Birds. 7399 



Song Thrush, Turd us niusicus. 



Situation. Hedge-banks, sometimes on the ground and low bushes, 

 or against the trunk of a tree, especially in ivy. 



Materials. Moss and grass outside, the interior lined. with a coat- 

 ing of moss, clay or cow-dung, in which decayed wood is often 

 mingled. 



Eggs, 4 — 6. Blue-green, with purple-black spots ; sometimes un- 

 spotted. A very unusual departure from the usual colouring is recorded 

 in the ' Zoologist' (Zool. 1875), the ground being white, the spots dark 

 red. 



Blackbird, Tardus merula. 



Situation. Bushes, holly, laurel, in ivy on a tree trunk, &c. Mr. 

 Duncan mentions in the 'Zoologist' (Zool. 382), an instance of a 

 blackbird building its nest within that of a magpie. I have repeatedly 

 known a pair of blackbirds commence four or five nests near the same 

 spot, and only finish one of them : the cause of this I am unable to 

 explain. 



Materials. Moss, twigs, roots, intermixed with mud, clay, or 

 cow-dung, but lined inside this plastering with very fine slender 

 grasses. 



Eggs, 4, 5. Blue-green, rather dull, uniformly sprinkled with 

 brown ; rarely bright blue-green, unspotted. 



Ring Ouzel, Tnrdus torquaius. 



Situations. Only in the northern mountainous districts of England 

 and Scotland, on steep banks, in clefts of rocks, low bushes, &c. 



Materials. Moss, roots, lined with fine grasses. 



Eggs, 4, 5. Blue green, dull, freckled with brown. Either black- 

 birds' eggs are offered for sale as those of the ring ouzel, or the eggs 

 of the two species are so similar as scarcely to be distinguished. 



Hedgesparrow, Sylvia modularis. 



Situation. In whitethorn hedges, dwarf hollies, laurels, furze 

 bushes, &c. 



Materials. Moss and wool lined with hair. 



Eggs 4 — 6. Bright blue-green. 



Robin Redbreast, Sylvia rubecula. 



Situation. Quite on the ground on banks, but generally protected 

 by roots, or in a cavity, or under ivy. Many other and \e\y strange 

 situations are recorded. The Rev. John Atkinson mentions (Zool. 565) 

 an instance of a pair of robins building in a watering pot. 



Materials. Moss, dried stems of herbaceous plants and leaves, 

 lined wilh hair. 



