BRITAIN'S BIRDS AND THEIR NESTS. 309 



The Thrush family are all 'soft-billed' — that is, they 

 possess longish bills of no great strength. With these 

 they eat chiefly worms and gi-ubs, adult insects to a less 

 extent, and frait in season. The habit of the species of 

 breaking snail-shells by hanmiering them against a stone 

 is well known. 



THE MISTLE=THRUSH 



(Turdus viscivorus). 

 Plate 113. 



Large size and big round spots are the distinguishing 

 characteristics of the Mistle-Thrush. In habits it closely 

 resembles its smaller and commoner congener. It feeds on 

 worms, grubs, snails, and the like, and largely on berries in 

 winter. Among the last named are those of the mistletoe, 

 from which the bird takes its name ; the cumbrous full 

 form, ' Mistletoe-Thrash,"" is no longer used, but is con- 

 tracted to 'Mistle-Thrush.' (The spelling 'Missel-Thrush,' 

 from the older form ' Misseltoe,' is employed by ornithol- 

 ogists with growing infrequency.) ' Storm-Cock,' a popular 

 name, refers to the fact that the bird sings in winter even 

 in inclement weather. The ordinary note is a harsh ' churr.' 



The Mistle-Thrash is now generally distributed in all 

 wooded districts of the British Isles. Formerly it was 

 much more restricted in range, and at the beginning 

 of last century it was apparently unknown in Ireland, 

 where it is now common. It was also absent from the 

 northern mainland of Scotland, over which it has since 

 spread; but it does not inhabit the northern isles. This 

 interesting extension of range has probably been aided, 

 if not caused, by the great increase of plantations during 

 the nineteenth century. 



