Song Thrush. 131 



the same reason, doubtless, it is called in Italy Tordella Gazzina, 

 a magpie in Italy being known as Gazza. In Portugal it is 

 Tor do zornal. 



34. SONG THRUSH (Turdus musicus). 



Generally distributed and permanently resident in all parts of 

 the country, this favourite songster is well known to all. Few 

 birds have sweeter notes, or indulge us with them oftener, and 

 no nest is better known to the schoolboy than the clay-lined 

 dwelling and spotted blue eggs of the Song Thrush. We may see 

 these birds throughout the year on our lawns and in our gardens ; 

 but, if we take notice, we shall observe that periodically their 

 numbers are sensibly increased by the arrival of many which have 

 migrated either to other countries or to other districts ; and at 

 other times the thrushes seem to have almost deserted us. Indeed, 

 Professor Newton goes so far as to say that in some parts of the 

 island not a single bird can be seen from the end of November to 

 the end of January.* Perhaps none of our songsters continues 

 to pour forth its melodious notes so perse veringiy as this species. 

 From early spring to late autumn, with but little intervals of rest, 

 from very early morning, long before daylight, even in the short 

 summer night, and before any other warbler is awake, the melli- 

 fluous voice of the thrush may be heard in the coppice. So 

 much is its superiority of song recognised in every country which 

 it frequents and this cosmopolitan bird ranges throughout 

 northern as well as southern Europe that the name by which 

 it is generally known alludes to its vocal powers. Thus in 

 France it is La Grive ; in Portugal, Tordo, ' the Thrush ;' and in 

 Malta, Malvitzrf as if pre-eminently ' the Thrush.' In Germany 

 it is, as with us, Siny Drossel ; and in Scandinavia Sdng-Trast, 

 ' Song Thrush,' Tal-Trast, or ' Speaking Thrush,' Nordisk Ndkter- 

 <jal, or 'Northern Nightingale,' and also Natt Vaka, or 'Night 

 Watcher/ from its habit of singing all night in the lone and 



* Fourth edition of Yarrell's ' British Birds/ vol. i., p. 266. See also an 

 article by the same able author on ' The Migratory Habits of the Song 

 Thrush/ in the Ibis for 1860, pp. 8385. 



t Ibis for 1864, p. 63. 



92 



