530 



PASSERES. BIRDS. TCRDID.E. 



song must be familiar to every one, is found in all parts 

 of Europe during the summer, but quits the extreme 

 northern countries at the approach of winter, when 

 even our island receives a considerable accession of 

 numbers from Denmark and Sweden. It is found in 

 the wooded districts, and commonly haunts orchards, 

 and gardens containing trees, where it commits con- 

 siderable depredations upon the fruit. On the conti- 

 nent the Thrush feasts in autumn upon the ripe grapes, 

 and at this time its flesh is highly esteemed there as an 

 article of food. Besides fruit, it devours caterpillars 

 and other insects, and thus no doubt fully repays the 

 gardener for any damage it may do to his fruit crops; 

 and the equally destructive snails also constitute a 

 favourite portion of its diet. In getting at the latter 

 delicate morsels, the Thrush exhibits much ingenuity; 

 it breaks their shells upon a stone, shakes off the frag- 

 ments most dexterously, and then swallows the soft 

 body. Of all the larger singing birds, the Thrush is 

 probably the best, as its song is rich, powerful, and 

 varied, and continued with but little intermission from 

 early in the spring till autumn. Its nest, which is built 

 early in the year, is usually placed in the centre of a 

 thick bush ; it is cup-shaped, composed externally of 

 moss and fine roots, and neatly plastered inside with a 

 mixture of cowdting and rotten wood. The nest gene- 

 rally contains four or five eggs, which are of a light 

 blue colour, with a few black spots at the larger end. 



THE REDWING (Turdus iliacus) is a winter visitor 

 to this country and to all the southern parts of Europe, 

 passing the summer and breeding in the north. It is 

 rather smaller than the Song Thrush, and is of a rich 

 clove brown colour above, and whitish beneath, having 

 the breast and belly spotted with dark brown in the 

 same way as the Song Thrush. It arrives in England 

 about the middle of October, coming in flocks from the 

 Scandinavian peninsula and Denmark, and taking up 

 its abode amongst the trees in our parks and pleasure 

 grounds. The food of this species consists of insects, 

 worms, and slugs, but it scarcely seems to eat berries, 

 and in severe weather the Redwings are observed to be 

 the first birds that suffer. In the north of Scotland, 

 and sometimes even hi more southern localities, the 

 Redwings have been known to stay through the summer; 

 but most of them quit us in the spring, and take then- 

 way to the north, where they build their nests and 

 bring up their young. The song of the male is so 

 beautiful, that it is called the Nightingale of Norway. 



THE FIELDFARE ( Turdus pilaris) . This bird, which 

 is a winter visitor to Britain, is a permanent resident 

 in Central Europe, and a summer visitor to Sweden, 

 Russia, and Siberia. It is a hardy bird, and is the 

 latest of our winter visitors in its arrival. In its general 

 habits it resembles the preceding species, but, unlike 

 the Redwing, feeds freely upon berries, as well as upon 

 insects, slugs, and other small animals. Its song is 

 described as soft and sweet. 



THE BLACKBIRD (Turdus merula), with his deep- 

 black plumage, and bright yellow bill, is too well 

 known to need any description. This bird is a 

 permanent resident in Britain, and in the southern 

 l>arts of Europe, but migrates for the winter from the 

 more northern regions. It haunts woods and planta- 



tions, and is a shy and vigilant bird, flying off when 

 disturbed with a loud cry, sufficient to alarm all the 

 other inhabitants of the grove. The food of the 

 Blackbird consists of the same materials as that of the 

 preceding species, although, perhaps, he exhibits a 

 still greater partiality for fruit than even the Song 

 Thrush, and his depredations in the garden are so 

 extensive, that he is everywhere regarded as an enemy 

 by gardeners. In this case, however, as in many others, 

 it may fairly be questioned whether the bird does not 

 amply pay for the fruit that he consumes by his ser- 

 vices in ridding the garden of insects, slugs, and snails, 

 of which he destroys great quantities in the spring and 

 early summer. 



The nest of the Blackbird is built early in the spring, 

 usually in the midst of some thick bush. In its struc- 

 ture it resembles that of the Missel Thrush. The eggs, 

 usually four or five in number, are of a pale blue colour, 

 speckled with reddish-brown. During the breeding 

 season the male has a loud and powerful song; which, 

 however, is not very varied. In captivity he has been 

 known to imitate various sounds, even clucking like a 

 hen that has just laid an egg, and crowing exactly like 

 a cock, " apparently enjoying the sound of the responses 

 made by the fowls of the neighbouring farmyard." 



THE RING OUZEL ( Turdus torquatus), which is nearly 

 allied to the Blackbird, is one of the largest species of 

 tin's family, measuring about eleven inches in length. 

 The colour of its plumage is brownish-black, and 

 across the breast there is a distinct white band. Unlike 

 any of the preceding species, the Ring Ouzel is a sum- 

 mer bird of passage in this country and in the north of 

 Europe generally ; its winter quarters being in the most 

 southern parts of the European continent, and in the 

 north of Africa. In this country the Ring Ouzel resides 

 and breeds in the rocky and mountainous districts, 

 building a nest somewhat similar in its construction 

 to that of the other thrushes, on the ground, under 

 shelter of a stone or bush, or amongst the heath. In 

 its food and general habits it resembles the Blackbird. 



Besides the preceding, two other species of the genus 

 Turdus have been met with in Britain, namely, 

 WHITE'S THRUSH (T. Whitet), a Japanese species, 

 and the GOLD-VENTED THRUSH (T. aurtienter), a 

 native of Africa. 



THE RED-BREASTED THRUSH (Turdusmigratorius), 

 called the ROBIN in the United States of America, is 

 about the size of our Song Thrush, and is of an ash 

 colour above, with the head, wings, and tail black, the 

 throat black, and the breast dark orange. This bird 

 resides in immense flocks during the winter in the 

 maritime states of the Union, migrating in the spring 

 to the higher regions of the interior. The nest is 

 usually placed in an apple-tree, and is plastered in the 

 inside with mud, like those of our British thrushes. 

 The female lays five eggs of a delicate sea-green 

 colour. 



THE "WOOD THRUSH (Turdus melodus], another 

 American species, resembles our Song Thrush in its 

 colouring, as also in the sweetness of its song. It is 

 found in all parts of the North American continent, 

 but migrates to the south for the winter. Its usual 

 resorts are shady hollows, and it is of a shy and soli- 



