SONG-THRUSH 7 



by the side of a path through a small wood ; the nest 

 was on a line with the face of the passer-by, and it was 

 almost impossible to pass it without seeing the young 

 ones. Another nest containing five young birds just able 

 to fly (May 25) was placed in an old farze-bush about 

 4 feet from the ground, and formed a very pretty picture, 

 with the fine marking of the breasts and bright eyes of 

 the young birds. 



In Boys' Birds of Sandicich, 1792, this bird appears 

 under the name of " Throstle." In 1844 the Eev. J. 

 Pemberton Bartlett says these " heralds of approaching 

 spring are abundant in Kent." Mr. C. Collingwood, in 

 his notes on the Birds of the Neighbourhood of Black- 

 heath, states that the Thrush commences to sing on 

 February 5, and recommenced to sing on October 19. 

 The Song-Thrush may be heard during warm days 

 throughout the winter. We gather from the MS. notes 

 left by Mr. H. Lamb, that the Thrush is very numerous 

 and breeds in the Maidstone district, and sings nearly 

 all the winter in the town gardens during mild weather. 

 In the autumn of 1879 he saw this bird eating yew 

 berries in Ulcombe churchyard. The Kev. C. H. Fielding 

 says it is found in the Higham district, and resident 

 all the year in Kent, and that it is a resident all the 

 year in the Mailing valley. It is distributed over the 

 whole of Komney Marsh down to Dungeness. Accord- 

 ing to Mr. Walter Prentis, of Kainham, " The Song- 

 Thrush begins to warble forth its charming song at 

 the beginning of February, and enlivens us at bright 

 intervals throughout the month." It is also plentiful, 

 Captain J. D. Cameron tells us, in the Bethersden dis- 

 trict. Mr. T. Hepburn found it "nesting in the patches 

 on the beach at Dungeness." In the Orlestone district 



