374 



THE SONG THRUSH. 



Jove of fruit, and in the autumn ravages the gardens and orchards in a 

 most destructive manner, picking out all the best and ripest fruit, and 

 wisely leaving the still iramatured produce to ripen on the branches. 



The nest o^f this bird is made very early in the spring, and is always 

 carefully placed in the centre of some thick bush, a spreading holly tree 

 being a very favorite locality. It is a large, rough, but carefully-con- 

 structed habitation, being made externally of grass-stems and roots, 

 plastered on the interior with a rather thick lining of coarse mud, 

 which, when thoroughly dried, forms a kind of rude earthenware cup. 

 A lining of fine grass is placed within the earthen cup, and upon this 

 lininiT the five eggs are laid. These eggs are of a light grayish blue 

 ground-color, splashed, spotted, and freckled over their entire surface 

 with brown of various shades and intensity. The coloring of these 

 eggs is extremely variable, even those of a single nest being very dif- 

 ferent in their appearance. 



The Blackbird is very courageous in defence of its nest, and will 

 attack almost any animal that threatens the security of its home. On 

 one occasion a prowling cat was forced to retreat ignominiously from 

 the united assaults of two Blackbirds near whose domicile she had ven- 

 tured. 



The well-known Song Thrush — or Throstle, as it is sometimes 

 called — bears a deservedly high rank among our British birds of 



It is plentifully found in most parts of England, and favors us with 

 its vocal efforts throughout a considerable portion of the year. The 



song of the Thrush is peculiarly 

 rich, mellow, and sustained, and 

 is remarkable for the full purity 

 of its intonation and the variety 

 of its notes. The Thrush begins 

 to sing as soon as incubation com- 

 mences, and continues its song from 

 the beginning of the spring until 

 the middle of autumn. In many 

 cases the bird sings to a very late 

 period of the year, and has been 

 heard in the months of November 

 and December. 



The food of the Thrush is mostly 

 of an animal character, and consists 

 largely of worms, snails, slugs, and 

 similar creatures. In eating snails 

 in its bill, battering them against 

 stone until the shells are entirely crushed, and then swallowing 



UK Song Thrush {Tardus musicus). 

 it is very dexterous, Ukm^ them 



