THE 



BIRDS OF DEVON. 



Order PASSERES. 



Family TURDID^. 

 Subfamily TURBINE. 



THE THRUSHES. 



To the Thrush family, with which we commence, because 

 of their high specialization, belong our well-known garden 

 favourites the Song-Thrush, the Blackbird, and the Mistle- 

 Thrush, chief leaders of the spring choir of birds. Of 

 these the Mistle-Thrush is the first in the year to pour 

 forth his welcome song, as he seems to challenge the 

 winter and to call loudly for the spring. The Redwings 

 and the Fieldfares, winter visitors from the North, only 

 enter our gardens in severe frost ; as long as the weather 

 is mild and open they are dispersed over our parks and 

 meadows, where they may be sometimes seen congregated 

 on the taller trees ; they leave us before they fully open 

 their summer song, and contribute nothing to the bird- 

 music of our woodlands and shrubberies. Of the lling- 

 Ouzel, a summer visitf)r to our moorlands, nothing is to 

 be said in connection with song, as it possesses only a few 



B 



