NATURAL HISTORY OF THE REDWING. 259 



tinuation of its bill to the crown than any absence 

 of feathering ; it is of a pinky milk white, the bill 

 pinkish. The dark blackish grey of the general 

 plumage of the bird, shaded with deep black, forms a 

 striking contrast with this white space ; the under- 

 neath surface of the wings are of a glossy silver grey ; 

 the tibite are orange colour, the legs dull green. 

 The membrane of the toes scolloped out, in con- 

 tradistinction to the straight membrane of the gal- 

 linuli. The young, upon escape from the shell, are 

 duly protected with a thick covering of strong, stiff, 

 hair-like down, black everywhere but the head, where 

 it is red, or yellow red. Varieties of the plumage 

 sometimes occur. 



The Redwing (Turdus iliacus, Linn.). The Red- 

 wing, like the fieldfare, visits us merely for the 

 mildness of our climate in the season of rigour. 

 It is described as about eight inches long, although 

 such as we have shot we should have deemed 

 shorter. It weighs about two ounces or more. Its 

 plumage in hue is between that of a sparrow and 

 a thrush. With us it is not melodious; but in its 

 summer abodes, where daylight for many weeks con- 

 tinues to gladden the eye, as in Norway and other 

 countries of similar latitudes, it is esteemed one of 

 the chief warblers of the forest, its note being both 

 piercing and sweet. It is known immediately from 

 the thrush by the brightness of a white mark above 

 the eyes. In olden days the redwing was esteemed 

 equal to the beccafico, and a choice morsel for a 



