THE SONG-THRUSH. 215 
the year they are absent altogether, or nearly so. Although the birds 
abound here so plentifully they are not at all gregarious: social they 
may be; yet each seems to confine itself to its own affairs, to fly off alone, 
and apparently to live by itself. By the latter end of January or early in 
February, when the first faint signs of approaching spring are seen, the 
Song-Thrushes are back once more in their old haunts. There can be 
little doubt that they migrate, like the Redwing, in the night; for one day 
not a bird is to be seen in their favourite haunts, but the next their 
mellow varied song fills the air. Instantly upon their arrival they are in 
full song, and pairing begins at once. Heligoland is an excellent post of 
observation for seeing the migration of the Song-Thrush. On the eastern 
end of this interesting little rock are the “throstle-bushes.”? The island 
contains scarcely any trees or shrubs, and is for the most part laid out 
in potato-patches. These ‘ throstle-bushes” are erected by the inhabi- 
tants, and have a net on one side, into which the poor Thrushes are driven 
with lanterns and sticks the imstant they alight. By the side of these 
artificial bushes the Heligolanders watch on favourable nights for the 
arrival of the birds. Aeuckens, the bird-stuffer there, related to me 
with great gusto how, suddenly, a rush and whirl of wings would be heard, 
and, without a moment’s warning, the throstle-bushes would swarm with 
Thrushes, not dropped, but as if shot like an arrow from a bow perpendicu- 
larly down from the invisible heights of mid-air. The number of Thrushes 
thus caught is almost incredible, it being no unusual thing for several 
hundreds to be taken in a single night, thus clearly proving to what 
a very great extent the Song-Thrush is a migratory bird. In our own 
land we suspect the reason this migration has been overlooked is from the 
fact that the birds leave so quietly, and that the Redwings take their place 
and are mistaken for them. 
At feeding-time in early morning and evening the actions of the 
Song-Thrush may be best observed. Watch him hop cautiously from the 
laurels, just venturing a yard or so upon the lawn, and, with body crouching 
low amongst the grass, stand motionless for a few moments as if fearful 
of being discovered so far out in the open. Note well his elegant and 
sprightly form, his neat trim figure, his richly spotted breast, and large 
bright eye, as he sits so wary, yet unconscious of your presence. See 
him at last hop quickly forward and pull out a worm with a jerk from its 
hole in the earth, and swallow it at once. Not a sound escapes him as he 
Lops hither and thither in search of worms, grubs, and snails, or snaps now 
and then at a passing fly. But your careless movements have alarmed 
him; he crouches low and timid for a moment, and then takes himself off 
to the cover whence he came. Although the Song-Thrush does not feed 
on berries so much as the Blackbird or the Fieldfare, still it eats them 
freely in autumn and early spring, especially those of the mountain-ash, 
