IJapufar JDtcttnnarn of ftminatrtt Mature. 679 



propensities for this particular food, and 

 every grove resounds with his harmony 

 in the season ; and probably if this race 

 suffered less from the gun of the Christmas 

 popper, the gardener might find much bene- 

 fit, in his ensuing crop of fruit, from the 

 forbearance." 



The MISSEL THRUSH, or STORMCOCK, 

 (Turdus rweiiwus), is the largest of the 

 European Thrushes, being nearly twelve 

 inches in length. Bill dusky ; eyes hazel ; 

 the head, bock, and lesser coverts of the 

 wings olive brown, the latter tipped with dull 

 brownish white ; the lower part of the back 

 and rump tinged with yellowish brown and 

 ash ; sides of the head and throat yellowish 

 white, spotted with brown ; from thence to 

 the vent white, with dusky spots ; those of 

 the breast triangular in shape, and of the 

 belly and sides roundish : tail feathers brown, 

 the three outermost tipped witli white : legs 

 yellow ; claws black. Its food consists prin- 

 cipally of berries, those of the misletoe being 

 its favourite ; from whence the ancients er- 

 roneously believed that the plant could not 

 vegetate without having passed through its 

 body, hence the proverb, " Tunhts nmfntn 

 sibi cacat." It will alao cat insects, and their 

 larvae, with which it feeds its young. It 

 builds its nest in the fork of low trees, par- 

 ticularly those that are covered with inoss ; 

 coarse grass, woven together with wool, and 

 a lining of fine dry grass, being the materials. 

 The eggs are four or five in number, of a 

 flesh-colour, varied with deep and light rust- 

 coloured spots. This bird is common 

 throughout all Britain, and resident at all 

 seasons. It is very wild and distrustful, 

 except at the season of propagation, When it 

 approaches the vicinity of human habitation, 

 and is remarkable for the spirit with which 

 it attacks and drives away Afagpies,&c. from 

 near its nest, uttering a loud harsh shriek 

 Its song is powerful and monotonous ; and if 

 the weather be mild, it will begin to siug at 

 the commencement of the year. 



That most entertaining naturalist, Charles 

 Waterton, Esq., whose art of story- telling is 

 onlv excelled by the soundness of his ornitho- 

 logical observations, concludes his remarks 

 on this bird as follows : " The Stormcock 

 surpasses all other Thrushes in size, and is 

 decidedly the largest songster of the Euro- 

 pean birds. He remains with us the whole 

 of the year ; and he ia one of three birds 

 which charm us with their melody during 

 the dreary months of winter, when the 

 Throstle and the Lark are silent, and all the 

 migratory birds have left us, to sojourn in 

 warmer climates. On this account I prize him 

 doubly. He appears to be gregarious in the 

 months of August and September. I have 

 occasionally counted from forty to fifty of 

 these birds in a flock ; and I suspect they 

 are sometimes mistaken for an early arrival 

 of fieldfares, by those who pay attention to 

 the migration of birds. The Stormcock is 

 remarkably fond of the berries of the moun- 

 tain-ash. He who loves to see this pretty 

 songster near his dwelling would do well to 



and they soon produce an abundance of 

 berries. 



" Whilst the fruit of these trees affords a 

 delicious repast to the Stormcock, the 

 branches that bear the berries are well known 

 to be an effectual preservative against the 

 devilish spells of witchcraft. In the village 

 of Watton I have two small tenants : the 

 name of one is James Simpson, that of the 

 other Sally Holloway ; and Sally's house 

 stands a little before the house of Himpwn. 

 Some three months ago I overtook Simpson 

 on the turnpike road, and I asked him if Ids 

 cow were getting better, for his son had told 

 me she had fallen sick. ' She's coming on 

 surprisingly, Sir,' quoth he. 'The last 

 time that the cow-doctor came to see her, 

 ' Jem,' said he to me, looking earnestly at 

 old Sally's house, 'Jem,' said he, ' mind and 

 keep your cow-house door shut before the 

 sun goes down, otherwise I won't answer 

 what may happen to the cow.' ' Ay, ay, 

 my lad,' said I, ' I understand your mean- 

 ing ; but I am up to the old slut, and I defy 

 her to do me any harm now.' ' And what 

 has old Sally been doing to you, James ?' 

 said I. 'Why, Sir,' replied he, "we all 

 know too well what she can do. She has 

 long owed me a grudge ; and my cow, which 

 was in very good health, fell sick imme- 

 diately after Sally had lieen seen to look in 

 at the door of the cow-house, just as night 

 was coining on. The cow grew worse and 

 worse ; and so I went and cut a bundle of 

 wiggin (mountain-ash), and I nailed the 

 brunches all up and down the cow-house i 

 and, Sir, you may see them there if you will 

 take the trouble to step in. I am a match for 

 old Sally now, and she can't do me any more 

 harm, so long as the wiggin branches hang 

 in the place where I have nailed them. My 

 poor cow will get well in spite of her.' Alas! 

 thought I to myself, as the deluded man 

 was finishing his story, how much there is 

 yet to be done in our part of the country'by 

 the schoolmaster of the nineteenth cen- 

 tury 1 " 



The HERMIT THRUSH. (Turdtis solitarius.) 

 The favourite native haunts of this silent 

 and recluse species, according to Wilson, are 

 the dark solitary cane and myrtle swamps of 

 the southern States of America. It has been 



pposed, he says, to be only a variety of 

 the Wood-thrush ; but it is considerably 

 less, being only about seven inches in length, 

 and altogether destitute of the clear voice 

 and musical powers of that charming miu- 

 streli Its upper parts are a plain, deep 

 olive-brown ; lower, dull white ; upper part 

 of the breast and throat, dull cream colour, 

 deepest where the plumage falls over the 

 shoulders of the wing, and marked with 

 large dark brown pointed spots ; ear, feathers, 

 and line over the eye, cream, the former 

 mottled with olive j edges of the wings 

 ' ' ter, tips dusky, tail-coverts and tail, in- 



liphte 

 clinin 



brked ; legs dusky ; bill black above, and 

 t the tip, whitish below. 



The WOOD TiinrsH (Turdus melodus) is 



plant a number of mountain-ashes near his ] about eight inches in length : the whole of 

 pleasure-grounds : they are of quick growth, ( the upper parts of the body are fulvous brown ( 



