22 Order I 



however, be distinguished by the red, in place of orange - 

 buff, below the wing and the broad whitish stripe above 

 the eye; the Fieldfare {T. pilaris) by the distinctly 

 grey head and rump and the yellower breast. They 

 both breed in northern Europe and in Asia eastward to 

 the Lena river, but the former alone nests in Iceland 

 and the Fseroes, while the latter ranges further south 

 to central Germany and Austria-Hungary, and often 

 forms colonies. The nests and eggs are much like those 

 of the Blackbird. These Thrushes come in large flocks 

 in October or earlier, and leave about April ; the 

 Fieldfares keeping more together and being easily 

 recognisable by their harsh chattering cries as they fly 

 about the fields and hedgerows, whereas the Redwings 

 separate and have a more melodious call. They are 

 shy birds of swift flight, often shot for the table in 

 winter, and not uncommonly killed by severe cold, the 

 Redwing being the first to succumb to the effect of the 

 weather. 



Very different in appearance from the true Thrushes 

 are the Chats, Redstarts and Bluethroats, the Redbreast 

 and the Nightingale ; nevertheless they are the con- 

 necting links with the Warblers, which are usually on 

 anatomical and other grounds included in the Family 

 Turdidce as a Subfamily Sylviinoe. The habits vary, 

 but the food seems always, if we leave the Robin out 

 of consideration, to consist of insects and their larvae, 

 spiders, worms, and small moUusks. The Chats are 

 conspicuous and lively birds, with jerky flight, pleasant 

 little songs, and sharp clinking call-notes that explain 

 their name, the largest being the Wheatear, i.e. white- 

 rump {(Enantlie cenanthe), which is locally abundant on 

 moorlands, downs, and sandy warrens. It is one of our 



