220 MERULIDA. 
Berwick Naturalists’ Club in September 1834, Mr. Arm- 
strong mentioned having procured the nest of this bird from 
the hills in the neighbourhood of Wooler. The Ring 
Ouzle breeds also in various parts of Scotland. Dr. Flem- 
ing says it is not rare on the Pentland Hills near Edin- 
burgh ; and Mr. Rennie has seen their nests in a wild of 
mountainous country behind Carntable in Argyleshire. In 
Sutherlandshire, Mr. Selby found the bird abundant in 
June 1834 in all the mountaimous parts; and Mr. Bullock 
exhibited, in his collection at the Egyptian Hall, a male, 
female, nest, and eggs, taken in the Hebrides; but I do 
not find any record of this bird frequenting Orkney or 
Shetland, 
The Ring Ouzel visits Denmark and Sweden. In the 
latter country M. Nilsson considers it a rare bird, which, he 
says, arrives in April and departs in autumn. Of the Ring 
Ouzel in Norway, Mr. Hewitson says it was often seen, 
“frequenting many of the wooded rocks, and enlivening the 
most bleak and desolate islands with its sweet song. It 
shares with the Redwing the name of Nightingale, and often 
delighted us in our midnight visits amongst the islands.” 
Further north than this the Ring Ouzel does not appear to 
venture ; nor is it found in Siberia or in Russia. 
In its appearance the Ring Ouzel resembles the Black- 
bird ; but it frequents wild and hilly uncultivated tracts of 
country, rather than those which are enclosed and inhabited. 
They fly rapidly, are shy and difficult of approach, unless 
you are near their nest, when they become bold and 
clamorous, endeayourmg by various arts to entice the in- 
truder to follow them away from their treasured eggs or 
young. 
The nest is generally built on or near the ground, some- 
times on banks by the sides of streams, occasionally placed 
