180 



FIELDFARE. 



This is a migrative species, visits us together with the redwing in 

 large flocks in October, and frequently remains till the beginning of 

 April. With us its principal food is the fruit of the hawthorn and 

 other berries, worms, and insects. In very severe weather they mi- 

 grate further south ; but a sudden fall of snow sometimes deprives them 

 of the power of flying across the seas to a warmer climate ; in which 

 case thousands are starved. In the winter of 1798, a very heavy snow 

 fell to the northern and eastern parts of this country, when prodigious 

 flocks appeared in the west of England ; but as that part was soon after 

 covered with snow, which lasted on the ground for a considerable time, 

 they became too weak to shift their quarters to a more southern 

 climate, and thousands were picked up starved to death in Devonshire. 

 Stares and redwings suffered the same fate. If severe weather comes 

 on more gradually, and food becomes scarce, few are seen with us after 

 Christmas ; but on their return northward to breed, they appear again 

 in small flocks. This bird with us roosts on the ground, and rarely 

 perches for that purpose. Linnaeus says it builds in high trees in 

 Sweden, and frequents the places where junipers grow. It is also found, 

 during the warmer months, in Russia, Siberia, and Norway, where they 

 undoubtedly breed. 



* " The extensive low lands," says Mr. Knapp, " of the river Severn, 

 in open weather, are visited by prodigious flocks of these birds ; but as 

 soon as snow falls, or hard weather comes on, they leave these marshy 

 lands, because their insect food is covered, or become scarce, visit the 

 uplands, to feed on the produce of the hedges, and we see them all day 

 long passing over our heads in large flights on some distant progress, 

 in the same manner as our larks, at the commencement of a snowy 

 season, repair to the turnip fields of Somerset and Wiltshire. They re- 

 main absent during the continuance of those causes which incited their 

 migration ; but as the frost breaks up, and even before the thaw has 

 actually commenced, we see a large portion of these passengers return- 

 ing to their worm and insect food in the meadows, attended probably 

 by many that did not take flight with them ; though a great number 

 remain in the upland pastures, feeding promiscuously as they can. In 

 my younger days, a keen unwearied sportsman, it was always observ- 

 able, that in hard weather these birds increased prodigiously in number 

 in the counties far distant from the meadow lands, though we knew 

 not the reason ; and we usually, against this time, provided tempting 

 bushes of haws, preserved in a barn, to place in frequented hedges, 

 near our secret standings. When the Fieldfare first arrives, its flesh is 

 dark, thin, and scurfy ; but, having fed a little time in the hedges, its 



