132 BIRDS. 



CHAPTEK I. THE PERCHING BIRDS. 



[Throughout the following pages on birds, the summer, winter, and 

 migrational visitors are denoted respectively by *, f, . Rare stragglers 

 are in italics. The rest are residents. ] 



i. THE THRUSHES AND THEIR ALLIES. 



[A GLANCE at the Turdince sub-family (p. 112) will show 

 that it includes not alone such outwardly similar birds as 

 the thrush, fieldfare, and ring-ousel, but also distinct forms 

 like the redbreast and nightingale. Five residents ; eight 

 regular visitors ; ten irregular visitors.] 



The Mistle-thrush, largest of the group, is common in 

 all the wooded districts of Great Britain and Ireland, 



its range extending to the Hebrides. Larger 

 thrushor than the common thrush, this species is dis- 

 Storm- tinguished by the streaks of white on the 



wings and the lighter hue of the breast. Its 

 favourite food consists of berries and snails ; and, although 

 no migratory bird, it will nevertheless wander far in search 

 of these. The trivial names of this bird are not entirely 

 satisfactory, since, although fond of them with the rest, it 

 does not at any season make a special feature of eating 

 the berries of the mistletoe. 1 Nor has it any connection 

 with storms, though it is true that, like many other birds, 



it will raise its voice in rivalry during a gale. 



How any one living in the country could 

 question the fact of this bird singing it would be hard 

 to say, yet not only did a lively correspondence on the 

 subject fill many columns of a north - country paper as 

 recently as last February (1897), but a similar controversy 

 evidently engaged the attention of the naturalists of a 



1 In the south-western counties it is known as the "holm thrush" 

 (holm = holly). 



