesh is remarkably well flavored, and it becomes 
the prey of the hunters, who are enabled by rea¬ 
son of its peculiar habits, to shoot it in large num¬ 
bers. Being very social, and flying closely when in 
flocks, or perching upon fences in long and close 
lines, the gunner rakes them with most destructive 
effect, a discharge of both barrels of a gun some¬ 
times dropping over a hundred birds. They are 
common in the French portion of the Dominion of 
Canada, where the in¬ 
habitants, like their an¬ 
cestors, are more given 
to the consumption of 
small game, than are 
those of British descent. 
To supply the markets, 
they are often trapped in 
large numbers, corn-meal 
or oats being used for a 
bait, and frequently a 
large wire sieve serves 
for the trap. Their food 
consists of seeds, insects, 
and the minute molluscs 
which are found upon the 
shores of sea inlets, lakes, 
or on the banks and bars 
of rivers. A correspond¬ 
ent of the Turf, Field and 
Faiha, who has resided in 
that portion of British 
North America known as 
the Red River Territory, 
where the climate is some¬ 
what similar to that of 
Northern Minnesota, has 
observed them in that 
locality, where they are 
very numerous, and wliere 
the excellent qualities of 
their flesh make them also there the prey of the 
hunter. It is to be hoped that they will not become 
in demand to supply the market, else, from the readi¬ 
ness with which they may be captured, we should 
look for the early extinction of the most agree¬ 
able feathered companion which the northern resi¬ 
dents possess during their long, tedious winters. 
