258 WILD LIFE OF SCOTLAND 



of Lowland alders ; where he is found by his natural 

 enemy, the bird-catcher. 



His equally lively little companion, the lesser 

 redpole, who has built, and spent the summer 

 among the northern birches, appears in still larger 

 clouds. I have seen the surface black, or rather 

 brown touched with red, as the restless atoms fed 

 on the ragworts which rose through the snow. 



No other winter bird is trapped in greater num- 

 bers, or for less apparent reason ; except, perhaps, 

 for his entertaining vivacity. Ingenious devices 

 for compelling him to draw the water each time 

 he wants to drink, are thought to add to his value. 

 Everyone who has had a peep into the teeming 

 cages of the out-at-elbows fraternity, must have 

 felt that some restriction should be placed on the 

 use of net and bird-lime. It is quite easy to clear 

 out a flock of starving birds, and little care is taken 

 to set even the useless hens at liberty. 



A crackling among the snow-laden fir-trees, and 

 a raining down of cone scales, tells of the rarer and 

 more reluctant southern movement of crossbills. 



Two interesting Scandinavian thrushes cross to 

 the milder side of the North Sea, arriving here 

 together early in October. The fieldfare is note- 

 worthy as the only one among our thrushes that 



