BIRDS THRUSHES 17 



manage to find enough for the more impor- 

 tant business of feeding themselves and their 

 hungry broods. 



A blackbird's song is, I think, always a 

 love song, but mere exuberance of spirits will 

 make a throstle sing. I have seen one sing 

 snatches of his song whilst hunting for worms 

 on the grass, as though he were too full of 

 joyousness to contain himself, and a couple 

 of them will sing at one another during 

 intervals of quarrelling on the ground. There 

 seems at all times more rivalry and contention 

 between throstles throughout the whole 

 season, and less of the spirit of camaraderie 

 that one so often sees with blackbirds, at 

 least when once they have settled the momen- 

 tous question of pairing. 



Within the bounds of general similarity 

 much variety can be heard in the songs of 

 throstles; no two seem to be exactly alike, 

 and some birds are far better singers, have a 

 much clearer, more musical note than others. 



In 1907, and again in 1909, I noticed that 

 throstles were in full song everywhere on 

 July 1 5th, just as though it had been the 

 middle of May. 



A particular throstle will choose his 

 favourite spot to sing from, and will keep to 

 it more or less throughout the season. The 

 point of a gable of the house is one such 

 place (it is a Cheshire belief that a throstle 

 brings you good luck when he chooses your 



