WITHIN AN HOUR OF LONDON TOWN. 



CHAPTER VI. 



OUR THRUSHES. 



THREE species only of these are known to the gen- 

 eral public ; we have six in this country. Three of 

 them are regular migrants, visiting and leaving us 

 again as the seasons come round. All coast-dwellers 

 who are anything of field naturalists are well aware 

 of this fact. I have seen the sand-hills and the 

 drier portion of the flats in the North Kent marsh- 

 lands covered with birds about to migrate, waiting 

 for a right wind to take them over the Channel. 



" Ah, poor things ! " an old boatman would say, 

 " they be waitin' for a right breeze, an' then they'll 

 get out o' harber quick." After the breeze had 

 come, hardly a bird would be visible until the next 

 army of travellers arrived. My own intimate ac- 



