88 REDWING. 



of spring, again re-migrate to their more northern 

 summer quarters. In some seasons, also, they 

 appear to remove or perform partial migrations, 

 according to circumstances, after their arrival in 

 this country ; and when food fails, or severe wea- 

 ther ensues, those of the more northern districts 

 travel still farther southward. Mr Selby men- 

 tions an instance of this in 1822, when, on the 

 failure of the abundant crop of wild berries which 

 that 'year afforded, and at the commencement of 

 a temporary thaw, they migrated southward ; in 

 the present year, (1838,) a few flocks as usual 

 appeared at the time of their arrival, but, since 

 the middle of November, a Redwing has not been 

 seen. The breeding of the Redwing is still less 

 known, and its nest has been less frequently seen 

 than even that of the fieldfare. The northern 

 forests seem also to be their resort, but in some 

 parts of Norway it is less frequent, or it is, per- 

 haps, more locally distributed. Mr Hewitson 

 found the nest only twice, both times with young, 

 and states that it is similar to that of the fieldfare, 

 but is placed nearer the ground. During the 

 season of incubation, it is a sweet songster, selec- 

 ting, like most of its congeners, the summit of 

 some eminence, for the pouring forth of its 

 melody ; in Norway it has received the appella- 

 tion of Nightingale from its " delightfully wild 

 note."* 



The head, upper parts, wings, and tail, are hair- 

 brown, tinged with oil green ; and, in a flock, a 

 * Hewitson, Mag. of Zool. and Bot. II. p. 312. 



