i 4 6 THE BIRDS O* OUR RAMBLES. 



occasionally perches in trees wherever such are 

 growing in its haunts. The buds and tender 

 shoots of the all-prevailing heath are the favourite 

 food of the Red Grouse ; and this fare is varied 

 in summer by insects and grubs, and in autumn 

 by the various ground fruits that flourish on the 

 moors, as well as seeds. 



Almost as closely associated with the heather 

 as the Red Grouse is the RING OUSEL (Merula 

 RS- south torquata). I always fancy that there is a stalwart 

 independence about these birds of the heather 

 unknown in any other species, which they take 

 every opportunity of asserting in the face of a 

 human intruder. Perhaps it is the long residence 

 in a district of such utter freedom ; perhaps it is 

 the scant acquaintanceship they have with man. 

 Anyway, both the Red Grouse and the Ring 

 Ousel always appear to challenge our right upon 

 the moor, and by their noisy cries, half of alarm 

 and half of defiance, seek to drive us from their 

 lonely haunt. The Ring Ousel is readily iden- 

 tified. He is about the size of a Blackbird, and 

 somewhat similar in colour, only across the chest 

 is a broad white crescent which makes him very 

 conspicuous as he sits on the rocks or on the 

 stunted bushes, watching us intently. Then his 

 noisy cry of tac-tac-tac, tac-tac-tac, is most persis- 

 tent. He is a summer migrant to the moors, 

 appearing to journey in parties which after a few 

 days disperse over the surrounding country. As 

 a songster the Ring Ousel does not figure very 

 prominently ; but bird music is scarce on these 

 brown wastes, and his monotonous, short, and 

 oft-repeated song helps to enliven the moors. In 

 its nesting economy the Ring Ousel is very like 



