The Missel Thrush 



not less appreciated. Here to-day and gone to-morrow, a 

 restless, wandering bird. 



As early as January, however, he begins to think of 

 nesting, and having secured a mate, retires to what is for 

 him a comparatively sheltered spot, either to a wood, or 

 preferably to a row of trees along a hedge, and not un- 

 frequently to some fruit-tree in an orchard or garden. 

 Whether or not the Missel Thrush returns year after year 

 to the same spot to nest we cannot say, but, as a rule, 

 the same garden or row of trees will every spring shelter a 

 pair of these birds if once they have nested there. 



Although he may probably build his nest quite close to 

 our house, yet the Missel Thrush is always wild and shy, 

 and is rarely seen except as he flies over the garden 

 uttering his unmistakable note, or as he sits on the top- 

 most branch of some tall tree and sings his love-song to his 

 mate below. The song is wild, and consists of a somewhat 

 incoherent medley of notes, which, if not calculated to appeal 

 especially to our musical ear, strikes at any rate a note of 

 harmony with the winter's wind. 



The nest is placed on a horizontal branch some 10 or 

 12 feet from the ground, and often at some distance from 

 the trunk of the tree. The Missel Thrush is very con- 

 servative in its choice of a site, and seldom if ever chooses 

 any other position. When built the nest is a fairly con- 

 spicuous object, with its foundation of twigs and mud and 

 lined with grass and hay. Towards the end of February, 

 however, we shall one day be surprised to see a large nest 

 in some conspicuous position, and on examination will 

 probably discover the hen, sitting on four to six eggs of a 



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