24 
USEFUL BIRDS 
its larg'd' size, will at once distinguish it from the following 
species- — the A\41son Thrush or Veery, with which it vies in the 
matter of song. In the latter species, the white breast is more or 
less tinged with cream and dotted with small, somewhat indistinct 
brownish, wedge-shaped spots. Its upper parts are brownish but 
not as bright as in the Wood Thrush. 
The hrst-named bird is 8^ inches long; the latter (\’eery) a 
little over 7 inches, lloth lay greenish-blue eggs in a coarse nest 
modelled somewhat after the nest of the robin, but the nest of the 
\^eery is on or close to the ground. The beautiful song of both of 
these birds, coming from the dense woods, if once heard, is never 
forgotten and they are both important insect-eaters : in fact, the 
entire thrush family, tho occasional members may be attracted to 
berries and fruit, notably in the case of the robin, must be credited 
with being benefactors of the farmer and fruit raiser. Forbes, 
after a somewhat exhaustive examination of their food habits, 
states that 61% of the food of thrushes consists of insects. 
THE BROWN THRUSH OR BROWN THRASHER. 
The excellent illustration here given is sufficient to enable us 
to recognize this very common bird of our thickets and fields- 
Rufus brown above, with black spots on a white ground below, its 
