The Missel Thrush. 



221 



greater part of the back, are greyish brown ; the lower part 

 of the back and rump is reddish chestnut colour. The 

 sides of the head, throat, breast, belly, and vent, are yellowish 

 white, profusely dappled with triangular and elliptic blackish 

 brown spots, these being well-defined, and evenly distributed, 

 as far down as the thighs. The wings are greyish brown, 

 with pale brown margins on the outer plume of the flight 

 feathers. The small coverlets are tipped with pale orange. 

 The tail is light brown, the three exterior feathers on each 

 side being tipped with greyish white ; the legs and feet are 

 willow coloured. 



Habits and Breeding. — The Missel Thrush seems to delight 

 mostly in woods, groves, and thickets, and, although it is 

 occasionally met with in all parts of the United Kingdom, 

 may be considered to be chiefly localised. These birds select 

 districts that are not much frequented. They are more 

 abundant in Wales, and the Southern counties of England, than 

 in the Northern or Midland counties, and are found in most 

 parts of Devon, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Hampshire, and 

 Sussex, and in some of the adjoining counties. They are 

 known in most, if not all, European countries. 



They build in thickets, in deserted stone quarries in 

 which trees grow, and in old orchards in quiet, retired 

 localities, make nests as large as those of the Jay, and 

 l^y 6ggs equal in size to those of that bird. In the con- 

 struction of the nest they use dried dead twigs, moss, root 

 fibre, and withered grass. The hen usually lays three to 

 four eggs, of a pale pinkish green, bordering on white, 

 and slightly speckled with small reddish brown spots. The 

 eggs, however, vary a good deal in colour, some, at times, 

 being almost reddish white. Missel Thrushes breed twice 

 a year, and leave their first nest from the middle to the 

 latter part of April. They feed their young principally on 

 the berries of the mistletoe. They are very assiduous in 

 their duties, and apparently much attached to their offspring • 

 and during the period of nidification will not permit a bird 

 of any kind to come near them. They will attack Magpies, 

 Rooks, Jays, Blackbirds, other birds, and all predatory animals^ 

 indiscriminately, at this time, both parents joining in the 

 attack, fighting with much ferocity, exhibiting both pluck 

 and determination to conquer, and almost invariably come 



