GEOGRAPHICAL SURVEYS WEST OF 100TH MERIDIAN. 285 
Habits .—As the result of my own observations I can add but few details respecting 
the habits of the varied thrush. In the fall it is not a bird of the 'open, but ap¬ 
pears to pass most of the time in the dense evergreen woods, where it obtains 
from amongst the low shrubbery various kinds of berries, which evidently form its 
chief ftfre at this season. Under my observation it bore out its ascribed character 
of being a rather shy and suspicious bird, and it was only upon occasions that I 
succeeded in pushing my acquaintanceship to close quarters. While making my 
way along the innumerable old wood-roads and tangled bridle-paths that intersect 
the pineries in all directions—relics of the woodchopper aud lumberman—unsuspected, 
I frequently came upon small flocks of these thrushes. The alarm-note is a single 
loud chuck, frequently repeated, and is very similar to that of the small olive-backed 
thrushes, but much louder. A very few moments upon such occasions sufficed to 
see the baud dispersed in alarm, aud each seeking a safe position towards the tops 
of the tall, thick tirs and spruces, in which they invariably took shelter. Altogether 
there is much in the habits and notes of the species that is suggestive of the smaller 
members of the geuus, and it certainly resembles them in more particulars than does 
the robin. Still its size, its gregarious disposition, and its partiality for berries, nat¬ 
urally cause it to be associated in thought with the robin. 
I saw many nests in the crotches of the small tirs and upon brushy saplings that, 
under casual notice, much resembled the usual structure of the robin, but some of 
which were probably constructed by the varied thrush. Not recalling to mind at the 
time how readily identifiable the nest of this species is—constructed without mud—I 
neglected to examine these structures critically. That more or less remain to breed in 
the dense forests along the Columbia seems in the highest degree probable, aud, in fact, 
I was informed by lumbermen that both “robins” remained all summer. 
T. pallasi auduboni (Baird). Audubon’s Hermit Thrush: 
During the past summer the important fact was ascertained that this form of the 
hermit thrush, instead of being strictly limited to the Rocky Mountains, as has hith¬ 
erto been assumed, crosses the basin and breeds along the eastern slope of the Sierras. 
During the summer of 1877 I heard, in several of the subalpine valleys of Northeastern 
California, what were without doubt the Audubon’s thrushes, but failed to secure 
specimens. Here they were evidently not very numerous; but in the mountains back 
of Camp Bidwell, the succeeding season, the same thrush was heard, and this time was 
satisfactorily identified by shooting the bird. They were here very abundant, aud at 
this date, July 19, the pine woods were filled by the sweet music of the males. 
T. palla&i (juttatus Pall. Dwarf Hermit Thrush. 
The dwarf thrush appears to occur along the eastern slope, as it does in the Rocky 
Mountains, only as a migrant, and as such perhaps only in the fall. By the last of 
August it was found numerous along the foot-hills of the Cascade Range of Oregon. 
I consider it very probable that the southern breeding limit of this form will eventu¬ 
ally be found to include the mountains of Oregou, upon their western slope ; but we 
have no facts of observation to fully bear out such a conjecture. 
MYIADESTINiE—Fly-catching Thrushes. 
Myiadestes Swainson. 
M. toivnsendi tAud.). Townsend’s Fly-catching Thrush. 
This bird was found by our party to be very abundant in the Deschutes Basin in 
September, where, too, it was reported by Dr. Newberry in 1860. In fact, I have never 
seen the bird congregated in such numbers over so wide an area as here. In fall aud win¬ 
ter it appears to be generally dispersed over much of the country adjoining the eastern 
slope, where in summer it appears to be almost entirely absent. During the summer 
of 1877 I saw but a single individual in the mountains of Eastern California, although 
the condition of this individual, a male, indicated that it was mated and breeding, so 
that it is to be presumed that the multitudes that throng here in fall localize them¬ 
selves in some favorable section during the breeding period. 
The localities affected by them in Oregou in fall are almost exactly similar to their 
range in New Mexico, Utah, &c., a fact which sufficiently establishes their natural 
predilections. It is as desolate a type of country as one cau well imagine, being cov¬ 
ered everywhere with volcanic debris, which is thrown up in the shape of low hills or 
scattered broadcast over the general expanse as though the uusightly blocks had 
rained down. Ravines with their rocky ridges scar and seam the country in every 
direction, while an almost total absence of vegetation, except in the shape of dwarf 
cedars or stunted pinons, renders such a region a desert indeed. Of such a nature is 
the country to the south and west of Priueville, Oregon, and here a day’s march along 
the road revealed many hundreds of these fly-catching thrushes. 
