PASSERES (TURDIN^). 405 



curious habit it has of raising its tail whenever it perches will 

 always enable the observer to detect it. It nests very early, 

 in bushes, trees, and hedges : the nest is lined with fine 

 grasses, in which are laid five greenish -blue eggs streaked 

 and spotted with reddish-brown. 



The Thrush (T. musicus) likewise feeds upon the same food. 

 This beautiful song-bird, the " throstle " of the north country, 

 is found all over the islands. They often migrate in large 

 numbers, this movement taking place at night. The nest, 

 which may be made in February, is lined by a smooth coating 

 of dung and mud, and in it are laid four or five blue eggs 

 spotted with black or dark brown. The food, although similar 

 to the blackbird, is more varied. They do an immense amount 

 of good in the garden by crushing and eating the snails, and 

 by devouring hordes of slugs, wood-lice, insect-grubs, &c. The 

 snails are smashed, as a rule, against a stone or tree and soon 

 eaten ; heaps of broken snail-shells may often be found lying 

 about, the remains of a " throstle's " meal. They, however, 

 do some harm to fruit, always taking the choicest kinds ; but 

 in ordinary numbers they cannot be otherwise than looked 

 upon as gardeners' friends. 



The Fieldfare (T. pilar k) and the Redwing (T. iliacu») are 

 tegular winter visitors, feeding upon insect-grubs and worms in 

 the fields and woods, unless the ground is covered with snow, 

 when berries are eaten. 



The Missel-Thrush {T. viscivorus) is another permanent species, 

 the largest of the genus. It breeds in our islands, and its 

 numbers, like so many of our birds, are greatly augmented in 

 winter by migrants. The " storm -cock," as it is sometimes 

 called, makes its nest in the fork of a bough of a tree as early 

 as February. In habits the missel-thrush is very vicious, often 

 attacking other birds and carrying off the nestlings. The food 

 consists of various wild berries, worms, snails, slugs, and insects. 



The Nightingale {Dauliws luscinia) is found in the southern, 

 eastern, and midland counties of England. In the west it 



