BIRDS 



In cases where the record of a bird's occurrence is open to doubt the 

 entry in the following list is placed within square brackets. 



Brackets placed around the name of the original describer of a species 

 indicate that he did not employ the generic name which is now adopted. 



Mistletoe Thrush or 

 viscivorus, Linn. 



Mistle-Thrush. Turdus 



Locally, Thrush or Thrice-Cock, Storm-Cock. 



Resident and generally distributed ; breeding in 

 gardens close to or even within the town of Leicester. 

 Its fine bold song may be heard in open weather 

 quite early in the year, and sometimes even in Decem- 

 ber. Mr. G. Frisby of Quorn also records it as 

 being in full song on 7 Dec. 1905, and mentions 

 its singing at Woodthorpe on 30 Oct. 1906. It is 

 often seen in small (family) parties, but is not gre- 

 garious. 



Regarding its nesting Mr. H. S. Davenport wrote * 

 that 'two missel-thrushes call them A and B 

 built nests at the same time in low trees within six 

 yards of each other, opposite the hall-door at Ash- 

 lands, in May, 1883, and successfully reared their 

 broods. A few days later both birds returned to B's 

 nest, in which they deposited nine eggs, of which I 

 took four away, and on the remainder A began to 

 sit ; meanwhile B constructed another nest a short 

 distance off and both birds reared their second broods 

 in safety. In the first instance the eggs in both nests 

 presented distinctive features.' 



Mr. Frisby informs me that one day in the autumn 

 of 1906 he saw a company of fifteen to twenty 

 mistle- thrushes ' hawking' busily high up in the air. 

 Mr. W. J. Horn records its singing 15 Nov. 1896 

 and 26 Dec. 1894. 



2. Song-Thrush. Turdus muslcus, Linn. 



Locally, Mavis (often corrupted to Mavish), 

 Throstle. 



Resident and common, its ranks are considerably 

 increased during the autumn by immigration, when 

 the note a single one of the arriving birds may be 

 heard during mild nights in October. It breeds 

 commonly on the verge of the town of Leicester. 

 Mr. G. Frisby records its song on 5 Oct. 1 906. 



The most singular site for its nest was one selected 

 in April, 1895, in a garden on the ' Freemen's Com- 

 mon,' Leicester. This nest was built on an orna- 

 mental bracket, above the door of the 'summer-house,' 

 about 6 ft. from the ground, perfectly exposed, and 

 liable to be disturbed by anyone passing in or out, 

 whilst not 2 ft. distant was a growth of ivy covering 

 the roof and sides of the house, in which the nest 

 might have been well concealed. Notwithstanding 

 the exposed situation selected, the bird successfully 

 brought off her brood. Varieties of this species occa- 

 sionally occur, and Harley has recorded three albino 

 birds taken out of a nest at Aylestone. 



3. Redwing. Turdus lliacus, Linn. 



A winter migrant, generally distributed, but not 

 remaining to breed. It arrives about the middle of 

 October and remains sometimes until late in the spring. 



In some years the redwing appears in greater 

 abundance than in others, as noted by the late Dr. 

 Macaulay. 1 A record of its supposed nesting in 

 Leicestershire appeared in the Field, 6 Aug. 1864, 

 contributed by the late Mr. Joseph H. Ellis, to 

 which, however, is appended the following editorial 

 note : ' We decline expressing an opinion as to the 

 supposed Redwing's egg, but we think the reasons for 

 arriving at the conclusion that it is so are hardly 

 sufficient.' 



4. Fieldfare. Turdus pilaris, Linn. 



Locally, Felt, Feltyfare, Pigeon-Felt. 



A winter migrant, but not remaining to breed. It 

 appears about the middle of October and usually 

 leaves at the end of March or beginning of April, 

 or even later should the weather be severe. Harley 

 mentions in his notes that he had seen a few stragglers 

 in May, and even onward until June ; but no doubt 

 Harley, like others, mistook the mistle-thrush for the 

 fieldfare ; nevertheless, the late Dr. Macaulay reported 

 a large flock going north on 14 April, 1892, and 

 again, fieldfares passing on 17 April, and on I and 

 2 May ; Mr. Davenport also reported seeing five on 

 12 May, 1879. Mr. G. Frisby of Quorn reports 

 the first arrival there of this bird in 1906 to be on 

 1 8 Oct., but Mr. Davenport, if not mistaken, saw 

 one at Lowesby in 1877 as early as 2 Sept. One 

 appears to have been shot at Kirby Muxloe on 

 29 July, 1864 (J. H. Ellis, in Zool. 1864, p. 9248). 

 It occurs wherever berries of the hawthorn or moun- 

 tain ash remain, and hence may be seen quite close to 

 Leicester, or in gardens in other towns and villages 

 during severe weather. Mr. W. J. Horn saw a flock 

 at Saddington on 28 April, 1900. 



5. Blackbird. Turdus merula, Linn. 



Resident and common ; breeding early in the 

 spring in gardens close to and in Leicester. Harley 

 occasionally met with its nest upon the ground, and 

 in the spring of 1884 saw a nest containing five eggs 

 which had been found on the crest and within the 

 flower-stalks of a turnip, several yards from any fence 

 or hedge. 



Varieties constantly occur, and several are preserved 

 in the Leicester Museum * ; one in particular, which 

 bred in the late Mr. A. Paget's garden in West 

 Street opposite the museum, was the same one 

 apparently, which was afterwards shot on the Freeman's 

 Common, I Dec. 1888. Its head and nape are 

 pure white, the remainder of the body much patched 

 with white, many of the primaries white, bill of 

 normal colour, but toes curiously barred with white 

 at every joint. Mr. George Chamberlain told the 

 writer of a pure white living blackbird which many 

 years ago, about 1860-5, was in the possession of a 



a Browne, op. cit. 



Mid. Kat. 13 Nov. 1881. 



4 Will afterwards be abbreviated to museum only. 



117 



