THRUSH 
Ruffia; on the other, Italy, Comes into Burgundy in Offober and 
November, from the mountains of Lorraine; returning to them, 
in order to breed, in March and April. 
It builds the neft *, with us, in bufhes, or low trees; making it 
of mofs, lichen, leaves, &c. lined with fine withered grafs within ; 
ftrengthening it on the outfide with twigs. The eggs are four or 
five in number, of a dirty flefh-colour, marked with bloody- 
coloured {pots. 
This bird has a very agreeable fong ; which it frequently be- 
gins with the entrance of the new year, fitting onthe top of a tree, 
from whence it may be heard a great way off, varying its note 
without end; but in melody is much inferior to the Throft/e. 
It has been a vulgar notion, that the Mi/éeltoe could not be 
propagated, unlefs the feed had paffed the digeftive organs of this 
bird. It is indeed a common method that nature takes to propa- 
gate this plant, which the fuperftition of ancient times has held 
fo facred ; but by no means a weceffary one, as experience proves 
it will equally fucceed without T. 
It alfo feeds on other berries, fuch as holly, ivy, hawthorn; as 
well as caterpillars and other infects ; with which laft it feeds its 
young. —It is pretty good eating, though not fo much efteemed 
as the leffer fpecies. 
In the Leverian Mufeum are two varieties: one of a reddith 
cream-colour, paleft beneath, and the belly white, fpotted with 
cream-colour ; the other white, fpotted with brown on the un- 
der parts. i 
* Twice ina year. Albin. . 
+ See a paper on the propagation of the Miféltoe, by the Reverend £. Barrel, 
Phil. Tranf. vol, XxXxiv. p. 215. 
= Wot. II. ‘ D Turdus 
VARIETIES. 
7 
