In flight the underwing is white, as in the missel-thrush, 

 from which it can easily be distinguished by its smaller size, 

 and the absence of white on its tail. The redwing, like the 

 fieldfare, is gregarious. This is an important point to bear in 

 inind ; since it might otherwise be confused, by the novice, 

 with the song-thrush, the two being about the same size. 

 But seen at rest, close quarters, there can be no mistake ; 

 the redwing having a conspicuous cream-coloured eye-stripe, 

 and chestnut-red flank-feathers. The underWing is similarly 

 coloured. Finally there is the ring-ousel, which haunts the 

 moorlands and rocky ravines. But it may be recognized 

 at once by its conspicuous white gorget, contrasted with its 

 otherwise black plimiage. 



Of the forty species of British warblers there is not one 

 which the most expert of our ornithologists would venture to 

 identify by the character of the flight alone. Most of these 

 species, of course, are rare and accidental visitors ; many 

 need an expert to distinguish them, since they represent but 

 Continental races of our own summer visitors. About ten 

 species can be called common, or fairly common, in suitable 

 localities, and the novice must not expect to recognize even 

 these with anything like certainty. They have no character- 

 istic flight, and they rarely do more than " flit " from one 

 place to another. In the pages of this book, then, they can 

 rightly have no place. But some may, perhaps, be glad of a 



79 



Laboratory of 0-n,f(,. oty 

 15« Sspsuck*- vVo^d, 8»«o 

 Cornell University 

 Ithaoa. New York 1485 > 



