Cassell's book of birds; vol. 2

by Alfred Edmund Brehm

THE RING OUZEL, OR RING THRUSH.

The RING OUZEL, or RING THRUSH (Turdus torquatus), is ten inches long and sixteen broad, the wing measures five and a half, and the tail more than four inches. The plumage of the male, with the exception of a broad, crescent-shaped, white spot upon the breast, is of a pure black, marked with faint crescent-shaped spots, formed by the light edges of the feathers; the quills and wing-covers are shaded with grey, and bordered with brownish grey; the tail is of an uniform brownish black, with the exception of its two exterior feathers, which are surrounded by a delicate line of greyish white. The female is greyer than her mate; all the borders to the feathers are broader; moreover, the crescent on her breast is only slightly indicated, and of a dull grey hue. The feathers upon the back of the young bird are dark, with a light edge, and partially streaked with light reddish yellow on the shafts; the throat is pale reddish yellow, spotted with a deeper shade; the breast, which is of a reddish hue, is marked with round spots, whilst those upon the greyish yellow belly are crescent-shaped. The eye is brown, the base of the lower mandible reddish yellow, the rest of the beak black; the foot is blackish brown. The Ring Thrush principally frequents the highest mountain ranges of Europe, but it is met with throughout the highland countries during its migrations, and often wanders as far as the Atlas Mountains. This species has been classed by some ornithologists as the representative of a separate group, under the name of Thoracocinela, but, in our own opinion, it can only be regarded as a connecting link between the Thrushes and Blackbirds. (The egg of the Ring Ouzel is represented in Fig. 15, Coloured Plate [XVI.])

This species arrives in Great Britain about April, and is not common. Mr. Mudie informs us that cold moors, stony places, where a good deal of water falls, and where there are springs and lakes, are the nesting ground of the Ring Ouzel. When startled by anyone coming suddenly upon them, they utter the same alarm-note as the Blackbird. Their short sweet song resembles that of the Missel Thrush, and is given forth from some low rock, or elevated stone. The nest varies a little with the situation. A plant or bush, especially if against a bank, usually has the preference; but a tuft of grass or heath, or even the projecting part of a massy stone, is often employed. The nest is formed of moss and lichen, plastered with mud, and lined with dry soft grass. The eggs are four, rarely six in number, about the size of those of the Blackbird, but rather greener in tint, and the spots more decidedly marked.

THE BLACKBIRD.

The BLACKBIRD, BLACK THRUSH, or MERLE (Turdus merula), differs from the species above described in the comparative shortness of its blunt-shaped wings (in which the third, fourth, and fifth quills are nearly of equal length), and still more decidedly in its mode of life. Its length varies from nine and three-quarters to ten inches, and its breadth from thirteen and a half to fourteen inches; the wing measures from four inches and one-third to four and a half, and the tail four and a half inches. The plumage of the adult male is of an uniform black, the eye brown, the beak and edges of the eyelid bright yellow, and the legs dark brown; in the adult female the upper part of the body is pure black, the under side blackish grey, edged with light grey; the throat and upper part of the breast are greyish black, but spotted with white and rust-red; the young are blackish brown upon the back, spotted with yellow upon the shafts, and rust-red, spotted with brown on the under side.

THE BLACKBIRD (Turdus merula).

The Blackbird is met with extensively from sixty-six degrees north latitude throughout the whole of Southern Europe, and is a permanent resident in Great Britain. Everywhere it frequents moist and well-wooded districts or tracts of underwood, usually remaining from year's end to year's end within the limits of its native land. Only such as reside in the extreme north of the continent migrate, and then rarely beyond the southern parts of Sweden. "The Blackbirds," says Mr. Yarrell, "occupy hedges, thickets, plantations, and woods. They are shy, vigilant, and restless, frequenting the ground under cover of evergreens and other shrubs, that serve to conceal them, and, if disturbed, take wing with a vociferous chattering of alarm, and, after a short flight, turn suddenly into some thick brake or hedgerow to avoid pursuit. The food of the Blackbird varies considerably with the season; in the spring and early part of the summer it consists of the larvæ of insects, with worms and snails; the shells of the latter being dexterously broken against a stone, to get at the soft body within. As the season advances they exhibit their great partiality for fruit of various sorts, and their frequent visits to our orchards bring upon them the vengeance of the gardener. This bird commences his song early in the spring, and it has been observed that he occasionally sings his best during an April shower. He continues singing at intervals during the summer till the moulting season. Like some other birds gifted with great powers of voice the Blackbird is an imitator of the sounds made by others. He has been heard closely to imitate part of the song of the Nightingale, and three or four instances are recorded of his having been known to crow like a cock, apparently enjoying the sound of the responses made by the fowls in a neighbouring poultry-yard." Mr. Neville Wood mentions an instance in which he heard a Blackbird cackle as a hen does after laying. This species pairs and breeds very early in the spring, generally choosing the centre of some thick bush in which to fix and conceal the nest. The exterior is formed of coarse roots and strong bents of grass, plastered over and interlaced with dirt on the inner surface, thus forming a stiff wall; it is then lined with fine grass. The eggs are four or five, sometimes six in number, of a light blue, speckled and spotted with pale reddish brown (see Fig. 13, Coloured Plate [XVI.]) Occasionally they are of an uniform blue shade. Their length is one inch and two lines, and their breadth eight lines. The first brood is hatched by the end of March, or early in April.