NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE. 69 



British thrushes. Its eggs are found from April to June, and 

 are from four to six in number." G. NAPIEK. 



The following is from my description of a day's bird-catching 

 at Aldermaston 1'ark : As it was very hot we sat down in the 

 shade to rest, while Mr. Davy gave us a yarn about his birds. 

 It was unusual for a thrush to be in song so late, viz., 17th 

 August, as at this time these birds are in full moult. August, 

 in fact, is the dullest month in the year for song. Nearly all 

 the birds, being " sore in moult," hide away in damp, shady 

 places. Mr. Davy has put the song of most birds into words. 

 He repeated the words of a thrush's song, and I found by care- 

 fully listening that the bird does actually sing the following 

 words : 



Knee deep, knee deep, knee deep ; 



Cherry du, cherry du, cherry du, cherry dn ; 



White hat, white hat ; 



Pretty Joey, pretty Joey, pretty Joey. 



My readers should learn these words by heart, and listen to a 

 thrush singing. They will find the thrush pronounces the above 

 words as nearly as possible. Eepeat them all, even when no 

 bird is present, rapidly in a bird-like manner and see the effect. 



It is very difficult to " word " a blackbird's song. Mr. Davy can 

 imitate a blackbird's song so well that he can bring Mr. Black- 

 bird up to him to be caught, but he cannot put his song into 

 words. 



MISSEL THRUSH, p. 90. The Missel Thrush (Turdusviscivorus) 

 " is generally distributed in the breeding season ; it frequently 

 builds in trees too high up to be reached without climbing. It 

 forms its nest of grass, which it strengthens with clay at the 

 bottom ; but it usually interweaves wool with the grass, which 

 forms the sides. The lining, however, consists entirely of fine 

 grass. I have a nest where no wool is used. It was taken at 

 Abbotsleigh Down, Hunts, a neighbourhood where no sheep graze. 

 Some sticks and grey lichens, however, are used in the outside 

 layer of material. The eggs of the missel thrush vary much in 

 form, shape, and colouring. One variety is pear-shaped, of a blue 

 ground witli the spots gathered towards the larger end. One 

 variety has a buff ground, with lilac and purple ochre spots. A 

 second has a pale blue ground, with lilac and dark ochre spots. 

 A third lias the ground colour of the egg of a song thrush, with 

 spots of olive green ; a fourth is of a deep flesh colour, with 

 spots of dark ochre ; and a fifth has a blue green ground, with 

 spots of ochre gathered towards the small end. I have one egg 

 which cannot be distinguished from a ring ousel's. My eggs of 



