Plate 116 Ferruginous Thrush 

Here, in Audubon’s lithograph of the Ferruginous Thrush, we witness a scene teeming with symbolic weight: a serpent encroaching upon a nest, while the thrushes, in their agitation, become symbols of maternal defense. The serpent is a primeval emblem, steeped in layers of meaning across cultures—from its role in the Garden of Eden narrative to its embodiment of healing in the form of the Rod of Asclepius. Here, it represents the ever-present threat to innocence and domestic harmony. Consider the Laocoön sculpture from antiquity, where serpents similarly embody inescapable doom and suffering. The frantic thrushes, wings flared and beaks open in protest, echo the protective instincts found in countless artistic depictions of motherhood, such as the Madonna figures of the Renaissance. The nest, a fragile cradle of life, underscores the vulnerability inherent in the cycle of nature. Thus, Audubon captures not merely a moment in the life of these birds, but taps into a deeper, collective memory of danger, protection, and the eternal struggle for survival.