SONG-THRUSH. 267 



northern countries of Europe, it is known entirely as a 

 summer- just as in the south it is chiefly a winter-visitant, 

 and the birds which remain to breed in the latter seek the 

 higher elevations. Indeed its migrant habits, as already 

 hinted, attract great attention almost all over the continent, 

 and the beginning of the Drosselzug and chasse aux Grives 

 is regarded in many places nearly as the 12th of August and 

 the 1st of September are with us. Mr. Gould, in his ' Birds 

 of Great Britain,' has given a very good account, furnished 

 by Mr. Box, of the tenderie, or mode of snaring Thrushes, 

 practised in the Ardennes, and the subject is treated in great 

 detail by the late Pastor Brehm in his last work (Yogelfang, 

 ii. pp. 162-200). 



The bill is umber-brown, except the base of the lower 

 mandible, which is a paler yellow-brown ; the irides hazel- 

 brown ; the upper part of the head, neck and back, wings, 

 rump and tail above, dark hair-brown ; the outer edges of 

 the primaries and wing-coverts wood-brown ; from the bill to 

 the eye a dark-brown streak, with a lighter brown streak 

 over it ; the eyelids light brown ; the ear-coverts mottled 

 with two shades of brown, with darker tips : the chin white ; 

 the throat, sides of the neck, breast and flanks, ochreous- 

 yellow, spotted with dark brown ; belly, vent and tail- 

 coverts, nearly white, the first with a few well-defined spots 

 of dark brown ; tail reddish-brown beneath ; legs and toes 

 pale brown, claws darker brown. 



The whole length rather less than nine inches. The wing, 

 from the carpal joint to the end of the longest primary, four 

 inches and five-eighths : the second quill rather longer than 

 the fifth ; the third the longest in the wing, but the fourth 

 nearly equals it. 



The female is smaller than the male ; the head and upper 

 part of the neck are lighter ; the white of the breast not so 

 pure, Avith less of the yellow colour ; the breast-spots larger, 

 and not so well defined. 



The back and scapulars in young birds have a pale yel- 

 lowish spot in the middle of each feather, and the smaller 

 wing-coverts streaked with pale brown. 



