64 BIRDS OF SOMERSETSHIRE. 



The beak of the Song Thrush is dark horn-colour 

 on the upper mandible and on the tip of the lower ; 

 the base of the lower mandible yellowish brown; 

 irides hazel; the whole of the upper parts are 

 uniform dull olive-brown; each feather of the 

 greater and lesser wing-coverts is tipped with buff, 

 which forms two lines of that colour on the closed 

 wings ; the primary quills and the tail are rather 

 darker than the rest of the upper parts; the ear- 

 coverts are yellowish buff and brown, surrounded by 

 dark brown ; all the under parts yellowish buff, 

 lighter, nearly white, in the centre, speckled with 

 very dark brown ; legs and toes pale brown ; claws 

 darker brown. 



The back and scapular feathers in young birds 

 have each a pale yellow spot in the centre ; the 

 smaller wing-coverts are streaked with pale brown. 



Varieties of the Song Thrush occasionally occur. 

 I once saw, at Mrs. Turle's, a whole brood quite 

 white, which had been brought in to be stuffed. 



The eggs are about the same size as those of the 

 Blackbird, but rather rounder ; bright blue, thinly 

 spotted with black. 



REDWING, Turdus iliacus. The Redwing, or as it 

 often locally called, the " Wind Thrush," is a winter 

 visitor to this country, generally arriving rather 

 before the Fieldfare : my own earliest note of their 

 arrival is the 12th of October. They depart for the 

 North about the beginning or middle of April. 



