HISTORY OF 



scends into the plain country ; flies swifter than 

 a blackbird, and uses the same food. 



The Field-fare and the Red-wing make but a 

 short stay in this country. With us, they are 

 insipid tuneless birds, flying in flocks, and exces- 

 sively watchful to preserve the general safety. 

 All their season of music and pleasure is employ- 

 ed in the more northern climates, where they 

 sing most delightfully, perched among the forests 

 of maples, with which those countries abound. 

 They build their nests in hedges ; and lay six 

 bluish-green eggs spotted with black. 



The Stare, distinguishable from the rest of this 

 tribe by the glossy green of its feathers in some 

 lights, and the purple in others, breeds in hollow 

 trees, eaves of houses, towers, ruins, cliffs, and 

 often in high rocks over the sea. It lays four or 

 five eggs of a pale greenish ash colour, and makes 

 its nest of straw, small fibres of roots, and such 

 like. Its voice is rougher than the rest of this 

 kind ; but what it wants in the melody of its 

 note, it compensates by the facility with which it 

 is taught to speak. In winter these birds assem- 

 ble in vast flocks, and feed upon worms and in- 

 sects. At the approach of spring they assemble 

 in fields, as if in consultation together, and for 

 three or four days seem to take no nourishment : 

 the greater part leave the country, the rest breed 

 here and bring up their young. 



To this tribe might be added above a hundred 

 other birds of nearly the thrush size, and living 

 like them upon fruit and berries. Words could 

 not afford variety enough to describe all the 



