THE SONG THRUSH. 



growing against walls and trees, holes 

 in stone walls, on ledges of rock, on beams 

 in sheds, and occasionally, though not as 

 often as that of the Blackbird, absolutely 

 on the ground. It is quite unlike that 

 of any other British bird in its construc- 

 tion, being made of twigs, coarse dead 

 grass, moss, and clay or mud outside, 

 with an inner lining of clay, mud, or 

 cow-dung studded with bits of rotten 

 wood. In some districts where decayed 

 wood is difficult to procure, it is dis- 

 pensed with altogether, and during very 

 droughty summers I have found several 

 nests occupied by eggs without a vestige 

 of a hard lining. They were similar to 

 those of the Blackbird, only not so 

 neatly lined with fine dead grass. The 

 mud lining is generally allowed to dry 

 hard before the bird commences to lay. 



The eggs, numbering from four to six, 

 are of a beautiful deep greenish-blue 

 colour spotted with black. I have on 

 several occasions met with unmarked 

 specimens. 



As a melodist the Throstle ranks very 

 high. Many people consider that it 

 comes next to the Nightingale, for which 

 it is often mistaken, when singing very 

 late in the evening, by people who can 

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