230 MERULID^E. 



the hills in the neighbourhood of Wooler. The Ring- 

 Ouzel breeds also in various parts of Scotland. Dr. Flem- 

 ing says it is not rare on the Pentland Hills near Edin- 

 burgh ; and Mr. Rennie has seen their nests in a wild 

 mountainous country behind Carntable in Argyleshire. In 

 Sutherlandshire, Mr. Selby found the bird abundant in 

 June, 1834, in all the mountainous parts ; and Mr. Bul- 

 lock exhibited, in his collection at the Egyptian Hall, a 

 male, female, nest, and eggs, taken in the Hebrides ; but 

 I do not find any record of this bird frequenting Orkney 

 or Shetland. 



The Ring Ouzel visits Denmark and Sweden. In the 

 latter country M. Nilsson considers it a rare bird, which, he 

 says, arrives in April and departs in autumn. Of the Ring 

 Ouzel in Norway, Mr. Hewitson says it was often seen, 

 " frequenting many of the wooded rocks, and enlivening the 

 most bleak and desolate islands with its sweet song. It 

 shares with the Redwing the name of Nightingale, and often 

 delighted us in our midnight visits amongst the islands." 

 Further north than this the Ring Ouzel does not appear to 

 venture ; nor is it found in Siberia or in Russia. 



In its appearance the Ring Ouzel resembles the Black- 

 bird ; but it frequents wild and hilly uncultivated tracts of 

 country, rather than those which are enclosed and inhabited. 

 They fly rapidly, are shy and difficult of approach, unless 

 you are near their nest, when they become bold and 

 clamorous, endeavouring by various arts to entice the in- 

 truder to follow them away from their treasured eggs or 

 young. 



The nest is generally built on or near the ground, some- 

 times on banks by the sides of streams, occasionally placed 

 at the base of a stone, a stump, or a bush, which serves as 

 a shelter. Dr. Fleming says that in Scotland it makes its 

 nest among heath ; and the nests seen by Mr. Rennie in 



