BRITISH BIRDS. 
99 
The Fieldfare is only a vifitant in this ifland, 
making its appearance about the beginning of Oc- 
tober, in order to avoid the rigorous winters of the 
North, from whence it fometimes comes in great 
flocks, according to the feverity of the feafon, and 
leaves us about the latter end of February or the 
beginning of March, and retires to Ruffia, Sweden, 
Norway, and as far as Siberia and Kamfchatka. 
Buffon obferves that they do not arrive in France 
till the beginning of December, that they affemble 
in flocks of two or three thoufand, and feed on ripe 
cervices, of which they are extremely fond : Du- 
ring the winter they feed on haws and other ber- 
ries, they likewife eat worms, fnails, and llugs.— 
Fieldfares feem of a more focial difpofition than 
the Throftles or the Miffels ; they are fometimes 
feen fingly, but in general form very numerous 
flocks, and fly in a body, and though they often 
fpread themfelves through the meadows in fearch 
of food, they feldom lofe fight of each other, but 
when alarmed fly off, and colledt together upon the 
•fame tree. We have feen a variety of this bird, 
of which the head and neck were of a yellowifh 
white ; the reft of the body was nearly of the fame 
colour, mixed with a few brown feathers ; the 
fpots on the breaft were faint and indiftinft; the 
quill feathers were perfectly white, except one or 
two on each fide, which were brown ; the tail was 
marked in a fimilar manner. 
FI 2 
