83 



FERRUGINOUS THRUSH. 

 TURDUS RUFUS. 

 [Plate XIV.— Fig. 1.] 



Fox-colored Thrush, Catesby, I, 28. — Turdus rufiis, Linn. Syst. 293. — Lath. Ill, 39.— »■ 

 La Grivede la Caroline, Briss. II, 223. — Le Moqueur Frangois, De Buff. Ill, 323. PL 

 enl 64.S,—JrcL ZooL p. 335, Ao. 195.— Ve kLE's Museum, JVo, 5285. 



THIS is the Brown Thrush, or Thrasher of the middle and 

 eastern states; and the French Mocking-bird* of Maryland, Vir- 

 ginia and the Carolinas. It is the largest of all our Thrushes, 

 and is a well known and very distinguished songster. About the 

 middle, or twentieth of April, or generally about the time the cherry 

 trees begin to blossom, he arrives in Pennsylvania; and from the 

 tops of our hedge rows, sassafras, apple or cherry trees, he salutes 

 the opening morning with his charming song, which is loud, em- 

 phatical, and full of variety. At that serene hour you may plainly 

 distinguish his voice full half a mile off. These notes are not imi- 

 tative, as his name would import, and as some people believe, but 

 seem solelv his own ; and have considerable resemblance to the 

 notes of the Song Thrush (Turdus Musicus) of Britain. Early in 

 May he builds his nest, choosing a thorn bush, low cedar, thicket 

 of briars, dogwood sapling, or cluster of vines for its situation, ge- 

 nerally within a few feet of the ground. Outwardly it is construct- 

 ed of small sticks ; then layers of dry leaves ; and lastly lined with 

 fine fibrous roots ; but without any plaster. The eggs are five, 

 thickly sprinkled with ferruginous grains on a very pale bluish 

 ground. They generally have two brood in a season. Like all 



* See page 22, for the supposed origin of this name. 



