FIELDFARE-— BLACK-THROATED THRUSH. 47 



September. It arrives in some years in very large flocks, 

 and betakes itself to the open country, and particularly 

 to meadows. 



Its habits in general do not differ much from those of the 

 Redwing, but it is rather a wilder and hardier bird, and does 

 not scatter in so small parties over the country, and, when 

 disturbed by gunners, soon becomes very wary and diflScult 

 of approach. The Fieldfare does not breed in this country. 

 It has generally left us by the end of April, though I have 

 once or twice seen one or two as late as May. 



The call-note is very harsh, but it is said to have an agree- 

 able song. This bird breads in large societies. The Sussex 

 name for it is " Felt," or " Pigeon Felt," I imagine from the 

 blueness of its plumage, not from its size, for it is certainly 

 not larger than the Mistletoe Thrush. The berries of the 

 holly, the juniper, the mountain-ash, and the hawthorn, 

 as well as worms, &c., collected in the meadows, form its 

 principal food. 



BLACK-THKOATED THRUSH. 



Turdus atrogularis. 



As the only British specimen I have ever seen is that men- 

 tioned in Yarrell^s ' British Birds,^ 4th edit. vol. i. p. 276, 

 I will merely quote therefrom : — " Of this species a young 

 male example, shot near Lewes, December 33rd, 1868, was, on 

 the same day, taken to Mr. T. J. Monk, of that town, and 

 now forms part of his choice collection. Mr. Gould recorded 

 the capture in ' The Ibis ' for January 1869 (p. 128) , and a 

 note to the same purpose, from the owner of the specimen, 

 is printed in the 'Zoologist' for February (1888, p. 1560), 

 while the latter permitted Mr. Rowley, who himself saw the 



