OF N A T U R E. ,07 



of lakes amongft the reeds and ruflies •, from 

 whence by the wonderfull appointment of na- 

 ture they come forth again. The periflaltic 

 motion of the bowels ceafes in all thefe ani- 

 mals, while they are obliged to fad, whence 

 the appetite is diminifhed, and ib they fuffer 

 lefs from hunger. To this head may be re- 

 ferred the obfervation of the celebrated Lifcer 

 concerning thofe animals ; that their blood, 

 when let into a bafon, does not coagulate, as 

 that of all other animals, and fo is no lefs fit 

 for circulation than before. 



The moor-fowls work themfelves out walks 

 under the very fnow. They moult in the fum- 

 mer, fo that about the month of Auguft they 



appear. He quotes a paffage from that author concerning 

 the appearance of a vail number of kites at the mouth of 

 the Bofphorus, but this happened at the latter end of May, 

 and feems to prove nothing ; for the time marked for their 

 appearance by Ciilinpus, who obferved near the Hellcfpont, 

 is the month of March. WiiUighby fiiys that kites are fup- 

 pofed to be birds of pafia^e, and then quotes from Bcllo- 

 nius the place abovementioned. 



From what has been faid it appears evident, tliat nothing 

 certain is known by the moderns about the difappearance 

 of thefe remarkable birds, yet their coming was regularly 

 noted by the antient writers, and coincided with that of 

 fvvallows, as appears by the old calendars of Geminus, 

 and Ptolemy from the obfcrvations of Eudoxuf, Eudlemous, 

 Calippus, and Dof.iheus. 



can- 



