AUTUMN AND WINTER BIRDS 129 



the laurels and holly bushes of the garden sheltered 

 small flocks of these little northern thrushes for 

 the birds are gregarious, though never going in very 

 great numbers. Even though unseen, the approach 

 of the birds may be easily detected by the soft 

 piping sounds which they utter in coming to roost 

 at evening. Norwegian peasants call this bird the 

 nightingale, from the deliciously soft notes of its 

 song thrush-like in their cadence, though resembling 

 in mellowness those of the woodlark. The redwing 

 usually returns to its northern breeding-haunts 

 about the beginning of April, though in cold springs 

 it lingers long, and has even been known to breed in 

 Britain. 



The fieldfare is another winter visitant, and con- 

 stitutes the chief game-bird of the young gunner. 

 This fine thrush does not make its appearance until 

 a month later than the redwing ; and upon its arrival 

 we first note the "blue-back" in upland pastures, 

 where, if the weather is open, it finds a sufficiency of 

 food in the form of worms and slugs. The more 

 elevated tracts are agreeable to its habitual shyness ; 

 but upon the first coming of frost it descends to the 

 lower grounds and feeds upon the wild fruit-supply 

 of the hedgerows. Large numbers of birds frequently 

 roost together in some favourite spot larch planta- 

 tions with thick undergrowth of coarse herbage 

 being often selected. A bad habit to which the 



