164 INSESSORES. MERULA. Song-Thrush. 



favourite repast. For this purpose, it breaks the shell by 

 repeated strokes upon a stone; and numerous remains of 

 these shells may be seen around particular selected stones, 

 generally on some pathway or bare spot of earth, where these 

 birds and their congeners abound. As summer advances, it 

 approaches our gardens, feeding with avidity upon all the 

 smaller sorts of fruit ; and, when these fail, upon the ap- 

 proach of winter, it attacks the mountain-ash and other wild 

 berries, which, as I have before observed, constitute its chief 

 support. 



Plate 45. Fig. 2. Natural size. 



General The head and upper parts yellowish-broAvn, with a tinge 



tion'^"^" °^ oil-green. Greater wing- coverts margined with pale 



orange. Quills and tail brown, edged with oil-green. 



Sides of the neck, and upper part of the breast, pale 



ochreous-yellow, with arrow-shaped brownish-black 



spots. Throat pure white. Middle of the belly and 



the flanks white, with blackish-brown spots. Under 



wing-coverts pale reddish-orange. Legs pale flesh-red. 



Bill blackish-brown. The base of the under mandible 



straw-yellow. 



The female is very similar to the male bird in plumage, 



but has less of the yellow upon the neck and breast. 



Varieties of a perfect white, or of white streaked with 



brown, sometimes occur. 



