102 



SIBERIA IN EUROPE. 



CHAP. X. 



Fieldfares * and redwings t also arrived and soon became 

 very numerous ; and in the flocks of shore-larks which con- 

 tinued to pass through the district, a few Lapland buntings 4 

 were generally to be seen. 



Flocks of shore-larks had by this time become more 

 numerous, and consisted of males and females in nearly 

 equal numbers. These birds were very tame, frequenting 

 for the most part the fields at the back of the village, 



* The fieldfare (Turdus pilaris, 

 Linn.) is a regular winter visitor to 

 the British Islands, having a somewhat 

 more southerly breeding range than 

 the redwing. It breeds in the Arctic 

 circle, extending up to and occasionally 

 beyond the limit of forest growth, and 

 frequenting also in large colonies the 

 various birch regions in north tem- 

 perate Europe and throughout Siberia, 

 as far eastwards as the watershed of 

 the Yenesay and the Lena. It winters 

 in Southern Europe, occurring very 

 rarely in the Spanish peninsula, but 

 crossing the Mediterranean to Morocco, 

 Algeria, Egypt, and Nubia. In Asia it 

 winters in Turkestan and Cashmere. 

 In the valley of the Petchora we found 

 it up to latitude 68. 



f The redwing (Turdus iliacus, Linn.) 

 is a regular winter migrant to the 

 British Islands, breeding at or near 

 the Arctic circle, occasionally straying 

 into Greenland, throughout the palse- 

 arctic region, though it appears to 

 become very rare east of the valley of 

 the Yenesay. It winters in western 

 and southern Europe, occasionally cross- 

 ing the Mediterranean into Algeria. 



| In Asia it has been found sparingly in 

 j winter in Persia, Turkestan and North- 

 I West India. In the valley of the 

 | Petchora we found it as far north as 

 ' latitude 68. The redwing frequents 

 : the birch region and the upper zone of 

 i the pine region, occurring south of the 



Arctic circle, wherever these trees are 



found at a greater or less elevation. 



It is the most northerly in its range of 

 I any of the thrushes, being occasionally 



found on the tundra beyond the limit 



of forest growth. In these localities 



; it breeds on the ground like a ring- 



ousel. 



J The Lapland bunting (Plectro- 



i phanes lapponicus Linn.) is a, circum- 



polar bird breeding on the tundras 



I beyond the limit of forest growth, and 



' occasionally straggling into England in 



i winter. It winters in various parts 



; of Europe, China, and the Northern 



United States of America. In the 



valley of the Petchora we found it 



passing through Ust-Zylma in great 



numbers, and did not meet with it 



again until we reached latitude 68 



and latitude 68J. 



