I.
+• MISSEL
THR,
Description.
Place and
Manners.
Turdoj vifcivorus, Lin. Syjl. i. p. 291. N° i .— Sap. an«, i.p. 132. No 193.
Brun. 65. NJ 231—Kramer, p. 361. 6.—Fri/ch. pi, 23.
La Groffe Grive, Brif. orx. ii. p. 200. N° 1.
La Draine, Buf. otf. iii. p. 29;. pi. 19. f, ___pi, cnl. 489.
Tardus vifcivorus major, Rati Syn. p. 64. A. 1.
Tordo, Olitt. uccel. pi. in p. 23.
Miflel Bird, or Shrite, Will. on. p. 187— Br. Zool. i. N° io j— Albin. i,
pi. 33— ArB. Zool.
Br. Mu/. Lev. Mu/.
'T 'H I S , the largeft of the Thrujh kind, is eleven inches in
length, and weighs near five ounces. The bill is above an
inch long; the colour dulky brown, with the bafe of the lower
mandible and the gape yellow : irides hazel: the upper parts
of the head, neck, and body, are of a greyifh brown, with a
tinge of rufous on the lower part of the back and rump : the Tides
of the head and throat are yellowilh white, fpotted with brown;
from thence to the vent the fame, but marked with larger
roundilh fpots of dulky black: the lower of the wing coverts
tipped with white; the reft brown only: quills grey brown with
pale edges : tail the fame; the three outer feathers tipped with
white : the legs are yellow: claws black.
The female differs merely in not being of fo bright a colour
as the male.
This is a well-known bird, and inhabits England the whole
year, though in fome other parts of Europe is obferved to be
migratory *, and perhaps confined to Europe alone : on the one
hand, we hear of it in Sweden, Denmark, and the weftern parts of
* About Carlijle in Cumberland it is much lefs frequent than the Throjlli;
and it is not quite clear that it remains there throughout the winter. Dr.
Hey/ham.
IO Ruffia i
Rujftai on the other, Italy. Comes into Burgundy in 0Baler and
November, from the mountains of Lorraine; returning to them,
in order to breed, in March and April.
It builds the neft *, with us, in bulhes, or low trees ; making it
of mojs, lichen, leaves, &c. lined with fine withered grafs within;
ftrengthening it on the outfide with twigs. The eggs are four or
five in number, of a dirty flelh-colour, marked with bloody-
coloured fpots.
This bird has a very agreeable fong s which it frequently begins
with the entrance of the new year, fitting on the top of a tree,
from whence it may be heard a great way off, varying its note
without end; but in melody is much inferior to the ‘Throjlle.
It has been a vulgar notion, that the Miffeltoe could not be
propagated; unlefs the feed had paffed the digeftive organs of this
bird. It is indeed a common method that nature takes to propagate
this plant, which the fuperftition of ancient times has held
fo facred; but by no means a neceffary one, as experience proves
it will equally fucceed without f .
It alfo feeds on other berries, fuch as holly, ivy, hawthorn; as
well as caterpillars and other infefts ; with which laft it feeds its
young. — It is pretty good eating, though not fo much efteemed
as the leffer fpecies.
In the Leverian Mufeum are two varieties: one of a reddifh Vauetiu.
cream-colour, paleft beneath, and the belly white, fpotted with
cream-colour; the other white, Ipotted with brown on the under
parts.
• Twice in a year. Altin.
+ See a paper on the propagation of the MiJJiltte, by the Reverend £. Barrel,
Phil. Tran/, vol. xxxiv. p.215.