Wild Birds Useful and Injurious. 
677 
In its habits and food it closely resembles the missel-thrush ; 
but, as it does not remain here while the fruit is ripening, its 
behaviour is entirely beneficial in its effect. In addition to 
wild berries of various kinds, it consumes quantities of slugs and 
insects, which it principally obtains from pastures and meadow- 
Fig. 5. — Fieldfare, Turdu$ pilaris.' 
land. In very hard weather it has been known to do some damage 
to turnips in its endeavour to ward off starvation. 
The Redwing {Turdus iliacus) is another common winter 
visitant, arriving in flocks before the end of October, and returning 
northwards in the spring. It is rather smaller than the song- 
thrush, from which it may be distinguished by the broad whitish 
streak above the eyes and by the bright rufous colour of the 
sides and under wing-coverts, from which feature it derives its 
common name. 
Its food in this country chiefly consists of worms, snails, 
slugs and insects ; and it does not take to eating berries so 
readily as the other thrushes. Both redwings and fieldfares 
suffer terribly in severe winters, and large numbers perish from 
starvation. The comparative lengths of the five members of this 
family are approximately, missel-thrush eleven inches, fieldfare 
and blackbird ten inches, throstle and redwing nine inches. 
' Figs. 5-10 are from Yarrell’s British Birds (Gumey and Jackson). 
