FIELDFARE. 199 



that, arriving here in large flocks in search of food, and if 

 the weather continues open and mild, spreading themselves 

 over pasture-lands to look for worms, slugs, the larvae of 

 insects, and any other soft-bodied animals of that sort ; but 

 on the occurrence of snow or frost, they betake themselves 

 to the hedges, and feed greedily on haws and various other 

 berries. At this time they are much sought after by youth- 

 ful gunners, who find them shy and difficult to approach : 

 the whole flock taking wing and keeping together, settle by 

 scores on some distant tree, from whence, if again disturbed, 

 they wheel off in a body as before. Should the weather 

 become very severe, the Fieldfares leave us to go farther 

 south, and are again seen on their return. They are known 

 to go as far to the south and to the east as Minorca, Sicily, 

 Malta, Smyrna, and Erzeroom. The Fieldfare does not 

 return to its breeding-ground till late in the season. I have 

 known them shot on the 12th of May, and others have 

 been seen much later. White of Selborne says, that one 

 particular season they remained till the beginning of June ; 

 and he asks, why do they not breed in the Highlands? 

 Some instances have occurred of the Fieldfare breeding in 

 this country ; and Pennant, or the editor rather of the last 

 edition of the British Zoology, mentions two instances that 

 came to his knowledge. More recently, a nest has been 

 found in Kent, and others in Yorkshire and Scotland ; but 

 in Orkney and Shetland, according to the observations 

 of Mr. Dunn, it is only seen on its passage to and from other 

 countries. Mr. W. C. Hewitson, who visited Norway a 

 few summers since, thus describes the nesting habits of the 

 Fieldfare : After a long ramble through some very thick 

 woods, " our attention was attracted by the harsh cries of 

 several birds, which we at first supposed must be Shrikes, 

 but which afterwards proved to be Fieldfares. We were 



