238 THE BIRDS OF HELIGOLAND 



66. Song Thrush [SINGDROSSEL], 

 TURDUS MUSICUS, Linn. 



Heligolandish : Grii-Troossel = Grey Thrush. 



Turdus musicus. Naumann, ii. 262. 



Song Thrush. Dresser, ii. 19. 



Merle grim. Temruinck, Manuel, i. 164, iii. 88. 



Among the game which graces the table of the Heligolander, 

 the Song Thrush, or, to give its popular local name, ' de Grii,' i.e. 

 ' the grey one ' plays a very prominent part. This, however, by no 

 means implies that the fat Blackbird, or the large, delicious Ring 

 Ousel are held in less estimation, but is due rather to the fact that 

 the Song Thrush occurs here generally in much larger numbers 

 than any of its relatives, and also, both because the chances of its 

 frequent appearance are more favourable and the duration of its 

 migration is much longer than that of any other species. With this 

 advantage of a larger supply there is combined the pleasure of its 

 highly agreeable taste, for, in this respect, a fat Song Thrush in 

 autumn stands second to none of the whole pack of its relatives. 

 Accordingly, when the menu of the Heligolander's housewife con- 

 tains the item, ' Troossel-supp ' (i.e. Thrush soup) we may reckon 

 with safety on the timely appearance of paterfamilias at the dinner- 

 table, his spoon held in readiness, and his mouth watering in 

 expectation of the good things that are to come. Nor do I, after 

 many years' practice, intend to blame him in the least for this little 

 epicurean weakness, for I myself have pretty often, when assisting 

 in the grey dawn of the morning at the capture of the dainty fat 

 Ring Ousel, suddenly caught my thoughts straying, with by no 

 means unpleasurable feelings, from the throstle-bush to the soup 

 pot. 



The word ' Throstle-soup ' may perhaps sound rather strange. 

 Here in Heligoland, however, almost everything finds its way into 

 the soup pot, or rather stewpan ; not only every species of Thrush, 

 but also, by preference, Larks, a stray Wood Pigeon, Golden Plover, 

 Pewit, Landrail, and the like. Hardly anything is roasted. For 

 my part, I can only advise everybody who catches birds in sufficient 

 numbers, for once in a way not to roast his T. 'musicus, or Field- 

 fares ; but, by way of a trial, to confide some forty or fifty, according 

 to requirements, to the soup pot. But, for heaven's sake, don't 

 have the fattest birds drawn ! And if Betty is a true artist, of 

 which I have no doubt, she will send up a soup to be followed by 

 Thrushes au naturel of which I 'm sure no one will fail to ask a 

 second helping. 



