Thrush, the common name of a very large family of dentirostral birds, which contains some of the finest songsters in various parts of the world. The bill is of moderate length, rather stout, slightly convex and keeled above, with sharp and notched tip; at the base of the upper mandible on each side of the gape is a row of bristles much smaller than in the flycatchers; nostrils at the base of bill, partly protected by a membranous scale; wings toler-| ably long, broad, usually rounded at the end, with the first quill very small; legs rather short and stout; tarsi compressed, covered in front by a single scale in the typical genus turdus (Linn.); tail moderate. The food consists of insects, worms, berries, and fruits, and sometimes mollusks; they move on the ground by hopping on both feet at once. - More than 100 species of the genus turdus are described, having the characters given above; they are found in all parts of the world, and are more or less migratory and shy; the nest is made of coarse grasses and mosses, usually lined with mud and soft plants, and is placed on bushes or trees; the eggs are five or six; the flesh is delicate.

Several species have been already noticed under Blackbird, Fieldfare, and Robin. Among the American species is the wood thrush (T. mustelinus, Gmel.), 8 in. long and 13½ in. in alar extent; the form is stout, the tail nearly even, and the third and fourth quills the longest; the general color is rufous brown above, brightest on the head, and olivaceous on the tail; pure white below, with numerous blackish spots on breast and sides; legs yellow; bill brown, yellowish at base. It is found in the eastern United States to the Missouri river, and south to Guatemala. The notes are few, but powerful, clear, and mellow, rising and falling in gentle cadences; they are especially pleasing at sunset; the food consists of berries and small fruits, and insects; the flight is elevated. The eggs are uniform light blue; the young are easily raised from the egg. and they sing well in captivity. Several other species are described. - Of the European species, the largest is the missel thrush (T. viscivorus, Linn.), 11 in. long; it is light grayish brown above, the fore part of the head grayish and the rump shaded with ochrey yellow; secondary coverts and tail feathers tipped with grayish white; a cream-colored band from bill over eyes; below yellowish white, each feather tipped with a black spot, largest and transversely oblong on breast, smaller and triangular on neck.

It frequents woods and copses, in small straggling flocks, and is shy and vigilant; it feeds chiefly on berries, especially those of the mistletoe (whence its common name). The song of the male resembles that of the blackbird, and is heard as early as February, before the appearance of the leaves, and even during storms, whence its name of storm cock; it is very bold in spring. The eggs are four or five, 1¼ by 5/6 in flesh-colored with irregular scattered spots of brownish red; two broods are generally raised in a season; it has been seen to carry off small birds to its nest to feed its young; the flesh is good. The song thrush, throstle, or mavis (T. musicus, Linn.) is 9 in. long, yellowish brown above, tinged with red on the head; secondary coverts tipped with reddish yellow; fore part of neck and breast yellowish, each feather terminated by a triangular brownish black spot; lower wing coverts reddish yellow. It frequents lightly wooded regions and gardens, in the latter destroying snails, which it obtains by breaking the shell against a stone; it is one of the finest of European songsters, singing from early spring to autumn, in the morning and evening, from the top of a bush or tree.

Its flesh, especially in the beginning of winter when the food consists of snails and worms, is very fat and juicy.

Wood Thrush (Turdus mustelinus).

Song Thrush or Mavis (Turdus musicus).

Brown Thrasher (Harporhynchus rufus).

The brown thrush or thrasher is placed by Baird in the subfamily miminoe (with the cat bird and mocking bird), and genus harporhyn-chus (Cab.). This bird (II. rufus, Cab., or T. rufus, Linn.) is 11¼ in. long and 13 in. in alar extent; brownish red above; below pale rufous white, thickly streaked with dark brown, and tinged anteriorly with reddish; two white bands on the wings; inner surface of wings and inner edge of primaries cinnamon; tail rufous. It is found over eastern North America to the Missouri, and to the high central plains; it is a constant resident in the southern states, and is almost as numerous as the robin; it migrates by day, singly, with a low and heavy flight. The song is prolonged, loud, varied, and melodious. The eggs are four to six, dull pale buff, with numerous brown dots; two broods are raised annually in the southern states; it breeds well in aviaries, and the young are raised like mocking birds, singing well and very active in confinement. It is a bold and powerful bird, chasing cats, dogs, and foxes, not afraid of hawks and snakes, and savagely fighting with its rivals in breeding time; both sexes incubate; the food consists of insects, berries, and fruits of all kinds.

The water thrush (seiurus Noveboracensis, Nutt.; T. aqua-ticus, Wils.) is placed by the most recent ornithologists in the family sylvicolidoe or warblers; it is 6¼ in. long and Of in. in alar extent; olive brown above with a green shade; beneath pale sulphur yellow, brightest on the abdomen; the other parts thickly streaked with olivaceous brown, and blackish on the breast. It is found throughout the eastern United States to the Missouri and south to Central America.