16 Bird Portraits 
his arrival, by chanting from some low limb his beautiful flute-like 
notes. In the Middle States, it is a common and almost familiar 
bird, building in the gardens even of large towns; but in wilder 
regions, it prefers copses, groves of young trees, and rocky glens, 
particularly if there is a stream near by. By the end of May the 
pair have finished their nest, which resembles that of the Robin, but 
is often composed of less coarse material and is generally placed in 
the fork of a sapling. The birds often take little trouble to conceal 
it, sometimes placing it close to a woodland path, and the passer-by 
becomes aware of its nearness by hearing the harsh, anxious chatter 
of the parents. The four eggs are blue like the Robin's. The Robin 
is, in fact, a near relative of the Thrushes, and the relationship is 
shown not only by the shape of the body and the bill, but by 
the spotted breast which the young Robins assume with their first 
plumage. In the Middle States, this relationship seems to have 
been recognized, as the Wood Thrush is there commonly called the 
Wood Robin. 
While the female is brooding the eggs, the male may be heard 
day after day from some favorite perch, not too near the nest. The 
early morning and the late afternoon are the favorite times for all 
the Thrushes, but on cloudy days or in the cool shades of deep 
woods, they sing all day. Occasionally the song ceases for several 
days. Some calamity has befallen the nest; a squirrel or some 
other marauder has robbed the pair, and there are no more out- 
pourings of joy, till with renewed courage they select some safer 
spot and build again. In midsummer, the Thrushes become very 
silent. Occasionally we come upon a group feeding in the cherry or 
viburnum bushes, but few are seen after August, and by November 
they are in the tropics. Only the nest filled with snow reminds us 
of the pair, whose return in May we await with impatience. 
