The Fieldfare 



the middle of May; or perchance he knows that the 

 inhospitable climate, to which he resorts to breed, driven by 

 some irresistible and incomprehensible force, will not till 

 then afford him and his progeny the necessary sustenance. 

 Be that as it may, we can still hear his cheery voice long 

 after we have left winter behind us. 



The sexes are alike in plumage, but the female is rather 

 paler in colouring. The adult male in winter has the head 

 and neck slate grey, the feathers of the crown having dark 

 centres which are hardly noticeable at this season ; mantle 

 and scapulars deep rufous brown ; wing coverts less rufous 

 and showing traces of paler tips. Eump grey ; quills and 

 tail dark brown. Fore-neck pale yellow, streaked with dark 

 brown on the sides ; chest rufous streaked with brown ; 

 flank feathers dark brown with broad white margins con- 

 cealing the darker colour. Lower breast and chest white. 

 In summer the pale edgings to the under parts wear off, 

 causing him to become nearly black on the flanks and lower 

 breast, while the dark streaks on the CTown become much 

 more conspicuous. Bill horn coloured in winter, yellow in 

 summer. Legs and feet dark brown. Total length 10 in.; 

 wing 5 - 5 in. The plumage of the young bird resembles 

 that of the adult on the back, but the head and rump are 

 much browner ; some of the feathers of the mantle have 

 lightish centres, though the amount and extent of these 

 varies greatly. Below it is of a uniform pale yellow, deeper 

 on the breast, each feather having a black terminal heart- 

 shaped spot. 



This species is generally distributed throughout the 

 British Isles from October to May ; breeding throughout 



*3 



