We must pass now to a consideration of the Thrush Tribe, which, as we have already hinted, are very closely allied to the Warblers.
Photo by W. F. Piggott, Leighton Buzzard.
ROBIN.
The young Robin wears a distinct livery, quite different from that of its parents.
Birds like the Common Thrush and the Blackbird are so common and so well known that they scarcely need comment here. The same perhaps is true of many other members of this group not popularly associated with the Thrush Tribe; such are the Red-breast, or Robin Red-breast, as it is more generally called, and the Nightingale. Few birds have inspired so many writers as the nightingale; it even holds a place in classical mythology. Professor Newton gives us one variant of a very common but pretty story: "Procne and Philomela were the daughters of Pandion, King of Attica, who in return for warlike aid rendered him by Tereus, King of Daulis in Thrace, gave him the first-named in marriage. Tereus, however, being enamoured of her sister, feigned that his wife was dead, and induced Philomela to take her place. On her discovering the truth, he cut out her tongue to hinder her from revealing his deceit; but she depicted her sad story on a robe which she sent to Procne, and the two sisters then contrived a horrible revenge for the infidelity of Tereus by killing and serving to him at table his son Itys. Thereupon the gods interposed, changing Tereus into a hoopoe, Procne into a swallow, and Philomela into a nightingale, while Itys was restored to life as a pheasant, and Pandion (who had died of grief at his daughters' dishonour) as a bird of prey [the osprey]."
Photo by A. S. Rudland & Sons.
NIGHTINGALE.
The sweetest and most renowned of all the British songsters.