THEUSH. 187 



evening, and came again in the morning, they found the 

 female seated on her half-finished mansion; and, when she 

 flew off for a short time, it was found that she had already 

 laid an egg, though the bottom of the nesfc was the only 

 part plastered and completed. When all was finished the 

 male bird took his share in the hatching, and though he did 

 not sit so long, he was very attentive in feeding her when on 

 the nest: the young were hatched in thirteen days. As they 

 grew, and required greater supplies, the entrance and retreat 

 of the old ones through the door was so rapid that it could 

 scarcely be seen, but was only known by the sound as they 

 darted over the heads of the men another proof of the 

 rapidity of flight of even the slower flying birds, when urged 

 by necessity. 



Very early in the spring odd eggs are sometimes found 

 here and there; and one has been known placed on a branch 

 of a tree supported only by a very small portion of moss. 

 It frequently is the case that the nest is very conspicuous 

 for a time, from being placed among the branches of some 

 deciduous shrub, whose anticipated leaves have either been 

 too soon calculated on by the bird, or have been kept back 

 by some fortuitous change of weather. It is very light in 

 weight, and it is curious how it, and the same applies to the 

 nests of other birds, retains its place when even the strongest 

 trees are overthrown by some tremendous gale. 



Mr. John H. Blundell, of Luton, Bedfordshire, informs me 

 that he has found the nest of a Thrush in the side of a round 

 wheat stack. 



The eggs, usually four or five in number, are of a beautiful 

 clear greenish blue colour, with more or fewer distinct black 

 spots and dots, principally over the larger end. The youngest 

 of my three boys, Marmaduke Charles Frederick Morris, has 

 one entirely plain, with the exception of a single dot. They 

 vary considerably in size: some are very small. 



Male; length, from about eight inches and a half to nine 

 inches and a quarter. The bill is rather large in proportion 

 to the size of the bird along the base of the upper mandible, 

 which is of a blackish brown colour, are a few bristly feathers; 

 the lower mandible is pale dusky yellowish red. Iris, rich 

 dark chesnut brown; a dark streak runs from the bill to it, 

 and over it, running from the base of the bill, is a faint 

 greyish yellow streak; eyelids, grey. Head on the crown, 

 brownish olive, with a tinge of reddish brown; neck in front, 



