73 
NATURAL HISTORY. 
stare, white, black, and pied. At New Zealand is a species 
distinguished by wattles, like those of a cock : at the Cape of 
flood Hope they are found with combs; and in China 
there is a species of a beautiful green 
Of the Thrush there are no less than one hundred and 
thirty species, foreign and domestic. 
The Missel-thrush is distinguished from all of the kind 
by its superior size, being much larger than any of them, 
viz. eleven inches in length, and weighing near five ounces. 
It differs scarcely in any other respect from the throstle, 
except that the spots on the breast are larger. It builds 
its nest in bushes, or on the side of some tree, as all of 
this kind are found to do, and lays four or five eggs in a 
season. Its song, which it begins in spring, sitting on the 
summit of a high tree, is not, however, so fine as that of 
the throstle. It is the largest bird of all the feathered 
tribe that has music in its voice ; the note of all greater 
birds being either screaming, chattering, or croaking. It 
feeds on insects, holly and tnisletoe-berries ; and sometimes 
sends forth a very disagreeable scream when frightened or 
disturbed. It is very common in England. 
The Throstle is only nine inches in length. It differs 
from the missel-thrush chiefly in the marks on its breast, 
which in the former are of an irregular shape ; but in the 
throstle are like heads of arrows with the points upwards. 
Varieties of this bird have been found wholly white. 
The Red-wing is easily distinguished from the two former 
species by having a white streak over the eye, and the under 
parts of the wings reddish. The fieldfare is known by his 
yellowish bill, by the dark colour of his legs, and by his 
head being ash-colour spotted with black. " The fieldfare 
and red-wing make but a short stay in this country. With 
us they are insipid, tuneless birds. Hying in flocks, and ex- 
cessively watchful to preserve their general safety. All their 
season of music and pleasure is employed in the more 
northern climates, where they sing most delightfully perched 
among the forests of maples, with which those countries 
abound. They build their nests in hedges; and lay six 
bluish green eggs spotted with black. 
The Black-bird or Ouzel is about the size of ten inches. 
The female is generally brown ; and varieties are found of 
them both white and pied, particularly in cold countries. 
It plasters its nest, which is commonly in the stump of a 
hawthorn, in the inside with clay, and lays about four or 
five bluish eggs. 
