BED WING. 
41 
variety of phrasing than can be justly accorded it. Indeed, some of the sentences 
— especially the two last — put into the mouth of this charming songster can only 
have been evolved from the inner consciousness of the writer, and the whole 
article, if not “ epigram(m)atic,” certainly results in a “girgle.” 
One of the first birds to build, and Harley stated that, in open seasons, 
he had met with its nest so early as January. Mr. Macaulay has found a nest 
containing the abnormal number of seven eggs. ]\Ir. Davenport asks: — “Can 
you tell me why most birds lay an ocZcZ-coloured egg ? Thrushes, Blackbirds, 
Eedbreasts, Warblers, Titmice, Nuthatches, Wrens, House-Sparrows, Linnets, 
-Magpies, Jackdaws, Crows, Books, Hawks, and certain others invariably follow 
this rule.” The earliest egg as yet noted by him was laid on 18th March, 
1885. In 1883 he found young birds so early as 8th April, but I saw some 
young ones which had left the nest and were flying in an orchard at Thumby 
on 17th April, 1885. 
The most singular site for a nest which I have seen was one selected in April 
1885, in a garden on the “ Freemen’s Common,” Leicester. This nest was built 
on an ornamental bracket, above the door of the “ summer-house,” about six feet 
from the ground, perfectly exposed, and liable to be disturbed by any one passing 
in or out, while not two feet distant was a growth of ivy covering the roof and 
sides of the house, in which the nest might have been well concealed. Not- 
withstanding the exposed situation selected, the bird successfully brought off 
her brood. 
Varieties of this species occasionally occur, and Harley has recorded three 
albino birds taken out of a nest in the lordship of Aylestone. 
In Rutland. — Resident and common, as in Leicestershire. 
REDWINGr. Tiirdus iliacus, Linnaeus. 
A winter migrant, generally distributed, but not remaining to breed. — It 
amves about the middle of October, and remains sometimes until late in the 
spring — a fact known to Harley, who observed it “ even after the month of 
June had come in,” which suggests the possibility of the Redwing sometimes 
remaining to breed with us; and Mr. Joseph H. Ellis wrote (‘Zool.,’ 1864, 
p. 9248), that Mr. H. R. Hurst, of the Oaks, near Kirby Muxloe, “ states that a 
Redwing built in his grounds this spring. He is a keen observer, and not 
likely to be mistaken. One bird only was hatched, and he has kindly sent me 
one of the addled eggs. It is a trifle smaller than a Thrush’s egg, and more 
rounded at the ends ; the ground colour is a greenish-white, spotted with 
reddish-brown of various shades. I am not competent to found an opinion 
from the egg, but it certainly is none of our resident Thrushes.” This circum- 
stance is also noticed in Mr. Harting’s edition of White’s ‘ Selborne,’ p. 159, 
as a foot-note. Writing upon this to IMr. Harting, he very kindly looked up 
for me Mr. Joseph H. Ellis’s note, which appeared in the ‘ Field ’ of 6th August, 
