NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE. 
377 
British thrushes. Its eggs are found from April to June, and 
are from four to six in number." — G. I^apier. 
Tlie following is from my description of a day's bird-catching 
at Aldermaston Park : — As it was very hot we sat down in the 
shade to rest, while Mr. Davy gave us a yarn about his birds. 
It was unusual for a thrush to be in song so late, viz., 17th 
August, as at this time these birds are in full moult. August, 
in fact, is the dullest month in the year for song. Nearly all 
the birds, being " sore in moult," hide away in damp, shady 
places. Mr. Davy has put the song of most birds into words. 
He repeated the words of a thrush's song, and I found by care- 
fully listening that the bird does actually sing the following 
words : — 
Knee deep, knee deep, knee deep ; 
Cherry dii, cherry du, cherry du, cherry du ; 
White hat, white hat ; 
Pretty Joey, pretty Joey, pretty Joey. 
My readers should learn these w^ords by heart, and listen to a 
thrush singing. They will find the thrush pronounces the above 
words as nearly as possible. Eepeat them all, even when no 
bird is present, rapidly in a bird-like manner and see the effect. 
It is very difficult to " word " a blackbird's song. Mr. Davy can 
imitate a blackbird's song so well that he can bring Mr. Black- 
bird up to him to be caught, but he cannot put his song into 
words. 
Missel Thrush, p. 90. — The Missel Thrush {Tnrclus viscivorus) 
" is generally distributed in the breeding season ; it frequently 
builds in trees too high up to be reached without climbing. It 
forms its nest of grass, which it strengthens with clay at the 
bottom ; but it usually interweaves wool with the grass, which 
forms the sides. The lining, however, consists entirely of fine 
grass. I liave a nest where no wool is used. It was taken at 
Abbotsleigh Down, Hunts, a neighbourhood where no sheep graze. 
Some sticks and grey lichens, however, are used in the outside 
layer of material. The eggs of the missel thrush vary much in 
form, shape, and colouring. One variety is pear-shaped, of a blue 
ground with the spots gathered towards the larger end. One 
variety has a buff ground, with lilac and purple ochre spots. A 
second has a pale blue ground, with lilac and dark ochre spots. 
A third has the ground colour of the egg of a song thrush, with 
spots of olive green ; a fourth is of a deep flesh colour, witli 
spots of dark ochre ; and a fiflh has a blue green ground, with 
spots of ochre gathered towards the small end. I liave one egg 
which cannot be distinguished from a ring ousel's. My eggs of 
