CLASS II. AVES: ORDER 2. PASSERES. 



129 



The Red-Wing Thrush, T. iUaciis, migrates from the north to the south of Europe in winter, 

 spending the latter season in England, France, and other parts where the climate is mild. Its 

 favorite resorts are parks, and pleasure grounds ornamented with clumps of trees. They usually 

 feed on worms, snails, and other soft-bodied animals, and therefore, when the ground happens to 

 be covered with snow for a length of time, many of these birds perish. In summer this thrusli 

 migrates far north, to Norway, Lapland, and even the Faroe Isles and Iceland, where it breeds. 

 Its song is pleasing, and it is sometimes called the Norway Nightingale. The upper parts of this 

 bird are olive-brown : the under parts dull white, streaked with brown. From the preceding en- 

 graving, it will be seen that this bird, in its form and markings, bears a striking resemblance to 

 our robin in its first autumn plumage. 



The Missel Thrush, T. viscivorus — Merle Draine of the French — is also called in various parts 

 of Great Britain Gray Thrush^ Holm-Thrush, Screech-Thrush, Storrncock, and Shrite. The male 

 and female exhibit little ditFer(.^nce : the top of the head and almost all the upper surface of the 

 body are nearly uniform clove-brown; wings and wing-coverts umber-brown; all the under sur- 

 face of the body white, tinged with yellow, and covered with numerous black spots, the whole 

 length about eleven inches. This is one of the largest of the species, and although not very 

 common anywhere, it is verj' generally diffused; it is rather a shy bird, frequenting small woods 

 and the high trees in hedges bounding large meadows. It remains in Middle and Southern 

 Europe all the year. The name Stormcock is given to it from its habit of singing during storm 

 and rain. It begins to build in April, and fixes its nest in the fork of a tree ; the eggs are four 

 or five in number, of a greenish-white color, spotted with red-brown. It feeds on worms, slugs, 

 <fec. ; also fruits, especiall} those of the mistletoe, {rom which it derives its common English name. 



"^'lifti^fcfc 









THE GOLDEN THKUSH OK WUITe's THKUSU. 



White's Thrush, T. Whitei—T. varius of Tcmminck— 13 a native of Japan and Java, but mi- 

 grates into Southern Europe in summer, and has been taken a few times in the British Islands. 

 It was first killed in Hampshire, and named after White, the celebrated naturalist of Selborne. 

 Its color is brown-olive, with a golden reflection, above ; below it is yellow, marked with cres- 

 cent-shaped spots. 



The Fieldfare or Gray Thrush, T. pilaris, has the head, hind neck, and wings, gray ; fore 

 part of the back chestnut; fore neck and breast reddish-yellow ; lower wing-coverts and axillary 

 feathers pure white ; young of the year with duller tints, the feathers of the sides light, with a 

 pale brown or dusky border within the white margin. This bird is migratory in the British 

 Islands, coming from the north to spend the winter, and is one of the latest species that thus 

 makes its appearance. 



The Rock Thrush, T. saxatilis, has the neck and head bluish-gray; the back black, spotted 



Vol. II.— 17 



