THE THRUSH. 328 
very favourite locality. It is a large, rough, but carefully-constructed habita- 
tion, being made externally of grass-stems and roots, plastered on the interior 
with a rather thick lining of coarse mud, which, when thoroughly dried, 
forms a kind of rude earthenware cup. A lining of fine grass is placed 
within the earthen cup, and upon this lining the five eggs are laid These 
eggs are of a light greyish blue ground colour, splashed, spotted and 
freckled over their entire surface with brown of various shades and intensity. 
The colouring of these eggs is extremely variable, even those of a single nest 
being very different in their appearance. : 
The Blackbird is very courageous in defence of its nest, and will attack 
almost any animal that threatens the security of its home. On one occasion 
a prowling cat was forced to retreat ignominiously from the united assaults 
of two Blackbirds near whose domicile she had ventured. 
THE well-known SONG THRUSH, or THROSTLE as it is sometimes called, 
bears a deservedly high rank among our British birds of song. 
It is plentifully found in most parts 
of England, and favours us with its 
vocal efforts throughout a consider- 
able portion of the year. The song of 
the Thrush is peculiarly rich, mellow, 
and sustained, and is remarkable for 
the full purity of its intonation and 
the variety of its notes. The Thrush 
begins to'sing as soon as incubation 
commences, and continues its song 
from the beginning of the spring until 
the middle of autumn. In many 
cases the bird sings to a very late 
period of the year, and has been heard 
in the months of November and 
December. 
The food of the Thrush is mostly 
of an animal character, and consists 
largely of worms, snails, slugs, and 
similar creatures. In eating snails it 
is very dexterous, taking them in its 
bill, battering them against a stone 
until the shells are entirely crushed, 
and then swallowing the inclosed 
mollusc. When a Thrush has found 
a stone that suits his purpose peculiarly well, he brings all his snails to the 
spot, and leaves quite a large heap of empty snail shells under the stone. 
One of the best examples that I have ever seen was a large squared boulder- 
stone, forming part of a rustic stile in Wiltshire. There was a large pile of 
shells immediately under the stone, and the ground was strewed for some 
distance with the crushed fragments that had evidently been trodden upon 
and carried away by the feet of passengers. : 
The Thrush does not, however, confine itself wholly to this kind of diet, 
but in the autumn months feeds largely on berries and different fruits, being 
very fond of cherries, and often working great havoc in an orchard or fruit. 
garden. But in spite of its occasional inroads upon the gardens, it deserves 
the gratitude of the agriculturist on account of its service in destroying the 
snails and other garden pests, and may well be allowed to take its autumnal 
toll of a few of the fruits of which it has been such an efficient preserver. 
The nest of the Thrush is rather large, and shaped like a basin. The 
Y 
BLACKBIRD.—( 7urdus merula.) 
