Thrushes.] 



MUSEUM OF ANIMATED NATURE. 



323 



bowers of dog-roses, in woods, or in full ever- 

 greens, as the Portugal laurel or holly. Externally 

 it is composed of bent twigs, moss, and grass closely 

 interwoven, being plastered within with a very thin 

 smooth layer of rotten wood, cemented by glutinous 

 saliva, and laid as a coating, or fine cement, upon a 

 thick layer of cow-dung, scarcely carried so high 

 as the brim of the nest. This lining is waterproof 

 and tough, and well calculated for protecting the 

 eggs or young from the keen winds of early spring. 

 Fig. 1456 represents Ihe nest of the song-thrush. 

 Two broods are produced yearly. It may perhaps 

 be fancy, but we think that we have heard a great 

 difference in the power, variety, and richness of the 

 notes of different individuals of this species: the 

 notes of those that frequent the wooded rocks bor- 

 dering the Bakewell Road near Buxton have always 

 appeared to excel those of any others to which we 

 ever listened ; but perhaps this superiority was owing 

 in some measure to the nature of their locality, the 

 rocks reverberating the sound. 



Worms, snails, slugs, insects, and berries consti- 

 tute the food of the thrush. The common garden- 

 snail (Helix hortensis) and the wood-snail (Helix 

 ne moral is) are greedily devoured, the bird beating 

 the shell against a stone till it is completely broken 

 and the contents are disengaged. 



1457, 1458.— The Wood-Thrush 



(Turdus mustelinus, Gmel.); Tawny Thrush, Pen- 

 nant; Turdus melodus, Wilson. 



In the woods of North America, this species re- 

 presents our British songster ; it is of shy, retiring 

 habits, preferring the most, secluded places, where 

 the foliage of lofty trees overhangs murmuring 

 streamlets, and forms a dense shade. Its song, though 

 composed of but few notes, is powerful, distinct, 

 clear, and mellow, and is continued after sunset, 

 various rivals endeavouring, as it would seem, to 

 excel each other. 



The nest of this species is usually placed in a low 

 horizontal branch of the dogwood tree, and accord- 

 ing to Audubon is composed externally of dry leaves, 

 to which succeeds a layer of intertwined grasses, then 

 a layer of mud, lined internally with fine fibrous 

 roots. Description:— general colour above bright 

 cinnamon brown, inclining to olive on the rump and 

 tail ; beneath, whitish, thickly marked with pencil- 

 shaped dusky spots. Length eight inches. 



1459. — The Red-breasted Thresh 



(Turdus erythrogaster). This species is a native 

 of the Himalaya Mountains, and is figured by Mr. 

 Gould in his ' Century of Birds.' Of its habits we 

 have no account. 



The male is bluish grey above ; with the cheeks, 

 sides of the neck, and quill-feathers, black; the 

 breast, under parts, and rump red. 



The female differs in being of a bluish brown 

 above, and having the under parts reddish white 

 marked with transverse undulations of brown. The 

 lower figure represents the female. 



1460 (a), — The Fieldfare 



(Turdus pilaris). La Litorne, Buffon; Merle 

 Litorne, Temrainck ; Wachholder-drossel, Bechstein. 

 This species is a native of the cold regions of 

 Norway, Sweden, Lapland, and other northern 

 countries, whence as winter sets in it migrates south- 

 wards. It seldom visits our island before the latter 

 part of November, and departs again northwards 

 late in May, It breeds in pine or fir trees, and the 

 eggs are bluish green spotted with reddish brown. 

 During its winter sojourn with us the fieldfare as- 

 sociates in flocks, which, as long as the weather is 

 open, frequent meadows and pasture-grounds, feed- 

 ing upon worms, slugs, and the larvae of insects, 

 but resorting in severe frosts to hedges, copses, and 

 plantations for the sake of the berries of the haw- 

 thorn, the holly, and the mountain-ash. The field- 

 fare is shy and wary, and not easily approached 

 within gun-range, and consequently gives some 

 trouble to the sportsmen, unless when, pressed by 

 hunger, it be too much engaged in satisfying its 

 appetite to attend to what passes around it. 



This species is about ten inches long. The head 

 and hind part of the neck are of a greyish colour, 

 the former spotted with black; the bill is yellowish 

 black at the point ; the back and lesser wing-coverts 

 chestnut ; the breast and sides reddish yellow ; tail 

 blackish ; legs black. 



1460 (&).— The Red wixg 



(Turdus iliacus). Merle mauvis, Temminck; Roth- 

 drossel, Bechstein. Like the fieldfare, this species 

 is a native of Norway, Sweden, &c, and visits our 

 island about the latter part of October, associating 

 in flocks, which, with those of the fieldfare, should 

 the weather be severe, continue their migration still 

 farther southwards. Yet it often happens that, 

 during deep snows, numbers both of this species 

 and of the fieldfare perish from hunger and cold. . 

