■ 98 n a t u r a l h i s t o r y
The common wild-pigeon,' or flock-dove, is a bird of paflage
in the fouth of England, feldom appearing till towards the end of
November; is ufually the lateft winter-bird of paflage. Before our
beechen woods were fo much deftroyed we had myriads of them,
reaching in firings for a mile together as they went out in a
morning to feed, Theyleave us early in fpring; where do
they breed ? ■' ~
The people of Hampjbire and Sufex call the miffel-bird” the
ftorm-cock, becaufe it fings early in the fpring in blowing
lhowery weather; it’s fong often commences with the year : with
us it builds much in orchards.
A gentleman allures me he has taken the nefts of ring-oufels *
Dartmoor • they build in banks on the lides of Streams *
Titlarks r not only fing fweetly as they fit on trees, but alfo as
they play and toy about on the wing; and particularly while they
are defeending, and fometimes as they ftand on the ground.
Mmfons * tcfiimony feems to roe to be a very poor evidence
that European fwallows migrate during ouj winter to Senegal: he
does not talk at all like an ornithologift; and probably faty only
the fwallows of that country, which I know build within Governor
O’Hara’s hall againft the roof. Had he known Europem fwallows,..
would he not have mentioned the fpecies ?
The houfe-fwallow walhes by dropping into the water as .it flies.;-,
this fpecies appears commonly about a week before the houfi-martitiy
and about ten or twelve days before the fwift.
In 177a there were young houfe-martinsa in their neft till October
the twenty-third.
t p, 216. " p . « +. . * p - « 9 - r Vol. i , p 2 3 7-'
*a44. The
O F S E L B O R N E . 9 9
The Jwlffi appears about ten or twelve days later than the hov.fi-
fwallow: viz. about the twenty-fourth or twenty-fixth of April.
■ Whin-chats and Jlone-chattersc ftay with us the whole year.
Some wheat-ears'5 continue with us the winter through.
Wagtails, all forts, remain with us all the winter.
Bulfinches,e when fed on hempfeed, often become wholly
black.
We have vaft flocks of female chaffinchesf all the winter, with
hardly any males among them.
When you fay that in breeding-time the cock-fnipes & make a
bleating noife, and I a drumming (perhaps I (hould have rather
faid an humming), I fufpedt we mean the fame .thing. However,
while they are playing about on the wing they certainly make a
loud piping with their mouths : but whether that bleating or
humming is ventriloquous, or proceeds from the motion of their
wings, I cannot fay; but this I know, that when this noife'liap-
pens the bird is always defeending, and his wings are violently
agitated.
Soon after the lapwingsh have done breeding they congregate,
and, leaving the moors and marlhes, betake themfelves to downs
and flieep-walks.
Two years ago5 laft fpring the little auk was found alive and
unhurt, but fluttering and unable to rife, in a lane a few miles
from Alresford, where there is a great lake: it was kept awhile,
but died.
1 faw young tealsk taken alive in the ponds. of Wolmer-forejl in
the. beginning of July laft, along with flappers, or young wild-
ducks.
* 145. c «70.471. 11 4®9. * 3°a. ' 306. E 3jS.
>> 360. 1 409. k 475- c 1 •
O 2 S p e a k in g
m
ifjfl