THE MISSEL-THRUSH. 211 



No other British Thrush exposes its nest in such a seemingly careless 

 manner as the " Stormcock ;" yet it is surprising how often it escapes 

 detection in its open position until the young are safely reared. This 

 may be partly attributed to the bird's quietness of disposition ; for few 

 birds are so silent in the breeding-season^ until it is aware that its nest is 

 discovered. Probably few other British bird's nests exceed in pictu- 

 resqueness the home of this Thrush. There is a peculiar rustic beauty 

 about it which few others possess. Like the nest of the Blackbird (indeed 

 of all the Thrushes) J it undergoes three distinct stages before completion. 

 Firsts the outside is composed of grass, chickweed, bog-moss, and often 

 large masses of wool, through which are artfully woven a few slender 

 twigs to strengthen the sides of the structure. This nest is lined with 

 mud or clay ; and, lastly, a very thick lining of grass, usually in a green 

 state, completes the work. No attempt at concealment is made ; indeed 

 it seems that the birds rather court discovery than otherwise ; for it is no 

 uncommon thing to see a large piece of wool hanging loosely from a nest, 

 or a portion of the nest itself so lightly put together as to cause it to arrest 

 the attention at once. The eggs of the Missel-Thrush very rarely exceed 

 four in number, and in but very few cases are less. They are somewhat 

 different from the typical Thrush's eggs, being of a greyer tinge. The 

 ground-colour ranges from bluish white to reddish brown, spotted, blotched, 

 and clouded with various shades of rich purplish brown and with greyish 

 underlying spots. They vary considerably in size, form, and colour, very 

 often in the same clutch. They vary in length from 1'32 to 1"03 inch, 

 and in breadth from 094 to 0'8 inch. 



Missel-Thrushes are amongst the noisiest of birds should their nest be 

 menaced by danger. Uttering their harsh grating cries, they fly round 

 the intruder's head and do their best to make him quit its vicinity. No 

 Thrush is bolder or more vigilant ; and the Magpie, the Jay, and even the 

 Sparrow-Hawk are often frightened away by the vigour of their attack. 



The Missel-Thrush, from its superiority of size, cannot readily be mis- 

 taken for any other British Thrush. Its colouring is chaste, the whole 

 upper parts being olive-brown, more or less suffused with rufous on the 

 back; the underparts are white, boldly spotted with large dark brown 

 fan-shaped spots. Bill dark brown, paler at the base. Legs pale brown. 

 Irides dark brown. Its pure white axillaries will serve to distinguish it 

 from all other British Thrushes except from the Fieldfare, whose slate- 

 grey rump contrasts strongly with the ochraceous brown rump of the 

 Missel-Thrush. 



Eastern examples of this species from Turkestan and North-west India 

 are slightly greyer in the general colour of the upper parts, and are, on 

 an average, larger in size, European examples varying in length of wing 

 from 6-1 to 5-6 inch, whilst examples from Turkestan and India vary from 



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