THE MISTLE-THRUSH 117 



The food of the Mistle-Thrush is largely composed 

 of worms and orubs durinsf summer, and of various 

 soft fruits and berries during winter. The bird will 

 also eat seed grain. This Thrush is popularly asso- 

 ciated with the mistletoe, on the berries of which it is 

 thought chiefly to feed. The bird may be respon- 

 sible for decimating many of the seeds of this parasite, 

 but it does not feed upon them to anything like the 

 extent that is so generally believed. The alarm- 

 note of this Thrush is very harsh and grating. 



The Mistle-Thrush has the general colour of the 

 upper parts olive-brown, suffused with rufous on the 

 back ; the wings and tail are brown ; the under parts 

 are white, boldly marked with large fan-shaped dark 

 brown spots ; the axillaries are white. The female 

 resembles the male in colour, and the nestling is 

 profusely spotted on the upper parts and wing- 

 coverts. The length of this Thrush is between ten 

 and eleven inches. 



