124 
MERULIDJS. 
balance 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 be- 
longed, attacked a kestrel, which appeared in their neighbourhood 
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 air, escaped 
the coming blow. This pair of birds followed the kestrel for a 
great way, until they were all lost to sight in the distance. In 
the wood at Cultra I was once (at the end of April) witness to a 
single missel thrush boldly attacking a kestrel, which fled before 
it. The courage of the thrush was further evinced by its flying 
to the summit of the highest pine in the plantation, from which 
commanding site it for a long time proudly looked defiance against 
all comers ; but, by superior numbers, missel thrushes are, like 
their betters, sometimes overpowered. This happened at the Tails 
on one occasion, when a pair of gray crows (Covens cornix) joined, 
or it may be followed, in the wake of a pair of magpies in their 
assault on a nest, and the thrushes were unfortunately routed. 
A pair of these birds which bred at the residence of a gentleman 
of my acquaintance near Belfast, in the summer of 1837, flew 
angrily towards himself whenever he walked in the direction of 
their nest. But the missel thrush can exhibit boldness without 
its nest being attacked. At the end of June, 1848, a friend 
brought from Scotland to his residence, near Belfast, four young 
peregrine falcons. The first day that these birds, then full grown, 
were placed out of doors upon their blocks, contiguously, four in 
a row, they w T ere assailed by a missel thrush, which for several 
hours continued dashing down at them, and all but, if not ac- 
actually, striking them occasionally. No reason, such as having 
a nest in the vicinity, &c., could be assigned for the thrush’s in- 
hospitable welcome to the Scotch falcons. 
