626 Birds in the Vicinity of Tooting, Surrey, 



breed in this plumage. They are chiefly found about tall and 

 thick hawthorn hedges. 



The Missel Thrush is abundant, more so than in most parts 

 of the kingdom. Many remain throughout the year about 

 gardens ; but the majority associate, in autumn, in moderate 

 flocks, and affect parks, and other similar localities inter- 

 spersed with clumps and groves of lofty trees ; a few of appa- 

 rently the older individuals only continuing solitary, which 

 remain in song, in particular states of the weather, while 

 the screech only is heard of the others. Last summer, I 

 knew of four nests of this species within a few trees of each 

 other. I am unaware that we receive any accession to their 

 numbers in the winter season. 



The Ring, or Mountain, Thrush is met with occasionally 

 during the seasons of migration, more commonly in one or 

 two distant localities, where the yew grows plentifully. A 

 very few have, at different times, been shot about this place. 



The Fieldfare Thrush arrives in numerous flocks about the 

 middle or end of November, and many stay till the second 

 week in May; when all the members of a flock depart simul- 

 taneously, as might be expected from their habit of breeding 

 in society. They chiefly affect park- lands, and enclosures 

 where a few tall trees are scattered, and retire at night to 

 roost among the furze on commons, where I have frequently 

 put them up by hundreds. 



A few Redwing Thrushes generally appear about the end of 

 September; but the main flights rarely arrive for several 

 weeks afterwards. This species is more numerous here than 

 the preceding, and keeps in looser flocks, which retire more 

 gradually in the spring. It also departs rather earlier. Their 

 song usually commences, in mild weather, in February; 

 whereas that of the fieldfare, such as it is, is seldom heard 

 much before April. 



The Mavis Thrush is very common, as elsewhere. Small 

 flocks of them arrive about the same time as the redwings, 

 and remain gregarious through the winter. They do not de- 

 part till the time the redwing thrushes leave us ; at which pe- 

 riod many of our residents of the same species have reared 

 their first brood. A dozen or twenty of them may sometimes be 

 noticed, in early spring, warbling in concert on the same tree. 



The Black Thrush is plentiful in the extreme. This spe- 

 cies appears to pair for life, as all but those of the preceding 

 summer remain in couples through the winter. I do not 

 think that we have any visitants of this species in these parts. 



The Fallow Chat, or Wheatear, is rather uncommon : but 

 a very few are met with in the immediate neighbourhood, and 



