REST 01' THE MISSEL THRUSH. 
Of its extraordinary pugnacity during the breeding season, 
there exists abundant proof. “ Often,” says Mr. Thompson, 
“ have I seen a pah* of these birds driving off magpies, and 
occasionally lighting four of them. The pair to which the first- 
mentioned nest belonged attracted a kestrel, which appeared in 
then* 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 ah*, escaped the blows. These pair of 
birds followed the kestrel for a great way, until they were lost 
to our sight in the distance.” 
“ At the end of June, 1846,” says another authority, “ 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 were assailed by a missel 
thrush, which, for several hours, continued dashing down at 
them, and all but, if not actually, striking them occasionally. 
Ho reason, such as having a nest in the vicinity, &c., could be 
assigned for the thrush’s inhospitable welcome to the Scotch 
falcons.” 
From the last- quoted anecdote, it will be seen that the 
missel thrush is not always actuated by love of home and 
family in his encounter with other birds. He is, indeed, at all 
times a very courageous bird ; but his attachment to his mate 
is very extraordinary, and Mr. Waterton relates a story in 
which a missel thrush actually fought a magpie to rescue his 
mate, whom the predatory and mischievous bird had carried 
off. “ One year there was a storm-cock’s nest within fifteen 
yards of the place where the masons were at work. Our tame 
magpie, which was allowed its freedom and the use of its 
wings, seized the female, and brought her close to the masons. 
The male bird instantly came up, and rescued his mate by 
fighting the magpie, until he made it let go his hold. It was 
to save his female that he advanced so undauntedly into the 
midst of his mortal enemies. ISTothing else could have induced 
him to face the danger. * ■ * * This loving couple retired 
triumphant to their nest ; but the female lost half of her tail in 
the fray.” 
The nest of the missel thrush is one of the most extraordinary 
that can be conceived. It is frequently composed of a dozen 
different substances, such as hay, straw, moss, dead leaves, 
p 2 67 
