T H R 



405 



T H R 



dows. Bechstein says that in Germany, as soon as the au- 

 tumnal fogs appear, the throstles collect in large flights to 

 seek a warmer climate, the principal time of passage being 

 from the 15th of Sept. to the 15th of October, and the 

 return about the middle or end of March, when each pair 

 seeks its own district. In Britain it is permanent, and 

 spread over England, Wales, Ireland, Scotland, and its 

 islands. Russia, Denmark, Sweden, and Norway possess 

 .it. In the south, besides Germany, France, Italy, and 

 Greece have it. It has been seen in winter at Smyrna and 

 Trebizond. Professor Nilsson states that it leaves Sweden 

 for the winter, and comes farther south. Mr. Selby ob- 

 serves that such visitors arrive in Britain with a north or 

 north-east wind, and, after staying a few days to recruit, 

 move southward. 



11 ' :bils, Food, <$-c. Worms, insects, snails, and fruits 

 form the food of the throstle. The common garden-snail, 

 Helix liortenxix, and the wood-snail, Helix nemoralis, are 

 killed and eaten in great numbers by this species. The 

 bird beats and breaks the shells against a stone to get at 

 the animals. The nest is made of green moss generally, 

 and fine root-fibres on the outside, and is lined within with 

 cow-dung and decayed wood, the lining forming a cement, 

 so perfectly spread that it will hold water. Eggs four or 

 iive, of a light blue, the larger end having a few small 

 black specks or spots. Time of incubation thirteen days. 

 The first hatch generally comes forth in April, but the 

 young have been known to be out at the end of March. 

 There are generally two broods in the year. Both the 

 cock and the hen sit, but the former less than the latter. 

 He often feeds her on the nest. A holly, a thick bush a 

 tall one is mostly preferred a dense and somewhat high 

 shrub or a fir, is usually selected ; but the bird has been 

 known to breed in an open shed or tool-house, and does 

 nut seem to shun the neighbourhood of man. In 1833 a 

 pair built their nest in a low tree at the bottom of Gray's 

 Inn Gardens, near the gates where passengers are going 

 by all day long. The hen laid her complement of esrgs, 

 and was sitting on them, when a cat climbed up and killed 

 her on the nest. The cock immediately deserted the place. 

 Bechstein states that in captivity the Throstle is easily 

 taught to perform airs. For taking it he recommends a 

 perch with a limed twig as the best mode of 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 his 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 assemble sometimes to the number of ten or 

 twelve at once, by means of a peculiar call. Bechstein 

 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, 

 * //i, .v//, j , \>ki. t-\in', txnr, txac .' then all the thrushes in the 

 iibourhood immediately reply in concert and repair to 

 tin- place. The bath is entered however with a good deal 

 oi' circumspection on their parts, and they seldom venture 

 till they have seen a Red-breast bathe without danger. 

 Hut 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. 



ASIATIC THRUSHES. 



Example, Turdus erythrngirxter. 



Description. Male. Grey-c;rrulescent above; the 

 cheeks, the sides of the neck, and the quills black ; breast, 

 abdomen, and rump red ; beak and tarsi black. 



Female differs in being cirrulescent-brown, the lower 



part of the back obscurely banded with brown; neck in 



front whitish marked with dark browrt ; breast, abdomen, 



rump reddish-white marked with undulations. Length 



H* inches. 



Mr. Gould (Century <>J Mirth from the Himalaya. Moun- 

 tain* , states that, this beautiful species exhibits a marked 

 departure in the style of colouring from its more typical 

 emi<ri-n< rs; 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 Petrocimla, 



I/ir/ility. The rocky districts of Himalaya ; never found 

 in the low lands. 



AFRICAN THRUSHES. 



Example, Turdus strepitans, Smith (Merula Letsitsi- 

 rupa of the same). 



Description. Male. Front and top of head brownish- 

 grey ; occiput, upper aspect of neck, interscapulars, sca- 

 pulars, and shoulders deep yellowish-grey, faintly shaded 

 with brown ; back, rump, and upper tail-coverts dirty ash- 

 grey. Under parts white, tinted in places with ochre- 

 yellow ; sides of the neck, whole of the breast, flanks, and 

 belly variegated with blackish-brown pyriform spots, one 

 on each feather, the large end reaching nearly to its point. 

 Sides of the head white, slightly tinted with ochre-yellow, 

 variegated below the eyes with three blackish-brown 

 bands ; the foremost proceeds from the base of the lower 

 mandible, the second from the middle of the under eyelid, 

 and the third from the outer angle of the eye ; the first 

 extends nearly horizontally, and the two others obliquely 

 downwards and backwards till they unite with the hori- 

 zontal one. Primary wing-coverts and primary quill- 

 feathers deep brownish-red, the latter tipped and edged 

 externally with yellowish-white ; the first two-thirds at 

 least of the inner vanes of these feathers are of a clear 

 buff-colour, darkest towards the shafts ; secondary wing- 

 coverts and secondary and tertiary quill-feathers dark 

 greyish-brown, the outer vanes lightest, all margined ex- 

 ternally and tipped with dirty white. Eyes reddish brown ; 

 upper mandible and tip of lower inferiorly as well as the 

 claws liver-brown ; lower mandible elsewhere, and the 

 cutting edge of upper, pale saffron-yellow. Feet and in- 

 sides of the bill deep straw-yellow. 



Figure robust and rather short. Bill long, and mode- 

 rately strong ; upper mandible broad and slightly depressed 

 towards the base, narrow and distinctly notched near the 

 tip ; culmen between nostrils elevated and rounded, 

 towards the point of the bill strongly curved ; nasal 

 fossae large and membranous, the nostnls narrow longi- 

 tudinal slits near to the edges of the mandible ; wings short 

 and rounded, and when folded they reach over tte first 

 half of the tail ; the first quill-feather rudimentary, the 

 third rather the longest ; the second and fourth of equal 

 length, and scarcely shorter than the third ; the fifth a 

 little shorter than the fourth, and the remaining primaries 

 diminish in length successively'. Tail short and slightly 

 forked. Legs long, tarsi robust, anteriorly indistinctly scu- 

 tcllatcd, posteriorly entire ; toes strong, the inner and 

 outer toes of the same length ; claws strong, much curved 

 and pointed. Length Irom point of bill to tip of tail eight 

 inches six lines 



