206 FIELD-NOTES FOR THE YEAR. CH. XV. 



the shooter, who may be concealed near enough, of 

 making his shot tell among their heads and necks. 

 All geese and swans have this habit of crowding 

 together when first alarmed. 



April is an interesting month to the ornithologist, 

 as it is then that most of the migratory birds change 

 their quarters, some leaving us, and others arriving. 

 The regularity of their going and coming is very 

 surprising. Unless change of weather or very 

 severe winds interfere, the arrival and departure 

 of most birds may be calculated nearly to a day. 



For the last two years I have first seen the mar- 

 tins on the 2 5 th of April, and the common chimney 

 swallow on the 27th. The terns also come at the 

 same time. Indeed in both years I have seen them 

 on the same day, i.e. the 27th. On the 30th 

 the fieldfares still remain, but not in the same 

 numbers as they were a few days ago. On the 

 28th large flocks both of fieldfares and redwings 

 passed by us on their way to the northward. A 

 few pairs of these birds breed, I am told, in the 

 large woods near the Spey. And this year (1848) 

 I was shown a nest and eggs, brought from that 

 district by a brother of Mr. Dunbar. He described 

 it as having been placed near the ground. 



Mr. Hancock tells me that in Norway, where 

 he has seen them breeding, the fieldfares make their 



