THE BLACKBIRD. 291 



company with the fieldfare. With few exceptions, it winters 

 in warmer climates, usually taking its departure about 

 November, and returning in April. 



The song of the redwing is not without melody. Some 

 think it beautiful the rather when heard in the stillness and 

 solitude of the forest ; but it is of a plaintive character, and 

 consists of only a few long-sustained notes, which terminate 

 with a short and hurried chirp. " It is the second songster 

 of the polar regions/' says Malm, " and during the pairing 

 season it sings the whole day through. Sometimes it sits 

 on the top of a tree, but just as often concealed amongst 

 boughs and leaves." 



In summer, the redwing, as with others of the thrushes, 

 lives on insects and worms ; and in the autumn and winter 

 on different kinds of berries. 



From this bird being so generally seen in the winter time 

 in company with the fieldfare, one might be led to imagine 

 that their habits are somewhat alike ; but this is not the 

 case, at least as regards the breeding season. The fieldfares, 

 as said, congregate at that time in colonies, and for the most 

 part make their nests in trees ; but seldom more than one 

 pair of redwings, on the contrary, are found together, and 

 they mostly build either in low bushes near to the ground, 

 or it may be on a bare tussock close to a bush. The female 

 redwing lays from four to six eggs of a greenish colour, 

 spotted with brown. 



The Blackbird (Kol-Trast, or Charcoal-Thrush, Sw. ; 

 T. Merula, Linn.) was common with us, as also in the 

 southern and more central portion of Scandinavia ; but it is 

 not an inhabitant of the far north. " This bird," according 

 to Ekstrom, " is plentiful in the midland provinces of 



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