THE REDWING AND FIELDFARE. 41 



the danger has subsided leaving their elevated perching- 

 places in the same manner. First one will fly boldly 

 down, others follow, and so on until the whole flock are 

 again engaged in obtaining food. We often see, how- 

 ever, one or two birds perched in the trees close to which 

 the flock is feeding. These do duty as sentinels, and 

 give forth alarm notes on the approach of danger. These 

 signals are heard by the feeding birds below, who in- 

 stantly take wing, very often to the mortification of the 

 wandering gunner, who tries in vain to discharge his 

 piece at the harmless creatures. 



The partiality of the Redwing for animal substances 

 is no doubt the primary cause of their permanent resid- 

 dence in one neighbourhood throughout their sojourn in 

 this country. In the winter months the land frequented 

 by them is very often like one huge sponge, teeming with 

 abundant food, and on which they are always found. 

 This bird is not near so much a berry-feeder as is 

 currently supposed. Upon their arrival we find them, 

 it is true, regaling themselves on the fruits of the haw- 

 thorn and service tree, but this only occurs for a few 

 weeks after their arrival, and I then see them for the 

 most part obtaining worms on the grass land, and only 

 returning to the berry-bearing trees and shrubs when 

 the ground is frozen hard as adamant. 



I know not whether the song of this bird is fre- 

 quently heard in the winter months, but with me it is 

 certainly of the rarest occurrence. I have given the 

 birds my closest attention with regard to this matter, 

 but their song has only once greeted my ear. One of 

 those sunny days in December, when everything around 

 almost put me in mind of the coming spring- the Robin 

 chanting his delightful notes far up in the naked 

 branches, and the little Wren pouring forth his jerking 



