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firs, where it builds its nest at no great altitude and close to the stem ; but occasionally it will build 
e foot of the tree, instead of in the branches. Ав is the case with the nests 
of all Thrushes, it passes through three distinct stages before completed. Тһе birds form a loose 
nest of moss, dry grass, and a few fine twigs intertwined, the better to bind the materials together. 
This structure is then lined and plastered with mud or clay; and finally a thick lining is made of 
fine dry grass, and sometimes a few rootlets. It is neatly made, and somewhat resembles the nest of 
the Ring-Ouzel, though it is smaller and perhaps more firmly put together. The eggs of the 
Red-wing are from four to six in number, most frequently the former, and cannot be easily confounded 
with the eggs of other British Thrushes, on account of their smaller size. ‘The streaks or spots 
generally almost hide the ground-colour, and are evenly distributed over the entire surface. The 
usual colour is a pale bluish green, thickly marbled over the entire surface with greenish brown. 
Some specimens have the spots dispersed in irregular streaks and blotches, like miniature Black- 
bird’s eggs; in others the ground-colour is almost clear, except at the large end of the egg, where a 
zone is formed of confluent brown spots; whilst others are almost clear pea-green devoid of all 
markings. "They vary but little in size or shape, 
small specimens of the other eggs of this group of birds, which they resemble in colour. They vary 
in length from 171 to 0:9 inch, and in breadth from 0:9 to 0:7 inch. Song-Thrush's eggs are often 
found as small; but their peculiar tints prevent the slightest confusion. Ав is the case with the 
Song-Thrush, the Red-wing exhibits the greatest anxiety when its nest is approached, especially 
should it contain young birds. Throughout the whole laying- and hatching-season the Red-wing 
continues in full song ; his warbling strains are heard constantly and from all parts of his haunts; 
at all hours his melody floats on the air, as though he were loth to lose a moment of the short 
sunny Siberian summer." 
Adult male in autumn plumage. General colour above olive-brown, darker and slightly suffused 
with russet on the forehead and crown; lores nearly Маск; ear-coverts darkish olive-brown, each 
feather slightly paler in the centre ; eye-stripe buffish white, very conspicuous and extending to the 
nape; wings and wing-coverts brown, the outer web of each feather more or less broadly margined 
with olive-brown ; greater wing-coverts obscurely margined with chestnut-brown and with ill-defined 
pale tips; tail olive-brown, the outer feathers with obscure pale margins to the inner webs. General 
colour of the underparts very pale buff, shading into white (or white, slightly suffused with chestnut) 
on the belly and into rich chestnut on the flanks ; the chin, the centre of the lower throat, and the 
centre of the belly are unspotted ; the cheeks, the upper part of the upper breast, and the lower part of 
the lower throat and the upper flanks have clearly defined, very dark brown, fan-shaped terminal 
spots on each feather, which are paler and obscurely defined on the feathers of the breast and lower 
flanks; under tail-coverts white, the basal half of each feather margined with brown; axillaries and 
under wing-coverts rich chestnut. Bill dark brown, shading into brownish-yellow on the basal half 
of lower mandible. 
Wing with the third and fourth primaries nearly equal and longest ; second primary intermediate 
in length between the fourth and fifth ; bastard-primary 0:56 to 0:35 inch. 
Total length 8:5 inches, wing 4:85 to 4:45 inches, tail 3°5 to 9:0 inches, culmen 0:86 to 
0:78 inch, tarsus 1:25 to 1:15 inch. 
Nestling. Greyish-brown above, the feathers in the middle of the back with ovate ochraceous 
spots; head uniform brown with a slight olive tinge; white eyebrow very distinct, with tufts of 
yellowish-buff down above it; lores black ; ear-coverts blackish, with a patch of ochraceous streaks ; 
above the eye a slight indication of a blackish line; cheeks striped with white, extending down the 
sides of the neck; under surface of body white; black malar line very distinct ; fore-neck and chest 
upon the ground at th 
and are never large enough to be mistaken for 
