Record of Migration, <&c., of Birds, by James Hardy. 403 



they were hurrying along with a strong and rapid flight high up 

 in the air, bent to all appearance on a prolonged journey south- 

 wards, uttering their well known flight-notes ; but on passing a 

 secluded wood bounding the river Aln, they wheeled sharply 

 round, and commenced a series of rapid but graceful evolutions, 

 nearing in each one of them the wood, which evidently attracted 

 their attention, with a view to a night's rendezvous. Eound and 

 round the trees they flew, chattering and screaming as only Field- 

 fares can, and then dashed into the trees amongst their topmost 

 branches ; not yet, however, to alight, but more, as I took it, to 

 scan yet closer their contemplated retreat ; for they quickly re- 

 appeared to continue their circular movements, but at a much 

 lower altitude, till eventually, with much clamour, they settled 

 as if for the night. The cessation of their merry pipings and 

 lively gyrations left quite a blank and silence on the scene, but 

 this was not long to continue, for a Carrion Crow chanced to come 

 that way, and sounding his hoarse croak, alighted among them. 

 Its presence proved so distasteful that they left precipitately, and 

 resuming their southward journey, were soon lost in the grey 

 distance." — T. H. Oihl. Mr Eobert Waite, at Dunse, has not 

 seen the Fieldfare, Eedwing, nor Missel-thrush, in winter 1880-81. 

 Eedwing {Turdus lUacus). — At Belford, Sept. 25th and 27th, a 

 few Redwings accompanied the Fieldfares. Other small flocks 

 of Eedwings were seen, Oct. 10th and 13th. — J. A. Sept. 30th, 

 the Eedwings had arrived at Brampton, but not the Fieldfares. 

 — Geo. Parhin. At Berwick in 1879, Eedwings departed April 

 29th, and arrived Oct. 27th; in 1880, they arrived Oct. 11th.—- 

 G. B. Mr Brotherston, writing from Kelso, Nov. 29th, 1880, 

 says, " a rather unusual thing here is, that we have more Eed- 

 wings than Fieldfares." Mr Gibb, remarking on birds attracted 

 in their migration by lights at night, states that " the Lighthouse 

 keepers on the Fame Islands often reap a rich reward by the 

 hapless birds, which in their autumnal movements are lured to 

 destruction by the dazzling blaze of that light, which is, at one 

 and the same time, a warning beacon to passing mariners, but a 

 false mark to the feathered denizens of the air. I have heard of 

 the keeper of the Longstone having filled a clothes basket with 

 the bodies of Thrushes, Fieldfares, Eedwings, and other birds 

 that have been dashed to death during the night against the 

 lantern of the lighthouse, and I have no reason to doubt the 

 assertion," 



