THE REDWING. 



227 



bluish green, thickly marbled over the entire surface with greenish 

 brown. Some specimens have the spots dispersed in irregular streaks and 

 blotches, like miniature Blackbird's eggs ; in others the ground-colour is 

 almost clear, except at the large end of the egg, where a zone is formed of 

 confluent brown spots ; whilst others are almost clear pea-green devoid of 

 all markings. They vary but little in size or shape, and are never large 

 enough to be mistaken for small specimens of the other eggs of this group 

 of birds, which they resemble in colour. They vary in length from I'l to 

 09 inch, and in breadth from 0'8 to 0'7 inch. Song-Thrush's eggs are 

 often found as small ; but their peculiar tints prevent the slightest con- 

 fusion. As is the case with the Song-Thrush, the Redwing exhibits the 

 greatest anxiety when its nest is approached, especially should it contain 

 young birds. Throughout the whole laying- and hatching-season the 

 Redwing continues in full song ; his warbling strains are heard con- 

 stantly and from all parts of his haunts ; at all hours his melody floats 

 on the air, as though he were loth to lose a moment of the short sunny 

 Siberian summer. 



The upper parts of the Redwing are olive-brown in colour, with a very 

 conspicuous pale eye-stripe extending to the nape. The underparts are pale 

 buff, shading into almost white on the belly, and into rich chestnut on the 

 flanks and under wing-coverts, and are spotted with dark brown. The bill is 

 dark brown, the legs pale, and the irides brown. Young birds are spotted 

 on both upper and underparts, and after the autumn moult have the pale 

 tips to the wing-coverts larger and more clearly defined. The breeding- 

 plumage of the Redwing is lighter than its autumn dress, and the under- 

 parts and eye-stripe whiter, and the spots have attained greater definition. 



The Redwing has no very near ally. 



Q 2 



