BRITISH BIRDS' NESTS. 



417 



THRUSH, SONG. Also THRUSH or COMMON 

 THRUSH. 



( Turdus mtisicus.) 

 Order PASSERES ; Family TURDHXE (THRUSHES). 



SONG THRUSH. 



Description of Parent 

 Birds. Length about eight 

 and a half inches. Bill 

 of medium length, nearly 

 straight, and dusky. Irides 

 hazel. Head, nape, back, 

 wings, rump, tail - coverts, 

 and quills yellowish-brown, 

 spotted with darker brown 

 on the sides of the head, 

 and edged with a lighter 

 tinge on the wing-quills. Throat, breast, and 

 under-parts pale tawny-yellow ; lighter on the vent 

 and under tail-coverts. The space from the throat 

 to the thighs is studded with arrowhead-like spots. 

 Legs and toes pale brown ; claws darker. 



The female is a trifle smaller than the male, and 

 the spots on her breast are larger and the ground 

 colour lighter. 



Situation and Locality. In evergreens, especially 

 early in the spring, hedgerows, bushes, in ivy growing 

 against walls and trees, in holes and on " throughs " 

 of dry walls ; on ledges of rock, on beams and in 

 holes of barns, and sometimes quite on the ground ; 

 in woods, plantations, on commons, hedges, trees 

 and bushes growing by the side of brooks. Through- 

 out the British Isles, with few exceptions, and those 

 where no cover is afforded. 



Materials. Twigs, coarse grass, moss, and clay, 

 with an inner lining of cow-dung or mud, mixed with 



2 B 



