7*1 



MERULID.E. 



791 



abed or tool-house, and does not seem to than the neighbourhood of 

 man. In 1888 * pair built their nett in a low tree at the bottom of 

 Gry' Inn Gardens, near the gates, where paasengers an going by all 

 day long. The hen Uid her complement of egg*, and was aitUng on 

 them, when a eat climbed up, and killed her on the neat The cock 

 immediately deserted the place. 



Bechstein Utee that in captivity the Throstle is easily taught to 

 perform airs. For taking it be recommends a perch with a limed twig 

 a* the beet mode ot capturing a fine-toned male : but in September 

 or October he says that they may be caught in the water-traps, where 

 they repair at sunrise and sunset, so late that they sometimes cannot 

 be seen, and the bird-catcher is only guided by hit ear. He observes 

 that when the birds enter the water there must be no haste on the 

 part of the fowler, because they like to bathe in company, and assem- 

 ble sometimes to the number of ten or twelve at once, by means of a 

 peculiar call. Bechatein tells us that the first which finds a convenient 

 stream, and wishes to go to it, cries in a tone of surprise or joy, ' sik, 

 sik, sik, siki, Uac, teac, tsac ' : then all the thrushes in the neighbour- 

 hood immediately reply in concert and repair to the place. The bath 

 is entered however with a good deal of circumspection on their parts, 

 and they seldom venture till they have seen a Redbreast bathe without 

 danger. But the first that bathes is soon followed by others, and they 

 begin to quarrel among themselves if the bath is not large enough to 

 accommodate all satisfactorily. Bechstein further remarks that it is 

 a good plan to have a tame bird running and fluttering on the banks 

 of the stream as a decoy to attract them. 



T. ricirorni, the Missel-Thrush ; Merle Draine of the French; 

 Hernia rucirora of Selby. It is also called in various parts of Great 

 Britain, Mistle-Thrush, Gray Thrush, Holm-Thrush, Screech-Thrush, 

 Stormcock, and Shrite. The male and female of this bird exhibit 

 little difference. The beak is dark brown ; the under mandible pale 

 yellow at the base ; the iridee hazel ; the top of the head and almost 

 all the upper surface of the body nearly uniform clove-brown ; wings 

 and wing-coverts umber-brown ; the latter broadly edged with wood- 

 brown; the wing-feathers with a narrow edge of the same colour; 

 upper surface of the tail-feathers umber-brown ; the broad inner web 

 of each outside tail-feather with a patch of dull white ; the second 

 feather on each aide with a smaller patch at the tip ; the tail slightly 

 forked ; all the under surface of the body white tinged with yellow, 

 and covered with numerous black spots, those on front of the neck 

 triangular in shape, with one angle pointing upwards ; the spots on 

 the breast, belly, and sides round ; under surface of the wings and 

 tail gray ; tarsi and toes pala brown ; the claws dark brown. The 

 whole length of the adult bird is about 11 inches. 



This is one of the largest of the British species, and although not 

 very common anywhere it is very generally diffused. It is rather a 

 shy bird, frequenting small woods and the high trees in hedges bound- 

 ing large meadows. It remains in this country all the year, and the 

 male commences his song frequently as early as February. The name 

 Stormcock is given him from his habit of singing during storm and 

 rain. It begins to build in April, and fixes its nest in the fork of a 

 tree. The eggs are four or five in number, of a greenish white-colour, 

 spotted with red-brown ; sometimes the ground-colour is reddish-white 

 spotted with dark red-brown. Two broods are produced in the season. 

 It feeds on worms, slugs, 4c., also fruits, especially those of the 

 mistletoe, from which it derives its English name. It has been found 

 in Scandinavia, Russia, and India. It is common in Germany, France, 

 Provence, and Italy. 



T. tt'hitei, White'i Thrush. This very rare bird is a native of Japan 

 and Java, and has been taken a few times in the British Islands. It 

 was first killed in Hampshire, and named by Mr. Kyton after White, 

 the naturalist of Selborne. It is the T. raritu of Temminck. 



T. pilarit, the Fieldfare, or Gray Thrush, has the head, hind neck, 

 and wings gray ; fore part of the back chestnut ; space before the eye* 

 brownish-buck ; a whitish line over the eye ; fore neck and breast 

 reddish-yellow ; the feathers tipped with a brownish-black elongated 

 triangular spot ; those of the side* with large dusky spots, and mar- 

 gined with white; lower wing-covert* and axillary feathers pure 

 white. Young of the year with duller tints, the feathers of the sides 

 light, with a pale brown or dusky border within the white margin. 

 (MaqgUlivray.) 



