THE OREGON NATURALIST. 59 



THE IMPORTED AND ACCLIMATED ance. The song-th.ush builds by preference 

 GERMAN SONG BIRDS IN OREGON. near water. It is eight inches and a half in 



length, of vvliich the tail measures three 



BY C. F. PFLUGER. incheS and a half. The beak is nine lines 



THESONG TURVSB, {Turi/us musicus, Throstle long, horn brown, except the half of the 



or marvis, die Singdrossel). lower mandible, nearest the root, which is 



Of these lovely and useful song-birds, 35 yellow. The iris is nut-brown; the feet, 

 pairs were introduced into Oregon in 1889 and one inch in height, have a pale lead color, 

 1892, and since that time they have increased All the upper part of the body is olive-brown; 

 remarkably well. the throat whitish yellow, with a black stripe 



The song-thrush is a well-known bird down each side; the sides of the neck and 

 throughout Europe, and frequents woods near and its breast, light reddish yellow, covered 

 streams and meadows, and is one of those with numerous dark brown heart-shaped .spots, 

 birds which, whether in a state of liberty or The belly is white, with dark brown oval 

 confinement, may always be listened to by spots. Both rows of the larger wing coverts 

 the lover of melody with gratification. It is have triangular orange spots on the tips, the 

 the finest of the imported singing-birds, not inner coverts are light orange; the pen 

 only for the sweetness and the great variety feathers greyish brown, as are also the tail 

 of its notes, but for the long continuance of feathers, the outermost of which are edged 

 them, as it delights us with its song for two- with white on the external plume. In the 

 thirds of the year. female several little streaks are substituted 



It migrates south about the middle of Sep- for the black Imes on the throat; the breast 

 tember, and it returns about the first of is a pale whitish yellow, and the orange tips 

 March, when every male may be found of the wing coverts are not so large as in 

 singing his spring song, peiched on the same the male, 

 tree from which he sang the year before. The song-thrush is a great enlivener of 



Its food consists principally of worms, the woods — announcing from the highest trees 

 with which they feed their young, and the arrival of spring by its varied and beautiful 

 various flying and creeping insects, larvae song, and continuing its melody throughout 

 and caterpillars, is very partial to snails and the summer. It is especially fond of singing 

 is also fond of berries like all other birds, in the morning and evening twilight. Am- 



The song-thrush prefers 10 build its nest ateurs prize it chiefly on account of its 

 on small pine or fir trees, or on oaks, pear charming song, which, as early as February, 

 and apple trees. The nest is large and is at times is heard in such sonorous and 

 constructed of various kinds of lichen, mixed melodious strains as to delight the whole 

 with earth, loam or cow dung. The female neighborhood. 



lays twice a year, from three to six greenish The naturalists have oftentimes called at- 

 eggs, covered with blackish brown spots, tention to the circumstance that thrushes 

 The first brood is usually fledged about the render great service to men by destroying 

 middle or end of April. On the upper part vast numbers of snails and injurious insects 

 of the body the young have a spotty appear- and their larvae. 



