Minstrels of the Winter. 23 



should be motionless, or the bird will be mute. In plantations 

 and copses it may generally be met with, and it will always 

 repay the rambler to take a seat on a stone or the stump of a 

 tree, for a chance of a visit and a performance, for the gold wren 

 is inquisitive, and will approach near to the stranger, and 

 sing its small soft, sweet song within a few paces of the 

 listener so long as he maintains comparative stolidity. 



Among the winter visitants the fieldfare must take the lead 

 for the excellence of its notes, and perhaps the. greenfinch 

 should have the next place, not for sweetness, but garrulousness. 

 The fieldfare-thrush (Turdus pilaris) is a handsome bird, with 

 a lively expression and a beautifully dappled breast. It comes 

 with the redwing in October, and leaves us for its Scandinavian 

 breeding grounds some time in April, though both it and the 

 redwing occasionally continue later. The fieldfares go from 

 field to field in vast flocks, preferring open flat countries, and 

 not often separating to visit gardens, though I have seen soli- 

 tary individuals of both species shot in gardens near London. 

 Ordinarily when these flocks pass, the only notes heard are the 

 call notes, and these are sufficiently unmelodious to deter one 

 from criticism. 'Opinions differ as to the value of its song. 

 Mr. Wood speaks of having kept one in a cage, but he never 

 heard it sing, cc if you had seen it you would have supposed it 

 had some deep project in its head, so wise and solemn did it 

 look." Mr. Blyth says, " its song is a mere chatter." Bech- 

 stein says, ' c its song is a mere harsh and disagreeable warble." 

 Mr. Broderip says, " the song is soft and melodious, and the 

 bird sings agreeably in confinement, to which it soon becomes 

 reconciled." I once had an opportunity of putting these various 

 statements to the test of experiment, and the result was this, 

 that individuals differ considerably in their powers of song ; but 

 what is of more importance is this, that there are few bird- 

 fanciers who can distinguish males from the females, and so 

 hen birds are sometimes caged, and hence an unfair verdict 

 upon the musical capabilities of the species. As to caging it, 

 it is the easiest thing in the world, and take care not to give it 

 more food than needful, or it will grow fat and die of heart 

 disease. There are other points of interest in the history of 

 this bird : it has never been known to breed in this country, 

 and in its own Norwegian forests it builds in forks of the fir, 

 and large numbers associate together. Sir Walter Scott makes 

 a strange exception to his usual accuracy of description, where, 

 in the " Lady of the Lake," he describes it as breeding in 

 Britain, and making its nost on the ground — 



" Beneath the broad and ample bone, 

 That buckled heart to fear unknown ; 

 A feeble and a timorous guest, 

 The fieldfare framed her lonely nest." 



