BIBDS OF GUERNSEY. 33 



23. SONG THRUSH. Turdus musicus, Linnaeus. 

 French, " Grive," " Merle Grive." Very common 

 and resident in all the Islands, and great is the 

 destruction of snails by Thrushes and Blackbirds 

 in fact, nowhere have I seen such destruction as in 

 the Channel Islands, especially in Guernsey and 

 Herm, where every available stone seems made use 

 of, and to considerable purpose, to judge from the 

 number of snail- shells to be found about ; and yet 

 the gardeners complain quite as much of damage 

 to their gardens, especially in the fruit season, by 

 Blackbirds and Thrushes, as the English gardeners 

 and seem equally unready to give these birds any 

 credit for the immense destruction of snails, which, 

 if left alone, would scarcely have left a green thing 

 in the garden. 



The local name of the Thrush is " Mauvis." It 

 is, of course, included in Professor Ansted's list, 

 but with the Fieldfare, Eedwing, and Blackbird, 

 marked as only occurring in Guernsey and Sark. 

 All these birds, however, are equally common in 

 Alderney, Herm, and Jethou. There is also a 

 specimen of each in the Museum. 



24. REDWING. Turdus iliacus, Linnaeus. French, 

 " Grive mauvis," " Merle mauvis." A regular and 

 numerous winter visitant to all the Islands, arriving 

 about the end of October, and those that are not 



