FIELDFARE. 209 



on the temperature of the season, and frequently later than 

 that, arriving here in large flocks in search of food, and if 

 the weather continues open and mild, spreading themselves 

 over pasture-lands to look for worms, slugs, the larvae of 

 insects, and any other soft-bodied animals of that sort ; but 

 on the occurrence of snow or frost, they betake themselves 

 to the hedges, and feed greedily on haws and various other 

 berries. At this time they are much sought after by 

 youthful gunners, who find them shy and difficult to ap- 

 proach : the whole flock taking wing and keeping together, 

 settle by scores on some distant tree, from whence, if again 

 disturbed, they wheel off in a body as before. Should the 

 weather become very severe, the Fieldfares leave us to go 

 further south, and are again seen on their return. They are 

 known to go as far to the south and to the east as Minorca, 

 Sicily, Malta, Smyrna, and Erzeroum. The Fieldfare does 

 not return to its breeding-ground till late in the season. 

 I have known them shot on the 12th of May, and others 

 have been seen much later. White of Selborne says that 

 one particular season they remained till the beginning of 

 June ; and he asks, why do they not breed in the High- 

 lands? Some instances have occurred of the Fieldfare 

 breeding in this country ; and Pennant, or the editor rather 

 of the last edition of the British Zoology, mentions two in- 

 stances that came to his knowledge. More recently, a nest 

 has been found in Kent, and others in Yorkshire and Scot- 

 land ; but in Orkney and Shetland, according to the ob- 

 servations of Mr. Dunn, it is only seen on its passage to and 

 from other countries. Mr. W. C. Hewitson, who visited 

 Norway a few summers since, thus describes the nesting 

 habits of the Fieldfare : After a long ramble through 

 some very thick woods, " our attention was attracted by the 

 harsh cries of several birds, which w r e at first supposed 

 VOL. i. p 



