THRUSHES 115 



oval brownish black spots and streaks. The axillary feathers are pale yellow, 



and the wing-coverts tipped with the same colour, the tail being of uniform 



darkish brown. 



The missel-thrush (T. viscivorws) flourishes wherever there is 

 Mlasel-Tlirusli. v ' 



woodland near pastures, but prefers woods of pine to those of 



deciduous trees. Seldom perching in low bushes, it frequents the higher trees, and 



spends much of its time on the ground. The nest may be distinguished from that 



of the thrush by being lined with grass. Normally the missel-thrush builds near 



brooks, in pines, some distance from the ground ; but in England it usually avoids 



•evergreens, and frequently chooses some old fruit tree or thorn that is amongst 



other trees and not in a hedge. It breeds early, the eggs being laid in March or 



the beginning of April. A wary bird, it has a characteristic habit of giving a start 



■every now and then, and looking all around as does a deer. On the ground it takes 



long hops, raising its tail, and spreading its wings, and is much greyer when on the 



wing than the true thrush. It lives aloof from its fellows, and, when the young 



are hatched, the family parties keep distinct, and never recognise each other except 



•to quarrel as they pass. Its food consists of worms, snails, insects, berries, and 



other fruits, especially mistletoe-berries, the sticky seeds of which it ejects. 



When these seeds fall into crevices on the bark of a tree, some of them germinate, 



and thus the missel-thrush spreads the plant from which it takes its name. The 



song of this bird is composed of short and long notes, not so sweet or so sustained 



as those of the thrush, but louder and ending with a sort of scream. Singing early 



in the year, and loudest and most persistently in stormy weather, it is known 



in many parts of the country as the storm - cock. The missel-thrush, which 



measures about 11 inches in length, is the largest of the European thrushes. 



It is at first sight very like the true thrush, but is ashy brown above, and buff 



below, marked with dark triangular spots on the throat, and with oval spots on 



the breast; the axillary feathers being white. The wing-coverts are tipped or edged 



with pale bufl", the tail-feathers are lighter than the wings, the inner webs of the 



outer ones being tipped with white spots which are largest on the outermost pair, 



while the edges of all are grey. The range of the missel-thrush extends all over 



northern Europe and Asia, from the Orkneys to Lake Baikal. In the more 



northerly parts it is a bird-of-passage ; in Great Britain, northern France, and 



Germany it is both migratory and resident, the migration extending to Africa 



north of the Sahara, Persia, and northern India. It has been known to nest 



so far south as northern Africa and as far north as Bodo in Norway, within 



•the Arctic Circle. 



The fieldfare (T. pilaris) nests in but few localities in the heart 

 Fieldfare 



of Europe, and is a true denizen of the woods, ranging over northern 



Europe and Asia, and finding among the forests of Germany and the adjacent 



countries a wider choice of abode than in the far north, where it never goes 



beyond the limits of tree-growth, although it has to content itself with bush-like 



birches and stunted pines. In November, after the local fieldfares leave, the 



northern birds arrive in central Europe, and in mild winters remain there, 



continuing their migration to northern Africa should the cold be great. Farther 



-east fieldfares are found in winter in Asia Minor, Persia, and Turkestan, and even 



