Illustrations of the Birds of California, Texas, Oregon, British and Russian AmericaCassin, John
Science
Illustrations of the Birds of California, Texas, Oregon, British and Russian America
Cassin, John
Birds -- North America
Colors. Female (Plate XLI., upper figure), entire upper parts dark
brown, with a purplish bronzed lustre, especially on the wings; plumage
of the head and neck behind, and some feathers on the back edged and
tipped with yellowish white; upper tail-coverts yellowish white, with
transverse bars of brown; tail above brownish cinereous, and having
about ten narrow bands of brownish black, and tipped with white; under
parts pale yellowish white or fawn color, with a few sagittate spots of
brown on the sides, and a stripe of dark brown running downwards on each
side from the corners of the mouth; cere, legs, and irides yellow.
Younger? (Plate XLI., lower figure.) Upper parts very dark brown or
nearly black, with a purplish lustre; under parts with almost every
feather having a large spot of brownish black, which color predominates
on the breast, presenting a nearly uniform color with the upper parts;
throat with narrow stripes of the same color; flanks and inferior
wing-coverts with circular and oval spots of white; tibiæ dark brown,
with transverse bars and circular and oval spots of reddish white; upper
tail-coverts reddish white, with their outer edges brown, and with
transverse stripes of the same; under tail-coverts yellowish white, with
transverse stripes of brown; forehead white; cheeks yellowish white;
stripes from the corners of the mouth wide and conspicuous. Sex unknown.
Hab. Wisconsin (Dr. Hoy, Rev. Mr. Barry, Mr. Dudley); Utah Territory
(Lieut. Beckwith). Spec. in Nat. Mus., Washington, and Mus. Acad.,
Philadelphia.
Obs. This bird does not intimately resemble any other of the American
Falconidæ at present known, and is a well marked species, especially in
the plumage above described as probably the younger. In this the nearly
uniform brownish black breast and large spots of the same color on the
other under parts are strongly characteristic. The plumage of the first
described above bears some resemblance to the young of _Buteo lineatus_,
and also to the young of _Buteo pennsylvanicus_, but not sufficient to
require especial consideration.
To us it is a point of high interest that the present bird bears the
name of one with whom our relations have been intimate and of the most
pleasant character almost since boyhood. One who is a most competent and
efficient officer of the first Institution in America for the diffusion
of knowledge—one who has gained a rank amongst the first American
zoologists; and better, no man lives who is more conscientious in the
discharge of his duties, more respectful of all that renders life
agreeable, or more faithful in his friendships, than Spencer F. Baird,
of the Smithsonian Institution.
TOXOSTOMA REDIVIVA.—(Gambel.)
The Curved-billed Thrush.
PLATE XLII. Adult Male.
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