6U 



THE YOUNG NATUBALIST. 



birds, the departure of winter ornithological visitors, and the appearance of 

 vernal lepidoptera will all be retarded. 



The fieldfares will, in all probability, remain with us until the second or 

 third week in March, or even later if inclement weather prevails. In 1886 

 they were seen in' Yorkshire as late as May 8th (see "Zoologist," vol. x., 

 page £98). In mild winters they generally depart about the latter end of 

 February or beginning of March. An interesting case of variation in the 

 plumage of Turdus piliaris is described in the " Zoologist," for February, 

 1886. It was taken, I think, near York. The crown, sides of the head, 

 and the neck were white, in some cases mixed with a few grey feathers. In 

 one of the wings the first secondary feather, and one or two of the lesser 

 wing coverts were white, while on the other wing one of the greater wing 

 coverts only is white. The claws too were described as being peculiar, 

 having pale bases ; otherwise the general colouration was similar to that of 

 the male bird. 



Another of the migratory thrushes we may expect to stay late with us this 

 year is the redwing {Turdus iliacus), a bird somewhat similar to well known 

 song thrush, but smaller in size. The chief difference in the. colour of the 

 two birds lies in the sides beneath the wings, and the inner wing-coverts, 

 which are reddish orange white in the song-thrush, in this are yellowish white. 

 There is a a line of yellowish white above each eye, starting from the bill and 

 ending near the hind part of the head. The redwings are winter visitants 

 to the British Islands, crossing over from the northern parts of the continent 

 a few days before the fieldfares. 



Mention of the fieldfare and the redwing leads me to speak of our resident 

 thrushes, and their doings in March. In seasons when the weather is mild, 

 the missel thrush, the song thrush, and the blackbird will all be at work 

 nest making, and the last named will very likely have eggs laid before the 

 end of the month. The blackbird too is one of the earliest to let us know 

 that " the time of the singing of birds is come," and the weather must be 

 very severe if we do not hear his melodious notes as we walk through the 

 still leafless woods in March. 



The rooks are pretty sure to be at work in earnest this month, either re- 

 pairing their old nests or building new ones. Among the other birds which 

 nest in March, if the weather be mild, are the starling, the robin redbreast, 

 the raven, the magpie, and the carrion crow. 



The wagtails (Motacilla Yarrellii, and Rayii) ought to be making their 

 appearance in March, and we may also expect the willow wren and the chiff- 

 chaff, and at the end of the month we may perhaps see the ring-ousel. In 

 mild weather, and in seasons when spring puts in an early appearance, the 



