Retrospective Criticism, 175 



highest credit on the liberality of the British public, that has 

 hitherto so efficiently aided him in the publication of it, nor to 

 establish an abiding monument to the fame of its author, 

 whilst it must continue to be selected as the chosen companion 

 of those who delight in the contemplation and investigation of 

 the phenomena of nature, in one of the most interesting depart- 

 ments of her works. — John Bachman, Charleston^ Dec. 31. 

 1833. [Received Feb. 7.] 



The Common Redwing is a resident Species i7i the extreme 

 North of Scotland and in the Isles. (Mr. Blyth, in VI. 516.) — 

 I should feel obliged to Mr. Blyth if he would state its 

 locality, and whether he has had personal opportunities of 

 examining it in its summer haunts, as, I believe, this bird has 

 hitherto generally been looked upon in the light of a stranger, 

 merely paying us a visit during the winter season. I can 

 assure Mr. Blyth it is not a summer resident on the eastern 

 coast of Scotland or in the Orkney Islands, although Dr. 

 Barry says, in his History of the Orhiey Islands, book iii. 

 p. 316., 2d edit., " it may be seen in Hoy for the most part of 

 summer, and always in harvest; where it probably builds among 

 the shrubs in the valleys." At least, I could not discover this 

 bird, during an extensive excursion through these islands and 

 a great part of the Highlands in the summer of 1831 ; my prin- 

 cipal object being that of inspecting the habits and nidification 

 of the different birds that resort thither. The only instance 

 recorded of the redwing's breeding in the British Islands is 

 in Montagu; who says, " Mr. Bullock found a nest in the 

 Island of Harris in the Hebrides." The solitary instance 

 here mentioned must invalidate the idea of those heard by 

 W. L. (VI. 218.) being identical with the redwing, unless 

 their locality is changed since Mr. Bullock's visit; or, otherwise, 

 he must have found their nests in greater abundance than he 

 appears to have done. 



I suspect that the young of the missel thrush (Zurdus vis- 

 civorus) has very often been mistaken for the redwing, as 

 they congregate towards the end of the summer. I saw, 

 during the month of August, at least a hundred assembled to- 

 gether, and at first thought they were a flock of fieldfares or 

 redwings ; but, on a closer examination, I discovered my mis- 

 take. They certainly must migrate. The fact of their mi- 

 grating is mentioned in V. 581. 



Montagu says further of the redwing, " It is said to breed 

 in Norway and Sweden." Bewick says only the latter countr3^ 

 Mr. Hewitson, who visited Norway last summer, did not find 

 it there, although he saw its congener, the fieldfare ( Turdus 

 pilaris) ; and in his British Oology, Nos. xiv. and xv., says, " it 



