134 MIGBATIOK. 



The best authority that we can have for the nidification of 

 the birds above mentioned, in any district, is the testimony 

 of faunists that have written professedly the natural history 

 of particular countries. Now, as to the fieldfare, Linnaeus, 

 in his Fauna Suecica, says of it, that " maximis in arhoribits 

 nidificat ;" "it buLLds in the largest trees." And of the 

 redwing, he says in the same place, that " nidificat in mediis 

 arbuscuUs, sive sepibus : ova sex C(sruleo-i)iridia maculis nigris 

 ■variis." "It builds ia the midst of shrubs or hedges; it 

 produces six eggs, of a seargreen colour, with varied black 

 spots." Hence we may be assured that fieldfares and red- 

 wings breed in Sweden. Scopoli says, in his Annus Primus, 

 of the woodcock, that " nu/pta ad nos venit circa csquinoctium 

 vernale:" "when mated, it comes to us about the vernal 

 equinox ;" meaning in Tjrrol, of which he is a native. And 

 afterwards he adds, " nidificat in paludihus alpinis : ova 

 ponit 3 — 5." " It builds its nest in the Alpiae marshes, 

 and lays fcom three to five eggs." It does not appear from 

 Eramer that woodcocks breed at all in Austria ; but he says, 

 " A-vis liasc septentrionalium provinciarum cestivo tempore 

 incola est ; ubi plerumque nidificat. Appropinquante hyeme 

 australiores provindas petit : hinc circa plenilunium potissi- 

 mummensis Octohris plerv/mque Austria/m transmigrat. Tunc 

 rwrsus circa plenilunium potissimum mensis Mlartii per Aus- 

 tria/m matri/monio juncta ad septentrionales provindas redit." 

 " This bird, in summer, inhabits the northern provinces, 

 where it generally nests. On the approach of winter it 

 seeks more southern pro^Tnces ; it usually leaves this at 

 the October full-moon, generally in the direction of 

 Austria. Then it returns back, after mating, generally 

 about the March full-moon." Per the whole passage 

 (which I have abridged), see Elenchus, &c., p. 351. This 

 seems to be a full proof of the emigration of woodcocks ; 

 though little is proved concerning the place of their 

 breeding.* 



P.S. — There fell in the county of Eutland, in three weeks 

 of this present very wet weather, seven inches and a half of 

 rain, which is more than has fallen in any three weeks for 



* Woodcocks arrive in Silesia about tlie latter end of April, or beginning of 

 May, and leave it again in October. — W. J. 



