402 MISSEL-THRUSH. Class H. 



its breadth sixteen and a half. The bill is 

 shorter and thicker than that of other thrushes ; 

 dusky, except the base of the lower mandible, 

 which is yellow. The irides are hazel. The 

 head, back, and lesser coverts of the wings are 

 of a deep olive brown ; the lower part of the 

 back tinged with yellow ; the lowest order of 

 lesser coverts, and the great coverts brown; 

 the first tipt with white, the last both tipt and 

 edged with the same color ; the quil feathers, 

 and secondaries dusky, but the lower part of 

 the inner webs white ; the inner coverts of the 

 wings white. The tail brown : the three out- 

 most feathers tipt with white. The cheeks and 

 throat are mottled with brown and white ; the 

 breast and belly whitish yellow, marked with 

 large spots of black : the legs yellow. 



These birds build their nests in bushes, or 

 on the side of some tree, generally an ash, and 

 lay four or five eggs. Their note of anger or 

 fear is very harsh, between a chatter and 

 shriek ; from whence some of their English 

 names; their song nevertheless is very fine, 

 which they begin, sitting on the summit of a high 

 tree, very early in the spring, often Math the new 

 year, in blowing showery weather, which makes 

 the inhabitants oi Hampshire cdW them the Storm- 

 cock. They feed on insects, holly and missel- 