 The redwing is very similar to the throstle or 



common thrush, with which it is often seen among 

 the hawthorn-trees and ivy-bushes, or roaming over 

 the meadows in search of food ; but it is less in size, 

 and has a white streak over the eye, which in that 

 bird is wanting. It is about. 8£ inches in length, 

 and of the average weight of 2J ounces. 



The bill is of a dusky colour, except at the base 

 of the upper mandible, which partakes of a yellowish 

 hue ; the back and upper parts are brown, the 

 lower part of the breast is white, marked with dusky 

 lines, the body under the wings reddish orange, and 

 the legs pale brown. There is also to be noticed 

 the whitish streak over the eye mentioned above. 



The song of the redwing, when heard in its native 

 woods, has such a charming effect, heightened by 

 the rough character of most of the other woodland 

 sounds of the northern country, that the bird has been 

 called the nightingale of Norway. With us, how- 

 ever, it does not appear to exert its vocal powers 

 with such effect. Its common note is rather a harsh 

 scream, though it has been compared by Mr. Slaney 

 to "a sort of inward deep-drawn sigh, like an 

 attempt at ventriloquism." In fine weather, how- 

 ever, we may often hear them, while perched high 

 on the trees, singing with a subdued voice in a very 

 pleasing manner. 



The redwing is known in different parts of England 

 by the names of the red-sided thrush, the wind- 

 thrush, and the swine-pipe. 



1461. — The Nest of the Missel-Thrush 



(Turdus viscivorus). This species, which is common 

 on the continent of Europe, is the largest of our 

 British thrushes, but is not so abundant as the song- 

 thrush, and more locally distributed. It frequents 

 the outskirts of woods, large old orchards, and 

 groves ; and its song, uttered from the highest 

 branch of some tall tree, is often heard in the month 

 of January. The notes are loud, but the strain has 

 little variety or richness. The nest, is placed on the 

 fork of a tree, very frequently of an apple tree of 

 larger growth, and covered with moss or lichens. It 

 consists of a basket-work of fine straws and grass, 

 interwoven with moss and lichens. Within this 

 structure is a layer of clay, the lining being of fine 

 grass and fibres. The eggs are of a greenish white, 

 spotted with chestnut and clove-brown. 



During the breeding season the missel thrush is 

 very pugnacious, driving away all other birds from 

 its nest, and defending itself and eggs with success 

 against, the magpie ; while engaged in combat it 

 utters a harsh scream. Its food resembles that of 

 the song-thrush ; in the winter it feeds much on the 

 berries of the misseltoe, of which the seeds passing 

 uninjured through the alimentary canal often ger- 

 minate in suitable situations, and thus the parasitic 

 shrub is propagated. It greedily devours cherries, 

 raspberries, and other garden fruit. 



1462. — The Ground-scraping Thrush 



(Turdus strepitans). This species is a native of 

 South Africa, where it was observed by Dr. A. 

 Smith, who states that, immediately upon reaching 

 Kurichane, this thrush began to appear in the 

 thickets, and that he continued to acquire occa- 

 sionally a specimen even in the vicinity of the tropic. 

 It seeks, he says, its food upon the ground, and when 

 so occupied its resort is readily discovered by the 

 natives from the noise it makes in scratching the 

 ground, or in displacing rubbish and decayed leaves 

 which conceal the insects it is seeking. The name 

 by which it is known in the country it inhabits is, 

 he informs us, characteristic of the vigour with 

 which it employs its feet, and the nearest translation 

 he can give is 'Ground-Scraper.' 



Dr. Smith further remarks that the form of its 

 bill, particularly towards the base, the length of its 

 legs, and the shortness of its tail, are all characters 

 which remove it from the more typical species of 

 the genus Turdus ; but yet there is in its structure 

 and habits what necessarily constitutes it a true 

 thrush. (' Illustrations of the Zoology of South 

 Africa.') 



Description.— Front and top of head brownish 

 grey ; occiput, upper aspect of neck, interscapulars, 

 scapulars, and shoulders deep yellowish grey, faintly 

 shaded with brown; back, rump, and upper-tail- 

 coverts dirty ash-grey. Under parts white, tinted 

 in places with ochre-yellow ; sides of the neck, 

 whole of the breast, flanks, and belly variegated 

 with blackish brown pyriform spots, one on each 

 feather, the large end reaching nearly to its point. 

 Sides of the head white, slightly tinted with ochre- 

 yellow, variegated below the eyes with three blackish 

 brown bands. Primary wing-coverts and primary 

 quill-feathers deep brownish red, the latter tipped 

 and edged externally with yellowish white ; the first 

 two-thirds at least of the inner vanes of these feathers 

 are of a clear buff-colour, darkest towards the shafts ; 

 secondary wing coverts and secondary and tertiary 

 quill feathers dark greyish brown, the outer vanes 

 lightest, all margined externally and tipped with 

 dirty white. Eyes reddish brown ; lengths^ inches. 



