HABITS OF BIRDS. 241 



ladies and other gentle beings ; and geology for the stout- 

 hearted rough-shod gentlemen who do not choose to stick 

 beetles on pieces of cork, or fumble among piles of paper for 

 dry blades. For my part, I have tried them all, but the study 

 of Birds and Quadrupeds, with the aid of powder and shot, is 

 that which I prefer ; and I know few occupations more de- 

 lightful than that of poring over the entrails of a rare bird until 

 you have satisfied yourself as to some minute point of structure. 



De gustibus nil, as the saying is. Let us go on. It is a 

 lovely day. The few remaining leaves of the poplars have as- 

 sumed a bright yellow tint, and the red foliage of the beeches 

 rustles like a corn-field in an autumnal breeze. Few flowers 

 are now to be seen. 



Not many : there is the purple knapweed ; the w^hite dead- 

 nettle by the hedge ; the ragwort in the field ; plenty of wild 

 mint, chick weed, and groundsel among the stubble. Were 

 it summer, we should find several beautiful plants on these 

 clinkstone rocks ; the delicate Dianthus deltoides, the glowing 

 Lychnis viscaria, the rare Potentilla argentea. This is Black- 

 ford Hill, which they are fast demolishing for road-metal. The 

 hills on the other side are of clay stone. 



What bird is that in the field I It stands, runs forward, 

 hops a little way, stops, falls a picking at the ground, swallows 

 something, stands again, and hops along. There are several. 

 One utters a hoarse scream, and they are all off. 



By your description I should readily know the birds. They 

 are Missel Thrushes, the largest of the family. They too, you 

 observe, have a peculiar flight, somew^hat like that of a Spar- 

 row-Hawk, but with intermissions of the beats of the wing at 

 regular intervals. They are shy enough now% but very bold in 

 the breeding season, so as to drive oft' the prowling ^lagpie, 

 and even attack the smaller birds of prey. See, far off in the 

 field, a flock of birds, darker, but having similar habits. They 

 are Fieldfares, winter visitants, which appear in flocks about 

 the end of October, and leave us in April or May. Such birds 

 are termed migratory, and w^e have some that arrive in spring, 

 breed here, and return southward in autumn, as the Wheatear, 

 Corn Crake, Cuckoo, and Quail ; and some that spend the winter 



