778 REED-BIRD— REED- THR USH 



its body, its inner wing-coverts and axillaries being of a bright 

 reddish-orange, of which colour, however, there is no appearance on 

 the wing itself while the bird is at rest, and not much is ordinarily- 

 seen while it is in flight. In other respects it is very like a Song- 

 Thrush, and indeed in France and some other countries it bears the 

 name 3Iauvis or Mavis, often given to that species in some parts of 

 Britain ; but its coloration is much more vividly contrasted, and a 

 conspicuous white, instead of a light brown, streak over the eye at 

 once aftords a ready diagnosis. The Eedwing breeds in Iceland, in 

 the subalpine and arctic districts of Norway, Sweden and Finland, 

 and thence across Northern Russia and Siberia, becoming scarce to 

 the eastward of the Jenisei, and not extending beyond Lake 

 Baikal. In winter it visits the whole of Europe and North Africa, 

 occasionally reaching Madeira, while to the eastward it is found at 

 that season in the north-western Himalayas and Kohat. Many 

 writers have praised the song of this bird, comparing it with that of 

 the Nightingale ; but herein they seem to have been as much 

 mistaken as in older times was Linnaeus, who, according to Nilsson 

 (Orn. Svecica, i. p. 177, note), failed to distinguish in life this species 

 from its commoner congener T. musicus. The notes of the Redwing 

 are indeed pleasing in places where no better songster exists ; but 

 the present writer, who has many times heard them under very 

 favourable circumstances, cannot but suppose that those who have 

 called the Redwing the " Nightingale " of Norway or of Sweden 

 have attributed to it the credit that properly belongs to the Song- 

 Thrush ; for to him it seems that the vocal utterances of the Red- 

 wing do not place it even in the second rank of feathered musicians. 

 Its nest and eggs a good deal resemble those of the Blackbird, and 

 have none of the especial characters which distinguish those of the 

 Song-Thrush. 



In South Africa the name Redwing is applied to a very different 

 kind of bird, one of the Francolins, Francolinus levaillanti, a 

 valuable game-bird, not only for the sport it affords, but for the 

 excellence of its flesh. 



REED-BIRD, a name variously bestowed in different countries 

 on almost any species of small bird affecting reeds. In England it 

 is generally the Reed- Warbler or Reed- Wren, Acroceplialus streperus; 

 in North America the Bobolink, Avhile the English in South Africa, 

 in India and Australia seem to use it without much specialization. 

 REED-BUNTING and REED-SPARROW are in England names 

 of Emberiza schcenidus often called the Black -headed Bunting ; 

 REED-THRUSH is the book-name of A. arundinaceus (otherwise 



"Whindle" and " Wheenerd" have also been given as two other old English 

 names of this bird {Karl. Miscellany, ed. 1, ii. p. 558), and these may be re- 

 ferred to the local German Weindrustle and Winscl. 



