Page:The Natural History of Ireland vol1.djvu/148

 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 Falls on one occasion, when a pair of gray crows (Corvus comix) 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 were 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.