is as well defined a genus as any within the .family, and needs not to be degraded to the lower
rank of a sub-genus.”
The Varied Ground-Thrush is a native of North America, and its range is summarized in the
A. O. U. 4 Check-list5 as follows:—“ Pacific coast of North America, from Bering Strait to Southern
California. Accidental on Guadelupe Island, in Lower California, and in New Jersey, Long Island,
and Massachusetts.”
The breeding-range of the species extends from Alaska eastward to the Great Bear Lake and
south to the Columbia River. Mr. E. W. Nelson observes (Nat. Hist. Coll. Alaska, p. 220,1887):—
“ This handsome Thrush ranges north to the Lower Mackenzie River, where it nests. All the
wooded country to the west and south of this, to the shores of Bering Sea, and along the coast of
the North Pacific, south to Washington and Oregon, may be included in its breeding-range, thus
including within its summer habitat both arctic and temperate climates, as well as the very
dissimilar Canadian and North-west coast faunal provinces.”
Mr. Nelson considers the present species “ to be a regular and not rare summer resident in all
the congenial portions of Northern Alaska, even within the Arctic Circle, and undoubtedly it extends
its range as far to the north as Merula migratoria.” He says that he has received specimens from
the interior, north of Kotzebue Sound, as also from the coast-line of the same Sound, and that of
Bering Sea, about the shore of Norton Sound. It arrives about the middle to the 25th of May,
passing, like M. migratoria, directly to its breeding-ground, and returning to the south at the end of
August and during September. Professor Tarleton H. Bean (Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. v. p. 145, 1882)
procured a specimen near the mouth of the Indian River, on the 1st of June, and says that the
species was common in that locality. Messrs. Dali and Bannister (Trans. Chicago Academy, i.
p. 276) record the species from various localities on the south coast of the Alaskan Peninsula, such
as Kodiak Island, Cook’s Inlet, the Admiralty Islands, and Sitka. Prom Kodiak Island Pallas
received specimens from his friend Captain Billings,, who says that, the species nests there and
remains all the winter [which statement may be doubted]. Richardson found the Varied Ground-
Thrush nesting at Port Franklin, on the western shores of Great Bear Lake, in lat. 65° ¡p|.
Specimens in full breeding-plumage obtained by Mr. A. Forrer in Vancouver Island in November
are in the Salvin-Godman Collection, but no record of its nesting there exists. Similar specimens
were procured by J. K. Lord in British Columbia, on the western side of the Rocky Mountains. In
Mr. Frank Chapman’s account of Mr. Clark P. Streator’s collections from British Columbia, we learn
that the last-named naturalist found the species to be “ a common fall and spring migrant.”
Mr. Streator observed it breeding on Mount Lehman (cf. Chapman, Bull. U.S. Nat. Mus. iii. p. 155).
Mr. R. H. Lawrence states that at Gray’s Harbour in Washington Territory the species is resident,
and though most of the birds migrate south in winter, a few remain on the East Humptulips (Auk,
ix. p. 47, 1892). Dr. J. C. Merrill says (Auk, v. p. 365, 18S8) that at Fort Klamath, Oregon, this
Thrush is seldom seen in autumn, but in March it is generally very abundant and tame. He shot
one bird on the 13th of April. According to Mr. C. W. Swallow (Auk, viii. p. 396, 189i) the
present species is common in Clatrop, Co. Oregon, about Astoria and the lowlands in winter,
breeding back in the heavy timber on the hills. He found a nearly completed nest on the 27th of
April, about four feet up in a small hemlock; the locality was on high land and heavily timbered.
Dr. J. G. Cooper, in his paper on the “ Migrations and Nesting-habits of West-coast birds”
(Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. ii. p. 245), records this Thrush as being found in summer from the mouth of
the Columbia River to lat. 65°, and wintering in California. At Santa Cruz (lat. 37°) it arrived in
October and left about the 1st of April. At Haywood (lat. 37° 40') it arrived about the 20th of
October. In his work on the Ornithology of California, the same writer states that he had not
himself seen the species south of the coast-range near Santa Clara, and then no later than April. He
thinks that it is very probable, however, that some breed in the dark evergreen forests towards the
north, as they do near the mouth of the Columbia, though he did not see any about the summits of
the Sierra Nevada in September, at lat. 39° and elevation 7000 feet.
