THE REDWING. 221 



Europe, occasionally crossing the Mediterranean into Algeria. In the 

 district of Kasan on the Volga (the same latitude as Scotland) the Red- 

 wing only passes on migration. It arrives there in the early part of April, 

 remains the whole of that month and the first half of May, when it 

 again goes northwards. It reappears again in September in large flocks, 

 remaining sometimes as late as the third week in October, frequenting the 

 leafy woods of the Volga islands, which abound with wild rose and 

 mountain-ash, the birds sometimes mixing with the Song-Thrushes, which 

 are there on migration too. In Asia it has been found sparingly in winter 

 in Persia, Turkestan, and North-west India. In the valley of the Petchora 

 Harvie-Brown and I found it as far north as lat. 68. The Redwing 

 frequents the birch-region and the upper zone of the pine-region, occurring 

 in limited numbers south of the Arctic circle in many places where these 

 trees are found, in South Norway and Sweden and on the Russian shores 

 of the Baltic. It is the most northerly in its range of any of the Thrushes, 

 and occasionally wanders as far as Greenland. 



In the valley of the Yenesay it reached the Arctic circle on the 5th of 

 June, a few days before the Fieldfare, and soon began to breed in the 

 willows and birches, generally nearer to the ground than the Fieldfare 

 did. In lat. 71, beyond the limit of forest-growth, it was still common, 

 but breeding on the ground. I took several of its nests on the sloping 

 banks of the tundra, a little further north than any of the five other 

 species of Thrush which I found in the same valley. I never found it 

 breeding in colonies ; but sometimes, in an unusually swampy part of the 

 forest, where the pines were small and stunted, several nests would occur 

 at comparatively short distances from each other. In Lapland, as well 

 as in Russia and Siberia, I found the Redwing commonest where the 

 trees were small, and where open swampy ground separated the forest into 

 plantations. The richness of the foliage in these localities and the 

 brilliance and profusion of the wild flowers reminded me of an English 

 garden run wild ; and the presence of the Redwing and other song-birds 

 assisted in the reminiscence, and added greatly to the charm. 



The winter haunt of the Redwing is, as a rule, the most cultivated parts 

 of the country well-wooded parks, pleasure-grounds, and shrubberies, 

 and the adjoining pasture-lands. When once these birds arrive in a 

 certain district, they usually remain there throughout the time of their 

 sojourn in this country roosting in one certain favourite place, feeding 

 on certain pastures, and, in fact, as regular in their habits and movements 

 as the Rooks themselves. The favourite haunt of the Redwing is a 



sheltered valley down which a little brooklet runs, with trees scattered 



% ' 



here and tnere, and tall hedgerows of thorn and hazel. They are very 

 partial to small parks thickly timbered and studded with clumps of white- 

 thorn trees, with here and there a cluster of hollies or a dense shrubbery, 



