THE MISSEL-THRUSH. 211 
No other British Thrush exposes its nest in such a seemingly careless 
manner as the “ Stormcock;” yet it is surprising how often it escapes 
detection in its open position until the young are safely reared. This 
may be partly attributed to the bird’s quietness of disposition; for few 
birds are so silent in the breeding-season, until it is aware that its nest is 
discovered. Probably few other British bird’s nests exceed in _pictu- 
resqueness the home of this Thrush. There is a peculiar rustic beauty 
about it which few others possess. Like the nest of the Blackbird (indeed 
of all the Thrushes), it undergoes three distinct stages before completion. 
First, the outside is composed of grass, chickweed, bog-moss, and often 
large masses of wool, through which are artfully woven a few slender 
twigs to strengthen the sides of the structure. This nest is lined with 
mud or clay; and, lastly, a very thick lining of grass, usually in a green 
state, completes the work. No attempt at concealment is made; indeed 
it seems that the birds rather court discovery than otherwise; for it is no 
uncommon thing to see a large piece of wool hanging loosely from a nest, 
or a portion of the nest itself so lightly put together as to cause it to arrest 
the attention at once. The eggs of the Missel-Thrush very rarely exceed 
four in number, and in but very few cases are less. They are somewhat 
different from the typical Thrush’s eggs, being of a greyer tinge. The 
ground-colour ranges from bluish white to reddish brown, spotted, blotched, 
and clouded with various shades of rich purplish brown and with greyish 
underlying spots. They vary considerably in size, form, and colour, very 
often in the same clutch. They vary in length from 1°32 to 1:03 inch, 
and in breadth from 0°94 to 0°8 inch. 
Missel-Thrushes are amongst the noisiest of birds should their nest be 
menaced by danger. Uttering their harsh grating cries, they fly round 
the intruder’s head and do their best to make him quit its vicinity. No 
Thrush is bolder or more vigilant; and the Magpie, the Jay, and even the 
Sparrow-Hawk are often frightened away by the vigour of their attack. 
The Missel-Thrush, from its superiority of size, cannot readily be mis- 
taken for any other British Thrush. Its colouring is chaste, the whole 
upper parts being olive-brown, more or less suffused with rufous on the 
back; the underparts are white, boldly spotted with large dark brown 
fan-shaped spots. Bill dark brown, paler at the base. Legs pale brown. 
Irides dark brown. Its pure white axillaries will serve to distinguish it 
from all other British Thrushes except from the Fieldfare, whose slate- 
grey rump contrasts strongly with the ochraceous brown rump of the 
Missel-Thrush. 
Eastern examples of this species from Turkestan and North-west India 
are slightly greyer in the general colour of the upper parts, and are, on 
an average, larger in size, European examples varying in length of wing 
from 61 to 5:6 inch, whilst examples from Turkestan and India vary from 
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