THE PERCHING BirDs. 25 
cup of sticks and grass, that has little merit beyond 
strength. 
‘«« The nest of this thrush is nearly as bulky as the robin’s, but gen- 
erally has little or no mud in its composition. It is placed upon the 
horizontal branch of a forest-tree, anywhere from six to forty feet 
above the ground, or in the forks of a sapling. The materials are 
twigs, coarse grasses, and dried leaves,—of which latter, in damp 
situations, there is often a great thickness underneath,—well com- 
bined, and lined with fine roots and grasses.’”,—ERNEST INGERSOLL. 
The early writers appear to have overlooked the 
sociable side of this bird, or else a change has come 
about in its habits during recent years. Nuttall 
speaks of it as “this solitary and retiring songster.” 
As the country has been very much settled up since 
that author wrote, and solitudes are far less exten- 
sive, it might be claimed that the wood-thrush was 
more sociable now from necessity and not choice, 
but I do not think this the case. The bird will 
freely enter villages and remain throughout the 
season. A suitable nesting-place, if found, is very 
likely to be occupied, and all goes well unless the 
singing attracts some inhuman cur, who sets bird- 
lime or trap and captures the unfortunate thrush. I 
have known this to happen and no one willing to 
protest against the outrage. 
Another tuneful thrush is known in New England 
as the ‘‘ Veery.”’ 
“This beautiful singer breeds from the latitude of Pennsylvania 
and Lowa, northward to Quebec, westward along the Upper Missouri, 
and in the valleys of Utah and Colorado. 
“« The veery makes its appearance in New England, from the south, 
early in May, and begins to build during the third week of that 
month ; but in the centre of Maine the date is a fortnight later. At 
Ls 3 
