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stand still for a short time, some utter a low scream, and presently all fly off to a distance, or 

 alight on the tall trees in the neighbourhood. There they sit gracefully on the twigs, with their 

 tails declined, and generally with their heads all directed one way, unless they have settled for 

 the purpose of resting or amusing themselves after procuring a sufficiency of food. In fine 

 weather they often enact a concert of long duration, which, although their song is neither loud 

 nor melodious, is very pleasant. When they are upon trees, their attitudes resemble those of the 

 Blackbird ; but they do not frequent bushy places, woods, or gardens, for the purpose of picking 

 up snails, worms, or larvae, but repair to the open fields and meadows, where it is amusing to see 

 them in calm weather hopping about in all directions, stopping now and then to pick up their 

 food, or to look around them. In this respect they resemble the Song-Thrush, as well as the 

 Redwing and Missel-Thrush, with the two latter of which they often temporarily associate. They 

 are very shy, seldom allowing a person to approach within a hundred yards in an open field, 

 although when on trees they are somewhat less suspicious. In the former situation they keep at 

 a distance from the hedges or walls, and fly off in a body ; but in the latter several individuals 

 remain behind the main body, and may sometimes be shot. Of the three species the Eedwing 

 seems to be the least shy, and the Missel-Thrush the most so, but all are very easily alarmed. 

 The Song-Thrush is the tamest of the genus, and next to it the Blackbird ; but these species are 

 not gregarious, even in severe weather. When the ground is covered with snow the Fieldfares 

 betake themselves to marshy meadows, where they are often shot in great numbers ; for, although 

 repeatedly annoyed, they return at short intervals, and persons stationed here and there along the 

 hedges are sure of obtaining many chances. The irrigated meadows to the west of Edinburgh 

 are a favourite place of resort to all our Thrushes in frosty weather. On the 19th of January, 

 1835, I there shot ten Fieldfares, five Eedwings, four Song-Thrushes, and four Blackbirds. 

 Should the pools and brooks be frozen, they repair to the woods and hedges, where they obtain 

 a supply of hawthorn, holly, and other berries. Having neglected to note the alarm-cry of this 

 bird, I sought an opportunity of supplying the deficiency during a snow-storm in March 1837, 

 when I fell in with a great number of Fieldfares and Song-Thrushes, with three Lapwings, busily 

 engaged in searching for food in a piece of marshy ground that remained uncovered. The 

 Fieldfares when flying off uttered a chuckling cry, resembling the syllables yacJc, chuck, chuck, 

 chuck." 



Sir William Jardine, in the ' Birds of Great Britain and Ireland' (Nat. Libr., Birds, ii. p. 81), 

 has likewise given a capital account of the species, which we quote nearly entire. " Its time of 

 arrival," he writes, " is late in November, generally at least a fortnight subsequent to that of the 

 Eedwings ; and it appears sometimes in vast flocks, and commonly in parties of not less than 

 thirty or forty together. On arrival they often betake themselves to the vicinity of the berry- 

 bearing trees, where they remain until the crop has been entirely stripped. The fruit of the 

 mountain-ash is a great favourite, and, being nearly ripe about the time of their arrival, is eagerly 

 sought after. As the winter advances, and these supplies fail, they seem to seek and frequent 

 the more moist upland pastures, and, as the storm sets in with severity, gradually seek the lower 

 grounds, where there is more shelter and moisture. If a storm continues for some length, they 

 are reduced to sad extremity ; many of them, in some years, perish with exhaustion and for want ; 

 and their inability to exist during a continuation of frost and snow plainly shows the necessity 



