MY PET WOOD THRUSHES. 
209 
selfish and ungrateful propensity — at tlie very head, and 
eyes, and heart that had nourished them, he would keep 
quiet until patience was utterly exhausted, and then turn 
about and give them a tremendous drubbing. I have seen 
the Song Thrush in many associations, but I never saw it fail to 
thrash the mocking bird, and every other bird of its family, 
when they had carried their aggressions up to a certain point. 
This bird will not fight if it can help it, but when it does, it 
fights like a desperado, and always wins. Both the Amer- 
ican and English varieties are equally quiet in this respect, 
and never commit aggressions upon their neighbors, but re- 
sent them with the same fierceness. 
There is a curious book called " The Natural History of 
Cage Birds, by J. M. Bechstein, M. D., &c., of Waltershau- 
sen, in Saxony," which furnishes many interesting particulars 
in regard to the habits of the Song Thrush. We shall pro- 
ceed to give them as being somewhat rare to American and 
general readers. He says: "we might with Brisson" — ^he 
speaks of the Song Thrush — "name this bird the small missel 
thrush, so much does it resemble the preceding in form, plum- 
age, abode, manners and gait. Its length is only eight 
inches and a half, three and a half of which belong to the 
tail ; the beak is three-quarters of an inch, horn brown, the 
under part yellowish at the base and yellow within ; the iris is 
nut brown, and shanks are an inch high and of a dingj^ lead 
color. All of the upper part of the body is olive brown. 
The throat is yellowish white, with a black line on each side, 
the sides of the neck and breast are of a pale reddish white, va- 
riegated with dark brown spots shaped like a heart reversed ; 
the belly is white, and covered with more oval spots." 
Here we have the usual inaccuracy of old authors, but let 
us hear them : 
" When wild, this species is spread all over Europe, fre- 
quenting woods near streams, and meadows. As soon as the 
autumnal fogs appear, they collect in large flights to seek a 
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