MERULID^, 13 



been given it from its habit of singing loudly during 

 stormy weather. The eggs vary much in size and 

 colouring : I possess two with a green ground and no 

 spots ; another with an almost pure white ground, 

 and I have seen several perfectly round. Where 

 the nest is built in damp situations, I have always 

 found that the eggs are lighter in ground-colour 

 and markings, and in this I am confirmed by the 

 observations of Mr. Harvie Brown, of Dunipace 

 House, Falkirk. 



Song Thrush [Turdtis mtisims). Local names, 

 Throstle, Mavis. This lovely songster is happily 

 numerous in this district ; it is an early builder, for 

 I have known of nests and eggs having been taken 

 in March, and I have found eggs by the ist of 

 April. I have at different times collected many 

 varieties of the Thrush's ^g^ ; two are perfectly 

 round, and several pure blue without any speck or 

 mark, while others have their markings rather red 

 than black. I have always found the pale varieties 

 near water, or in damp localities: in 1867 I found a 

 nest in a tree which was flooded by water at its 

 roots ; and there were several eggs in it which 

 were quite blue. I once found near Windsor a nest 

 containing eggs, without any mud for a lining, but 

 with merely some dry grass roughly twisted round 

 the inside. 



A friend of mine a few years since took a Thrush's 

 nest with four young ones, and shortly afterwards got 



