778 REED-BIRD—REED-THRUSH 
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 Mauvis 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 affords a ready diagnosis. The Redwing 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 Linnzus, who, according to Nilsson 
(Orn. Svecica, i. p. 177, note), failed to distinguish in life this species 
from its commoner congener 7’. 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, Acrocephalus streperus ; 
in North America the BoBoLInK, while 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 scheniclus often called the Black-headed BUNTING ; 
REED-THRUSH is the book-name of 4. arundinaceus (otherwise 
‘‘Whindle” and ‘‘ Wheenerd” have also been given as two other old English 
names of this bird (Harl. Miscellany, ed. 1, ii. p. 558), and these may be re- 
ferred to the local German Weindrustle and Winsel. 
