88 REDWING. 
of spring, again re-migrate to their more northern 
summer quarters. In some seasons, also, they 
appear to remove or perform partial migrations, 
according to circumstances, after their arrival in 
this country ; and when food fails, or severe wea- 
ther ensues, those of the more northern districts 
travel still farther southward. Mr Selby men- 
tions an instance of this in 1822, when, on the 
failure of the abundant crop of wild berries which 
that year afforded, and at the commencement of 
a temporary thaw, they migrated southward ; in 
the present year, (1838,) a few flocks as usual 
appeared at the time of their arrival, but, since 
the middle of November, a Redwing has not been 
seen. The breeding of the Redwing is still less 
known, and its nest has been less frequently seen 
than even that of the fieldfare. The northern 
forests seem also to be their resort, but in some 
parts of Norway it is less frequent, or it is, per- 
haps, more locally distributed. Mr Hewitson 
found the nest only twice, both times with young, 
and states that it is similar to that of the fieldfare, 
but is placed nearer the ground. During the 
season of incubation, it is a sweet songster, selec- 
ting, like most of its congeners, the summit of 
some eminence, for the pouring forth of its 
melody ; in Norway it has received the appella- 
tion of Nightingale from its “ delightfully wild 
note.”* 
The head, upper parts, wings, and tail, are hair- 
brown, tinged with oil green ; and, in a flock, a 
* Hewitson, Mag. of Zool. and Bot. II. p. 312. 
