THE EUROPEAN SONG THRUSH. 



( Turdus ?nusicus.) 



The Thrush's song 

 Is varied as his plumes; and as his plumes 

 Blend beauteous, each with each, so runs his notes 

 Smoothly, with many a happy rise and fall. 

 How prettily, upon his parded breast, 

 The vividly contrasting tints unite 

 To please the admiring eye ; so, loud and soft, 

 And high and low, all in his notes combine, 

 In alternation sweet, to charm the ear. 



— Graham. 



The Song Thrush of Europe is a beau- 

 tiful and familiar bird of sprightly hab- 

 its and wonderful power of song. Sing 

 it must, for it possesses a happy nature. 

 In England and Scotland, from the 

 month of January to that of October, 

 there are thrushes that sing. It is not 

 the same bird that sings through all of 

 these months, but as soon as one has 

 finished its season of song, there seems to 

 be another to take its place. Even a day 

 or two of fine weather with sunshine and 

 warmth in the midst of winter, is suffi- 

 cient to awaken its sweet voice which 

 has been quieted by, perhaps, a fall of 

 snow. The Thrushes, however, may be 

 said to be in full song during the months 

 of April, May and June. It sings at 

 both ends of the day, and it may even 

 raise its voice from some sheltered perch 

 during a pouring rain. 



Its song is indescribable. Though sev- 

 eral individuals may sing at the same 

 time, often but one sings while the others 

 appear to listen until it has finished, 

 when another takes up the strain. An 

 English observer of bird life, has said of 

 its song: "There may be wilder, louder 

 and more marvelous songs ; but to me 

 it is all-sufficient, for it enters into the 

 soul, melts the heart to tenderness, dif- 

 fuses a holy calm, and connects the peace 

 of earth with the transcendent happiness 

 of heaven." Another writer has said : 

 "The nightingale, heard in the depth of 



groves and during the soft and balmy 

 stillness of the summer's night, may have 

 more of the lusciousness of romance 

 about it ; but there is a bold, natural and 

 free feeling of rustic vigor, enjoyment 

 and endurance about the Thrush which 

 gives it a more home and hearty interest 

 in all parts of the country, than can be 

 possessed by any mere bird of passage, 

 whatever may be its charms while it 

 stays." Its blithe song indicates a con- 

 tented nature and that its larder is full 

 to overflowing. Its voice is never heard 

 amid desolation. 



Its home is not in the marshes nor in 

 regions that are without trees or hedges. 

 The Song Thrush loves trees ; the woods 

 the hedges around plantations, even the 

 bushes of gardens and the orchards are to 

 its liking, and there it is found. It prefers 

 animal food and thus destroys vast num- 

 bers of snails, slugs, earth worms, larvae, 

 beetles and other insects. When it cannot 

 obtain animal food, it eats berries and 

 seeds, and frequently commits great de- 

 vastations among cultivated fruits. 

 However, much of its food consists of 

 animal forms that are highly detrimental 

 to the growth of cultivated plants. It 

 eats large numbers of snails which feed 

 upon the early vegetables and upon the 

 smaller fruits. Even before the snails 

 have awakened from their winter's sleep, 

 the Song Thrush finds them in their cozy 

 hiding places beneath hedges and under 



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