The Ring Ouzel. 



205 



peculiarity it derives the name of Ring Ouzel, or Ring Thrush. 

 In old birds this mark becomes creamy, or almost pure white ; 

 in young males it is greyish chestnut, or russet grey. The legs 

 are brown, and the feet a few shades darker of the same 

 colour. Pied as well as albino specimens of this bird have 

 been occasionally met with. 



Habits and Breeding. — The Ring Ouzel is decidedly a 

 British bird, though it is met with in many parts of the 

 Continent, both in warm and cold regions. It is found in 

 France and Germany, and has also been observed in both Africa 

 and Asia. It is a migratory bird, arriving in this country 

 in April, and leaving again at the latter part of September, 

 or early in October, according to the season. It is shy and 

 unsocial, and exhibits much fear of man when in a wild 

 state. It rarely ventures near human habitations, hence 

 is seldom met with by casual observers. It betakes itself to 

 wild, mountainous, well-wooded districts, far away from every- 

 day life, and revels among juniper bushes, heather, and furze, 

 or dense untracked thickets, where it can hide itself from 

 the rude gaze of passing humanity. It is watchful and 

 suspicious, and rarely permits anyone to make a near approach, 

 taking to flight at the least symptom of alarm, and uttering 

 rapidly a few clear, loud notes, as of warning and remon- 

 strance. It is strong on the wing, has a very direct flight, 

 and goes a considerable distance before it ventures to alight 

 again. 



The Ring Ouzel resembles the Blackbird in several respects, 

 but is not so docile and tractable as that philosophic bird. 

 It sometimes builds its nest on a rugged bank, at the side of 

 a stream, or among broken or scattered fragments of rock, but 

 more generally at the foot of a juniper or furze bush, on 

 the side of a hill, or among dense masses of underwood, at 

 the margin of a running brook. The nest is composed of 

 I bent grass and root fibre, plastered on the inside with mud 

 1 or clay, and very much resembles that of the Blackbird. 

 I: The hen lays from four to six eggs — mostly four or five — of 



ia pale bluish green, oval in shape, and speckled with small 

 pale yellowish brown spots, in appearance resembling "bran." 

 She generally has two nests in the year. If a Ring Ouzel, 

 on being disturbed, makes a terrible clamorous noise, and 

 only flies a short distance before again alighting, whilst still 



