THE THRUSHES. 35 



among the brushes as well as in the more open portions of the country, in all of which it is apparently 

 a stationary species. It is a bird possessing many peculiar and singular habits. It not only captures 

 its prey after the usual manner of the other Flycatchers, but it frequently sallies forth into the 

 open glades of the forest and the cleared lands, and procures it by poising itself in the air with 

 a remarkably quick motion of the wings, precisely after the manner of the English Kestrel 

 (Tinnunculus alaudarius), every now and then making sudden perpendicular descents to the gi-ound 

 to capture any insect that may attract its notice. It is while performing these singular movements 

 that it produces the remarkable sound which has procured for it from the colonists of New South 

 Wales the appellation of ' The Grinder.' The singular habits of this species appear to have attracted 

 the notice of all who have paid any attention to the natural history of New South Wales. Mr. 

 Caley observes : 'It is very curious in its actions. In alighting on the stump of a tree it makes 

 several semicircular motions, spreading out its tail at the time, and making a loud noise, something 

 like that caused by a razor-grinder at work. I have seen it frequently alight 011 the ridge of my 

 house, and perform the same evolutions.' To this I may add the following account of the actions 

 and manners of this species, as observed by Gilbert in Western Australia : ' This bird is found in 

 pairs in every variety of situation. Its general note is a loud, harsh cry, several times repeated 

 It also utters a loud clear whistle ; but its most singular note is that from which it has obtained 

 its colonial name, and which is only emitted while the bird is in a hovering position at a few feet 

 from the ground. This noise so exactly resembles a grinder at work, that a person unaware of its 

 being produced by a bird might easily be misled. Its mode of flight is one of the most graceful and 

 easy imaginable. It rarely mounts high in flying from tree to tree, but moves horizontally, with its 

 tail but little spread, and with a very slight motion of the wings. It is during this kind of flight 

 that it xitters the harsh note above mentioned, the grinding note being only emitted during the 

 graceful hovering motion, the object of which appears to be to attract the notice of the insects 

 beneath, for it invariably terminates in the bird descending to the ground, picking up something, 

 flying into a tree close by, and uttering its shrill and distinct whistle.' " 



CHAPTER III. 



THE TRUE THRUSHES THE WARBLERS THE BABBLING THRUSHES THE WRENS THE BULBULS THE 



BABBLERS THE GRASS WARBLERS THE AMERICAN BABBLERS THE BUTCHER BIRDS THE 



GREENLETS THE TITMICE. 



THE THRUSHES Arrangement First Sub-family THE THRUSHES PROPER Plumage of Young Moulting of Adults 

 THE TRUE THRUSHES Distribution THE SONG THRUSH Migration How the Heligolanders Catch them Plans of 

 Capture in Italy Macgillivray's Description of the Bird in the Hebrides Its Wonderful Song Its Distribution Flight 

 Food Paii-ing Nest Plumage THE BLACKBIRD Macgillivray's Account of its Habits, Food, Flight, Pairing, and 

 Song Mr. "Weir's Conjecture as to the Language of Birds' Song Plumage THE WARBLERS Plumage of Young and 

 Adult THE COMMON NIGHTINGALE Mr. Dresser's Account of the Species Oil-position Song Food Habits THE 

 BABBLING THRUSHES Characters THE WRENS THE COMMON WREN Professor Newton's Description of the 

 Hunting of the Wren The Wren's Nest, as Described by Mr. Macgillivray Colour and Size of Bird THE BULBULS 

 Characters Where Found Dr. Jerdon on the Madras Bulbul Captain Legge's Account of the Habits of the Species 

 THE TRUE BABBLERS THE BUSH BABBLERS --Canon Tristram's Description of their Habits THE BOWER BIRDS 

 THE REGENT BIRD Mr. Gould on its Habits Its "Bower" described THE GRASS WARBLERS THE COMMON FANTAIL 

 WARBLER Its Nest How it is Constructed Captain Legge's and Mr. Hume's Notes on the Subject Habits of the 

 African Species Colour and Size of the Bird -THE TAILOR BIRD Distribution Call Nest THE AMERICAN BABBLERS 

 THE THRASHERS Characters The Brown Thrasher Habits Song Disposition Nest THE MOCKING BIRDS 

 Audubon's Account of the Bird His Love-Song His Devotion to his Mate The Young Birds Nest Eggs Their 

 Chief Enemies-Flight Call THE SHRIKES, OR BUTCHER BIRDS Distinctive Features The Great Grey 

 Shrike " Shrike's Larder "Pertinacity in the Chase Harsh Note Colour and Size-THE GREENLETS Mr. 

 Gosse on the Jamaican Species Their Peculiar Call THE TITMICE Characters Sub-families THE GREAT TIT- 

 MOUSE, OR OX-EYE Its Note Its Nest Colour and Size The Long tailed Titmouse Their Beautiful Nest- 

 Colour and Size THE NUTHATCHES Peculiar Nest Habits Size and Colour. 



THE EIGHTH FAMILY OF THRUSH-LIKE PERCHING BIRDS. THE THRUSHES (Turdidai). 

 ACCORDING to the most recent arrangements, the Thrushes may be divided into two large sections, 

 which in the present work are treated as sub-families, although Mr. Henry Seebohm, who has devoted 



