INSESSOEES. ^9 



have asserted that the Missel Thrush never makes 

 use of mud in the composition of its nest, but in all 

 those I have examined, I found a very distinct layer 

 of mud between the outer frame-work of the nest 

 and the inside lining of fine grass. The food of this 

 bird consists of worms, snails, and hedge fruit, such 

 as hips and haws, holly and ivy berries, and mis- 

 seltoe. 



As soon as the young fly, this species, like the 

 Common Starling, is to be found in small flocks. I 

 have no doubt that this fact has frequently led 

 to their being mistaken for Fieldfares, and that, 

 in consequence, the latter have been reported as 

 aj)pearing here long before their usual time of 

 arriving. 



Fieldfare, Turclus inlar'is. A regular winter 

 visitant, generally arriving either the last week of 

 October or the first of November, and remaining 

 till the third week of April. Occasionally, however, 

 I have observed a much later stay. In 1863 I shot 

 one out of a flock, on May 4th. Mr. Bond tells me 

 that a pair once remained in the neighbourhood of 

 Kingsbury throughout the summer, but did not 

 breed. 



The Fieldfare is always a shy and suspicious bird, 

 unless tamed by severe frost or scarcity of food. 

 During the hard winter of 1854-5, these birds suf- 

 fered so much that, on one occasion, I walked up to 

 a Fieldfare in an open meadow, took it up in my 



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