FERRUGINOUS THRUSH. 
117 
his name would import, and as some people believe, 
but seem solely his own ; and have considerable resem- 
blance to the notes of the song- thrush (turdus musicus) 
of Britain. Early in May he builds his nest, choosing 1 
a thorn bush, low cedar, thicket of briers, 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 layers of dry leaves, 
and, lastly, lined with tine tibrous roots; but without 
any plaster. The eggs are five, thickly sprinkled with 
ferruginous grains, on a very pale bluish ground. They 
generally have two brood in a season. Like all birds 
that build near the ground, he shews 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-coloured 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 active vigorous bird, flies 
generally low, from one thicket to another, with his 
long broad tail spread like a fan ; is often seen about 
brier and bramble bushes, along fences ; and has a single 
note or chuck, when you approach, his nest. In Penn- 
sylvania, they are numerous, but never fly in flocks. 
About the middle of September, or as soon as they have 
well recovered from moulting, in which they suffer 
severely, they disappear for the season. In passing 
through the southern parts of Virginia, and south as 
far as Georgia, in the depth of winter, I found them 
lingering in sheltered situations, particularly on the 
