the middle of shrubs or hedges, and lays six bluish- 

 green eggs with black spots," — '* nidificat in mediis 

 arbusculis, sive sepibus : ova sex caeruleoviridia ma- 

 culis nigris variis." Hence we may be assured that 

 fieldfares and redwings breed in Sweden. Scopoli 

 says, in his "Annus Primus," of the woodcock, that 

 '* it comes to us about the vernal equinox, and, after 

 pairing, it builds its nest in marshy places, and lays 

 its eggs," — " nupta ad nos venit circa agquinoctium 

 vernale ; " meaning in Tyrol, of which he is a native. 

 And afterwards he adds, — " nidificat in paludibus 

 alpinis: ova ponit 3 — 5." It does not appear from 

 Kramer that woodcocks breed at all in Austria ; but 

 he says: — " This bird dwells in the northern regions 

 in summer, where, too, it generally builds its nest. 

 As winter comes on it goes farther south, leaving 

 this about the October full-moon. After pairing, it 

 usually comes back to the north about the full March 

 moon," — '' Avis hsec septentrionalium provinciarum 

 agstivo tempore incola est ; ubi plerumque nidificat. 

 Appropinquante hyeme australiores provincias petit: 

 hinc circa plenilunium mensis Octobris plerumque 

 Austriam transmigrat. Tunc rursus circa pleniluni- 

 um potissimum mensis Martii per Austriam matri- 

 monio juncta ad septentrionales provincias redit." 

 For the whole passage (which I have abridged) see 

 '' Elenchus," &c., p. 351. This seems to be a full 

 proof of the migration of woodcocks ; though little 

 is proved concerning the place of breeding. 



155 



