10 OUR NATIVE SONGSTEES. 



or cottage, save where the old superstition yet 

 lingers, that if they are kept over Sunday, the 

 housewife will rue it in her brc»ken crockery. So 

 little fear of man has the thrush, that it some- 

 times builds in places where its nest cannot fail 

 to be seen by the inmates of tlie house; and in- 

 stances are known in which the little dwclHng has 

 been made in outbuildings where workmen have 

 been daily employed. 



Every one who has a garden has good reason to 

 welcome the thrush there, not for its song only, but 

 for its active services. It is tnie that this bird will 

 not scruple to help itself to the ripest cherry, or 

 to the finest goosebeny on the bougli, but on the 

 other hand, no bird is more skilful in ridding the 

 garden of the snails and slugs, whicli destroy alike 

 the loveliest flowers, and the finest fruits. All 

 the thrushes, as well as the blackbirds, make great 

 havoc among the snails ; but the missel- thi-ush, 

 like the blackbird, is not nearly so skilful in shel- 

 ling them as is the common thrush: and it is 

 said, by Mr. Blyth, to commence its operations 

 by endeavom'ing to pull the snail from its shell. 

 This it finds difficult, and it is at last obliged to 

 break the shell as well as it can, so that, as this 



