BREEDING HABITS OF WINTER MIGRANTS. 153 



short flight from tree to tree, often finishing when perched 

 upon the topmost horizontal twig of a spruce or pine. 

 The hen commences to sit immediately the first egg is 

 laid. The most remarkably situated nest I saw was at 

 Mattmar. A pine tree had been blown over, the head 

 resting on the trunk of another tree some distance from 

 the ground ; underneath the head of this tree ran a path, 

 along which probably a score of people passed each day. 

 In this head, immediately over the path, at a height of 

 about six feet, a pair of Fieldfares had built their nest, 

 and the hen at the time of my visit was incubating. It 

 was the first nest I had seen, and observing that the 

 clutch of five was a well marked one, I took them to the 

 hotel at which I was staying ; but there finding they were 

 on the point of hatching, I returned the four uninjured 

 ones to the nest as soon as possible, but more than forty 

 minutes after I had taken them thence. The mother saw 

 me replace them. On passing later on the same day she 

 flew ofl. The next day the four young were hatched out. 



The birds apparently return to the same nesting colony 

 year after year, for I saw plenty of old nests amongst the 

 new ones. The lowest nest observed was about four feet 

 from the ground, and the highest about fifteen or 

 sixteen feet. 



Redwings {Turdus iliacus) were common at Abisko, 

 but in nothing like such numbers as the previous species. 

 I discovered about half-a-dozen nests, and no doubt 

 there were plenty of others about, but the Redwing does 

 not advertize the position of its domicile so much as the 

 Fieldfare, though it scolds quite as vigorously when it is 

 discovered. The scolding note is very shrill and reminds 

 one most of the alarm note of the Wren, but of course 

 it is much louder. It mingles the scolding note with one 

 which is common to both the Blackbird and Song-Thrush, 

 and which I should describe as "pep." One hears also 

 the winter call-note " eegh " at intervals. Both male 

 and female when scolding approach an intruder within 

 five or six feet. The male sings very persistently as he 



