MY PET WOOD THKUSHES. 209 



selfish and ungrateful propensity at the very head, and 

 eyes, and heart that had nourished them, he would keep 

 quiet until patience was utterly exhausted, and then turn 

 about and give them a tremendous drubbing. I have seen 

 the Song Thrush in many associations, but I never saw it fail to 

 thrash the mocking bird, and every other bird of its family, 

 when they had carried their aggressions up to a certain point. 

 This bird will not fight if it can help it, but when it does, it 

 fights like a desperado, and always wins. Both the Amer- 

 ican and English varieties are equally quiet in this respect, 

 and never commit aggressions upon their neighbors, but re- 

 sent them with the same fierceness. 



There is a curious book called " The Natural History of 

 Cage Birds, by J. M. Bechstein, M. D., &c., of Waltershau- 

 sen, in Saxony," which furnishes many interesting particulars 

 in regard to the habits of the Song Thrush. We shall pro- 

 ceed to give them as being somewhat rare to American and 

 general readers. He says: "we might with Brisson" he 

 speaks of the Song Thrush "name this bird the small missel 

 thrush, so much does it resemble the preceding in form, plum- 

 age, abode, manners and gait. Its length is only eight 

 inches and a half, three and a half of which belong to the 

 tail ; the beak is three-quarters of an inch, horn brown, the 

 under part yellowish at the base and yellow within ; the iris is 

 nut brown, and shanks are an inch high and of a ding} r lead 

 color. All of the upper part of the body is olive brown. 

 The throat is yellowish white, with a black line on each side, 

 the sides of the neck and breast are of a pale reddish white, va- 

 riegated with dark brown spots shaped like a heart reversed ; 

 the belly is white, and covered with more oval spots." 



Here we have the usual inaccuracy of old authors, but let 

 us hear them : 



" When wild, this species is spread all over Europe, fre- 

 quenting woods near streams, and meadows. As soon as the 

 autumnal fogs appear, they collect in large flights to seek a 



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