2o8 THE BIRDS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



former occurs on wild heather-clad hills even below 500 feet. 

 It may always be distinguished by its white gorget. 



The Ring-Ousel is one of our earliest spring migrants. Our 

 resident birds appear to come straight to their moorland haunts 

 without resting on the shores or on the way ; the bird is seen in 

 its breeding haunts, before it is noticed, as an incoming roigrant 

 on the south coast, from the middle of March onwards. Birds 

 which arrive later and are met with slowly working their 

 way northward are probably on passage towards Scandinavia. 

 The return journey begins in September, but many linger 

 through October and occasionally a bird will remain all winter. 

 The song is loud and clear, suggestive of that of the Mistle- 

 Thrush rather than the Blackbird ; it is a wild song, in keeping 

 with the lonely uplands. The bird sings from a rock or heather 

 clump, and often from the rough grit walls. The quality varies 

 considerably ; in Wales I heard a bird which had nothing 

 more than a single note, ver}' loud and strong, which it repeated 

 constantly, day after day, from a rock near its nest. The song 

 may be heard after dark. The loud rattle of alarm resembles 

 that of the Blackbird, but its angry tac^ tac^ tac, is, if anything, 

 harsher. The call is a clear pipe. It defends its young with 

 the boldness of the Mistle-Thrush, threatening even a human 

 intruder with ferocious noisy dashes, but at other times it is 

 wary. The flight is strong and rapid ; when flushed the bird 

 dashes down the doughs and gullies, skimming the rocks and 

 dodging out of sight whenever possible. On the ground its 

 attitudes and movements are those of the Blackbird ; it 

 elevates and spreads its tail when ahghting, and droops its wings 

 when posturing before its mate. The food, too, is similar. 

 Whinberry, cranberry, juniper and other moorland fruits are 

 eaten and in August it descends, often in small flocks, into the 

 doughs to raid the mountain-ashes. 



The nest (Plate End paper 3) is at times difficult to find, well 

 hidden in deep heather or its position screened by an overgrowing 



