BRITISH CAG E-B I R D S 



By W. SWAYSLAND. 



CHAPTER XXXIV. 



THE THRUSH TRIBE. 



The Thrush is deservedly one of the greatest favourites among British songsters, and, from its 

 singing so cheerily long before the trees have burst into leaf, has generally been called the " herald 

 of spring." It frequents the whole of Europe, but is found more generally towards the north, and 

 is a very familiar inhabitant of Great Britain. There is a blithe, bluff heartiness about the song 

 of the Thrush that carries with it a certain feeling of rusticity, which makes its song peculiarly 

 attractive in a town, bringing as it does so forcibly remembrances of those green fields and 

 shady hedgerows, where, beside some chattering spring, it sometimes builds its nest. When 

 wild, one of its favourite habits is to repair in the early morning and cool eventide to the 

 topmost branch of a tree, selecting some withered twig for its perch, and from thence pouring 

 forth its flood of melody. It commences singing as early as January, if the season be mild, 

 continuing through the spring and summer. The Thrush, being slightly endowed with imitative 

 powers, has been known to " catch a tune " when whistled or played upon a wind-instrument. 



The size of this bird considerably varies, the average length from the tip of the beak to 

 the end of the tail being about eight inches, though at times reaching nine inches. It is a 

 fine bird, neatly shaped, and pretty, though plain, in its plumage. The whole of the upper 

 part is an olive-brown, deepening in colour on the head and neck. The breast, which is 

 pale buff, has a darker tinge on either side, and is flecked with triangular oval spots of a 

 very dark brown reaching from each side of the throat down to the thighs ; the throat, how- 

 ever, is a yellowish-white, and nearly free from spots, which are more thickly spread at the 

 sides, gathering in clusters on the breast. The wing-coverts are brown, tipped with a reddish- 

 yellow, whilst the rest of the wing is of a dark olive-brown, the under wing-coverts being 

 bright tawny-brown ; the tail is also of dark olive-brown, rather slender and rounded at the 

 tip. The beak is horn-brown, except the half of the lower mandible nearest the base, which 

 is yellow. The difference between the sexes is scarcely distinguishable, except, of course, by 

 the song, the hen being mute ; she is, however, generally somewhat smaller than the male, 

 whilst the head and upper part of the neck are lighter ; the spots on the breast are larger, 

 and the eye not so bold as in the male. 



The Thrush is very fond of water, and it is in the neighbourhood of a stream or brook 

 that the nest is generally built ; but it oftentimes breeds in bushes, trees, and even furze, 

 and where water is scarce. The nest is formed externally of green moss, fine roots, 

 leaves, and small twigs, the inner surface being lined with mud. There arc generally four or 



