188 MERULID.E. 



by a naked membrane. Wings with the first feather very short ; the second fea- 

 ther shorter than the third or the fourth, which are the longest. Feet with the 

 tarsus longer than the middle toe ; the outer toe connected with the middle toe 

 at the base. 



THE MISSEL THRUSH is one of the largest of the British 

 species of Thrush, and though not very numerous anywhere 

 is yet very generally diffused, as its range in this country, 

 to be hereafter quoted, will evince. It is rather a shy 

 bird, frequenting small woods, and the high trees in 

 hedges bounding large meadows ; but during the breeding- 

 season it becomes bold and quarrelsome, driving away the 

 smaller birds in all directions from its haunts, so much 

 so as in Wales, according to Pennant, to have acquired the 

 name of Penn y llwyn, or, master of the coppice. It is 

 resident in this country all the year, and the male com- 

 mences his song very early in the season, sometimes in 

 February. His strain, which is something like that of the 

 Blackbird, but not so good in quality of tone, is repeated 

 many times in succession, and generally from the top of some 

 lofty oak, beech, or fir tree ; but he has been occasionally 

 observed to sing while on the wing, and from a habit of 

 giving his song frequently both before and during the 

 occurrence of wind and rain, the name of Storm-cock is a 

 well-known appellation for the Missel Thrush. It is also 

 called the Holm Thrush, probably owing to its partiality to 

 the Oak, from the top of which this Thrush will sometimes 

 continue to repeat its song for an hour together, and 

 occasionally also has its nest in the oak 



" The fruitful Olive, and the Platane round ; 

 The carver Holm ;* the Maple seldom inward sound." 



SPENSER. 



A good botanist has reminded me that the red berries 

 borne by the plant named Butchers broom, Euscus aculeatus, 

 which grows on bushy commons, are called Holm-berries ; 



* The Holm oak, the evergreen oak, Qitercus ilex. 



