in H arris, one of tire Hebrides, where he had observed it in
the preceding summer.”
Monsieur Vieillot, the well-known French naturalist, says
the Redwing builds in trees in the environs of Dantzick.
In Sweden, M. Nilsson states that this bird breeds in
moist woods in June, and that the eggs are six in number,
blue, spotted with black. In Norway, Mr. Hewitson remarks
that “ the Redwing was but seldom seen, and then
perched upon the summit of one of the highest trees, pouring
forth its delightfully wild note. It wras always very shy,
and upon seeing our approach would drop suddenly from its
height and disappear amongst the underwood. Its nest,
which we twice found with young ones, (although our unceasing
endeavours to obtain its eggs were fruitless,) was
similar to that of the Fieldfare, but nearer the ground.
“ The Redwing is called the Nightingale of Norway ; and •
well it deserves the name.”
Linneus, several times in his Tour in Lapland, notices the
song of the Redwing, “ whose amorous warblings from the
top of the spruce fir were delightful. Its high and varied
notes rival those of the Nightingale herself.”
During summer the Redwing advances even farther north
than the Fieldfare, visiting the Faroe Islands and Iceland;
it is found also in Russia; but it leaves these northern
countries as winter approaches, and extends its migration
over central Europe, including this country and the whole
of Ireland, visiting Spain, Provence and Italy, and, as has
already been mentioned, was seen by Mr. Strickland at
Smyrna.
The beak is brownish black, except at the base of the
under mandible, where it is pale yellow brown ; the top of
the head, the upper surface of the neck, the back, rump,
upper tail-coverts and tail-feathers, uniform clove-brown;
wing-feathers a shade darker, but with lighter-coloured external
edges : from the beak to the eye, and the ear-coverts,
clove brown ; over the eye a streak of pale wood-brown ; the
irides hazel: the chin, throat, belly, vent-feathers, and under
tail-coverts, dull white; sides of the neck, upper part of the
breast, and the flanks, dull white, tinged with wood-brown,
and streaked longitudinally with clove-brown ; under surface
of the great wing and tail-feathers ash-grey; sides of the
body, under wing-coverts, and axillary feathers, bright reddish
orange, from which peculiarity the bird has derived its
name : legs pale brown ; toes and curved claws darker brown.
The whole length of the Redwing is about eight inches
and three-quarters. The wing from the carpal joint to the
end of the longest primary measures four inches and three-
eighths : the first feather very short; the second equal
in length to the fifth; the third and fourth also equal in
length, and the longest in the wing.
The plumage of the female Redwing is less bright than
that of the male.
White and cream-coloured varieties of this bird have been
obtained.
The outline vignette below represents the form of the
breastbone of the Common Dipper, genus Cinclus.