292 On the Ornithology of Wilts \_Merulidw]. 



as well as the largest of our British songsters, its notes being often 

 heard above the gale, in the month of February, amid the blasts 

 of winter. It is common everywhere : in the south of the county, 

 as in many other pai'ts of England, it is called the "Storm cock," 

 from its habit of singing during the prevalence of a gale of wind 

 and rain: Mr. Marsh tells me that in his locality it is called the 

 "Screech thrush." 



"Fieldfare." (Tiirdus pilaris). Very well-known and very gene- 

 rally dispersed throughout the country is this regular periodical 

 migrant to our shores, arriving from the north late in the autumn, 

 and leaving us in the spring: we may see them in flocks in our 

 meadows, or on the tops of the leafless elms, and many a day's 

 sport and much disappointment too do these wary birds afibrd to 

 the schoolboy gunner : they retire to breed in Norway and Sweden, 

 where I have found their nests in small colonies of eight or nine ; 

 Mr. Hewitson mentions a colony of two hundred nests, but I never 

 saw any such number. Like the Missel thrush, they are very bold 

 and pugnacious in breeding time, screaming, chattering, and dart- 

 ing within a few inches of my hat, as I climbed to their nests; at 

 other times they are remarkably shy. They are the last of all our 

 winter visitants, seldom making their appearance till near the end 

 of NoA'ember, and they are the last to leave us in the spring : they 

 come next to the Missel thrushes in size, and are very distinguish- 

 able by the dove coloured patch on the head and tail, and the bright 

 spotted yellow on the throat and breast. 



"Song Thrush" (Turdiis musicus). Generally distributed and 

 permanently resident in all parts of the country, this favourite 

 songster is well-known to all: few birds have sweeter notes, or in- 

 dulge us with them oftener, and no nest is better known to the 

 schoolboy than the clay-lined dwelling and spotted blue eggs of the 

 Song thrush : we may see these birds throughout the year on our 

 lawns and in our gardens, but, if we take notice, we shall observe, 

 that periodically their numbers are sensibly increased by the arri- 

 val of many which have migrated either to other countries, or to 

 other districts : they are sad enemies to the gardener, being insati- 

 able devourers of fruit, and they so provoke his malice, that in his 



