308 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



July 



then take cling stone peaches that are fully ripe, 

 rub them with a flannel cloth, to get ofl" the down 

 upon them, and stick three or four cloves in each ; 

 put them into a glass or earthen vessel, and pour 

 the liquor upon them boiling hot ; cover them 

 up, and let them stand in a cool place for a week 

 or ten days, then pour off the liquor and boil it 

 as before, after which return it boiling to the 

 peaches, which should be carefully covered up 

 and stored away for future use. 



For the New England Farmer. 



THE WOOD-THRUSH. 



This bird has not, I believe, been mentioned in 

 any of the essays which have occasionally ap- 

 peared in the Farmer upon the "Birds of New 

 England." I have been hoping some one would 

 write upon the merits of this sweet songster of 

 our woods and groves, but, despairing of this, 

 have myself undertaken the pleasing task. The 

 wood-thrush, wood-robin, or ground, as it is dif- 

 ferently named, inhabits the whole of North 

 America, from Hudson's Bay to the peninsula of 

 Florida. It arrives in New England towards the 

 last of April, and returns to the south about the 

 beginning of October. Not having its exact des- 

 cription, I have quoted the following from Wil- 

 son's American Ornithology: "It measures eight 

 inches in length, and thirteen from tip to tip of 

 the expanded wings ; the upper mandible of a 

 dusky brown, bent at the point and slightly 

 notched ; the lower, a flesh color towards the 

 base ; the legs are long, and, as well as the claws, 

 of a pale flesh color, or almost transparent. 

 The whole upper parts are of a brown-fulvous 

 color, brigliteuing into redish on the head, and 

 inclining to an olive on the rump and tail ; chin 

 white ; throat and breast white, tinged wjth a 

 liglit bufi" color, and beautifully marked with 

 pointed spots of black or dusky, running in 

 chains from the sides of the mouth, and inter- 

 secting each other all over the breast to the belly, 

 which, with the vent, is of a pure white ; a 

 narrow circle of white surrounds the eye, which 

 is large and full, the pupil black, and the iris of 

 a dark chocolate color ; the inside of the mouth 

 is yellow. The male and female of this species, 

 as, indeed, of almost the whole genus of thrushes, 

 differ so little as scarcely to be distinguished from 

 each other." 



His powers of song are thus described : "But 

 at whatever time the wood-thrush may arrive, he 

 soon announces his presence in the woods. With 

 the dawn of the succeeding morning, mounting 

 to the top of some tall tree that rises from a low, 

 thick-shaded part of the woods, he pipes his few, 

 but clear and musical notes, in a kind of ecstacy, 

 the prelude or symphony to which strongly re- 

 sembles the double-tonguing of a German flute, 

 and sometimes the tinkling of a small bell ; the 

 whole song consists of five or six parts, the last 

 note of each of which is in such a tone as to leave 

 the conclusion evidently suspended ; the finale is 

 finely managed, and with such charming effect as 

 to soothe and tranquilize the mind, and to seem 

 sweeter and mellower at each successive repeti- 

 tion. 



"The favorite haunts of the wood- thrush are 

 low, thick-shaded hollows, through which a small 

 brook meanders, overhuno; with alder bushes, that 



are mantled with wild vines. Near such a scene 

 he generally builds his uest, in a laurel or alder 

 })U8h. Outwardly it is composed of withered 

 beech leaves of the preceding year, laid at the 

 bottom in considerable quantities, no doubt to 

 prevent damp and moisture from ascending 

 through, being generally built in low, wet situa- 

 tions ; above these are layers of knotty stalks of 

 withered grass, mixed with mud and smoothly 

 plastered, above which is laid a slight lining of 

 tine, black, fibrous roots of plants. The eggs are 

 four, sometimes five, of a uniform light blue, 

 without any spots. 



"The wood-thrush appears always singly or in 

 pairs, and is of a shy, retired, unobtrusive dispo- 

 sition. With the modesty of true merit, he 

 charms you with his song, but is content and 

 even solicitous to be concealed. They are easily 

 reared from the nest, and sing nearly as well in 

 confinement as when free." 



By the above description of the wood-thrush, 

 it will readily be distinguished from the brown 

 thrush, or thrasher, as it is called in New Eng- 

 land, which is a larger species of the thrush, and 

 a well known and very distinguished songster, 

 but far inferior to the wood-thrush in richness 

 and melody of voice. From my early youth, the 

 song of the wood-thrush has, for me, had a pe- 

 culiar charm — a charm which I have never found 

 in the song of any other bird. His usual time of 

 song is in the early morn and between sunset and 

 dark ; but sometimes his sweet voice can be 

 heard in some shady retreat, at the still hour of 

 noon. In cloudy or wet weather, his clear, mu- 

 sical notes can be heard from morning till night. 

 There is something in the rich tones of his voice 

 which is indescribably sweet and harmonious, 

 and which, together with the solitude and beauty 

 of the place he usually selects to unburden his 

 full heart of its melody, cannot fail to please the 

 ear and benefit the heart of him or her who hears 

 aright — to draw the thoughts away from earth 

 and lift them above, even to those blissful regions 

 of perpetual spring, where are heard purer, 

 sweeter and more thrilling strains, than was ever 

 heard by mortal cars. 



"The song of the wood-thrush," says Mr. Audu- 

 bon, "although composed of but few notes, is so 

 powerful, distinct, clear and mellow, that it is 

 impossible for any person to hear it without be- 

 ing struck with the effect it produces on the 

 mind. I do not know to what instrumental 

 sounds 1 can compare these notes, for I really 

 know none so melodious and harmonical." 



He has two other modes of song which are not 

 mentioned by Wilson ; the first consists of three 

 or four singular and rather plaintive notes, of a 

 similar sound, which seem to come partly through 

 his nostrils ; although they cannot be compared 

 with those of his best song as to clearness and 

 melody, yet they are pleasing to hear, and the 

 more so the nearer you are to the musician ; the 

 other is composed of only two notes — a higher 

 and a lower ; but these are loud, clear and melo- 

 dious ; the lower note is sometimes sounded first, 

 but more fre(juently the higher. He has also a 

 low, chirping note, peculiar to himself, which he 

 frequently uses. 



Dear reader, is your heart sad ? Are you 

 weary of the world, or of your own inclinations? 

 Docs your spirit long for a nobler, truer life than 



