Tree-climhers. 155 



It is noticeable that while these thrushes will attack 

 an}' thing that flies they are not so bold on the ground, 

 but seem afraid to alight. The}' will strike even at 

 the human hand that touches their nest. The crow, 

 strong as he is, they courageously drive away ; but the 

 enemy that stealthily approaches along the ground to 

 the helpless 3'oung bird in the grass they cannot re- 

 sist. On the wing they can retreat quickly if pressed ; 

 on the ground they cannot move so swiftly, and may 

 themselves fall a pre}- without affording any assist- 

 ance. The missel-thrushes come to the orchard 

 frequently after the nesting season is over and before 

 it commences. The}' do not seem in search of food, 

 but alight on the trees as if to view their propert3\ 

 They are strong on the wing, and fl}' direct to their 

 object: there is something decided, courageous, and, 

 as one might say, manly in their character. 



The bark of some of the apple trees peels of itself 

 — that is, the thin outer skin — and insects creep 

 under these brown scales curled at the edges. If 

 you sit down on the elm butt placed here as a seat 

 and watch quietly, before long the little tree-climber 

 will come. He flies to the trunk of the apple tree 

 (other birds fl}' to the branches) , and then proceeds 

 to ascend it, going round it as he rises in a spiral. 

 His claws cling tenaciously to the bark, his tail 

 touches the tree, and seems to act as a support — 

 like what I think the carpenters call a ' knee ' — 

 and his head is thrown back so as to enable him to 

 spy into ever}' cranny he passes. After a few turns 

 round the trunk he is off to another tree, to resume 

 the same restless spiral ascent there ; and in a 

 minute or so off again to a third ; for he never 



