THE DIPPEFt. 73 



he is, therefore, of opinion, that the charge of destroying 

 the spawn of fish is unfounded. 



I might greatly extend my sketch of this interesting 

 bird, but I have space only to add, that it builds a compact 

 nest of moss, felted so as to be impervious to water, and 

 lined with dead leaves, under a bank overhanging a 

 stream, in the hole of a wall near a mill-dam, or between 

 two rocks under a cascade, but always in such a situation 

 that both old and young birds can throw themselves into 

 the water immediately on being alarmed. I have read of 

 one instance in which a nest was built under a waterfall 

 in such a position, that the bird could not go to and fro 

 without penetrating every time a vertical sheet of water. 

 The nest is domed, and can be entered only by a small 

 hole in front. It contains usually five or six whitish eggs, 

 somewhat smaller than those of the Thrush. 



THE MISSEL THRUSH. 



TURDUS VISCIVORUS. 



Upper plumage ash brown ; space between the bill and eye greyish white ; 

 wing-coverts edged and tipped with grejish white ; under parts white, 

 faintly tinged here and there with reddish yellow, marked all over with deep 

 brown spots, which on the throat and breast are triangular, in other parts oval, 

 broader on the flanks ; under wing-coverts white ; three lateral tail featliers 

 tipped witli greyish white. Length eleven inches ; breadth eighteen inches. 

 Eggs greenish or reddish white, spotted with brownish red. 



The largest British song bird, distinguished from the 

 Song Thrush not only by its superior size, but by having 

 white under wing-coverts, and the whole of the under part 

 of the body white spotted with black. It is a generally 

 diffused bird, and is known by various local names : in the 

 west of England its popular name is Holm Thrush, or 

 Holm Screech, derived most probably, not, as Yarrell 

 surmises, from its resorting to the oak in preference to 

 other trees, but from its feeding on the berries of the 



