GARDEN AND ORCHARD BIRD-LIFE. 49 



Amongst the most prominent birds in this 

 avine paradise must be ranked the three common 

 British Thrushes. Of these the Song Thrush 

 universally known in South Devon as the " Grey- 

 bird " is perhaps the first favourite. In this 

 neighbourhood the Song Thrush may justly be 

 classed as a perennial songster, except during 

 the moulting season in late summer. All the 

 mild winter through the Greybird continues 

 in voice; right through the spring and early 

 summer, and again in the mellow autumn, his 

 oft-repeated song sounds from almost every 

 garden containing trees ; and as likely as not 

 this Thrush's music is the first to greet the 

 visitor as he steps out of the train into ever- 

 verdant Torquay. In the stormier months of 

 the year the wild music of the Missel Thrush 

 gladdens the ear, but the bird is neither so 

 plentiful nor so familiar as the preceding species. 

 Although the largest of the British Thrushes, 

 the present bird is perhaps the most overlooked, 

 and we know his voice is very frequently con- 

 fused with that of the Blackbird. In some parts 

 of Torquay the Blackbird is decidedly the most 

 abundant of the Thrush tribe ; in others the 



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