726 APPENDIX. 



ground, amongst long grass and tall herbage. About nine miles 

 below Leicester, on the banks of the Soar, there is a celebrated 

 place of resort of these Thrushes, but more particularly one 

 meadow, which may be called a dormitory ; for, toward night- 

 fall, throughout the winter months, I have seen thousands 

 wending their way thitherward for the night. This movement 

 of the Fieldfares is almost as regular as that of the Rooks. I 

 have been there both late and early, and so also was the Fieldfare; 

 for which reason I am fully persuaded Colonel Montagu was 

 justified in concluding that this bird reposes on the ground. 

 I may as well mention, however, that while the movement of 

 the Rooks toward their roosting trees is performed silently, that 

 of the Fieldfares is accompanied with a garrulous noise. They 

 proceed in straggling parties, some making half circles, flying 

 back as it were in the midst of their companions, others strag- 

 gling onward, but all bound to the same roosting grounds."" 

 This is also usually the manner of flying of the Starling, Brown 

 Linnet, and, I believe, in some degree, of all the smaller birds 

 which are densely gregarious. 



RUTICILLA PHCENICURUS. THE RED-FRONTED 

 REDSTART. Vol. II, p. 305. 



The young, when fledged, have the bill flesh-coloured at the 

 base, dusky toward the end, the inside of the mouth yellow, 

 the feet purplish-dusky. The upper parts are olivaceous, 

 spotted with reddish-yellow, each feather having an oval mark 

 of that colour, and terminated by dusky ; the rump yellowish- 

 red, faintly undulated with dusky ; the tail dull orange-red, 

 except the middle feathers, which are dusky ; the quills and 

 coverts dusky brown, edged with yellowish-red ; the lower 

 parts bright buff, the margins of the feathers dusky ; the abdo- 

 men with fewer markings ; the tail-coverts pure buff. 



