44 SKETCHES OF BIRD LIFE. 



Thrushes for the species under consideration, and 

 doubtless this mistake has been oftentimes com- 

 mitted. We lately received a letter from a friend near 

 London, informing us that a flock of Rock Thrushes 

 (Petrocincla saxatilis) had been seen in his neigh- 

 bourhood by two gentlemen of his acquaintance, 

 one of whom was stated to be " well up in English 

 birds and very observant." Such an interesting 

 and at the same time startling piece of news was 

 enough to put any ornithologist on the alert, and, 

 notwithstanding our impression that the Rock 

 Thrush is not gregarious, and is so extremely rare 

 in England that only one instance of its occurrence 

 here is recorded, we determined from curiosity to 

 ascertain if possible what species had been mistaken 

 for it. Accordingly, armed with our friend's letter, 

 and furnished with the names and addresses of the 

 observers, we called upon them in turn with a skin 

 of the Rock Thrush in our pocket. From the de- 

 scriptions which we then received of the appearance, 

 actions, flight, and note of the birds which had been 

 seen, there could be no sort of doubt but that the 

 species was that of our old friend the Fieldfare, and 

 the production of the skin of the Rock Thrush 



