The early ornithologists were rather mixed as to the identity of the Hermit, Gray-cheeked, and Olive-backed Thrushes. Samuels calls the latter the least common of New England Thrushes, while Nuttall confused the Hermit with the Wood Thrush.
The Olive-backed Thrush comes quite freely to the gar-den, rather early in the spring migration, at. the time when the other migratory Thrushes and northern-breeding Sparrows appear, and hops about quite sociably, but seldom gives any other sound than its liquid call note. Its identification is easy, owing to the even olive colour of its back, and it entirely lacks the tawny warmth of its kin. This colour difference of the Thrushes is tritely summed up on page 60 of Stearns & Coues's "New England Bird-life": The Wood Thrush is tawny, turning to olive on the rump. The Hermit is olive, turning to tawny on the rump. The Olive-back is entirely olive. The Veery is entirely tawny." When seen feeding with the Wood Thrush along the garden edges, this colour difference appealed to me very plainly, as well as the greater slimness of the Olive-back.
Mr. Nehrling says that this Thrush, in company with the Veery and Wood Thrush, is killed in great hordes, by the miserable pot-hunters. about New Orleans, on its return in the fall migration; so that even sober plumage is no protection, and the fact that our country is not wholly birdless goes far to prove the wonderful power that Nature uses in her struggle with the destructive side of man.
Hermit Thrush: Turdus aonalaschke pallasii.
Plate 8. Fig. 1.
Length: 7-7.25 inches.
Male and Female: Above olive-brown, reddening on the rump. Yellowish eye ring. Throat, sides of neck, and breast washed with buff and thickly sprinkled with brown arrowheads growing larger on belly. Under parts white. Bill blackish above, lower mandible light; feet light brown.
Song: Flute-like, ascending. "O spheral, spheral! O holy, holy ! 0 clear away, clear away 1 O clear up, clear up! " (Burroughs.)
Season: Comes in the migrations before other northern Thrushes.
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