3o6 Transactions of the [Sess. 



Perhaps no inland species has better opportunities for rearing its 

 young in safety than this, the very isolated nature of its dwelling 

 being sufficient safeguard against interference. The nest is com- 

 monly placed in a juniper or whin bush, or, where such a site is im- 

 practicable, under shelter of the heather or overhanging rock ; and 

 when in either of those two latter situations, it is matter of no 

 small difficulty to detect the same, the general appearance and 

 colour assimilating so well with surrounding objects. One which 

 came under my notice lay in a hollow of the bare rock without any 

 sheltering cover whatever ; but so admirably did it resemble the hue 

 of the lichen-covered stones around, that it might have been passed 

 a dozen times without detection. In appearance it strongly resem- 

 bles the habitation of the Blackbird, as do also the eggs — in fact, 

 in many ways the family likeness between the two is remarkably 

 strong, hence the origin of three at least of its popular cognomens, 

 the Mountain, Muir, and Einged Blackbird. It is possessed of the 

 same kindred penchant for skulking under bushes as our more 

 familiar friend, and flies off with a similar succession of indignant 

 notes when it conceives that hiding is of no further avail. Its very 

 song has a distant relationship to that of Turdus merula, but with 

 this difference, — it lacks the beautiful musical modulations and 

 variety that are such well known and appreciated features of our 

 everyday acquaintance. If you can imagine the loud clear whistle 

 of the Blackbird reiterated several times in succession with laud- 

 able persistency and no attempt at diversity, you have some idea 

 of the Eing-Ousel's song. In itself by no means charming, it 

 requires all the wildness of the environs to counterbalance its 

 musical defects ; but still, in spite of that, it possesses a' certain 

 charm that somehow conveys a sense of pleasure to the hearer, 

 and is quite congenial to the locality where it nests. The time 

 par excellence to hear it is the early morning, between five and 

 eight o'clock, in the clear bright weather of the month of May. 

 Although it sings more or less all day, and lustily towards even- 

 ing, it seems to put more pith and energy into its song at that 

 early hour : perhaps, however, the quietness all around and the 

 sharp atmosphere have something to do with the intensity of its 

 pipe. The first time it was my good fortune to hear it was in 

 Inverness-shire many years ago, about 6 a.m. in the beginning of 

 summer. Climbing up a steep hill, when fully three-quarters of a 

 mile distant the notes sounded as clearly as if the bird were within 

 . a hundred yards. The strain was quite new to me, so I followed 

 it up and traced it to a rocky eminence which rose high above the 

 adjacent muirland. Once having located the song, as it were, 

 it was not such an easy matter to discover the songster. Fully 

 fifteen minutes of judicious sneaking about elapsed ere a sight of 

 his white collar was caught, the wearer of which was perched right 



