when the dusk is falling they- seek the evergreens of the gardens and shrubberies. Regularly every
year the birds will come, and, if they are not molested, remain stationary throughout the winter,
giving animation by their presence to the landscape, and filling the wintry air with their cheerful
pleasing notes. But the Red-wing has other haunts, quite as dear to it as those in our own land.
In spring the Red-wings seek the northern forests for the purpose of propagating their species. In
Scandinavia they frequent the fir- and birch-woods. Here amongst these scattered forests, which
lie at the feet of the high stony ranges of the fells, the Red-wing finds a summer home. ^/Vild and
romantic are its breeding-grounds—plains and valleys, meadow and cultivated land, and dells
covered with the marsh-loving alder and willow and birch trees growing in wildest luxuriance.
Vast morasses, rivers, inland lakes whose margins are fringed with a heavy growth of various reeds
and sedges, forest lands, meadows and plains are the features of the ever-changing landscape. In
such wild and secluded regions as these, the border land between forest and fell, the Red-wing
breeds, far from those busy haunts of men which the bird delights to frequent so confidingly when
the blasts of winter render its northern home untenable.
“ The migrations of the Red-wing form a prominent feature in its life-history. When the
woodlands are painted with the ruddy hues of autumn and the corn is garnered, the first flocks of
the Red-wing may be looked for. They come to our islands during the latter days of October—
although their arrival is very irregular: for occasionally Red-wings come in the opening days of the
month • yet in other seasons not a bird has arrived until the first week in November, the state of the
season possibly influencing their movements. Red-wings, like Song-Thrushes, perform their migrations
under the cover of darkness. On the clear starlight nights of October their peculiar cail-notes
maybe often heard as the birds flit across the sky above, invisible of course in the gloom. The
Red-wing’s early arrival on our shores, as compared with that of the Fieldfare, is attributable to two
causes. In the first place Red-wings are more susceptible to cold than Fieldfares; and, secondly,
they are more exclusively insectivorous. At their arrival Red-wings are exceedingly shy and wary ;
but after a few weeks this natural shyness of disposition is overcome, and they are then one of the
most trustful members of this charming family of choristers. Towards the latter end of March the
Red-wings visibly decrease in number, and as the month of April approaches they rapidly leave us
for the north; flock succeeds flock; and by the middle of the month few are left behind.
“ Red-wings remain perhaps later on their feeding-grounds than any other British Thrush. As
you wander over their favourite pastures at nightfall, when most other birds have gone to rest, you
will often flush the Red-wings from their evening meal. Here and there they rise from the herbage,
uttering their plaintive whistling note, fly quickly off, and are soon lost in the gloom. I f disturbed on
the pastures in the daytime they rise irregularly, and when in the air there is none of that uniformity
or precision of movement observable which is so characteristic of the Common Starling. They pass
through the air on rapid wing, often at a considerable e le v a tio n and their flight js rather undulating,
being performed by a series of quick flappings, with short intervals between, when the wings are
closed, and during which they descend a little out of the direct line of flight. Sometimes, however,
Red-wings perform en masse the most graceful evolutions in the air, almost like a flock of Starlings.
This is usually the case when they are disturbed from, their roosting-places. They wheel and
manoeuvre in the air, and pass round amongst the topmost branches of the forest trees, occasionally
dipping near to the earth or alighting on the top of some tall tree, until the cause of the disturbance
vanishes, and they can seek their nightly perches in peace. As a rule, except when a flock is going
to roost, the Red-wing is not a noisy bird; and when a whole tree-top is covered with them only one
or two notes will be heard. How different from a flock of Starlings or Bramblings! who seem to
delight in making as much noise as possible when congregated together.
“ The food of the Red-wing, during its winter sojourn in the British Islands, is composed of
worms, snails, beetles, various insects, and berries. The birds feed on the open pastures, and
never resort to bushy places, or the ground under hedgerows and near walls, as the Song-Thrush
does ; nor is it seen in gardens, unless on the evergreen trees and shrubs, or when hard pressed for
food. The partiality of the Red-wing for worms and insect food is no doubt the primary cause of its
permanent residence in one certain neighbourhood throughout the period of its stay, and the bird
is not nearly so much a berry-feeder as is supposed. True, upon their arrival we find them regaling
themselves on the fruit of the service-tree; but this only occurs for a few weeks, and then for the
most part they are only seen on the grass-lands. As a proof of this fact, the actions of the Red-wing
in the severe winter of 1879-80 may be adduced. The lands which they most love to frequent are the
marshy meadows in which worms and insects occur so plentifully. As these marshy places began to
freeze, the Red-wings were more and more confined in their feeding-range. Each little swampy place
was searched for food, and as surely abandoned when the frost closed it. Manure-heaps were then
visited by the distressed birds, until a heavy fall of snow buried these places deep beneath it. All
this time the Red-wings were becoming poorer in condition, more feeble, and still more tame and
confiding. But the frost still continued, and they repaired to the banks of running streams and
brooklets; numbers perished; numbers were caught by hand; and eventually they disappeared from
many districts altogether, having most probably joined the vast flocks of their congeners that were
incessantly passing over the snow-covered landscape in a direct line southwards. Nevertheless the
bushes and hedgerows abounded with berries, the Fieldfares seemed scarcely to suffer from the frost,
and were always to be seen feeding upon them. It can be only as a last resource, therefore, that the
Red-wing becomes a berry-feeder, except in the autumn when the luscious fruit of the service-tree is
ripe. Its winter food is worms and insects ; and where these are to be found the birds will only
repair to the bushes and trees when alarmed or in order to roost. The Red-wing also feeds on
various species of snails. It is a pleasing sight to watch a flock of these birds searching the grasslands
for food. ' How nimbly they hop . amongst the frosted grass, ever in motion, thorough Song-
Thrushes in attitude and action, occasionally taking short flights or starting up to look warily round.
They are scattered over the entire field, and each is busy searching for its food. I f alarmed they
fly off in small parties and take refuge in the topmost branches of the nearest trees, and, when
the danger is passed, leave their elevated perching-places in the same manner. First one will
fly boldly down; others follow, and so on, until the whole flock is again feeding as before. One
or two birds sometimes remain behind in the trees near to which the main flock is feeding.
These, do duty as sentinels, and utter alarm-notes on the approach of danger, at which the birds
take wing. Even if fired at, the Red-wing will soon return to its favourite feeding-ground.
“ The rich wild notes of the Red-wing are always pleasant to the ear as they are borne hither
and thither by the breeze. True, the song may not be so- varied as that of the Song-Thrush, nor so-
rich and powerful as that of the Blackbird, nor yet so wild and free as the ‘ Stormj-cock s lay ; but
it has a rich sweetness about it which justly calls forth the praises of all who have had the pleasure
of listening to its strain. Its low warbling song is usually preceded by whistling call-notes, or a few
guttural cries, as the bird sits on the topmost spray of a pine-tree.
“ The breeding-season of the Red-wing commences early in June, fresh egg« being found by the
first week in that month, although in high latitudes nests axe often found containing newly-laid eggs
in the middle of July. Though the Red-wing does not usually nest in colonies like the Fieldfare,
still it seems to prefer the society of its larger and more powerful relation; for whenever a colony of
Fieldfares establish themselves, there, almost as surely, a pair of Red-wings will build their nest
close to them. In districts where trees abound, the Red-wing seems to show preference for the small