TURDUS VISCIVORUS.

Lin. Syst. Nat. 291.

THE MISSELBIRD.

PLATE III.

THIS is the largest of the British song birds, being ten inches and an half long. The figure in plate the third is a little reduced to bring it within compass. The bill is short and strong, the upper chap pretty much curved, with a small notch near the end, and of a black colour; the lower is dusky at the point, and horn-coloured at the base. The tongue is divided and jagged.

Between the bill and the eyes is a bed of white downy feathers, and several upright black bristles grow about the base of the bill. The inside of the mouth is yellow, the eyes brown, and the feathers which cover the ears are of a pale colour.

The head is of a dusky ash colour, with a strong cast of olive, the back and rump are olive colour, the latter inclining to yellow.

The tail consists of twelve feathers of the same colour as the back, except the two outmost on each side, which at the tips are clouded with white.

The lower side of the bird, from bill to tail, is white, with a dash of yellow brown on the sides of the breast, and under the wings, and all the white part is beautifully spotted with white and black spots of various shapes; those on the throat and upper part of the breast are triangular, on the lower part oval or kidney-shaped, and towards the tail lunated.

The legs and feet are yellow, the claws are black, very much curved, and sharp pointed, and the outer toe is connected with the middle by a membrane, as far as the first joint.

-The wing is olive-coloured, the first and second quills having white tips. The coverts have broad white margins. It feeds on the berries of *misseltoe when it can find them; it also eats insects, bilberries, haws, and other small

* Viscum album.

fruits, like the rest of the thrushes, but none of this genus feed upon grain; nor does this bird destroy the fruit in gardens like the other species of thrushes. In severe snowy weather, when there is a failure of their usual diet, they are observed to scratch out of the banks of hedges, the root of Arum maculatum, or Cuckoo-pint; this is remarkably warm and pungent, and therefore a provision suitable to the season.

This genus, (turdus), is one of the most numerous in Ornithology, including not fewer than a hundred and thirty-six species, of which seven are inhabitants of this country. It attracted the notice of the Antients, and among the Romans, some species of the thrush were deemed excellent food, and were kept and fattened in large aviaries, capable of containing many thousands, along with quails, ortolans, and other birds reckoned delicate eating. The ordinary price was about two shillings cach, but at the time of any grand festival it far exceeded that sum. The Thrush kind were highly celebrated by Martial, who says, “Inter aves, turdus, inter quadrupes, gloria

prima lepus."

Among birds the thrush, among quadrupeds the hare, is the chief delicacy.

The misselbird, called also measle-taw, and shrite, is supposed to be the largest bird, British or foreign, that sings or has any melody in its note. He begins his song, which is very fine, sitting on the summit of a high tree, very early in the spring; often with the new year, in blowing, showery weather, which induces the inhabitants of some parts of England to call him the Storm-cock. His note of anger or of fear is very harsh, between a chatter and a shriek. Though migratory in some places, this bird continues in Great Britain the whole year. The Welsh call it, Pen y llwyn, or master of the coppice, as it will drive all the lesser species of thrushes from it. M. de Montbeillard, the assistant of M. Buffon, describes the manners of the misselbird as gentle and pacific; but M. le Vaillant declares it is the most quarrelsome and petulant of birds. They fight and pursue each other with such violence that the weakest is obliged to shift his quarters; and they will attack any bird, even though much stronger than themselves, that approaches the place where they have fixed their abode. The stock-dove, ring-dove, raven, cuckoo, and butcher-bird, are all afraid of

the misselthrush. He has even the courage to attack the sparrow hawk, kestrel, and merlin; and the buzzard and kite have been seen to fly with precipitation at his approach. When the Enemy appears very formidable, these birds, laying aside their private animosity, will attack him with united force. M. le Vaillant relates, that in the vicinity of Paris, he witnessed a combat between about ten of these birds and an eagle, in which the latter was completely beaten and put to flight.

NEST AND EGGS OF THE MISSELBIRD.

PLATE IV.

THE Misselbird most commonly places her nest in an ash tree, at the projection of one of the branches, a good height from the ground. In the nest described the first lay consists of several kinds of moss, hay, stalks of dried plants, &c. which being brought in great plenty, and disposed in a very rugged manner, constitute the chief part of the fabric. Upon this follows a lay of plaster, composed of clay mixed with cow's dung, so well tempered together as to form, when dry, an hard tough shell of about half an inch thick. Upon this is laid another covering of soft dry grass, which is neatly platted both in the cavity and all round the borders of the nest. The diameter of the cavity is about four inches, the depth not fully two.

This nest was built between the triple division of an ash tree, and hung all round with the ashliverwort, so as to hide it on every side. On removing it some part of the liverwort was found to grow from the tree above and round about the nest; but the greater part of it was very artfully wove in with the grass and moss on the outer margin of the brim, and left to hang loose about the sides of the nest, just as it hung on other parts of the tree. By this artifice the bird often secures her nest, concealing it from the gape of the ignorant country bumpkin, or the prying eye of the mischievous school boy. Two broods are frequently produced in one season.

She lays four eggs of a dusky flesh colour, having a cast of green, and large spots of brown or purple. The Misselbird is the earliest of our song birds. In the month of January, if the weather is mild, he sings most sweetly; his song resembles that of the throstle, but his pipe is sweeter, and his notes more mellow. According to Mr. White's Calendar, these birds begin to sing from the second to the fourteenth of January, and pair about the twenty-fourth of February.

* Lichen fraxineus.