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THE THRUSH. 

 (Turdus musicus.) 



THIS bird is the same size as a Blackbird. The upper 

 side is olive-brown ; throat and under parts whitish ; 

 breast rusty-yellow with dark heart-shaped spots and 

 flecks. A light eye-brow stripe runs over the eye. The 

 under side of the wing is rusty-yellow ; beak and legs 

 brownish-yellow. Its nest is very remarkable. It 

 builds by preference in trees with dense foliage, at a 

 medium height, and employs stalks, grass, and small 

 twigs well woven together, the crevices being rilled 

 with moss. There is nothing remarkable in this, for 

 % there are many better woven nests ; but the cup of the 

 nest is a work of art. It is wide, and deep, having inside 

 a strong layer finely cemented and smoothed, about the 

 thickness of the back of a table knife. This is composed 

 of pulverised atoms of decayed wood, which the Thrush 

 mixes with its sticky saliva, and kneads into a paste, 

 with its beak. It lays five or six eggs of a vitriol-green 

 colour, with very fine spots. 



The Thrush is a fine strong bird, and moves firmly 

 and skilfully among the branches. When on the 

 ground it holds its head and beak well up; always alert. 

 When it sees its prey it springs on it at once with 

 lowered head, seizes it and tears it to pieces with its beak. 

 On mossy grounds it is very skilful in turning over tufts 

 of moss, in order to reach the insects which crawl about 

 underneath. It also catches grasshoppers, and in the 

 late summer and autumn attacks the wild berries. 



It has many enemies. The Jay is the worst plunderer 



