The Zoologist — August, 1871. 2705 



utters a soft note and takes wing : it is much tamer than the black- 

 bird, and is not so destructive among gooseberries. Like the 

 blackbird, it feeds on fallen apples, pears and plums, in winter. In 

 hard frosty weather both the blackbird and the thrush become very 

 tame, and with drooping wings approach outhouses and dwellings 

 in search of food and shelter. The bird-tender is generally un- 

 willing to shoot the throstle, its loud, sweet vernal song being 

 deservedly remembered. The missel thrush is fond of fruit, espe- 

 cially cherries : when alarmed it utters a loud screech and takes 

 wing; it does not dive into underwood or among thick foliage in 

 order to escape by hiding, but flies straight away to some distance. 

 It never descends to low bush-fruit. It is very wary, and seldom 

 approaches dwelling-houses to crave food or lodging. Its wild 

 independent song, sent forth from the poplar in February, may be 

 called the first song of spring. Rooks are often troublesome when 

 cherries are ripe: I have not seen them attack other sorts of fruit, 

 but they are excellent hands at shelling yonng green field-peas in 

 June, and they frequently steal eggs out of other birds' nests. 

 I have seen them fly away with hen's eggs, and with potatoes. The 

 rook can make a dinner of anything; he is a born plunderer. 

 Starlings have a strong predilection for cherries. Some years since 

 large flocks were common here in summer. I once shot about 

 twenty out of a flying flock. They are not now so common, as 

 there are fewer cherry trees. They are gregarious all the year 

 round : as soon as the young are fully fledged they form into flocks, 

 and seek their food in moist meadows. When old ones are building 

 they do their work in the morning very early, and flock together to 

 feed. Their singular ventriloquistic whistle is uttered mainly, I be- 

 lieve, in breeding time. They have a habit of visiting and examining 

 their nesting-places in autumn. I have repeatedly seen three old 

 birds to a nest : they are said to be polygamous. They seldom feed 

 on any kind of fruit but cherries : they do not feed on the ground 

 on fallen fruit like the thrushes. The whitethroat, the willow wren, 

 and one or two other small summer migrants, are fond of a little 

 bush-fruit, such as raspberries, gooseberries and currants : these 

 birds do not flock together during summer like many of our native 

 birds, but distribute themselves in pairs over the fields and woods, 

 as well as gardens, consequently their depredations are never serious 

 in one spot. The robin is accused of pilfering bush-fruit, but what it 

 consumes is not grudged : I cannot say that I have seen it feeding 



