1 6 Bird Portraits 



his arrival, by chanting from some low limb his beautiful flute-like 

 notes. In the Middle States, it is a common and almost familiar 

 bird, building in the gardens even of large towns ; but in wilder 

 regions, it prefers copses, groves of young trees, and rocky glens, 

 particularly if there is a stream near by. By the end of May the 

 pair have finished their nest, which resembles that of the Robin, but 

 is often composed of less coarse material and is generally placed in 

 the fork of a sapling. The birds often take little trouble to conceal 

 it, sometimes placing it close to a woodland path, and the passer-by 

 becomes aware of its nearness by hearing the harsh, anxious chatter 

 of the parents. The four eggs are blue like the Robin's. The Robin 

 is, in fact, a near relative of the Thrushes, and the relationship is 

 shown not only by the shape of the body and the bill, but by 

 the spotted breast which the young Robins assume with their first 

 plumage. In the Middle States, this relationship seems to have 

 been recognized, as the Wood Thrush is there commonly called the 

 Wood Robin. 



While the female is brooding the eggs, the male may be heard 

 day after day from some favorite perch, not too near the nest. The 

 early morning and the late afternoon are the favorite times for all 

 the Thrushes, but on cloudy days or in the cool shades of deep 

 woods, they sing all day. Occasionally the song ceases for several 

 days. Some calamity has befallen the nest; a squirrel or some 

 other marauder has robbed the pair, and there are no more out- 

 pourings of joy, till with renewed courage they select some safer 

 spot and build again. In midsummer, the Thrushes become very 

 silent. Occasionally we come upon a group feeding in the cherry or 

 viburnum bushes, but few are seen after August, and by November 

 they are in the tropics. Only the nest filled with snow reminds us 

 of the pair, whose return in May we await with impatience. 



