This bird is in size between the two preceding, its length being ten inches, of which the tail occupies four. The beak is an inch long, blackish at the point, otherwise yellow, as well as the opening of the throat and the tongue. The iris is dark brown. The shanks, an inch and a quarter high, are deep brown; the top of the head and neck, the cheeks, the bottom of the back, and the rump, are ash gray, with some blackish spots at the top of the head; a white line passes above the eyes; the back is rust brown; the throat and half the breast are rusty yellow, strewed with black heart-shaped spots; the rest of the under part of the body is white, with blackish heart-shaped spots on the sides, and longer ones towards the vent and tail. In the female the upper part of the beak is browner, the head and rump of a paler gray, the throat whitish, the back dingy rust colour, and the feet deep brown. Of this species there are many varieties, the white, the spotted, the white headed, and the like. HABITATION.--When wild this species spreads not only all over Europe, but also over Syria and Siberia. In the summer it remains in the northern regions, where it builds in pine forests. It arrives in Germany and England in prodigious flights in November, and passes the winter in places producing the juniper; its return northward takes place in the first fine days of spring. In confinement it is treated like the missel thrush, but it is generally only kept as a decoy bird. Heat being injurious, it is kept as far as possible from the stove. FOOD.--When wild it feeds like the two preceding species. In confinement it is fed in the same way; raw carrots grated with bread is added, which the others like also. MODE OF TAKING.--The same as in the two preceding species. ATTRACTIVE QUALITIES.--Its song is a mere harsh disagreeable warble. I should not have introduced it among cage birds if the lovers of bird-catching did not in winter require its call when pursuing its species. THE REDWING. [Illustration] Turdus iliacus, LINNÆUS; Le Mauvis, BUFFON; Die Rothdrossel, BECHSTEIN. This species is smaller than the song thrush, and has much resemblance to the fieldfare. Its length is eight inches, of which the tail occupies three and a quarter. The beak is nearly an inch long, blackish, and yellow only at the base and angles of the lower mandible; the iris is nut-brown. The shanks are an inch high, and light gray; the feet are yellow; the head, the upper part of the neck, the back, the rump, and the small coverts of the wings, are olive brown. The plumage is more brilliant than that of other thrushes, and the orange-hue under the wings, which has procured it the name of the redwing thrush, will always sufficiently distinguish this from those of the same genus.