Turdus arundinaceus, LINNÆUS; La Rousserole, BUFFON; Die
Rohrdrossel, BECHSTEIN.
This bird has so much resemblance to the white-throats, as to cause a
hesitation whether it should be ranged with them or with the thrush; but
the form of the beak and feet, and generally the whole colour of the
body, are in favour of the latter. The total length is at most eight
inches, four and a quarter of which belong to the tail, which is of a
rounded wedge-shape. The beak is ten lines in length, and strong,
flattish, brown at the point, yellowish at the base, and orange on the
inside; the iris is dark maroon. The shanks are an inch high, strong,
and brownish gray, blending into flesh-colour. This bird is so like the
nightingale, that if the tail were reddish it would be mistaken for it.
The top of the head and neck are dark gray, with a light olive tint; a
line of dusky yellow extends above the eyes from the nostrils to the
middle; the cheeks are brownish gray; the back and the coverts of the
wings reddish gray, which becomes lighter, and passes at the rump into
pure rust-colour.
The female differs from the male only in being smaller, rather darker on
the upper, and lighter on the lower parts of the body; the white of the
throat is less extensive, and the upper part of the head is tinged with
red.
HABITATION.--When wild it is found all over Europe, with the exception
of the most northern parts; it is a stranger in those parts of
Germany only where there are neither lakes, ponds, nor stagnant
rivers abounding with rushes; for it is always on their banks and in
large swamps that it resides, and more frequently on the ground than
in trees[71].
In confinement it is provided with a nightingale's cage.
FOOD.--When wild it feeds on aquatic insects, the enormous multitude
of which it seems intended to diminish. In order to catch these it is
continually seen climbing the stems of the rushes and reeds: it also
eats berries.
In confinement, hitherto, no food but that of the nightingale has
succeeded with it, and that even for only four or six months. It is
soon attacked by a disease which carries off great numbers of
white-throats: the feathers falling off without being renewed, the
bird declines and dies of atrophy[72].
BREEDING.--The nest is found fastened with wool to the stems of the
rushes, or the branches of neighbouring bushes. On the outside it is
formed of moss and stubble, firmly mixed, and lined on the inside
with fine hay and hair. The eggs, five or six in number, are grayish
white, spotted with black. The young, before the first moulting, have
the appearance of a white-throat, with some dark spots on the breast.
They are taken from the nest and reared, like young nightingales, on
ants' eggs; and if they are placed near this winged Orpheus, they
learn his song so well and so perfectly that they become as excellent
performers as their masters, with the additional advantage of
possessing a noise more flute-like and less shrill than that of the
nightingale.
MODE OF TAKING.--The great difficulty of catching this bird makes it
scarce in our rooms. The only means is to ascertain well the place it
frequents, then to scratch up the earth and throw upon it some
meal-worms, and cover the place with limed twigs.
ATTRACTIVE QUALITIES.--With a more beautiful and musical voice, its
song is also more varied than that of the song-thrush, without being
so long, so sustained, or so brilliant, as that of the nightingale,
with which it most deserves to be compared. Some of its couplets
resemble those of the blackcap, but broken, like those of the
song-thrush. When caged it may be much improved by imitation of the
notes of the nightingale, which the young easily copy. It is
particularly in the morning and evening that the reed-thrush utters
his beautiful warblings. Not only is his throat then in motion; his
wings, his tail, and his whole body, are agitated as if to follow the
cadence and the measure.