1450 (d).— The Blackbird 



(Merula vulgaris'). Merle rioir, Temminck ; 

 Schwartz-drossel, Bechstein; Turdus Merula, Linn. 

 This beautiful songster, with yellow bill and jet-biack 

 plumage, is too well known to need minute descrip- 

 tion. It is a shy bird, frequenting hedgerows, 

 thickets, shrubberies, and large gardens, and when 

 disturbed or surprised escapes into the covert of 

 dense foliage, uttering a loud sharp cry of alarm. 

 Its song is clear and melodious, but not so varied as 

 that of the thrush. Like that bird it feeds upon 

 slugs, shelled snails, and insects, and also upon 

 currants, cherries, peas, &c, often making much 

 havoc in the garden, as indeed does the thrush ; but 

 they both compensate for this by the destruction of 

 snails and slugs, and by their melody. 



Early in spring the blackbird begins its nest; a 

 thickset hedgerow, an insulated bush of some dense 

 evergreen, or a bower of ivy, are all favourite places 

 The outer frame-work of the nest consists of moss 

 small sticks, grasses, and fibres, with an inner coat 

 of mud plaster, over which is a lining of fine drv 

 grass (see Fig. 1463, the nest of the blackbird). The- 

 eggs are four or five in number, of a bluish green, 

 variegated with darker markings. Fig. 1464. Two, 

 or even three broods are hatched and reared during 

 the spring and summer. 



The female of this species is brownish black above, 

 the breast being pale umber brown, the margin of 

 each feather passing into greyish white. Bill and 

 legs blackish brown. The young are similar to the 

 females, and the males do not acquire their glossy 

 black and orange yellow bill till after the second 

 moult. White, and cream-white varieties, albinos 

 in fact, are sometimes met with. 



1465.— The Ring-Ouzel 



(Merula torquatu). Merle a plastron, Temminck ; 

 Merulo alpesto of the Italians : Ring-drossel of the 

 Germans ; Rock-Ouzel and Tor Ouzel, provincial 

 English. This bird is one of our summer visitors, 

 arriving in our islands in the spring, and resorting 

 to the mountain districts to breed. The mountains 

 of Wales, Dartmoor in Devonshire, the rocky dis- 

 tricts of Cornwall, the Peak of Derbyshire, the 

 mountains of Scotland and the north of England, 

 and those of Ireland, are annually visited. They 

 haunt the wildest and most rocky parts of glens and 

 ravines, and make their nest, which in form and 

 texture resembles that of the blackbird, on some steep 

 bank, under the covert of grass or heath, or on some 

 shelf amidst mosses, which, the outside being made 

 of the same materials, entirely conceal it from 

 view; sometimes it is built in the fissure of a rock. 

 The male utters his song, consisting of a few clear 

 notes while perched on the top of some stone, or 

 the summit of a rock; the song is not unlike that 

 of the missel-thrush, which bird the ring-ouzel 

 resembles in disposition during the breeding season, 

 driving away other species, even flying round dogs 

 and other animals, striking at them and utter- 

 ing loud outcries. The food of the ring-ouzel con- 

 sists of insects and their larvae, snails, slugs, &c._ 

 In October it leaves the kingdom, passing south- 

 wards ; during the summer it is common in Sweden, 

 France and Germany, but is very rare in Holland. 

 Latham says this species is met with in the warmer 

 and colder regions, as well as in Africa and Asia, 

 but it does not inhabit either Russia or Siberia, 

 though it is seen in Persia about the Caspian Sea. 



The ring-blackbird, or ring-ouzel, is larger than 

 the common blackbird. Length, including the 

 tail, about ten inches and a half. Bill blackish 

 brown or raven grey, about an inch long, and 

 yellowish at the base of the lower mandible ; the 1 

 irides chestnut-brown, and the legs dark brown.. 

 The following is Selby's description of the plumage : 

 "Upper parts of the body black, the feathers being 

 margined with blackish grey. On the upper part 

 of the breast is a large crescent-shaped gorget 

 of pure white ; the rest of the under parts black, 

 margined with grey, greater wing-coverts deeply 

 marginated with ash grey. Tail black. 



" The plumage of the female bird is more clouded 

 with grey, and the pectoral gorget is much smaller, 

 and clouded with reddish brown and grey. In the 

 young females this gorget is not visible ; and in the 

 young males it is of a reddish white. 



"Varieties are sometimes found similar to those 

 of the blackbird." 



1466. — The Hermit-Thrush 

 (Turdus solitarius, Wilson). The hermit-thrush 

 is a native of the Southern States of North America, 

 especially those of the Mississippi, where it resides 

 during the winter. In Kentucky, Indiana, and 

 Tennessee it is observed during the summer. 



It prefers swampy and secluded cane-brakes and 

 dark retreats, and flits low over the ground, gliding 

 on rapid wings when disturbed, to the deepest 

 coverts. There these birds. breed, placing their nest 

 on the low branch of some overshadowing: tree, about 



2T2 



