THE EEDWING. 333 



It is a shy and wary bird, shunning cultivated grounds and the vicinity of human 

 habitations, and withdrawing itself into the wildest and most hilly districts. It is a quick- 

 flying, lively and active bircl, and is said to afford fine sport to the falconer, owing to its 

 singular adroitness and ingenuity in escaping the stroke of the hawk. It will quietly 

 suffer the bird of prey to approach quite closely, screaming a defiance to the enemy, and 

 flitting quietly along a stone wall or rocky ground. Suddenly the h^wk makes its swoop, 

 and the Eing Ouzel disappears, having whisked into some hole in the stone, squeezed 

 itself into a convenient crevice, or slipped over the other side of the wall just as the 

 hawk shot past the spot on which it had been sitting. 



The song of this bird is loud, clear, and sonorous, but contains a very few notes. The 

 Eing Ouzel can also, when alarmed, utter a loud and hoarse screech, which seems to give 

 warning of danger to every bird within hearing. 



The nest of this species is large, and is composed of coarse grasses externally, lined 

 with a thin shell of clay, which is again lined with soft and warm grass. The eggs are of 

 a brightish blue covered with many spots and little dashes of dark reddish brown ; their 

 full complement is five. The nest is always placed near the ground in some sheltered 

 situation, a tuft of rank grass, a thick bunch of heather, or' the base of a luxuriant bush, 

 being among the most common localities. After the breeding season, the Eing Ouzels 

 assemble towards the southern parts of England, collecting together in flocks preparatory 

 to their departure. During this intermediate period they visit the gardens and orchards, 

 and often commit sad havoc among the fruit. 



The general colour of the adult male bird is very dark blackish-brown, slightly varied 

 by the blackish-grey edges of the feathers, and the broad grey outer webs of the wing- 

 feathers. Across the upper part of the chest runs a broad, crescent-shaped mark of the 

 purest white, the points being directed upwards. In the young male this collar is not so 

 broad, and of a decidedly reddish hue, and the whole of the plumage is of a lighter brown. 

 Sometimes the white collar is entirely absent, and in some cases white and pied varieties 

 have been known. The total length of the adult bird is about eleven inches. 



Anothee well-known example of the British Thruslies is found in the common 

 Eedwing, a bird which is plentiful throughout the greater portion of the British Isles. 



It is one of the finest songsters even among its own melodious gi^up, rivalling 

 the nightingale in the full sweet tones of its flexible voice. Sometimes the bird sings 

 alone, seated on a favourite perch, but it oftener prefers lifting up its voice in concert with 

 its companions, and fills the air with its harmonious sounds. It has, however, several 

 kinds of voice, sometimes pouring forth its full rich strains, and at other times singing 

 quietly to itself in an under tone that can only be heard at a very short distance. This, 

 however, is only the peculiar sound which is termed " recording " by bird-fanciers, and 

 must not be mistaken for the real song, which, according to Mr. Hewitson, who had every 

 opportimity of hearing this bird, is a loud, wild, and delicious melody. The Eedwing 

 partakes so far of the character of the nightingale as to sing after sunset. 



The Eedwing is less of a fruit-eater than the generality of its kind, feeding principally 

 upon worms, slugs, and insects. In a protracted and severe winter, therefore, when the 

 ground is frozen so hard that the bird's beak cannot penetrate its stony surface, the 

 Eedwing is forced to rely for its subsistence on the hibernating molluscs, and the larvae 

 and pupse of different insects which may be found in sheltered spots. But when these 

 resources have been exhausted, the poor bird is in a sad plight, and has been known to 

 die of sheer starvation. 



During the summer months, the Eedwing goes northward, visiting Norway, Sweden, 

 and even Iceland. In these countries it generally builds its nest, which is similar to that 

 of the common blackbird, and is placed in the centre of some thick bush. Occasionally, 

 but very rarely, the Eedwing has been known to build in this country, and Mr. Yarrell 

 records two such instances in England, and another in Scotland. The eggs are from four 

 to six in number, and of a blue colour, spotted with black. 



The Eedwing is, like many of its kind, a sociable bird, gathering together in large 

 flocks, and roosting sociably in company on the thickly matted branches and twigs of 



