. The sportsman's British bird book . st is of the usual thrush-type ; but the mud or clay withwhich it is strengthened is confined to the outer portion, the interiorbeing entirely formed of fine grass-bents, and thus very unlike themud-cup of that of the thrush. The nest may be placed in almostany position within a short distance of the ground—sometimes on theground itself—and the well-known greenish-blue eggs, thickly speckledwith chestnut of variable shades, are laid very early in the spring, andthe young hatched towards the end of March or early in April. Fromfour to six eggs go to a clutc
. The sportsman's British bird book . st is of the usual thrush-type ; but the mud or clay withwhich it is strengthened is confined to the outer portion, the interiorbeing entirely formed of fine grass-bents, and thus very unlike themud-cup of that of the thrush. The nest may be placed in almostany position within a short distance of the ground—sometimes on theground itself—and the well-known greenish-blue eggs, thickly speckledwith chestnut of variable shades, are laid very early in the spring, andthe young hatched towards the end of March or early in April. Fromfour to six eggs go to a clutch ; and, at least, two broods are reared ina season. Occasionally spotless eggs are seen ; and there arc othersin which the chestnut markings are concentrated in a central zone, or RING-OUZEL 459 aggregated at the larger end. Neither are abnormaHties in the colourof the plumage at all uncommon ; pied, pale whity-brown, and purewhite blackbirds being exhibited in the Natural History branch of theBritish Museum at South Rinff-Ouzel ^^^ ring-ouzel holds somewhat the same position in(Tupdus ^^^ blackbird group as is occupied by the redwing topquatus) ^^^ fieldfare among the spotted thrushes. Whereas,however, the two latter birds seek British hospitalityfor the winter, the ring-ouzel is chiefly a spring-visitor to our islands,remaining in some districts to breed, but in other cases passing farthersouth to reappear for a short stay in autumn. On the other hand,there appears to be satisfactory evidence to show that in some districts,as in parts of Dorset-shire and Hereford-shire, as well as inScotland, a certainnumber of ring-ouzelsremain with us, eitheroccasionally or per-manentl}, throughoutthe year, while a fewsometimes make theirappearance only in the winter. Hilly districts, such as the South Downs in the south-east of England, form the exclusive resorts of these handsome black-birds, whose range includes the whole of the United Kingdom, althoughin the Shetlands
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Keywords: ., bookauthorlydekkerrichard184919, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900
