2IO THE WORLD OF ANIMAL LIFE 



THRUSHES (Family TURDID^) 



The Thrushes embrace the Missel, Song, and other thrushes. 

 Blackbirds, Redwings, Fieldfares, and Ring-Ouzels. The true 

 thrushes are much more South American birds than European. 

 There are twenty-four species known in South America, and only 

 five in Europe. 



THE SONG THRUSH 



Walking in a garden or a field, we may often notice a stone 

 with a number of broken snail-shells scattered all round it. On 

 examination we see that the snails to which these shells belonged 

 must have been broken upon it, for it is quite covered with slime 

 and with fragments of shell. What can be the meaning of this.' 

 How came the shells there.' And what has become of the snails 

 themselves .-' 



If we hide close at hand for a short time we may find out. In 

 a few minutes a Thrush flies towards us with a snail in his beak. 

 He goes straight up to the stone and begins to hammer the snail 

 upon it, turning it this way and that, as the shell becomes cracked 

 and broken. 



When he has finished his task, he picks off and scatters the 

 broken shell with his beak, and in brief space the poor snail, being 

 thus deprived of its home and protection, is gulped down whole, 

 and the thrush flies away to search for another. 



So the puzzle is explained. All the shell fragments are the 

 remains of snails which the thrush has found, brought here, and 

 killed and eaten. He has been helping the gardener, by destroying 

 creatures which do much harm to his flowers and vegetables. 



Sad to say, however, the bird himself is a thief at times. 

 He likes nothing better than a little ripe garden fruit, and he 

 naturally helps himself So the gardener is not always glad to 

 see him, even though he does kill so many snails. 



The gardener forgets that for at least nine months in the year, 

 thrushes and blackbirds are his best friends; for during that time 

 they are engaged wholly in destroying things which he calls " pests". 



