THE BIRD-LIFE OF LONDON 



taken to conceal it. It is made of dry grass chiefly, 

 mixed with roots, dead leaves, moss, and sometimes a 

 few twigs, lined first with wet mud, and finally with wet 

 decayed wood. The eggs are four or five in number, 

 turquoise blue, spotted with very dark brown and grey. 

 Both sexes incubate, and frequently several broods are 

 reared in the season. To some extent this Thrush is 

 migratory, leaving certain districts entirely during winter, 

 a fact attributable probably to its animal diet, for like 

 the Redwing it shows small partiality for berries. 



The adult Song Thrush has the general colour of the 

 upper parts olive-brown, the wing-coverts tipped with 

 buff ; the under parts are white, more or less suffused 

 with pale buff, most pronounced on the flanks and breast ; 

 the under surface of the wings is golden buff ; most of 

 the under surface is spotted with black. Bill dark brown, 

 paler at the base of the lower mandible ; tarsi and toes 

 yellowish brown ; irides brown. Length about 9 inches. 

 The nestling is profusely mottled and spotted on the 

 upper parts with buff. 



