BRITAIN'S BIRDS AND THEIR NESTS. 307 



Family, TIJRDIDJE (Thrushes, Warblers, &c.) ; 

 Subfamily, TURDIN^ (Thrushes). 



THE SONG-THRUSH, OR MAVIS 



(Turdus musicus). 

 Plate 112. 



Just as the Order Passeres covers a disproportionate 

 number of our common British birds, the family Turdidae 

 includes a very large proportion of the members of that 

 Order. As far as our avifauna is concerned, the family 

 comprises three subfamilies : Thrushes, Warblers, and 

 Accentors, the two former very abundantly represented, 

 the last containing only one indigenous species. The 

 commonness and importance of so many of the members 

 of the family render it necessary to give a score of 

 plates ; but, with the exception of two or three birds 

 which we shall select as types, they may all be dismissed 

 with a very brief description. 



The Thnish subfamily includes the Robins, the Chats, 

 and the typical genus. Of the last, the Song-Thrush — 

 usually called simply ' the Thrush,' or designated by its 

 well-known popular name the ' Mavis ' — is the most con- 

 venient type for our purpose. It is scarcely necessaiy to 

 remind our readers of its chief characteristics. 



The spotted marking of the under-parts of this bird 

 is very characteristic of the group, for all the members 

 of the family show this feature in their first plumage, 

 although most of them do not have it when mature. 

 Many species of the typical genus, however, keep it 

 throughout life, and may therefore be regarded as forming 



