MISSEL THRUSH. 



117 



Snh-Fainily II. 

 THE THRUSHES PROPER. TURBINE. 



General Characteristics.— Bill moderate, compressed at the point, upper man- 

 dible notched and bending over the lower one; gape furnished with a few bristles; 

 nostrils basal, lateral, oval, partly covered with a naked membrane ; tarsus longer 

 than the middle toe ; wings and tail moderate, first primary very short or almost 

 abortive, second shorter than the third or fourth, which are the longest. 



Fig. 62.— The Missel Thrush i^l'iiraui viscivoms) 



The true Thrushes are inferior to the shrikes in the structure of 

 their bill, which is much less toothed ; their feet, however, are 

 stronger, and as much adapted for walking as for perching. The 

 blackbird and the fieldfare are familiar examples of this perfec- 

 tion of structure. They make their way upon the ground, on 

 trees, or in the air, with equal facility. The form of their bill 

 shows a superior adaptation for general purposes : the notch near 

 the point is much slighter than in the shrikes, yet it is sufficient 

 to enable them to retain a firm hold of their prey, while the 

 superior length of the beak enables them to obtain food beneath 

 the surface of the soil. Thus we see them accompanying the crows 

 during autumn, in large flocks, spread over new-ploughed fields, 

 and traversing the ground in search of the same kind of food. 



