228 BRITISH BIRDS. 



TURDUS PILARIS. 

 THE FIELDFARE. 



(PLATE 8.) 



Turdus pilaris, Briss. Orn. ii. p. 214 (1760) ; Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 201 (1766) ; et 

 auctorum plurimorum Latham, Gmelin, Bechstein, Pallas, Tetnminck, Ntiu- 

 mann, Gray, Bonaparte, Schlegel, Sharpe, Dresser, &c. 



Sjlvia pilaris (Linn.), Savi, Orn. Tosc. i. p. 209 (1827). 



Arceuthornis pilavis (Linn.'], Kanp, Natiirl. Syst. p. 93 (1829). 



Merula pilaris (Linn.), Selby, Brit. Orn. i. p. 160 (1833). 



Planesticus pilaris (Linn.), Jerd. B. Ind. i. p. 530 (1862). 



The Fieldfare, although the colours of its plumage are sober and chaste, 

 like those of most Thrushes, is still a very fine and handsome bird; and its 

 arrival in autumn is looked forward to by observers of birds in the country 

 as the sign of the winter's advent, just as surely as the summer's approach 

 is known to be heralded by the Cuckoo and the Swallow. A regular 

 winter visitant to the British Islands, the Fieldfare is commonly distributed 

 over the cultivated districts, and as far on the uplands as the mountain- 

 farms extend. The arrival of Fieldfares in Scotland is usually noticed first 

 in the eastern counties, as it is quite natural to expect it would be, for 

 their path in autumn is south and south-westwards. A few birds are said 

 to be found on the Orkneys throughout the year, but they do not breed 

 there. On the Hebrides the Fieldfare does not arrive till midwinter, and 

 is only found on the farms and pastures in the little oases of culti- 

 vated land so sparingly scattered amongst the wide-stretching moorland 

 wastes. In Ireland these birds also arrive late, and are found commonly 

 distributed over those districts suitable to their habits and needs the 

 cultivated tracts. Fieldfares have been said to have bred in the British 

 Islands ; but until definite proofs are forthcoming it is not safe to admit 

 the truth of the statement, the birds being very liable to be confounded 

 with Missel-Thrushes by careless observers. The Fieldfare has a some- 

 what 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 in north-temperate Europe as far south and west as the basin 

 of the Baltic, and throughout Siberia as far east as the watershed of the 

 Yenesay and the Lena. Its occurrence in Iceland is doubtful; but it has 

 been occasionally met with on the Faroes. It winters in Southern Europe, 

 occurring very rarely in the Spanish peninsula, but crossing the Mediter- 

 ranean to Morocco, Algeria, Egypt, and Nubia. In Asia it winters in 

 Turkestan and Cashmere ; and one specimen at least has been obtained at 

 Simla, in the North-west Himalayas. 



