Mammifeivus Animals^ Bird^. 241 



ing within reach, pounced upon his prey, and succeeded in 

 grasping it with his teeth ; this, however, he could not have 

 done without considerable tact and difficulty, as the floundering 

 resistance of a five-pounds'-weight pike must have lasted some 

 time, and been very powerful. — E. S., F.L.S. [For notes 

 on other habits of the fox, see p. 1 34.] 



Birds. — The small dar^ brown Thrush notijiedby I^.Z^. (p. 1 44., 

 and previously) ; with some Remarks on the British Thrushes, — 

 " It is much to be wished," as the Rev.W.T. Bree has observed 

 (p. 75.), " that W. L. had procured a specimen of his thrush, 

 in order to put the point beyond dispute ; " for, until this is 

 done, it seems somewhat premature to pronounce it a distinct 

 species. The common song thrush varies in size very con- 

 siderably, and in the number of black spots upon the breast. 

 Of two males now before me, both in tolerably good condition, 

 one weighs 2 J oz., and the other but 2 oz. The former of 

 these has remarkably few black spots on the under parts ; 

 whereas, some that I have seen have been so thickly studded 

 that the ear -coverts have appeared wholly black. Lewin and 

 others have even described, as a distinct species, what they 

 call " the heath thrush ; " which now is, I believe, universally 

 admitted to be merely a small variety of the Turdus musicus. 

 I must be pardoned, therefore, for still entertaining doubts as 

 to W. L.'s thrush being an undescribed species ; first, because 

 I know that the common song thrush (to which it seems so 

 closely to approximate) varies in size very much ; secondly, 

 because the song thrush may often be observed upon the 

 wildest heaths, and, in .such situations, is generally small; 

 and, thirdly, because so common a bird as that of W. L. 

 appears to be, if really distinct, could not well have escaped 

 the ken of the many experienced practical naturalists who 

 have visited the parts it inhabits, seemingly so plentifully. 

 However, I hope that W. L. will soon succeed in obtaining 

 some specimens of his thrush, that he will actually compare 

 it with the song thrush, and favour Mr. Loudon's readers with 

 a minute description of its characters, that the matter may at 

 once be satisfactorily set at rest, without farther cavil. 



That the first notice of it (VI. 218.) referred merely to the 

 redwing, was the opinion of many persons besides myself (VI, 

 516.), and was strengthened by the fact of no allusion having 

 been made to this species ; although its manners, as observed 

 in the south of England, were pretty accurately portrayed : 

 and which bird it further seemed to resemble in size. The 

 redwing, it may be remarked, resembles much more the song 

 thrush, in colour and general appearance, than it does thg 

 Vol. VII, — No. 39. r 



