SONG THRUSH. I37 



habits of our native birds, has favoured me with the following, 

 having reference to the present species : 



" Boghead, 16th December, 1887.— In Mr Mudie's Fea- 

 thered Tribes of the British Islands, a work published so re- 

 cently as 1834, I was astonished at finding the following noti- 

 fication with respect to this bird : — " When collecting food 

 for their young, the birds carry it not in the bill but in the 

 stomach." If in England the Thrushes carry food to their 

 young in their stomachs, I can affirm that in this neighbour- 

 hood they are not accustomed to do so. 



" At the distance of nine feet from a Thrush"'s nest, which was 

 built in an old wall, I erected a hut with some branches of spruce 

 and Scotch fir, and toolf possession of it on the morning of 

 Thursday the 8th of June 1837, at a quarter past one o'clock, 

 for the purpose of making observations on the habits of these 

 birds. At half-past two o'clock they commenced feeding their 

 brood. From that time until four o'clock they fed them four- 

 teen times. From four to half-past five o'clock they fed them 

 twenty-two times. As one of the young birds was dressing its 

 feathers, it lost its balance, and fell on the ground. No sooner 

 did the old ones perceive it, than they set up the most doleful 

 lamentations. I replaced it in the nest. Having seen me re- 

 turn to my retreat, they would not feed their young until I 

 came out. I accordingly went home for my boy, who, after I 

 had gone in again, carefully concealed the entrance. His de- 

 parture attracted their notice, for, after having followed him to 

 a considerable distance, they returned, and without suspicion 

 commenced their labour. From half-past five until seven 

 o'clock they fed them twenty-four times. From seven to 

 eight o'clock they fed them sixteen times, and from eight to 

 nine o'clock eleven times. By this time I was so benumbed 

 with cold, for it blew boisterously from the east, and tired with 

 remaining in the same posture, that had I not on the preceding 

 evening made a resolution to continue my task, as the birds 

 were ripe, I would in all probability have relinquished it. I 

 was also annoyed by the visitation of Morpheus, who again and 

 again closed my eyelids, and nearly lulled me into repose. 

 Between nine and ten o'clock I kept them out of their nest, to 



