180 MERULID.E. 



slioit ; tlie second featlier shorter than the third or the fourth, whicli are the 

 longest. Feet with the tarsus longer than the middle toe ; the outer toe con- 

 nected with the middle toe at the base. 



The Missel Thbush is one of the largest of the Bri- 

 tish species of Thrush, and though not very numerous any- 

 where, is yet very generally diffused, as its range in this 

 country, to be hereafter quoted, will evince. It is rather 

 a shy bird, frequenting small woods, and the high trees in 

 hedges bounding large meadows ; but during the breeding- 

 season it becomes bold and quarrelsome, driving away the 

 smaller birds in all directions from its haunts, so much 

 so as in Wales, according to Pennant, to have acquired the 

 name of Pen^i y Uwyn, or, master of the coppice. It is 

 resident in this country all the year, and the male com- 

 mences his song very early in the season, sometimes in Fe- 

 bruary. His strain, Avhich is something like that of the 

 Blackbird, but not so good in quality of tone, is repeated 

 many times in succession, and generally from the top of 

 some lofty oak, beech, or fir tree ; but he has been occa- 

 sionally observed to sing Avhile on the wing, and from a 

 habit of giving his song frequently both before and during 

 the occurrence of wind and rain, the name of Storm-cock 

 is a well-known appellation for the Missel Thrush. It is 

 also called the Holm Thrush, probably owing to its par- 

 tiality to the oak, from the top of which this Thrush will 

 sometimes continue to repeat its song for an hour together, 

 and occasionally also has its nest in the oak — 



" The fruitful Olive, and the Platane round ; 

 The carver Holm ;* the Maple seldom inward sound." 



Spenser. 



A good botanist has reminded me that the red berries 

 borne by the plant named butcher's broom, Riiscus aculeatus, 

 which grows on bushy commons, are called holm-berries ; 



* The Holm oak, the evergreen oak, Quercu.f ilex. 



