FIELDFARE THRUSH. 



187 



varieties of this bird : the first has the head and 

 neck white, the former spotted with white, and 

 the latter with lead colour ; the throat and breast 

 rufous, spotted with black; the back brown; 

 rump ash-coloured ; and the under parts of the 

 body white, with black spots : the other variety 

 has the head and upper parts of the neck white. 

 Dr. Latham adds another which has the head and 

 neck white, and the rest of the body variegated 

 with white and brown : this latter specimen was 

 shot in Derbyshire : Bewick also describes a very 

 similar variety. 



This is only a visitant in this island, arriving 

 about the beginning of October, and departing 

 either the latter end of February or beginning of 

 March, retiring to Russia, Sweden, and even as 

 far as Kamschatka : it does not arrive in France 

 till the beginning of December, but they are then 

 seen by thousands : during the winter they feed 

 on hawthorn, holly, and other berries : they build 

 in high trees, and frequent the places where juni- 

 pers grow: their flesh is much esteemed, although 

 it is sometimes bitterish : this and the Redwing 

 Thrush are supposed to be the Turdi of the Ro- 

 mans with which they took so much pains to fat- 

 ten in aviaries for food. This bird is much more 

 sociable than the Throstle or Missel, and is often 

 gregarious : if severe weather come on gradually, 

 few are met with after Christmas, but on their 

 return northward they appear again in small 

 flocks : it will sometimes feed upon worms, slugs, 

 and snails. 



