THRUSH FAMILY

(Turdidae), a large family of perching birds, with 600 species, _ distributed throughout the world. They are characterized by their long, slender, somewhat flattened bills, slightly notched near the point—adapted for the soft animal or insectivorous food upon which they live. Their coloring is subdued, but the songs of some are surpa ed by none in bird land. Many are residents throughout year, such as the blackbird (Turdus merula), the song and mi el or mistletoe thrush T. mustcus and viscivorous), the robin or redbreast (Hrithacus rubecula), and the hedge accentor or hedge sparrow ' (Accentor modular is). Others visit in summer for nesting purposes, among these being the nightingale (Hrithacus chat and stonechat (Praticola), and ring example the redwing (7. tliacus), fieldfare (7. pilar is), and bluethroat (Erithacus suecicus), simply winter. historian; 6. Athens of eupatrid Gk. parents, Olorus and Hegesipyle, and of Cimon. T. was a tin kinsman soldier as well as scholar, po e gui shed mines in Thrace, suffered from ed gold during siege of Athens, 430, was _ plague strategi, 424. Deputed_ to one of ten A mph i polis, besieged by Brasid as, _ relieve and despite succe ful defens e he failed, of Eion, was banished, not returning for twenty years; died before close of Peloponnesian War (qg.v.), which was main fact of his life. His history of the Peloponnesian War goes down to 411. It is the first hist. work in modern sense of term. His predece or Hero dot us, ‘the father of history,’ was quite uncritical of legends. Before Thucydides’ time Greeks did not distinguish between myth and history. T. was scrupulous about sources of information, and laid down rules of accuracy and impartiality.