360 THE THRUSH FAMILY 



through the night, are lured to destruction by the blinding glare of 

 the mighty lamps, against which they dash to fall and perish, just 

 when their long toil is coming to an end. 



While the great inward and outward spring migration of Thrushes 

 is taking place, there appear on our shores flocks of another member 

 of the genus, the ring-ouzel, first the young birds of both sexes and 

 the old hens, then later the old cocks, bearing on their breasts the 

 broad white crescent, emblem of their race. 1 These flocks gradually 

 break up, and dispersing in pairs over the hills and moorlands, seek 

 preferably a spot where some rugged boulder gives them a watch- 

 tower, and possibly a site for the nest. But the site cannot be chosen 

 until the formalities of the courtship have been exactly and diligently 

 complied with, as enjoined by the unwritten conventions proper to 

 each species. Unfortunately so little has been recorded about the 

 sexual displays of the Thrushes, common though some of them are, 

 that it is impossible to institute a satisfactory comparison. Of the 

 ring-ouzel's courtship we have the following interesting account from 

 the pen of Mr. J. M. Boraston : " My attention was called to the two 

 birds as they were going through their strange antics on a small grass 

 bank on the hillside. The female would advance a few inches with 

 head erect, upon which the cock, with head equally erect and facing 

 the same way, would follow, stopping close to, and almost abreast of, 

 the female, as if in position to whisper in her ear. Then the female 

 would advance a few inches further, and the cock follow again in the 

 same manner. In this way they paraded up and down the bank, 

 along and across it, the cock emitting throughout a subdued, twitter- 

 ing song, to which the hen appeared to listen with becoming circum- 

 spection. At times the male bird would hop quickly in advance of 

 her, swing round, and face her from a distance of a foot or two, 

 continuing to utter his excited serenade the while. Then, crouching, 

 he would suddenly fly at her, but she, with feminine foresight, flew to 

 the right as he came by the left, the result of the double movement 



1 Nelson, Birds of Yorkshire. See also " Classified Notes " under Migration. 



