Birds of Massachusetts. 131 
built in shrubs or low trees, saddled on the branch, 
and composed of grass and leaves held together by 
mud, with a lining of root-fibres. The eggs, four 
or five in number, are of a greenish blue. The 
young come out from retirement into gardens, and 
are even known to visit the outskirts of the city. 
They are easily raised in confinement, and sing 
nearly as well as when free. 
-On alighting on a branch, the wood thrush gives 
its tail a jerk two or three times with a peculiar 
chuckle. It walks and hops on the branches, occa- 
sionally bending down to look round it. It often de- 
scends to the ground, and scratches in search of 
worms and beetles, but the least alarm sends it back 
to the tree. It never commits depredations of any 
kind whatever. These birds are never seen in 
flocks ; they pair in the breeding season, but at all 
other times are found single and apart from each 
other. They do not leave New England till quite 
late in the fall. 
The Hermit Tarussa, Turdus minor, is described 
by Audubon and Wilson as destitute of song, while 
Nuttall represents it as hardly inferior to the nightin- 
gale in the power and sweetness of its voice. There 
are some other points of difference in their several 
descriptions. Audubon says that the bill is dark 
brown, yellowish toward the base of the lower man- 
dible. Nuttall says that it is black above and flesh 
colored below. Audubon says that the tail is even, 
while Wilson and Nuttall speak of it as forked. 
These and some other discrepancies I am unable to 
