Queries and Answers. 193 
be covered with water free from any brackish properties: to effect which, it 
must be sunk by weights attached to the bill and feet. It must be suffered 
to remain until perfectly saturated and softened, which may be considered 
to be accomplished when the toes can be straightened, and the bill opened 
with gentle force. Ihave found 18 hours to be sufficient for the largest birds, 
and 3 or 4 for the smallest. The skin must then be hung up by the beak for 
a short time, to allow the water to drain off, and must afterwards be com- 
pletely buried, for at least 12 hours, in plaster of Paris. This will come off in 
large flakes or cakes on being touched, and,any small remaining particles are 
easily brushed off with a feather. Ihave invariably found the skin to be 
much benefited by this process, and to have every appearance of being fresh 
taken from the body. The plaster of Paris, at least the crusted parts, cannot 
be used a second time. I strongly recommend the use of plaster of Paris 
in skinning birds: it keeps the skin clean, by absorbing the blood and grease, 
which might otherwise come in contact with the feathers. — Edward P. 
Thompson. Dec. 8. 1829. 
The Cuckoo.— To what country does the cuckoo migrate during our 
autumn and winter, and does she lay her single egg in her new abode, as 
she does here? —W. H. White. Bedford, Nov. 25. 1829. 
The Missel Thrush.—Sir, I should be glad to enquire, through the medium 
of your valuable Magazine, if any of your correspondents has ever taken 
the trouble to ascertain whether the missel-thrush (7'trdus viscivorus) is 
to be classed among the number of our songsters. I believe it to be the 
generally received opinion that it is xot, and a very close observer of nature 
(the author of The Journal of a Naturalist) remarks that “it seems to have 
no song, no voice, but a harsh predictive note ;” as if he alluded merely to 
that harsh grating cry which they often utter, and especially when collected 
together in numbers during the autumn. I have also spoken to several 
persons on the subject, who have given their attention to the notes of birds, 
and have scarcely met with one who does not consider the bird in question 
to be totally devoid of song, and to be no more a contributor to the music of 
the woods than the jay or magpie. Now, in spite of all this united evidence 
against me, I am bold enough to maintain that it has a perfect song, and 
shall be extremely gratified to find any one who will bear me out in this 
assertion. I have never been able to approach the bird while in the act of 
singing, since from its always selecting the summit of a tree for that pur- 
pose, and being of a very shy disposition, it has always flown off before I 
could get near enough to inspect it; but from its peculiar darting mode of 
flying, I am convinced in my own mind that it was the missel-thrush. The 
note resembles that of the blackbird more than the common thrush, and is, 
I believe, generally mistaken for the former ; but it is much louder and less 
mellow, and free from that warbling nature so peculiar to the blackbird. Its 
song seems to consist of only three or four notes, which it continues to repeat 
over and over again, for, perhaps, half an hour together, with scarcely any 
variation, pausing for a second between every stave, till the ear is almost 
wearied with its monotony : on which account it gives one more the idea of 
being a young blackbird which has not yet acquired its perfect song. It also 
begins to sing much earlier in the year than either the thrush or blackbird, 
and generally in very wild cold weather. I remember once, in particular, 
hearing it in the week after Christmas-day in the year 1827, when the trees 
were loaded with one of the heaviest hoar-frosts I ever witnessed, singing 
as merrily as if it had mistaken the snowy covering for the more grateful 
shape of the summer foliage. There also appeared to be another in the dis- 
tance, which continued to answer it for some time. It generally discon- 
tinued its song at the end of May, but I have heard it this year as late as 
the end of June. Iam, Sir, &.—J. B. Aug. 4. 1829. 
Térdus musicus. — I have often been surprised on finding a quantity of 
snail-shells, broken into small bits, chiefly the Helix nemoralis, on a bank 
Vou, tb —— No. 12. O 
