54 



14 



day, near Saivits, a Fieldfare crossed the road, with its harsh cry, towards some likely-looking 

 young firs ; and going to them I found a nest with four eggs, near the top of a twenty-foot spruce. 

 The day was cold and rainy ; so I did not stay to look for more nests ; but just as I was leaving 

 the spot five or six birds flew rapidly homewards in great alarm." We much regret that space 

 does not allow us to quote in extenso the whole of the notes which Professor Newton has placed 

 at our disposal ; but the catalogue successively refers to four eggs taken at Piijkyla, in West 

 Bothnia, on the 4th of June, 1853, one at Matarengi, on the 5th of June, "within two Swedish 

 miles of the Arctic circle," and two nests of four and five eggs from Muonio CEfvreby, in Eastern 

 Bothnia, obtained on the 16th of June. Then follows in order an account of three eggs from 

 Muoniovaara, in West Bothnia, taken on the 8th of July, 1853, concerning which a note is 

 given : — " The nest was at some height in a fir tree. It has more mud in its construction than a 

 Redwing's, and is lined with beautifully white grass, of course of last year's growth." Afterwards 

 mention is made of eggs taken by Mr. Wolley or by his collectors ; and to the record of one from 

 Nuitka Uoma, on the 10th of July, 1854, is appended the following note: — "Being nearly ready 

 to hatch, this is the only egg I took the trouble to blow, as it is unusual in its colouring. We 

 found a good many nests at a good height in trees in different parts of the wood at the foot of 

 the cliff, where are Hawks and Buzzards, near Nuitka Uoma, yesterday the 10th of June, very 

 early in the morning. I saw the birds of some of the nests, and heard them in other cases. No 

 one nest was near the ground." 



In England all observations on the habits of the Fieldfare have necessarily been made in the 

 winter ; yet some very excellent accounts have been published, especially that given by the late 

 Professor Macgillivray in his ' History of British Birds' (ii. p. 108), from which we make the accom- 

 panying extract: — "About the end of October, sometimes in the beginning of November, the 

 Fieldfares make their appearance in the northern and eastern parts of Britain, where some of them 

 remain all the winter and spring, while others disperse over the country. In the wooded parts they 

 s< 'in to roost at night on tall trees; at least I have seen them so roosting; but Montagu affirms 

 that they repose on the ground, which may be the case ; and certainly they must sleep there, or on 

 rocks, in the Hebrides, where they are met with during the cold season. I know no place where 

 one can study their habits more effectively than in the neighbourhood of Edinburgh, where they 

 are met with in flocks of from several hundreds to three or four individuals. You see them at 

 early dawn flying off to the fields in a loose body, or meet them there even in the dim twilight ; 

 but it seems improbable that they remain at night in the open fields, as they are never observed 

 to crouch in the manner of the Larks, Pipits, and other birds that repose on the ground. Their 

 flight, which is easy and rather slow, is performed with little undulation, by quickly repeated 

 flaps of the wings, the bird spreading out those organs, making about twelve short flaps, and as 

 it were intermitting one or more. In this manner they proceed, uttering a kind of chuckling 

 chirp, until they arrive over a field on which they have a mind to settle, when they perform 

 several circling evolutions, and at length alight. After settling, each is seen to stand still, with 

 its wings close but a little drooping, its tail slightly declined, and its head elevated. It then 

 hops rapidly a few steps forward, stops, picks up a seed, an insect, or other article of food, and 

 again proceeds. They generally move in the same direction, always facing the wind if it be high ; 

 and those in the rear, especially if left far behind, fiy up to the front. When alarmed, they all 



