1 26 OF INSTINCT. Sect. XVI. 12.3: 



Quails (tctrao coturnix, Lin.) are birds of pafiage from the 

 coaft of Barbary to Italy, and have frequently fettled in large 

 fhoals on (hips fatigued with their flight. (Ray, Wifdom of 

 God, p. 1 29. Derham Phyfic. Theol. v. ii. p. 178.) Dr. Ruf- 

 fel, in his hiftory of Aleppo, obferves that the fwallows vifit that 

 country about the end of February, and having hatched their 

 young difappear about the end of July ; and returning again 

 about the beginning of October, continue about a fortnight, and 

 then again difappear. (P. 70.) 



When my late friend Dr. Chambres of Derby was on the 

 ifland of Caprea in the bay of Naples, he was informed that great 

 flights of quails annually fettle on that ifland about the begin- 

 ning of May, in their pafTage from Africa to Europe. And that 

 they always come when the fouth-eaft wind blows, are fatigued 

 when they reft on this ifland, and are taken in fuch amazing 

 quantities and fold to the Continent, that the inhabitants pay 

 the bifhop his ftipend out of the profits arifing from the fale of 

 them. 



The flights of thefe birds acrofs the Mediterranean are record- 

 ed near three thoufand years ago. " There went forth a wind 

 from the Lord and brought quails from the fea, and let them fall 

 upon the camp, a day's journey round about it, and they were 

 two cubits above the earth," (Numbers, chap. ii. ver. 31.) 



In our country, Mr. Pennant informs us, that fome quails 

 migrate, and others only remove from the internal parts of the 

 ifland to the coafts, (Zoology, octavo, 210.) Some of the ring- 

 doves and ftares breed here, others migrate, (ibid. 510, 511.) 

 And the flender billed fmall birds do not all quit thefe kingdoms 

 in the winter, though the difficulty of procuring the worms and 

 infects, that they feed on, fupplies the fame reafon for migra- 

 tion to them all, (ibid. 511.) 



Linnams has obferved, that in Sweden the female chaffinches 

 quit that country in September, migrating into Holland, and 

 leave their mates behind till their return in fpring. Hence he 

 has called them Fringilla caslebs, (Amam. Acad. ii. 42. iv. 595-) 

 Now in our climate both fexes of them arc perennial birds. And 

 Mr. Pennant obferves that the hoopoe, chatterer, hawfinch, and 

 crofs-bill, migrate into England fo rarely, and at fuch uncertain 

 times, as not to deferve to be ranked among our birds of paf- 

 fage, (Zool. 8vo. 511.) 



The water fowl, as geefe and ducks, are better adapted for 

 long migrations, than the other tribes of birds, as, when the 

 weather is calm, they can not only reft themfelves, or fleep upon 

 the ocean, but poflibly procure fome kind of food from it. 



Hence in Siberia., as focn as the lakes are frozen, the water 



fowl, 



