72 British Birds y 



cock, Screech Thrusli, Holm Thrush, Holm Screech. — 

 A handsome bird and an early builder. The Missel 

 Thrush seems to lay aside some of its wildness in the 

 breeding season, and draws near the dwellings of 

 men. Its nest may continually be found in a garden 

 or orchard close to a house, and in the thick fork of 

 an apple or other fruit tree, often only a few feet 

 from the ground. Woe be to the Cat who comes near 

 the nest ! Such a storm of violent abuse and loud- 

 tongued birds' Billingsgate as is poured on her de- 

 voted head ! Nor does the human intruder escape 

 quite w^ithout a telling of it, or what my Yorkshire 

 friends term *' a calling." \i a Missel Thrush is very 

 abusive with you, be sure his nest is not far off. It is 

 a large structure, of much such materials and design 

 as the Blackbird's, but often bound round and round 

 with long rushes or roots, or other material sufficiently 

 lengthy and pliable. I have seen tailor's listing, 

 bast matting, and even discarded tape, used for the 

 purpose. The eggs, four or five in general, often vary 

 much in colouring and marks ; but are in general of a 

 whitish ground-colour, lightly tinged with green (or 

 perhaps faint red), and well spotted with red-brown. 

 —Fig. ^, plate 11. 



SONG 'I'R'^T^'^'R—^Turdusmiisicus). 



Common Thrush, Throstle, Mavis. — Every one 

 knows this sweet songster, and could point out its pet 

 stone with its little accumulation of shattered snail 

 shells, which, when whole, had been brought there by 

 the knowing Thrush and hammered against the well- 

 fixed anvil until they gave way. Everybody knows 



