This bird 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. 65J°,
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 lists 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.—R.
DESCRIPTION
Of a specimen killed at Fort Franklin, lat. 65 l°, in May, 1826.
Colour of the-dorsal aspect blackish-grey; the head, sides of the neck, and an imperfect
belt across the breast, are pitch-black. The blackish auricular feathers are encircled by a
narrow stripe of reddish-orange, which commences on the posterior part of the upper eyelid.
The tail is greyish-black, the inner webs of its feathers being blackish-brown ; there is a large
white spot on the tip of the inner web of the outer feather, and brownish-white spots on the tips
of all the other feathers, the spots being less, however, the nearer they are to the middle of the
tail, and the central feathers having merely a minute brownish speck on their tips. The quill
feathers, greater coverts, and the adjoining row of lesser coverts, are liver-brown ; two rather
broad bands of pale reddish-orange cross the wings on the tips of the two last-mentioned sets
of feathers. There is also a conspicuous patch of the same colour on the primaries, near
their quills, and a smaller one about half way to their tips. The primary coverts and their
secondaries are likewise edged with the orange, but more narrowly. The tertiaries are slightly
tipped with white.
Under surface.—The chin, throat, and belly are reddish-orange ; the vent feathers white,
and the under tail coverts are blackish-grey, edged with orange, and largely tipped with white.
The flanks and axillary feathers are bluish-grey. The wing-linings are white and lead-grey,
slightly marked with orange; and the insides of the quill feathers are lead-grey, with a
broad whitish band on their bases, and on the tips of the greater inner coverts. The bill is
black, pale-yellow at the base of the under mandible. Legs flesh-coloured.
Form.—Bill straight, compressed, more slender than that of Merula migratoria, but otherwise
bearing a strong general resemblance to it. Cutting margin of the upper mandible
slightly and gradually curved towards its point, without a notch. Rictus bristled. The
wings fall an inch and a half short of the end of the tail; they approach those of Merula
migratoria in form, being much longer and more pointed than those of Orpheus felivox.
The first (or spurious quill feather) is very short (three-quarters of an inch) ; the fourth is
the longest; the third and fifth nearly equal it; the second is about five lines shorter than
the fourth; and the sixth about as much shorter than the second; the fifth and sixth are wide
apart (three-quarters of an inch) ; the following ones diminish in succession about a quarter
of an inch each; the outer webs of the third, fourth, and fifth are pretty strongly notched.
The tail appears to be slightly rounded, the outer feathers being a line or two shorter than the
others ; the two central ones are a quarter of an inch shorter, but they appear to be not yet
fully grown. Tarsus considerably longer than the middle claw ; hind toe shortest and most
robust; inner toe a little shorter than the outer one; the base of the latter is very shortly
connected with the middle one.
Inches.
Length from the tip of the bill to the end of
Dimensions.
lines.
Length of the tarsus . 1
Lines
3
the tail . . . . . 9 9 ,, of the middle toe . . 0 10*
,, of the tail . . . . 3 6 „ of its claw . . 0 4
„ of the folded wing . . . 4 11 ,, of the hind toe . . . 0 6 „ of the bill measured along its ridge 0
10
„ of its claw . 0 „ of the bill from the angle of the mouth 1
u
4è
[42.] 2. O rpheus rufus. (Swainson.) Fox-coloured Mock-bird.
Ge n u s , Orpheus. Sw ain so n . Zool. Joum., iii., p. 167.
Fox-coloured Thrush. Ca t e s b v . Carol., i., p. 28.
Ferruginous Thrush. P enn. Arct. Zool., ii., p. 335.
Turdus rufus. L a t h . Ind., i., p. 338, sp. 44.
Ferruginous Thrush (Turdus rufus.) W i l s o n , ii., p. 8 3 , and pi. 1 4 , f. 1 , (Brown Thrush.)
Turdus rufus. V i e i l ., Ois. de VAm., ii., pi. 59, p. 54. B o na p. Syn^ p. 75» No. 93.
This well-known songster has obtained a variety of local names, snch as
the “ Ground Mocking-bird,” “ French Mocking-bird,” “ Brown Thrush,” and
“ Thrasher,” in the United States. It was seen by the Expedition only at Carlton
House; and as it does not enter into Mr. Hutchins’ pretty full list of the birds of
Hudson’s Bay, it is probable that it does not extend its range beyond the fifty-
fourth parallel of latitude. It winters in the southern parts of the United States,
arrives in Pennsylvania about the middle of April, and breeds throughout the