4 SONG THRUSH. 



to swarm in the summer very few will be found in the 

 winter ; the Redwing being, no doubt, often mistaken 

 for him. Seebohm tells us how, on their migration, 

 the inhabitants of Heligoland watch for favourable 

 nights, and it is no unusual thing for several hundreds 

 to be captured in one night in nets set for the purpose. 



The Thrush is a very early riser ; he is one of the 

 first to greet the returning day, and one of the last to 

 cease his evening song. A singularly beautiful song 

 too. Two or three notes whistled and repeated, some- 

 times again and again, as though he were proud of 

 their effect, before he goes on to a fresh strain. 



He is a skulking bird, and like the Blackbird prefers 

 to keep to the thick shrubberies and hedgerows rather 

 than the open. He is very fond of snails. Which 

 of us has not seen a small heap of broken snails' shells 

 on the road, and near at hand a good-sized stone, which 

 has been used by the bird to crack the shells on ? He 

 takes the snail in his beak, and raising his head, brings 

 the shell down upon this stone ; constantly he returns 

 to the same spot with a fresh victim to be offered on 

 the altar ; hence the collection of shells. Sometimes 

 having selected a stone, he mounts into the air with the 

 snail to a considerable height, and then with unerring 

 judgment drops the snail on to it. Although the 

 gardener looks upon him as an enemy and a robber of 

 the cherry orchard, yet the Thrush is a very useful 

 bird in the kitchen garden amongst the cabbages and 

 turnips. He is also very fond of worms and grubs, 

 and his food is always more animal than vegetable. 



The Song Thrush commences to build his nest very 

 early. There is an instance on record of a nest with 

 four eggs being taken on the 6th January, 1853, at 

 Bicester, in Oxfordshire ; but you will be fortunate if 



