A dictionary of British birds : reprinted from Montagu's Ornithological dictionary, and incorporating the additional species described by Selby; Yarrell, in all three editions, and in natural-history journals / compiled and edited by Edward Newman.
- George Montagu
- Date:
- 1866
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: A dictionary of British birds : reprinted from Montagu's Ornithological dictionary, and incorporating the additional species described by Selby; Yarrell, in all three editions, and in natural-history journals / compiled and edited by Edward Newman. Source: Wellcome Collection.
381/440 page 353
![TrNKEllSrilRE. part and sides of the beatl, back, scapu- lars, rump, and upper tail-coverts plain, except the tips of tlie featliers on the back being paler, giving that part a slightly spotted appearance: the chin is sullied white : above and behind the eyes the fea- thers are paler than those adjacent: from the bill to the eye dusky : the feathers on the throat and neck beneath are pale yel- lowish brown at their tips, whitish at their base, which gives that part a mottled ap- pearance : the upper part of tlie breast plain brown, but rather paler than the back; the sides under the wings nearly the same: the lower breast and belly down to the vent mottled, or streaked with brown and white, the middle of the feathers being of the former colour: the under toil-coverts pole brown, with a ru- fous tinge : the quills and greater coverts of the wings are brown, mai’gined with rufous : the tail is a little forked; the fea- thers are brown, their margins tinged with rufous: the legs are rather long in liropoiiion, strong, and, with the tons and claws, are of a yellowish brown colour ; the middle toe is closely connected to the outer as far as the first joint. We are happy in being able to add this species to the catalogue of British birds, upon the most indisputable authority. It is an ele- gant bird, not quite so large in the body, but as long as the Throstle. The head is remarkably small, and the crown almost straight with the bill, there being scarcely any elevation on the forehead, but formed like that of the Stare ; this shape, togetlier with a straight and proportiouably long bill, gives the head a lengthened apj>ear- ance : the legs are remarkably strong in proportion to the bulk of the bird, being larger than those of the Throstle : the vibressiB or bristles between the base of the biU and the eye are black, hut short and not very conspicuous: the mouth is large, and opens as far back jieaily as the hinder part of the eye. The form of the Solitai'y Thrush greatly resembles that of the Stare, to wliich genus it seems as nearly allied as to that of the Thi-ush. The bird here described was shot about the middle of June, 1810, at Copgi'ove, in Yorkshire, the seat of the Rev. Janies Dalton, wlio obligingly sent it to us. The bird had oiiginally been sent by Jlr. Dal- ton to his brother, who was forming a col- lection, but who most liberally, at Mr. Dalton’s request, permitted it to be added to our collection. To both these gentle- men, therefore, we beg leave to retmui our public acknowledgments. We can find nothing described to which this bird so nearly approaches as the female Turdus solitarius; we therefore venture to give it as a trilling variety of that species, and oi-e happy to have tho concurrence • of our friend, and able ornithologist. Dr. Latham, in this opinion. The Solitary Thrush is described as common in France, Italy, and in the islands of tho Mediterranean, and Archipelago; and yet neither Buflbn nor Brisson appear to have given a figure of it. Le Merle Solitaire, figured in Plane. Enl. 350, appears to be the female of Tur- dus Cyanus. Dr. Latham concludes that it has rarely been brought to this country, as he never saw but one, and that was in the late Leverian Museum. It is said to frequent mountainous and rocky places, and to be always seen alone, except in the breeding season. Like the Stare it pre- pares its nest in old ruined edifices, church-towers, and other similar places, and lays five or six eggs, hut two nests are never found near the same place. The young are easily brought up, and repay the trouble by their sweet native song; they may he also taught to whistle, and ai'ticulate words. When confined this species sings as well by candle-light as by day. Its food is principally insects, gropes, and other fruit. It is observed to change its abode with the seasons, coming into those parts where it usually breeds in April, and retiring in Augiist. The speci- men here described was solitaiy, and attracted the servant of Mr. Dalton by its singular cry. It was sitting on the ground in a meadow, and suffered the man to ap- proach it without fear, and in that situ- ation it was shot. The colour of the irides was not noticed (those of the Soli- tary Thrush are said to be reddish), but upon dissection for preserving two en- larged eggs were discovered. Mr. Anstice (an accurate observer of objects in Natural History) noticed a bird near Bridgewater, in the summer of 1811, that from his de- scription appears to bo of this species. He was very near to it as it was running in the road, and had the advantage of a tele- scope with which he examined it, and therefore was perfectly clear that the bird was new to him. [This bird, thus care- fully and minutely described, is now uni- versally reg.arded as the young of the Com- mon Starting.] Thrush, Water.—See Ouzel, Water. [Thrush, White’s.—See White’s Thrush.] Thrush, Wind.—See Redwing. Tidley.—See Wren. Tidley Goldfinch. — See Wren, Gold- crested. Tinkershire.—See Guillemot, Foolish.](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b28089935_0381.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
