﻿74 
  

  

  THE 
  VE 
  ETE 
  BE 
  ATE 
  FAUNA 
  OF 
  " 
  DEE.' 
  

  

  Class 
  II. 
  — 
  BIRDS. 
  

  

  Order 
  l.-PASSEBES. 
  

  

  Family 
  TURDIDiE. 
  

  

  Genus 
  TURDUS, 
  Linn. 
  

  

  Turdus 
  viscivorus, 
  Linn. 
  Missel-Thrush. 
  " 
  Highland 
  

   Pyot." 
  "Storm 
  Cock." 
  

  

  A 
  common 
  and 
  interesting 
  species. 
  It 
  is 
  resident 
  and 
  

   finds 
  suitable 
  nesting 
  accommodation 
  in 
  the 
  numerous 
  woods 
  

   and 
  plantations 
  that 
  exist 
  over 
  the 
  greater 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  

   district, 
  selecting 
  for 
  the 
  purpose 
  of 
  nidification 
  the 
  forked 
  

   branches 
  of 
  the 
  larch 
  or 
  Scotch 
  fir, 
  often 
  at 
  no 
  great 
  distance 
  

   from 
  the 
  ground, 
  nor 
  with 
  much 
  attempt 
  at 
  concealment. 
  

   When 
  the 
  young 
  have 
  left 
  the 
  nest 
  they 
  become 
  semi- 
  

   gregarious, 
  and 
  are 
  then 
  seen 
  in 
  scattered 
  flocks 
  searching 
  for 
  

   food 
  in 
  the 
  grass 
  fields, 
  from 
  which 
  they 
  fly 
  on 
  the 
  appearance 
  

   of 
  danger. 
  

  

  Along 
  the 
  valleys 
  of 
  Dee 
  and 
  Don 
  I 
  have 
  often 
  seen 
  this 
  

   species 
  feeding 
  on 
  the 
  lone 
  hill 
  -sides 
  in 
  company 
  with 
  the 
  

   Ring- 
  Ouzel, 
  at 
  which 
  time 
  its 
  food 
  consists 
  of 
  various 
  wild 
  

   berries. 
  None 
  of 
  the 
  wild 
  fruits 
  of 
  our 
  country 
  seems 
  to 
  come 
  

   amiss 
  to 
  the 
  Missel-Thrush, 
  as 
  it 
  feeds 
  indiscriminately 
  upon 
  

   wild 
  cherries, 
  hawthorn, 
  rowan, 
  holly, 
  juniper, 
  and 
  seeds 
  of 
  

   many 
  kinds, 
  to 
  which 
  are 
  added 
  worms 
  and 
  snails. 
  Yet, 
  

   notwithstanding 
  this 
  large 
  bill 
  of 
  fare, 
  when 
  the 
  storms 
  of 
  

   winter 
  cover 
  the 
  greater 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  country, 
  and 
  frost 
  holds 
  a 
  

   firm 
  grip 
  on 
  those 
  portions 
  not 
  snow-clad, 
  the 
  "Storm 
  Cocks" 
  

   betake 
  themselves 
  to 
  the 
  coast 
  in 
  hope 
  of 
  picking 
  up 
  some- 
  

   thing 
  to 
  keep 
  life 
  in 
  them, 
  at 
  which 
  time 
  we 
  have 
  seen 
  them 
  

   along 
  our 
  eastern 
  shores 
  lying 
  dead 
  and 
  dying 
  in 
  dozens. 
  

  

  No 
  mention 
  of 
  this 
  bird 
  is 
  made 
  in 
  the 
  0. 
  S. 
  A., 
  in 
  so 
  far 
  as 
  

   the 
  parishes 
  within 
  " 
  Dee 
  " 
  are 
  concerned 
  ; 
  and 
  it 
  would 
  seem 
  

   that 
  even 
  at 
  the 
  time 
  when 
  MacGillivray's 
  History 
  of 
  British 
  

  

  