This bird is migratory in the British Islands. It comet from the 

 north, and is one of the latest species that makes it* appearance. It 

 seldom appears much before the beginning of November, and returns 

 again at the end of April In very severe weather they leave these 

 islands and go farther south ; they are known to go as far south and 

 to the east as Minorca, Sicily, Malta, Smyrna, and Krzerum. They 

 seldom breed in this country. In Norway they build their nests on 

 the spruce fir, and several are found near together. They lay five or six 

 eggs, closely resembling thoee of the Blackbird ; they are light blue, 

 mottled over with spot* of dark red-brown. This bird is well-known 

 in Sweden, Kuuia, and Siberia, where it is found only in the summer; 

 in Poland, Russia, and Austria it remains the whole year, but in France 

 and the south of Kurope it is only a summer visitant. 



T. I/UI/-IM, the R-dwing; Merula iliaca. Selby; Merle Mnuvis of 

 Tunmin. k ; the Red-Sided Thrush, Wind-Thrush, and Swine-Pipe, of 

 the English. Like the last this i a winter visitant ; it arrive* in flocks 

 about the middle or end of October, departing in the middle of May. 



It has a beautiful note, and has been called the Nightingale of Norway. 

 It feeds on worms, slugs, and berries. Mr. Yarrell says it feeds on 

 berries injurious to man. 



T. tortjuatia, the Ring-Ouzel ; Xentla lorgHata of Selby and Gould. 

 It is also called in this country Rock -Ouzel, Tor-Ouzel, Mountain-Black- 

 bird, Moor-Blackbird, White- Breasted Blackbird, and Ring-Thrush. The 

 male has a yellow bill, the feet olive-brown, the plumage blackish- 

 brown, the feathers margined with gray; a broad semilunar patch 

 of white on the fore part of the breast. Female similar, but of a duller 

 and lighter tint 



This bird is a summer visitor to the British Islands; it arrives 

 from the south in the month of April, and departs in October. They 

 are seen chiefly in the counties of Surrey, Kent, Essex, Suffolk, and 

 Norfolk. It only occasionally breeds in this country, and then more 

 especially in the north ; it builds its nest on or near the ground, and 

 lays four or five light-blue eggs, speckled and spotted with reddish- 

 brown. Its food consists of snails, insects, fruit, hawberries before it 

 leaves for the winter, and ivy berries when they return in the spring. 



T. aurigatter, Gold- Vented Thrush; Le Culdor of Le Vaillant; 

 Hccmatornudirytorkautot Swatnaon ; Pycnonottu chrytorh<t*, Thomp- 

 son. This bird is a native of Africa, and little is known of its habits. 

 One specimen has been shot in Ireland, and it therefore takes its rank 

 as a British visitant. (Yarrell.) 



T. erylhrogatler is a native of the Himalaya, and may be taken as 

 an example of an Asiatic species of Turtliu. The male is gray-caerul- 

 escent above ; the cheeks, the sides of the neck, and the quills black ; 

 breast, abdomen, and rump red ; beak and tarsi black. The female 

 differs in being caerulescent-bro wn, the lower part of the back obscurely 

 banded with brown ; neck in front whitish, marked with dark-brown ; 

 breast, abdomen, and rump reddish-white marked with] undulations. 

 Length 8 4 inches. 



TurJui rryttirofotttr, male and female. Goulil. 



Mr. Gould (' Century of Birds from the Himalaya Mountains') states 

 that this beautiful species exhibits a marked departure in the style of 

 colouring from its more typical congener* ; and were it not that its 

 form dictated the situation in which it is retained, it would otherwise 

 seem to be allied in many respects to the genus Pelrocincla. 



T. itrcpitant, Smith (liferula Lttiitrirupa of the same), is a native of 

 Africa. The male has the front and top of head brownish-gray ; 

 occiput, upper aspect of neck, interacapulars, scapulars, and shoulders 

 deep yellowish-gray, faintly shaded with brown ; back, rump, and 

 upper tail-coverts dirty ash-gray. Under parts white, tinted in : 

 with ochre-yellow ; sides of the neck, whole of the breast, flank*, and 

 belly variegated with blackish-brown pyriform spots, one on each 

 feather, the large eml reaching nearly to its point. Sides of the head 

 white, slightly tinted with ochre-yellow, variegated below the eyes 

 with three blackish-brown band* ; the foremost proceeds from the 

 base of the lower mandible, the second from the middle of the under 

 eyelid, and the third from the out -r angle of the eve ; the first extends 

 nearly horizontally, and the two other* obliquely downwanls and 

 backwards till they unite with the horizontal one. Primary wing- 



