MISSEL THRUSH. 73 



his change of locality through the walloping motion of the novel 

 craft, sprang with a whirr from his perch, and in another moment 

 w r as pursuing his rapid flight straight up the stream. 



The Dipper is common in the burns of Mull and Islay, and is 

 also met with in the island of Harris, one of the Outer Hebrides, 

 from which locality I have been kindly favoured with a specimen 

 by Mr Alexander Cameron of Lochmaddy. Mr Elwes has also 

 met with it there. 



THE MISSEL THRUSH. 

 TURDUS VISCIVORUS. 



DURING the last thirty years there has been a gradual increase of 

 the numbers of this species throughout Scotland. So recently as 

 1830, it was rather an unusual circumstance to find a Missel Thrush 

 breeding in any locality north of the Tweed. Now, however, it 

 is very common almost everywhere, extending, as I am informed 

 by Mr Brown, to the counties of Sutherland, Ross, and Caithness. 

 At first its breeding haunts were wholly confined to gardens and 

 private avenues, where a variety of tree shrubs afforded it a suit- 

 able site; but at the present time the nest is found as often in 

 woods and parks as elsewhere. I have frequently observed the 

 bulky structure placed at some distance from the ground, but 

 always near the main trunk of the tree, or on a strong branch, 

 without much regard to concealment. At other times it may be 

 seen within a few feet of the base, and within reach of prowling 

 animals, which generally manage in such cases to destroy the young 

 ones before they quit the nest. 



The materials of which the nest is composed vary greatly. I 

 have many times influenced the birds in their choice by throw- 

 ing in their way a quantity of wood or paper shavings, moss, or 

 even dried ferns, and have been amused at the readiness with 

 which they took advantage of what had been placed within their 

 reach handfuls of loose materials being carried away in a few 

 hours, and firmly interwoven by the birds. The nest is much 

 shallower than that of the common thrush, and this makes the 

 bird very easily detected when sitting. As soon as the eggs are 

 hatched, the female becomes very bold in defence of her young, 

 an d strikes vigorously at any prowling cat or schoolboy venturing 



