THE RING OUZEL. 



241 



This species seldom arrives in such countries until the month of April, and as it generally 

 confines itself to certain districts, is not very common. The name of Ring Ouzel has been 

 universally given to this bird on account of the broad white band that partially surrounds the 

 lower portions of the throat, and is very conspicuous in its contrast with the deep black-brown 

 of the rest of the plumage. With the exception of this white band, the general plumage of 

 the Ring Ouzel is very like that of the male blackbird, which it also resembles in size and 

 general form. 



It is a shy and wary bird, shunning cultivated grounds and the vicinity of human habita- 

 tions, and withdrawing itself into the wildest and most hilly districts. It is a quick-flying, 



KING OUZEL and SONG-THRUSH. Turdus torqalus ami muslcvs. 



lively and active bird, and is said to afford fine sport to the falconer, owing to its singular 

 adroitness and ingenuity in escaping the stroke of the hawk. It will quietly suffer the bird 

 of prey to approach quite closely, screaming a defiance to the enemy, and flitting quietly along 

 a stone wall or rocky ground. Suddenly the hawk makes its swoop, and the Ring Ouzel dis- 

 appears, having whisked into some hole in the stone, squeezed itself into a convenient crevice, 

 or slipped over the other side of the wall just as the hawk shot past the spot on which it had 

 been sitting. 



The song of this bird is loud, clear, and sonorous, but contains a very few notes. The 

 Ring Ouzel can also, when alarmed, ntter a loud and hoarse screech, which seems to give 

 warning of danger to every bird within hearing. 



The nest of this species is large, and is composed of coarse grasses externally, lined with 

 a thin shell of clay, which is again lined with soft and warm grass. The eggs are of a brightish 

 blue covered with many spots and little dashes of dark reddish-brown ; their full complement 



VOL. n. 81. 



