H4 



THE BIRDS OF THE WOODS 



Tlirusli. 



start south on their migration towards the middle of September or beginning of 

 October, and return in February. 



The thrush (T. rnwsicus) is found over all northern and 

 central Europe, Siberia, and eastward to the borders of China. In 

 September many individuals migrate to warmer countries, to southern Europe, 

 northern Africa, and the Persian Gulf, and return in March or the beginning of 

 April. Thrushes are met with, not only in the woodlands, but wherever there is a 

 clump of trees with a little underwood, and the nest is easily recognised by being, 

 as a rule, plastered inside with cow-dung, mud, clay, and fragments of rotten 







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THE THRUSH. 



wood. It is generally found at less than 20 feet from the ground in dense 

 bushes, or on small deciduous trees. The eggs, which are greenish blue spotted 

 with dark brown, are laid in the middle of April and in June, and the male 

 takes his turn in sitting upon them, but leaves the nest and drives the female 

 back when he considers that his time is up. The food of the thrush, like 

 that of the blackbird, consists chiefly of worms and snails. When startled, 

 these birds raise the wings and tail, and when alarmed fly to the nearest 

 tree, through which they continue their flight. The familiar and exceedingly 

 pretty song of the thrush, which sometimes seems to contain many dissyllabic 

 words, resounds from the upper boughs of the highest trees. In colour the 

 thrush is olive-brown above, and yellowish white below, with triangular and 



