402 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



Field-characters, — Differs from Mistle-Thrush by smaller size, 

 olive-brown upper-jDarts, and smaller and rounder breast-spots. 

 In flight axillaries and imder-wing golden-brown. Not really gre- 

 garious except on migration, but fortuitous assemblages often feed 

 in fields and open places with other Thrushes. Well-laiown song 

 more varied than Mi&tje-Thrush's, characterized by different phrases 

 each repeated three or four times. Call -note " seet," akin to but 

 not so soft as Redwing's. Alarm -note "j)tick," and if nest be 

 threatened a harsh, chattering scream. 



Breeding-habits. — Nests in hedgerows, bushes, among i\y, 

 occasionally on banks or in buildings, rarely on ground. Nest. — 

 Well built of grasses, roots and at times moss, leaves and twigs, 

 solidified with earth, and lined with smooth coating of rotten wood 

 or dung mixed with saliva. Eggs. — Usually 4-5, rarely 6 and some- 

 times only 3, while 7, 8 and even 9 eggs in one nest have been 

 recorded. Colour blue with greenish tinge, scantily spotted black 

 or occasionally red-bro"\vn. Some sets have no markings, while a 

 rare variety has white ground and red -brown markings. Average 

 of 100 eggs, 28.7 X 20.9 mm. Breeding -season. — Many pairs nest 

 in March, but breeding is not general till April, and as 2 or 3 broods 

 are reared eggs may be found till August. Incubation. — 13-14 days 

 from last egg (Evans) ; 14 daj's in incubator ; chiefly by hen, but 

 male assists. Fledging-jieriod. — 13-14 days (Brock). 



Food. — Feeds largely on mollusca (snails and slugs), earth-worms, 

 and insects (coleoptera and larvae, hxrvae of diptera {Tijmla, etc.), 

 and lepidoptera, orthoptera, hymcnoptera, etc.). Also spiders, 

 millipedes and centipedes. Soft fruits, such as strawberry, cherry, 

 currant and raspberry, are attacked, but only fallen apples or plums. 

 Various berries and seeds (including rowan, birch, yew, holly, elder, 

 etc.). Young fed chiefly on worms, slugs and insect larvae. 

 Beneficial on the whole. 



Distribution. — British Isles. — Resident. Generally distributed, 

 but rare in Shetlands and replaced in Outer Hebrides by T. ph. 

 hebridensis, except at Stornoway (Lewis) where British form is 

 stated to breed. 



Migrations. — British Isles. — In late July and throughout August 

 many, especially breeders in elevated districts, pass south gradually 

 along all coasts. In Sept. and Oct. emigration more pronounced, 

 and " rushes " occur in late Oct. Later on emigratory movements 

 dependent on weather also occur. In Sept. and Oct. also a certain 

 proportion of Irish birds emigrate. Many British Song-Thrushes 

 winter in Ireland as well as farther south. Birds ringed as nestlings 

 in England have been found in winter in France and Spain. The 

 return migration begins on south coasts England and Ireland during 



