PRELIMINARY NOTICES. 



as, pieces of this material, and those sometimes tolerably 

 large, are frequently apparent in it.* As to the 



Singi?)(/ of the Thrush while sitting on the Eggs* 



I admit that it might possibly be a solitary fact, although 

 I think otherwise ; but it is one of which, however, I can 

 entertain no doubt, as it was heard not only by myself but 

 by other branches of my family, the sweetness of the song 

 having excited our particular attention ; and what makes 

 the fact still more memorable is that the nest was a short 

 distance from my father's house, and we afterwards took 

 the young, one of which we raised and kept for some years 

 in a cage, where it sang delightfully. 



* As it is now known that some of the Swallow tribe, see 

 pages 158 and 159, have glands which secrete an adhesive gum 

 or glue with which their nests are, in part, constructed, why may 

 there not be such glands for a similar purpose in many other 

 birds? in the thrush, in particular, I am disposed to think there 

 are, and recommend this subject to our anatomical ornithologists. 

 I have neither leisure nor opportunity for sucli inquiry or I would 

 gladly undertake it. 



Nest of the Mag-pie. 

 From what the Reviewer says {Blag, of Nat. Hist. vol. i. page 

 345) an uninformed person would conclude that the inside sur- 

 face of the magpie's nest is clay; now, it ought to be known that, 

 although the magpie does certainly plaster the interior part of the 

 nest with clay; yet over the clay is invariably laid, according to 

 my experience, a pietty extensive one, some dried grass, or other 

 soft material. I ought certainly to have mentioned this in my 

 description of the magpie's nest, in page 19 ; but it too often 

 happens that what we well know ourselves we presume other 

 persons must also know. 



