126 Mr. Markwicr’s Obfervations 
flies and other {mall infects to come forth, brings thefe birds to 
feed onthem. But whether they come out from their hiding places, 
as the infects do, or whether they come from far diftant countries, 
is a queftion not yet determined by naturalifts. Probably the life 
of infects is terminated with the fummer, and the infects of the 
following year are produced from eggs, which are hatched by the 
warmth of the fpring: but no naturalift ever afferted that this was 
the cafe with birds. Their life is certainly prolonged from year 
to year; but how they difpofe of themfelves during the winter, is 
the queftion. I never faw thefe birds in the winter, the earlieft of 
my feeing any of them being on the 13th of March, when I faw the 
W heat Ear. 
Mufcicapa Grifola—/Ze Fly Catcher. Mot.. Atricapilla—Black Cap. 
and Mot. Rubetra—Whin Char. 
Thefe birds appear fomewhat later than the foregoing, but I 
never faw any of them in the winter. 
I will here beg leave to mention a few particulars refpecting 
other birds which have engaged my notice : the white Water-wag- 
tail, the grey Water-wagtail, and the yellow Water-wagtail. 
How the Water-wagtails difpofe of themfelves in the winter, is 
the moft difficult to account for of any birds I know; for though 
the generality of them difappear in the autumn, yet "ho are often 
feen in the middle of winter. If there happens to be a fine day, and 
the fun fhines bright, thefe birds are fure to make their appearance, 
chirping brifkly, and feemingly delighted with the fine weather: 
^ whereas, perhaps, they had not been feen for three weeks or a 
month before. In fhort they are never feen in winter but on a fine 
day. Where do they come from? Certainly not from a far diftant 
country ; there not being time for a very long journey in the 
fpace 
