90 THE BIRDS OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 



29. MISTLETOE-THRUSH. 



Turdus viscivorus. 



This bird, generally known in Northamptonshire 

 as Missel-Thrush or Stormcock, is, I think, as 

 abundant with us as in any part of England with 

 which I am acquainted, though it appears that it was 

 not always so, for Morton, whose ' Natural History of 

 Northamptonshire ' was published in 1712, states, 

 at p. 425 of the said work : — " The Missel Bird, or 

 Shrite, which is found nowhere w^th us, that I can 

 hear of, unless in Lacy and Whittleborough forests, 

 where it abides the whole year, and breeds with us." 

 AVillughby, however, in his ' Ornithology,' published 

 in 1678, gives a full description of the bird, its 

 habits, &c., and evidently did not consider it as 

 uncommon in England. In Bewick's time the 

 Missel-Thrush seems to have been very rare in the 

 north of England, but is certainly not so now. In 

 fact, I have reason to beKeve that this species has 

 for many years past been extending its range over 

 our Islands, and is now abundant in many parts 

 where it was formerly quite or nearly unknown. In 

 the south-west of the Queen's County, for instance, 

 where I found a few of these birds in 1853, I was 

 told that they had only made their appearance in 

 that district within three or four years previously, 

 and were universally known as " Jays." This bird 

 and its nest are so well known in oar country, that a 

 detailed account is hardly necessary. The chief 

 peculiarities of the Missel-Thrush are its habit of 

 singing in a gale of wind, and often in the depth of 

 winter, and the courage with which it will defend its 

 eggs or young from the attacks of feathered and 



