Tree-climbers. 155 



It is noticeable that while these thrashes will attack 

 any thing that flies they are not so bold on the ground, 

 but seem afraid to alight. They will strike even at 

 the human hand that touches their nest. The crow, 

 strong as he is, they courageously drive away ; but the 

 enemy that stealthily approaches along the ground to 

 the helpless young bird in the grass they cannot re- 

 sist. On the wing they can retreat quickly if pressed ; 

 on the ground they cannot move so swiftly, and may 

 themselves fall a prey without affording any assist- 

 ance. The missel- thrushes come to the orchard 

 frequently after the nesting season is over and befote 

 it commences. They do not seem in search of food, 

 but alight on the trees as if to view their property. 

 They are strong on the wing, and fly direct to their 

 object : there is something decided, courageous, and, 

 as one might say, manly in their character. 



The bark of some of the apple trees peels of itself 

 that is, the thin outer skin and insects creep 

 under these brown scales curled at the edges. If 

 you sit down on the elm butt placed here as a seat 

 and watch quietly, before long the little tree-climber 

 will come. He flies to the trunk of the apple tree 

 (other birds fly to the branches) , and then proceeds 

 to ascend it, going round it as he rises in a spiral. 

 His claws cling tenaciously to the bark, his tail 

 touches the tree, and seems to act as a support 

 like what I think the carpenters call a 'knee' 

 and his head is thrown back so as to enable him to 

 spy into every cranny he passes. After a few turns 

 round the trunk he is off to another tree, to resume 

 the same restless spiral ascent there ; and in a 

 minute or so off again to a third; for he never 



