Specimens from Oregon -are in the Henshaw Collection, from Des Chutes River and Crooked River,
procured in September. Dr; Merrill noticed the species at Fort Klamath in April, when it was
migrating northward.
A large series of Californian specimens is in the Salvin-Godman Collection in the British Museum,
mostly from the Henshaw Collection, the exact localities being as follows :j= Mount Whitney (Oct.),
San Francisco (Sept. 4), Santa Clara, Nicasio (Jan., Nov.), Los Alamos (Nov. 2), Oakland (Nov.—
March), Ballina, San Diego Co. (Jan.—March), San Bernardino (Nov.—Jan.), Monterey (Oct. 6),
Greenwood, Eldorado Co. Mr. Townsend says that the species breeds on Mount Shasta, from
300 to 4000 feet (Proc. U S. Nat. Mus. x. p. 287). Mr. Belding says that it is probably a constant
resident at Stockton in Central California (San Joaquin Co»-, lat. 38°); it is common in winter and has
been seen as late as the 8th o f June. It was abundant at Murphy’s in Calaveras Co. (lat. 38° T) in
winter, leaving in April. It seems to be very rare in the sierras in summer, as it was not noticed
at Big Trees, in the pine-region, though two or three were observed at Soda Springs, in the upper
pine-region, in September (Proc. TJ.S. Nat. Mus. i. p. 396). Dr. Cooper records it from Camp,
Mojave (lat. 35°), leaving about the 1st of April. At Saticoy (lat. 34° 27') it arrived on the 5th of
November, and at Heywood (lat. 37°) it. arrived on the 12th of October, leaving on the 1st of May
(Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. ii. p. 245). In the account of the Death Valley Expedition, Dr. A. K. Fisher
w r i t e s “ The Dwarf Thrush was only seen during migration. Several were seen in Johnson Canon,
in the Panamint Range, California, where a specimen was secured on the 28th of March. In the Argus
Range it was not uncommon in Shepherd Canon in the last week of April, and at Maturango Spring
one was secured on the 8th of May. Mr. Dutcher shot another at Big Cottonwood Meadows on
September 11, which was probably a migrant, as the summer resident was T. auduboni. Mr. Bailey
found the Dwarf Thrush common at Monterey on the 1st of October, and Mr. Nelson observed it
abundantly in the vicinity of San Luis Obispo on the last of that month, and along the route from San
Simeon to Carpenteria and Santa Paula in November and December” (N. Amer. Fauna, no. 7, p. 145).
The Dwarf Thrush winters in Lower California, where it was found by Xantus at Cape St. Lucas
(Ridgway, Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. iii. p. 533). From Colorado it is recorded by Mr. Sprague, a
specimen having been shot “ at Magnolia, a small mining town some eight miles west of Boulder,
this being the first record for the State.” In Arizona the species has been obtained from near Tuczon
in April by Mr. Brewster (Bull. Nutt. Om. Club, vii. p. 67). Mr. Scott says that it is a common winter
resident in the Cataline region of Arizona, at an altitude of 4500 fe e t; it was observed from October
27th to March 14th. Mr. Henshaw has obtained specimens in the Santa Fe Mountains in New
Mexico in October, but he says that it is rare there and only a few were noticed in autumn (Auk, ii.
p. 330). In the south-western part of the State Mr. Anthony found a few in the hills till late in
May (Auk, ix. p. 369). Mr. N. C. Brown records the species from Leon Springs in S.W. Texas in
March (Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, vii. p. 34); and Mr. Lloyd writes (Auk, iv. p. 298):—“ It is a tolerably
common fall migrant in Western Texas, noticed from September 2.0 to October 10—occurring at least
to Fort Stockton, crossing the plains.” At San Antonio Mr. Attwater found it to be a tolerably
common migrant, and it was observed from February to April (Auk, ix. p. 344).
The following notes on T. aonalaschJcce are taken from Baird, Brewer, and Ridgway’s
‘ History of North American Birds ’ :—
“ Dr. Cooper, in his ‘ Report on the Birds of California,’ describes it as shy and timid, preferring
dark and shady thickets, feeding chiefly on the ground, running rapidly, and searching for insects
among the leaves.
“ Near San Diego they began to sing about the 25th of April. The song, consisting of a few
low ringing notes, resembles that of Wilson’s Thrush (T. fuscescens) and also that of T. tistulatus, but
is not so loud. Their note of alarm is a loud and ringing chirp, repeated and answered by others at
a long distance.
“ At Santa Cruz, on the 1st of June, Dr. Cooper met with several of their nests, which, though
probably erroneously, he supposed to belong to the Dwarf Hermit-Thrush. They were all built in
thickets under the.shade ofcottonwood-trees. Each nest was about five feet from the ground, and all
contained eggs, from two to four in number, in differing stages of incubation. The nests were built
of dry leaves, roots, fibres, grasses, and bark, without any mud, and were lined with decayed leaves.
Their height and external diameter measured 4 inches. The diameter of the cavity was 2J inches
and the depth 2 |. The eggs measured *90 by *70 of an inch. They are of a pale bluish-green,
speckled with cinnamon-brown, chiefly at the larger end.
“ The nest, supposed to be of this species, supplied by Dr. Cooper, is large for the bird; constructed
of a base loosely made up of mosses, lichens, and coarse fibres of plants. It is a strong and
compact structure of matted leaves, put together when in a moist and decaying condition; with these
there are interwoven roots, twigs, and strong fibres, surrounding the nest with a stout band and strengthening
the rim. In fact, it corresponds so well—as do the eggs also—with those of T. ustulatus, that
it is extremely probable that they really belong to that species. The only observable difference is the
absence of the Hypnum mosses characteristic of the northern T. ustulatus. The fact that this Thrush
builds its nest above the ground and lays spotted eggs, if verified, would at once warrant our giving
it independent rank as a species, instead of considering it as a local race of T. pallasi.”
Turdus aonalaschJcce is a small form of T. pallasi, with a slenderer bill. It is also of a darker
reddish-brown colour above, and the upper tail-coverts and tail are ferruginous-brown, not very
different in tint from the tail of T. pallasi. It is darker than that species on the sides of the body,
which are deep ashy-grey or mouse-brown. The under wing-coverts, however, are much darker than
in T. pallasi, and are nearly uniform ashy-brown like the axillaries and flanks; the axillaries
are white near the base. The spotting on the throat is larger than in T. pallasi, and frequently clouds
the whole throat and chest, while the spots on the breast are larger and much more pronounced.
The adult male measures:—Total length 6-3 inches, culmen 0*6, wing 3'5, tail 2*65, tarsus 1 2 .
The adult female measures:—Total length 6T inches, wing 3-6. “ Bill dark brown, yellowish at base
of lower mandible; feet pale brownish ; iris brown” (W. Brewster).
Mr. Seebohm did not figure this race. [R. B; S.] ✓
YOL. I.