Birds. 145 



tance, by its own peculiar and distinguishing mark ; namely, 

 the large ash-coloured streak near the eye, so like that of the 

 stonechat. 



The dark brown thrush that I first saw in the Lewis, and 

 have so often observed passing north in spring, is a very 

 sober and plain-looking bird as to colour ; and has nothing of 

 the airiness and elegance of the redwing, being shorter and 

 thicker ; and is very sparingly mottled on the breast. In fact, 

 both as to shape and colour, it might pass for a large edition 

 of the hedge sparrow (ikTotacilla familiaris). I have, I am 

 sure, seen hundreds of them, and not a redwing among the 

 number. Moreover, I would refer to a footnote [note f] 

 affixed to a communication of mine, in III. 237, 238., where 

 it is mentioned that Mr. Macgillivray saw this same brown 

 thrush breaking whelks on the shore. It must be allowed 

 that this enthusiastic and now skilful naturalist (from nought 

 else that I can suppose but innate modesty) took it for 

 granted that these thrushes were of the common species (Z*. 

 musicus). With not one tenth of his knowledge, I, with all 

 the rashness of a little learning, when I heard them singing 

 on these desolate shores, guessed that they must belong to a 

 different species ; and I hope I may be allowed to refer to 

 and cite the above note. " I was greatly surprised to hear 

 the song of the thrush resounding on all sides from the heathy 

 and rocky banks of the sea (* wasting her sweet notes on the 

 desert air ') ; but I have always suspected it to be another 

 species, darker and less." And so I am, with all due defer- 

 ence to Mr. E. Blyth, still convinced it really is ; and I beg 

 that Mr. Blyth will not take it as anything like want of 

 respect, when I use the freedom to suggest that there may be 

 more things to be seen, among the moors and rocks and bosky 

 glens of Scotland, than " he has yet dreamt of in his philo- 

 sophy." What if there may be not only plants and birds, but 

 two or three quadrupeds, that he has never seen ? But, I 

 would like to know, who has seen the nests of the redwing 

 there ? 



I request to add that the migratory birds, in their journeys, 

 alternately, to their native homes and their winter abodes, 

 seem to keep generally along the " back-bone of the country." 

 The redwing, after all, I take to be comparatively a rare bird ; 

 for, although I have seen redwings both in spring and No- 

 vember, I have seen but few. It is in the upland glens of 

 Selkirkshire, Tweeddale, and Dumfriesshire, and not on the 

 plains of Lothian, the Merse, or " the Laigh of Teviotdale," 

 that the flocks of female chaffinches, grey linnets, thrushes, 

 starlings, and snowflecks are seen. I well remember the 



Vol. VII. — No. 38. l 



