3 



does the time arrive in which it has to make its nest, than it draws near to our habitations with 

 the utmost confidence, and forms its nest in places the most exposed to our view. There both 

 male and female protect their charge with matchless courage. On the approach of an enemy 

 you immediately hear their singular cry, which somewhat resembles the sound produced by 

 striking the teeth of a comb smartly with your finger ; and you see the parent birds dashing 

 incessantly at the Crow, the Cat, or the Magpie, until they clear the coast. This year there is a 

 Stormcock's nest within fifteen yards of the place where the masons are at work. Our tame 

 Magpie, which is allowed its freedom, and the use of its wings, seized the female, some days ago, 

 and brought her close to the masons. The male bird instantly came up, and rescued his mate, 

 by fighting the Magpie, until he made it let go its hold. ' Causa via? conjux.' It was to save 

 his female that he advanced so undauntedly into the midst of his mortal enemies : nothing else 

 could have induced him to face the danger. I fancy that I hear him say — 



(C t 



Si fata negant veniam pro conjuge, certum est, 



Nolle redire-mihi : letho gaudete duorum/ 



'If you won't give my poor dear up to me, here I stay: you may kill us both.' This loving 

 couple retired triumphant to their nest; but the female lost half of her tail in the fray. 



" The Stormcock surpasses all other Thrushes in size, and is decidedly the largest songster 

 of the European birds. He remains with us the whole of the year ; and he is one of three birds 

 which charm us with their melody during the dreary months of winter, when the Throstle and 

 the Lark are silent, and all the migratory birds have left us, to sojourn in warmer climates. On 

 this account I prize him doubly. He appears to be gregarious in the months of August and 

 September. I have occasionally counted from forty to fifty of these birds in a flock ; and I 

 suspect that they are sometimes mistaken for an early arrival of Fieldfares, by those who pay 

 attention to the migration of birds. 



" The Stormcock is remarkably fond of the berries of the mountain-ash. He who loves to 

 see this pretty songster near his dwelling would do well to plant a number of mountain-ashes in 

 the midst of his pleasure-grounds : they are of quick growth, and they soon produce an abundance 

 of berries." 



Thompson, in his ' Birds of Ireland,' says : — " The nest is generally most conspicuous ; almost 

 every one that I have seen was placed in the forking of the main stem or chief branches of 

 trees, whether these were wholly bare or clothed with cryptogamic vegetation ; but they are 

 sometimes situated eight or ten feet from the main stem, particularly on the branches of firs. 

 Trees in young plantations, rising from twenty to thirty feet in height, are often selected. May 

 it not be in some degree to counterbalance 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 belonged, attacked a Kestrel, which appeared in their neighbour- 

 hood 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 ah', escaped the coming blow. This pair 



