Species II. TURDUS RUFUS. 
FERRUGINOUS THRUSH. 
[Plate XIV. Fig. 1.] 
Fox-colored Thrush, Catesby, i., 28. — Turdus rvfus, Linn. Si/st. 293. — Lath, hi., 
39. — La Grim de la Caroline, Briss. ii., 223. — Le Mbqueur Frangois, De Buff, 
hi., 323, PI. Enl. (Ah.—Arct. Zool. p. 335, No. 195. 
This is the Brown Thrush, or Thrasher of the Middle and Eastern 
States ; and the French Mocking-hird of Maryland, Virginia, 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, emphatical, and full of variety. At that serene 
hour you may plainly distinguish his voice full half a mile oft". These 
notes are not imitative, as his name would import, and as some people 
believe, but seem solely 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, generally 
within a few feet of the ground. Outwardly it is constructed of small 
sticks ; then la}<ers 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 broods in a season. Like all birds that build near the ground, 
he shows great anxiety for the safety of his nest and young, and often 
attacks the black-snake in their defence, generally too with success ; his 
strength being greater and his bill stronger and more powerful than any 
other of his tribe within the United States. His food consists of worms, 
which he scratches from the ground, caterpillars, and many kinds of 
berries. Beetles and the whole race of coleopterous insects, wherever 
he can meet with them, are sure to suffer. He is accused, by some people, 
of scratching up the hills of Indian corn, in planting time ; this may 
be partly true ; but for every grain of maize he pilfers I am persuaded 
he destroys five hundred insects ; particularly a large dirty-colored grub, 
with a black head, which is more pernicious to the corn and other grain 
and vegetables, than nine-tenths of the whole feathered race. He is an 
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