OF NATURE. 205 



THRUSHES 



Thrushes during long droughts are of 

 great service in hunting out shell snails, 

 which they pull in pieces for their young, 

 and are thereby very serviceable ingardens* 

 Missel thrushes do not destroy the fruit in 

 gardens like the other species of turdi, but 

 feed on the berries of misseltoe, and in the 

 Spring on ivy berries, which then begin 

 to ripen. In the Summer, when their 

 young become fledged, they leave neigh- 

 bourhoods, and retire to sheep-walks and 

 wild commons. 



The magpies, when they have young, 

 destroy the broods of missel thrushes* 

 though the dams are fierce birds, and fight 

 boldly in defence of their nests. It is pro- 

 bably to avoid such insults, that this species 

 of thrush, though wild at other times, de- 

 lights to build near houses, and in fre- 

 quented walks and gardens. White. 



