STRANGE BIRDS.
[To THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR."] SIR,—I have read with much interest the correspondence on strange birds in the Spectator, and I saw early in June two birds which puzzled me. They were about the size of a missel-thrush, but a much lighter colour and thicker shape, and moved deliberately when on the ground—not the quick running movement of the thrush. The colour was tawny, almost cinna- mon, and when flying the colour strikes one at once. The second or third time I saw the birds I was able to approach quite near to them—they appeared not to mind, and continued to feed beneath a pine tree—I supposed on pine seeds. I had no field-glasses, unfortunately. This was in Surrey, in a fairly open pine wood. I am now in Suffolk in a town, the house looking over a large park with a road inter- vening. Yesterday and again this morning I have seen the same birds coming from the park trees into mountain ash in this garden—apparently not disturbed by the motor and other traffic passing up and down the road. In flying away one sees at once that in colour and in shape the bird is not a missel- [The evidence accumulates that these birds are American robins which are of the thrush family.—En. Spectator.]
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