THE MISSEL THEUSH. 75 



neither. This note, generally the earliest of the Spring 

 sounds (for the Eeclbreast's song belongs essentially to 

 winter), is to my ear full of cheerful promise amounting to 

 confidence — a song of hopeful praise, thanking God for 

 preservation during the chills of winter, and exulting in 

 the return of g*enial weather. What though it be not so 

 flute- like as the Blackbird's song, nor so varied as that of 

 the Thrush ; it is a loud, hearty pouring forth of natural 

 melody, which may, for aught I knoAv to the contrary, serve 

 to stimulate its silent kinsfolk to tune up their instruments 

 of praise. While thus employed, the bird is generally 

 perched on the topmost branch of some lofty tree, and 

 there he remains for hours together out-whistling the wind 

 and heeding not the pelting rain. This song, however, is 

 not continuous, but broken into passages of a few notes 

 each, by which characteristic it may be distinguished alike 

 from that of the Thrush or the Blackbird, even when 

 mellowed by distance to resemble either. The Mistletoe 

 Thrush is essentially a tree-loving bird. During winter 

 its food mainly consists of berries, among which those of 

 the Mountain Ash and Yew have the preference, though 

 it also feeds on those of the Hawthorn, Ivy, Juniper, 

 Holly, and the strange plant from which it derives its 

 name. At this season it is very wild, and only ventm^es 

 to approach the haunts of man in order to satisfy its 

 hunger. Towards other birds it is a very tyrant, selfish 

 and domineering in the extreme ; to such a degree, indeed, 

 that even when it has appeased its appetite it will allow 

 no other bird to approach the tree which it has appropri- 

 ated for its feeding ground. I have seen it take possession 

 of a Yew-tree laden with berries, and most mercilessly 

 drive away, with angry vociferations and yet more formid- 

 able buffets, every other bird that dared to come near. 

 Day after day it returned, until the tree was stripped of 

 every berry, when it withdrew and appeared no more. 

 As soon as the unfrozen earth is penetrable by its beak, 



