15S 
OUR HOME BIRDS. 
“He arrives in Pennsylvania when the cherry 
trees begin to blossom, and from the tops of hedge- 
rows or fruit trees he salutes the early morning with 
his charming song, which is loud enough to be heard 
half a mile off. His notes are not imitative, but en- 
tirely his own, though full of variety. He is very 
active, generally flying low from one thicket to an- 
other, with his long, broad tail spread out like a fan ; 
he often hovers about brier and bramble bushes and 
along fences; and when his nest is approached he 
utters a single note or chuck. 
“For this nest a thorn-bush, low cedar, thicket of 
briers, dogwood sapling, or cluster of vines is chosen, 
according to the situation, a few feet from the 
ground. The outside is formed of small sticks ; 
then come layers of dry leaves, and lastly a lining 
of fine, fibrous roots. There are five eggs, pale 
blue, thickly sprinkled with reddish spots. 
“ The brown thrush feeds on worms scratched 
from the ground, caterpillars, and various kinds of 
berries. Beetles, too, are sure to be devoured when- 
ever he can get them. He is accused of scratching 
up the hills of Indian corn in planting-time ; but if 
this is true, it is probably done to get at an ugly, 
black-headed worm that would be far more injurious 
to the crops if suffered to remain. 
“‘Watch an old thrush/ says one of his friends, 
