124 MERULIDiE. 



balance the danger to which its nest is subjected from the exposed 

 site, (selected according to the dictates of nature,) that this bird 

 is endowed with the extraordinary courage and perseverance 

 manifested in its defence. Often have I seen a pair of these 

 birds driving off magpies, and occasionally fighting against 

 four of them. The pair to which the first mentioned nest be- 

 longed, attacked a kestrel, which appeared in their neighbourhood 

 when the young birds were out, although probably without any 

 felonious intent upon them. One of these thrushes struck the 

 hawk several times, and made as many more attempts to do so 

 but in vain, as the latter, by suddenly rising in the air, escaped 

 the coming blow. This pair of birds followed the kestrel for a 

 great way, until they were all lost to sight in the distance. In 

 the wood at Cultra I was once (at the end of April) witness to a 

 single missel thrush boldly attacking a kestrel, which fled before 

 it. The courage of the thrush was further evinced by its flying 

 to the summit of the highest pine in the plantation, from which 

 commanding site it for a long time proudly looked defiance against 

 all comers ; but, by superior numbers, missel thrushes are, like 

 their betters, sometimes overpowered. This happened at the Falls 

 on one occasion, when a pair of gray crows (Corvus comix) joined, 

 or it may be followed, in the wake of a pair of magpies in their 

 assault on a nest, and the thrushes were unfortunately routed. 

 A pair of these birds which bred at the residence of a gentleman 

 of my acquaintance near Belfast, in the summer of 1837, flew 

 angrily towards himself whenever he walked in the direction of 

 their nest. But the missel thrush can exhibit boldness without 

 its nest being attacked. At the end of June, 1848, a friend 

 brought from Scotland to his residence, near Belfast, four young- 

 peregrine falcons. The first day that these birds, then full grown, 

 were placed out of doors upon their blocks, contiguously, four in 

 a row, they were assailed by a missel thrush, which for several 

 hours continued dashing down at them, and all but, if not ac- 

 actually, striking them occasionally. No reason, such as having 

 a nest in the vicinity, &c, could be assigned for the thrush's in- 

 hospitable welcome to the Scotch falcons. 



