NOCTURNAL HABITS OF THE REDWING. 365 



when continual frosts or snow make the task of securing food a 

 matter of difficulty, but most of us know that the Eedwing will 

 remain until it succumbs of starvation. We must, therefore, 

 view it as a very sedentary bird, and not as a gipsy migrant 

 continually wandering about the country. This is the point on 

 which the student will make his most interesting and also his 

 most puzzling observations. 



Speaking in a general way, we rarely indeed notice the voices 

 of any other Passerine birds after nightfall, and there is no 

 doubt that in many parts of England the calls of the Eedwing 

 outnumber those of all other birds together. The Eedwing alone 

 amongst its kindred passes the nights in mysterious wanderings. 

 The habit is not well known to the present-day ornithologist, 

 but I think it was more familiar in England in olden times, and 

 that it has some connection with the name " Swinepipe " still 

 used for the Eedwing in various parts of England. This word 

 has, or had, many variants, some of which are " Windpipe," 

 " Winnard," " Windle," " Wheenerd," " Wingthrush," and 

 "Windthrush" {cf. Swainson, 'Provincial Names'; Newton, 

 * Dictionary of Birds,' &c.). Dr. Charleton told Willughby (bk. ii. 

 p. 189) that they were called " Wind Thrushes " because " about 

 the beginning of winter, when strong winds blow, by which per- 

 chance they are assisted in their passage, they come to us from 

 the sea." But Willughby thought the name might be from the 

 German "WynTrostel" [the equivalent to the modern Wein- 

 drossel], "or Vineyard Thrush, because . . . they feed upon grapes, 

 ... so that by mistake they are called Wind Thrushes, their 

 true name being Wine Thrushes." It rather appears to me that 

 all these old English names are more likely to have the root 

 *' Whine Thrush," but the change must have taken place long 

 ago, for in 1548, in Cooper's * Thesaurum LingusB,' it is " Wing 

 Thrush." Newton derives the word ** Swinepipe " from the 

 " pipe used by swineherds," which resembled the shrill voice of 

 the bird, but there is no evidence to support it ; and it must be 

 remarked that Slaney appears to connect the word with the 

 " chup " note. The connection between the German name and 

 the vine seems to be not proven. 



I hope that this brief introductory note will succeed in 

 attracting more attention to the Eedwing, for it is really one of 