In the Salvin-Godman Collection are specimens from the following localities in California.
Humboldt Bay, Nov. 25 (C. H. Townsend) ; Oakland, Dec. 29 (E. W. Eenshaw) ; Walkers Basin,
Nov. 5 (H. W Eenshaw) ; San Francisco (F. Griieber) ; Nicasio, Marin County, Jan. 4-31 (E .W .
Eenshaw) ; Greenwood Valley, El Dorado County, Dec., Jan. (A. Forrer).
Dr. C. Hart Merriam found it very common in March in the coast-range south of Monterey
(Auk, xi. p. 258, 1894). Mr. Belding, in his “ Notes on the Birds of Central California (Pr. U.S.
Nat. Mus. i. p. 395), writes :—“ Arrives at Stockton in Central California (lat. 38°) about the middle
of November and leaves in March or April. It arrived at Soda Springs (lat. 39° IT, alt. 6000 feet)
on October 1st. It is usually a common winter sojourner of the foot-hills, and also of the valley, in
suitable localities, but I did not find it at Murphy’s from the middle of November to May 1877
(lat. 38° 7', alt. 2400 feet), though in the following November and December it was abundant there.
Dr. A. K. Fisher observes, in his account of the Death Valley Expedition (N. Amer. Fauna,
No. 7, p. 147,1893) :—“ Mr. Bailey saw several Varied Thrushes and secured a specimen at Monterey,
Calif., the first week in October ; he also found it common at Boulder Creek, Santa Cruz County,
and at Auburn, Placer County, during the latter part of the month. Mr. Nelson observed a few in
the lowlands about San Simeon, and found it common from Santa Maria south to Carpenteria and
Santa Paula, where it was particularly numerous among the trees along the streams and in the
canon.”
Xantus obtained the Varied Ground-Thrush at Fort Tejon in November, and a specimen from
Fort Yuma is recorded by Baird in his report on Lieut. Ives’s exploration of the Colorado. This is
apparently the southernmost point of its winter range recorded from the continent of North America ;
but, according to the A.O.U. 4 Check-list,’ it has also been found on the island of Guadelupe.
The species occasionally wanders eastward on migration. Thus Professor Kellogg records
its first occurrence in Kansas (Auk, xi. p. 260), a specimen having been obtained by Mr. H. W.
Menke in Finney County on Oct. 17, 1891. In the Henshaw Collection is a specimen of an
adult male bird procured at Carson, Nevada, by Mr. H. G. Parker. According to Prof. Elliott
Coues (B. Color. Valley, p. 20, 1878), four specimens have been captured in the Eastern United
States, viz., one in New Jersey (Cabot), one at Hoboken, New Jersey (teste Lawrence), one at Islip,
Long Island (teste Lawrence), and one at Ipswich, Mass., in December (Maynard).
Dr. Cooper gives the following notes on the habits of the species as observed by him in
Oregon and Washington Territory:— 44 The Varied Thrush or Western Robin is common during
winter, and I think that a few remain near the coast all summer, as I have seen them in the
dark spruce forests in June and July. They are much more shy and retiring than the Robin
(Merula migratoria), and differ very much in song, which, as I have heard it, consists only of five or
six notes in a minor key, and in a scale regularly descending. It is commonly heard in the tops of
the trees, and in summer only in the densest of forests. In winter they associate with the Robins and
feed much on the ground, sometimes coming around houses in cold weather.” Dr. Suckley continues
with his observations in the same volume :— 44 In winter it is a shy bird, not generally becoming
noticeable in the open districts until after a fall of snow, when many individuals may be seen along
the sand beaches near salt water. They are at such times tame and abundant, at least sufficiently
So for any ordinary shot to obtain a dozen specimens in a forenoon. I suppose they are driven out of
the woods during the heavy snows by hunger. Thè species may frequently be found in company with
the Robin (M. migratoria), with which it has many habits in common. In the winter it is a very
silent bird, quite tame, allowing near approach ; flying when the intruder comes too near, but alightin g
v o l . l . N