208 MERULID.E. 



tioncd having procured tlie nest of tliis bird from tlie hills 

 in the neighbourhood of Wooler. The Ring Ouzel breeds 

 also in various parts of Scotland. Dr. Fleming says it is 

 not rare on the Pentland Hills near Edinburgh ; and Mr. 

 Rennie has seen their nests in a Avild of mountainous coun- 

 try behind Carntable in Argyleshire. In Sutherlandshire, 

 Mr. Selby found the bird abundant in June 1834 in all the 

 mountainous parts ; and Mr. Bullock exhibited, in his col- 

 lection at the Egyptian Hall, a male, female, nest, and eggs, 

 taken in the Hebrides ; but I do not find any record of this 

 bird frequenting Orkney or Shetland. 



The Ring Ouzel visits Denmark and Sweden. In the 

 latter country M. Nilsson considers it a rare bird, which, he 

 says, arrives in April and departs in autumn. Of the Ring 

 Ouzel in Norway, Mr. Hewitson says it was often seen, 

 " frequenting many of the wooded rocks, and enlivening the 

 most bleak and desolate islands with its sweet song. It 

 shares with the Redwing the name of Nightingale, and often 

 delighted us in our midnight visits amongst the islands." 

 Further north than this the Ring Ouzel does not appear to 

 venture ; nor is it found in Siberia or in Russia. 



In its appearance the Ring Ouzel resembles the Black- 

 bird ; but it frequents wild and hilly uncultivated tracts of 

 country, rather than those which are enclosed and inhabited. 

 They fly rapidly, are shy and difficult of approach, unless 

 you are near their nest, when they become bold and cla- 

 morous, endeavouring by various arts to entice the intruder 

 to follow them away from their treasured eggs or young. 



The nest is generally built on or near the ground, some- 

 times on banks, by the sides of streams, occasionally placed 

 at the base of a stone, a stump, or a bush, which serves as a 

 shelter. Dr. Fleming says that in Scotland it makes its 

 nest among heath ; and the nests seen by Mr. Rennie in 

 Argyleshire were placed on the sides of heathy banks, not 



