THE SONG-THRUSH. 215 



the year they are absent altogether, or nearly so. Although the birds 

 abound here so plentifully they are not at all gregarious : social they 

 may be ; yet each seems to confine itself to its own affairs, to fly off alone, 

 and apparently to live, by itself. By the latter end of January or early in 

 February, when the first faint signs of approaching spring are seen, the 

 Song-Thrushes are back once more in their old haunts. There can be 

 little doubt that they migrate, like the Redwing, in the night ; for one day 

 not a bird is to be seen in their favourite haunts, but the next their 

 mellow varied song fills the air. Instantly upon their arrival they are in 

 full song, and pairing begins at once. Heligoland is an excellent post of 

 observation for seeing the migration of the Song-Thrush. On the eastern 

 end of this interesting little rock are the " throstle-bushes." The island 

 contains scarcely any trees or shrubs, and is for the most part laid out 

 in potato-patches. These "throstle-bushes" are erected by the inhabi- 

 tants, and have a net on one side, into which the poor Thrushes are driven 

 with lanterns and sticks the instant they alight. By the side of these 

 artificial bushes the Heligolanders watch on favourable nights for the 

 arrival of the birds. Aeuckens, the bird-stuffer there, related to me 

 with great gusto how, suddenly, a rush and whirl of wings would be heard, 

 and, without a moment's warning, the throstle-bushes would swarm with 

 Thrushes, not dropped, but as if shot like an arrow from a bow perpendicu- 

 larly down from the invisible heights of mid-air. The number of Thrushes 

 thus caught is almost incredible, it being no unusual thing for several 

 hundreds to be taken in a single night, thus clearly proving to what 

 a very great extent the Song-Thrush is a migratory bird. In our own 

 land we suspect the reason this migration has been overlooked is from the 

 fact that the birds leave so quietly, and that the Redwings take their place 

 and are mistaken for them. 



At feeding-time in early morning and evening the actions of the 

 Song-Thrush may be best observed. "Watch him hop cautiously from the 

 laurels, just venturing a yard or so upon the lawn, and, with body crouching 

 low amongst the grass, stand motionless for a few moments as if fearful 

 of being discovered so far out in the open. Note well his elegant and 

 sprightly form, his neat trim figure, his richly spotted breast, and large 

 bright eye, as he sits so wary, yet unconscious of your presence. See 

 him at last hop quickly forward and pull out a worm with a jerk from its 

 hole in the earth, and swallow it at once. Not a sound escapes him as he 

 hops hither and thither in search of worms, grubs, and snails, or snaps now 

 and then at a passing fly. But your careless movements have alarmed 

 him ; he crouches low and timid for a moment, and then takes himself off 

 to the cove? whence he came. Although the Song-Thrush does not feed 

 on berries so much as the Blackbird or the Fieldfare, still it eats them 

 freely in autumn and early spring, especially those of the mountain- ash, 



