108 
TURDUS MELOD0S. 
but in the eveniiijj the same melody is renew'ed, 
continued long after sunset. Those who visit 
woods, or ride out into the country at these liouf*’ 
during the months of May and June, will he at no Ip*^ 
to recognize, from the above description, this pleasiat> 
musician. Even in dark, wet, and gloomy weatl'*^^ 
when scarce a single chirp is heard from any oth^^ 
bird, the clear notes of the wood thrush thrill throu-l, 
the dropping woods, from morning to night ; and d 
may truly be siiid, that the sadder the day the sweet*^ 
is his song. 
The favourite haunts of the wood thrush are la'*’ 
thick shaded hollows, through which a small brook ** 
rill meanders, overhung with alder bushes, that 
mantled with wild vines. Near such a scene he generalv 
builds his nest, in a laurel or alder bush. Outwai'dv 
it is composed of withered beech leaves of the precedi"? 
year, laid at bottom in considerable quantities, no do'*!* 
to prevent damp and moisture from ascending tbrotio^^ 
being generally built in low, wet situations ; above thf®? 
are layers of knotty stalks of withered grass, nii-’^q 
with mud, and smoothly plastered, above which is 1“'“ 
a slight lining of tine black librous roots of plants. T’’^ 
eggs are four, sometimes live, of a uniform light bl"*'' 
without any spots. 
The wood thrush ajipe.ars always singly or in 
and is of a shy, retired, unobtrusive disposition, j 
the modesty of true merit, he charms you with 
song, but is content, and even solicitous, to be p***'. 
cealed. He delights to trace the irregular wind''’|! 
of the brook, whore, by the luxuriance of foliage, 
sun is completely shut out, or only plays in a ft' 
interrupted beams on the glittering surface ^ a 
water. He is also fond of a particular species of 
wdiich grows in such situations, and which, towards p ^ 
fall, I have uniformly found in their stoma<dis ; bert'^ 
however, of various kinds, are his princi|)al food, ^ 
well as beetles and caterpillars. The featliers on 
hind head are longer than is usual with birds 
have no crest ; these he sometimes erects ; but t** 
