2984 Birds. 



worthy of the highest confidence, will be allowed to settle the question of the general 

 character of the egg of the redwing. — John Wolley ; Roxburgh Terrace, Edinburgh, 

 November, 1850. 



On the true character of the Redwing's Eggs. — I am unable to furnish, in propria 

 persona, the evidence sought by your correspondents the Rev. S. C. Malan (Zool. 

 2141) and the Rev. A. C. Smith (Zool. 2948), to determine the character of the redwing's 

 egg, never having been myself in a country where the bird breeds ; but I can refer 

 those gentlemen to a source from which they may obtain testimony of the quality they 

 desire, and such as, I have little doubt, will satisfy them that the redwing's egg resem- 

 bles the blackbird's, and not the egg of the song-thrush, notwithstanding the closer 

 bodily resemblance of the latter bird. Some years ago, Mr. Yarrell made me a pre- 

 sent of a couple of redwing's eggs (like blackbird's), which had been sent to him by 

 Mr, Dann from Sweden, and when my friend Hewitson " took on with the new love " 

 that he has adorned so splendidly, and, too mindful of the old adage, broke up his 

 collection of eggs, he let me have other similar specimens, which came, I believe, from 

 the same source. Knowing that Mr. Dann had the requisite skill and opportunity to 

 insure correctness, and having the sanction of such authorities as my friends Yarrell 

 and Hewitson, I placed these eggs in my cabinet in perfect confidence that they were 

 correct ; when, however, the prevalent doubt had been repeatedly broached, without 

 provoking observation, and I saw that Mr. Yarrell allowed M. Nilsson's description of 

 the redwing's egg to remain without comment in his second edition of the ' History of 

 British Birds,' and I learnt from Mr. Hewitson that he had began to waver, my confi- 

 dence gave way. In this state of affairs I received, in August last, a packet of eggs 

 from Mr. W. Proctor, curator of the Durham University Museum, containing 

 amongst others, a redwing's egg, like a small blackbird's. Instigated by the doubt 

 that had grown upon me as before stated, I returned the redwing's egg, and assigned 

 my doubt of its correctness as my reason for doing so. This provoked a letter of ex- 

 postulation from Mr. Proctor, written in a strain of honest indignation, and setting 

 forth facts from which it was impossible to withhold conviction. He stated that he 

 had shot redwings from their nests in Iceland and taken the eggs and young birds, 

 and also addled eggs from nests containing young birds, adding the dates and places 

 from his journal. He stated, moreover, that there is no other thrush in Iceland to 

 render mistake possible. I knew that he had been in Iceland, but was not aware that 

 he had identified the redwing's egg so clearly, or I should not, of course, have ex- 

 pressed to him the doubt I did. I can, however, hardly regret having done so, seeing 

 that my doubt has been thereby dissipated. With his letter, Mr. Proctor sent me 

 two redwing's nests and an additional number of eggs. The nests are built and 

 lined with grass, without the admixture of dirt that prevails in the nests of our native 

 Merulidae. The eggs are not to be distinguished from small blackbird's eggs. Mr. 

 Proctor must be known to many of your readers, and his likeness in his Iceland dress, 

 forming the last vignette in Mr. Yarrell's ' British Birds,' must be well known to all. 

 I feel assured that he would with pleasure answer the inquiries of those who may wish 

 for additional particulars, or for testimony direct from himself, and it is probable that 

 he may be able to supply specimens of redwing's eggs. I can add, for the further sa- 

 tisfaction of your correspondents, that both Mr. Yarrell and Mr. Hewitson have seen 

 Mr. Proctor's letter, and are both satisfied that the redwing's egg resembles the black- 

 bird's and fieldfare's, and not the egg of the song-thrush. Mr. Yarrell admits that 

 the reprinting M. Nilsson's description, in the second edition of the ' British Birds,' 



