162 BIRDS' NESTS. 



have been known to destroy plantations by 

 simply alighting on the young branches. In 

 spring, however, this society appears to be 

 dissolved by common consent, and henceforth 

 they rarely meet together, except to squabble 

 about the possession of some choice situation 

 for a nest. This is usually placed in holes of 

 buildings, under eaves, in hollow trees, or, 

 much to the annoyance of the inhabitants, in 

 shoots of houses. It is made of slender 

 twigs, straw, roots, and dry grass. The eggs 

 are four or five in number, of a uniform deli- 

 cate pale blue, and about an inch and a 

 quarter long. The young, when first fledged, 

 have little of the appearance of the old bird, 

 being of a greyish brown colour, without the 

 metallic lustre, or numerous spots, which dis- 

 tinguish the adult bird. In this stage, the 

 young bird has been called the, " solitary 

 thrush;" but that it is not a distinct ^p^cies, 

 is clear from the fact, that in a.ifew weeks it 

 begins to assume the adult plumage, -which 



