Domestic Encyclopædia (1802)/Throstle

THROSTLE, or Thrush, Turdus musicus, L. a well-known British bird, which, in its melodious notes, is excelled only by the nightingale. Its head, back, and lesser coverts of the wings, are of a deep olive-brown; and the inner surface of the latter is yellow. The cheeks and throat are mottled with brown and white; the belly and breast are of a pale-yellow colour, with large black spots.

Throstles build their nests in some low bush or thicket: externally, they are composed of earth, moss, and straw, but the inside is curiously plastered with clay. Here the female deposits 5 or 6 pale-bluish green eggs, marked with dusky spots. The Throstle is by some believed to be the finest singing bird in Britain, on account of the sweetness, variety, and continuance of its melody. From the top of high trees, it exercises its harmonious voice, and for the greater part of the year, amuses us with its song.