Observations on Periodical Birds. 147 
nerally admitted to be a bird of song ;* and 
as most of the thrush tribe sing more or less, 
it is very probable that the fieldfare is a sing- 
ing bird also; yet we know nothing of their 
song's, or summer notes, but are merely ac- 
quainted with their calls, which are heard in 
winter only: and I believe there is not one 
well authenticated instance of the nests of 
these birds having been found in England. 
According to Linneus, redwings and field- 
fares breed in Sweden. Inhis Fauna Suecica 
he says of the fieldfare, that ‘‘ maximis in 
arboribus nidificat:’”” and of the redwing, 
that “‘nidificat in mediis arbusculis, sive 
sepibus: ova sex: ceruleo-viridia maculis ni- 
gris variis:” but it is plain that they must 
leave that country in winter, as with us, red- 
wings are among the first birds that suffer in 
inclement weather; and both redwings and 
fieldfares withdraw from our northern coun- 
ties, and great numbers of them even quit 
the kingdom entirely, during long and severe 
frosts, especially if they are accompanied 
with snow.t 
* Linneus says, that'its lofty and varied notes rival those of the’ 
Nightingale.” See his Lachesis Lapponica, translated by J. E. Smith, 
M.D, &c. Vol. 1. p. 6. 
+ In the severe winter of 1813--14, the northern counties of Eng- 
land were nearly deserted by redwings and fieldfares; and I have been 
informed, that at this: period they were far from being plentiful in the 
southern counties, 
