PASSEJ?ES. ( 14 ) TURDWAl. 



THE EEDWING. 



WIND THRUSH, SWINEPIPE. 



Turdus iliacus. 



See Winter comes, to rule the varied year, 

 Sullen and sad, with all his risitig train ; 

 Vapotirs, and clouds, and storms. 



Thomson, Seasons, 



Byrdisflokkis ouer the fliidis gray, 



Unto the land sekand the Jierrest way, 



Quhen the canld sessoun thanie cachis ouer the see, 



hito S7im benar^ realme afidwarm cotmtri. 



Gawin Douglas, Virgil. 



The Eedwing is a regular autumn and winter visitor to 

 this county, and generally makes its appearance from the 

 northern parts of Europe, in our meadows and grass parks, 

 about the end of October, where it may be seen feeding in 

 small flocks with the Fieldfare. It sometimes comes earlier, 

 however, and, in the autumn which preceded the severe 

 winter of 1879-80, it was observed on migration at the 

 Fame Islands as early as the 11th of September.^ It 

 remains with us the whole winter if the season be mild, 

 and takes its departure in March and April for the countries 

 near the Arctic Circle, where it breeds." 



1 Bene — warm, genial.— Janiieson's Scottish Dictionary. 



2 Mr. Cordeaux records : "At the Lougstone on 11th Sep., four Redwings 

 killed at 3 a.m. ; gloomy and thick." — Report on Migration of Birds : Autumn, 

 1879. 



» Mr. Seebohm says : — " Though the Redwing does not usually nest in colonies 

 like the Fieldfare, still it seems to prefer the society of its larger and more 

 powerful relation, for wherever a colony of Fieldfares establish themselves, there, 

 almost as surely, a pair of Redwings will build their nest close to them. In dis- 

 tricts where trees abound, the Redwing seems to show a preference for the small 



