108 NATURAL HISTORY 
common, for some were seen at the usual hill on 
the fourth of this month. 
An observing Devonshire gentleman tells me 
that they frequent some parts of Dartmoor, and 
build their nests there, but Jeave those haunts about 
the end of September or beginning of October, and 
return again about the end of March. 
Another intelligent person assures me that they 
are found in great abundance all over the Peak of 
Derby, and are called there torousels, withdraw in 
October and November, and return in spring. This 
information seems to throw some lignt on my new 
migration. 
Scopoli’s new work* (which I have just pro- 
cured) has its merits, in ascertaining many of the 
birds of the Tyrol and Carniola. Monographers, 
come from whence they may, have, I think, fair pre- 
tence to challenge some regard and approbation 
from the lovers of natural history; for, as no man 
can alone investigate all the works of nature, these | 
partial writers may, each in their department, be 
more accurate in their discoveries, and freer from 
errors, than more general writers, and so, by de- 
grees, may pave the way to a universal correct nat- 
ural history. Not that Scopoli is so circumstan- 
tial and attentive to the life and conversation of his 
birds as I could wish: he advances some false facts, 
as when he says of the hirundo urbica that “ pullos 
extra nidum non nutrit.”+ This assertion | know 
to be wrong, from repeated observation this sum- 
mer; for house-martins do feed their young flying, 
* Annus Primus Historico- Naturalis. 
t “The house-martm does not feed its young cif the 
nest,” 
