VARIED THRUSH.
Turdus nævius, Gmel.
PLATE CCCLXIX. Adult Male.
Of this beautiful Thrush, of which a figure not having the black band running quite across the breast, as is the case in the adult male, is given by Mr Swainson, in the Fauna Boreali-Americana, Dr Richardson speaks as follows:—“This species was discovered at Nootka Sound, in Captain COOK’S third voyage, and male and female specimens, in the possession of Sir Joseph Banks, were described by Latham: Pennant has also described and figured the same male. The specimen represented in this work was procured at Fort Franklin, lat. 65 1/4°, in the spring of 1826. We did not hear its song, nor acquire any information respecting its habits, except that it built its nest in a bush, similar to that of the Merula migratoria. It was not seen by us on the banks of the Saskatchewan; and, as it has not appeared in the list of the Birds of the United States, it most probably does not go far to the eastward of the Rocky Mountains in its migrations north and south. It may perhaps be more common to the westward of that ridge.”
Dr Richardson’s conjecture as to the line of march followed by it has proved to be correct, Dr Townsend and Mr Nuttall having found it abundant on the western sides of the Rocky Mountains. The former of these zealous naturalists informs me that he “first found this Thrush on the Columbia River in the month of October, and that it becomes more numerous in winter, which it spends in that region, though some remove farther south. It there associates with the Common Robin, Turdus migratorius, but possesses a very different note, it being louder, sharper, and quicker than those of the latter, and in the spring, before it sets out for its yet unascertained breeding-place, it warbles very sweetly. It is called Ammeskuk by the Chinooks.”
Mr Nuttall’s notice respecting it is as follows:—“Of this bird, whose manners so entirely resemble those of the Common Robin, we know almost nothing. They probably breed as far north as Nootka, where they were first seen by the naturalists of Cook’s expedition. On the Columbia they are only winter birds of passage, arriving about October, and continuing more or less frequently throughout the winter. At this time they flit through the forest in small flocks, frequenting usually low trees, on which they perch in perfect silence, and are at times very timorous and difficult of approach, having all the shy sagacity of the Robin, and appearing at all times in a very desultory manner.”
The numerous specimens of this Thrush in my possession have enabled me to compare it with Turdus migratorius, and another new Thrush from Chili. On examining the tail, from the shape of which Mr Swainson considers this species allied to our Mocking Bird, I found its form, length, and extent beyond the wings, to correspond almost exactly with those of the tail of our Robin; and, if it proves true that the Varied Thrush forms a nest bedded with mud, it will strengthen my opinion that both these and the Chilian species are as nearly allied as possible, and therefore ought to be considered as true Thrushes, of which, to assume the language of systematic writers, Turdus migratorius is the type in America, whilst Turdus Merula is that of Europe.
The two figures in my plate were taken from adult males shot in spring. You will find a figure of the female in Plate CCCCXXXIII.
Turdus nævius, Gmel. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 817.—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. i. p. 331.
Orpheus meruloides, Thrush-like Mock-bird, Richards. and Swains. Fauna Bor.-Amer. vol. ii. p. 187.
Adult Male, Plate CCCLXIX. Figs. 2, 3.
Bill of moderate length, rather strong, compressed, acute; upper mandible with its dorsal outline slightly arched, the ridge narrow, the sides convex toward the end, the edges sharp, overlapping, destitute of notch, there being in its place an extremely slight sinus, the tip a little declinate; lower mandible with the angle rather long and narrow, the dorsal line very slightly convex, the ridge narrow, the sides erect and convex, the edges sharp and slightly decurved towards the narrow, rather obtuse, tip. Nostrils basal, oblong, half closed by a horny operculum. Head of moderate size, ovate, convex anteriorly; neck rather short, body moderately full. Feet of ordinary length, rather stout; tarsus compressed, anteriorly covered with a long plate and four inferior scutella, posteriorly with two long plates meeting at a very acute angle. Toes rather large, the first strongest, the lateral nearly equal, the third and fourth united as far as the second joint of the latter. Claws rather large, moderately arched, much compressed, acute.
Plumage soft and rather blended. Wings of moderate length, broad, rounded; the first primary extremely short, being about a fifth of the length of the third, which is longest, but scarcely exceeds the fourth; the second four-twelfths shorter than the third. Tail large, rather long, nearly even, of twelve broad rounded feathers.
Bill black, with the basal half of the lower mandible yellow; iris hazel; feet and claws flesh-coloured. The general colour of the upper parts is a deep leaden-grey, darker on the head, the feathers very narrowly margined with brown; the quills and tail-feathers dusky, the outer webs of the latter tinged with grey, and their tips white; the lore dusky; a band of reddish-orange passes from over the fore part of the eye down the side of the neck, and almost meets its fellow on the hind part; two conspicuous bands of the same cross, the wing obliquely being formed of the tips of the first row of small coverts, and those of the secondary coverts; the outer webs of the primary coverts about the middle, a band on the primaries near the base, part of the outer webs towards the end, and the tips of the secondaries, also pale reddish-orange. The lower parts in general are reddish-orange, paler behind; a band of greyish-black passes down the side, and crosses the lower part of the neck, where it is almost pure black; the feathers of the sides are tipped with light grey; those of the middle of the abdomen are white; and the lower tail-coverts are tipped with the latter colour. The axillary feathers are white, tipped with grey; the smaller coverts grey, tipped with reddish-white, the primary coverts grey, the secondary nearly white, of which also there is a bar formed by part of the inner webs of the quills.
Length to end of tail 10 1/4 inches; wing from flexure 5 1/4; tail 3 10/12; bill along the ridge 10/12, along the edge of lower mandible 1 1 1/2/12; tarsus 1 1/4; hind toe 5 1/2/12, its claw 5 1/2/12; middle toe 10 1/2/12, its claw 4/12.
Adult Female. Plate CCCCXXXIII. Fig. 6.
The female, which is scarcely smaller than the male, is coloured in the same manner; but the upper parts are strongly tinged with olive-brown; the reddish-orange bands are much paler, the tail-feathers are margined with dull reddish-brown; the band on the lore, down the sides of the neck, and across it, is light greyish-brown; the orange tint of the lower parts is much paler; the lower wing-coverts have no tinge of red, and part of the breast and abdomen is nearly pure white.
Length to end of tail 10 inches; wing from flexure 5 2/12; tail 3 8/12; bill along the ridge 10/12; tarsus 1 1/4; middle toe and claw 1 3/12.
The plant represented on the plate is the American Mistletoe, Viscum verticillatum, on the berries of which several of our Thrushes occasionally feed, as the Mistle thrush, Turdus viscivorus, is said to do on those of Viscum album. It is found in almost every part of the United States, growing chiefly on oaks and apple-trees.