156 THE NATURAL HISTORY 
The RED-BREAST., 
Plumage a kind of olive colour, ths throat and breafl t 
deep orange red. 
It inhabits Europe, feeds on the feeds of the 
fpindle tree, fings excellently, is quarrelfome, and 
confequently folitary ; its fearlcflnefs of mankind 
has occaftoned it every where to be diftinguifhed 
by a familiar name. The Englilh call it Robin 
Red-brcaft ; the Danes, Tommi Liden ; the 
Norwegians, Peter Ronfmad ; the Germans, 
Thomas Gierdet. In feveral parts of Europe 
Red-breafts are . birds of paflage ; in general 
they fpend the fummer in the woods, and at the 
dofc of the year frequent the habitations of men. 
They build their nefts near the ground, upon the 
roots of young trees, or amongft plants flrong 
enough to fupport them, in the thickcft coverts, or 
mod concealed holes of walls. The neft is made 
of mofs, leaves, and horfe-hair, and lined with 
feathers; they often cover it with leaves, leaving 
only under the heap a narrow and oblique en¬ 
trance, which the female couccals with a leaf, when 
Ihe goes out. She lays from five to feven eggs, of a 
brownifh colour, or dull white, fprinkled with red- 
dilhfpots. Whilft fire fits the male warbles in the 
woods 
