? 4 108. . 
THE BEE, 
OR 
LITERARY WEEKLY INTELLIGENCER, 
WepNespay, DeceMBER 26. 1792. 
LETTER FROM ARCTICUS. 
“ON THE NIGHTINGALE AND OTHER BIRDS IN RUSSIA. 
“Sir, To the Editor of the Bee. 
T rake up the pen at present to answer some que- 
‘ries in a paper on the nightingale, (Bee, vol. y. 
p. 122,) by your ingenious and learned correspon- 
dent Albanicus. 
Albanicus, in the letter alluded to, mentions the 
following report, of Peter the Great “ having, at 
considerable expence, introduced various singing 
birds into his gardens at Mescow and St Peters~ 
burg.” 
That, I presume, with the ingenious writer is a 
mistake, for the following reasons: 
ist, There are no species of singing birds which 
winter with us, when at liberty to choose their quar- 
ters: nor indeed could their tender frame be able to 
resist the severity of the climate, if accidentally left 
behind ;—in that case they must enher perifh, or 
contract such a rheum, as would spoil their music on 
the return of spring. 
VOL, Xil, Qe t 
