FERN-BIRD— FIELDFARE 249 



of the Shaft there is often a small pneumatic foramen for the 

 entrance of an AlR-SAC into its then hollow and cancellated interior. 



FERN-BIRD, the name in New Zealand of SphencEacus pundatus. 



FERN-OWL, one of the many local names of the Nightjar. 



FIBULA, the bone on the outer side of the Tibia, thick at its 

 proximal end, but very slender and pointed towards the ankle-joint, 

 which, however, is never normally reached, the distal portion of the 

 Fibula being already deficient in the Embryo. The Fibula and 

 Tibia are frequently more or less coalescent. 



FIELDFARE, Anglo-Saxon Fealo-for ( = Fallow-farer), a large 

 species of Thrush, the Turclus pilaris of Linnaeus — well known as 

 a regular and common autumnal visitor throughout the British 

 Islands and a great part of Europe, besides Western Asia, and even 

 reaching Northern Africa. It is the Veldjakker and Veld-lyster of 

 the Dutch, the JVachholderdrossel and Kramfsvogel of Germans, the 

 Litorne of the French, and the Cesena of Italians. This bii"d is of 

 all Thrushes the most gregarious in habit, not only migrating in 

 large bands and keeping in flocks during the winter, but even 

 commonly breeding in society — 200 nests or more having been 

 seen within a very small space. The birch-forests of Norway, 

 Sweden, and Russia are its chief resorts in summer, but it is known 

 also to breed sparingly in some districts of Germany. Though its 

 nest has been many times reported to have been found in Scotland, 

 there is perhaps no record of such an incident that is not open to 

 doubt ; and unquestionably the Mistletoe-Thrush, T. viscivorus, has 

 been often mistaken for the Fieldfare by indifferent observers. 

 The head, neck, upper part of the back, and the rump are grey ; 

 the wings, Aving- coverts, and middle of the back are rich hazel- 

 brown ; the throat is ochraceous, and the breast reddish-brown — 

 both being streaked or spotted with black, while the belly and 

 lower wing-coverts are white, and the legs and toes very dark 

 brown. The nest and eggs resemble those of the Blackbird, 

 T. merula, but the former is usually built high up in a tree. The 

 Fieldfare's call-note is harsh and loud, sounding like t'chat-t'cJiat : 

 its song is low, twittering, and poor. It usually arrives in Britain 

 about the middle or end of October, but sometimes earlier, and 

 often remains till the middle of May before departing for its 

 northern breeding-places. In hard weather it throngs to the berry- 

 bearing bushes which then afford it sustenance, but in open winters 

 the flocks spread over the fields in search of animal food — worms, 

 mollusks, and the larvae of insects. In very severe seasons it will 

 altogether leave the country, and then return for a shorter or 

 longer time as spring approaches. From the author of JVilliam of 

 Palerne to the writers of our own day the Fieldfare has occasionally 



