SONG THRUSH. 31 



neighbouring school robbed the garden of its molluscs 

 to afford him a treat, which a countryman of his own 

 hastened to share, observing, as he entered the house, in 

 pleasant anticipation, " I hear dat you have de snail." 

 The sound of the Thrush hammering the snail's shell on 

 some convenient stone may often be heard as you pass 

 some country road ; and if you look cautiously over the 

 ditch, you will see him hard at work ; whilst the heap of 

 broken shells around will tell you that is not the first 

 time, nor the second either, that he has selected this 

 stone for his dinner-table. 



Another habit of the Song Thrush, vouched for by 

 some naturalists, has often attracted attention and 

 created some amusement as well. He is often seen, as 

 he runs upon the lawn, to place his ear in an apparently 

 listening attitude, and then to leap from the ground ; 

 the reason is quickly obvious : he has heard a worm 

 threading its way a little below the surface, and when it 

 ventures just to take one glance above, to ascertain the 

 cause of the unwonted disturbance, the Thrush seizes 

 its head, and drags it triumphantly from its lurking- 

 place, to return no more. It is said that the Lapwing 

 occasionally acts in the same manner. 



The Song Thrush is silent only for a short time 

 throughout the year. A fine soft day even in November 

 or December nearly always tempts him to sing. In 

 February, however, his regular spring song begins, and 

 for about five months he continues to delight us, espe- 

 cially in the early morning and in the evening, with his 

 well-known ditty, which is interrupted only by the 

 approach of the moulting season. The bird, when in 

 full song, will sometimes for a long time remain perched 



