124 HISTORY OE THE NIGHTIJ^GALE. Oft. 5, 



in the field, and, like all fcientlfic men, lazy enough, 

 and very fond of hypothefis, tell us that he is a bird of 

 paflage. If, fays the excellent judge Barrington, a bird 

 which is fuppoled to migrate, pafles almoft under tlie 

 nofe of a Linnean naturalift, he pays but little atten- 

 tion to it ; becaufe he cannot ex.imine the beak, by 

 which he is to ciafs the bird. Thus, I conceive, adds 

 he, that the fuppofition of the Nightingale being a bird 

 of paflage arifes from not readily diftinguifhing it wh^n 

 feen in a hedge, or on the wing. 



When I lived at Walcot, in the neighbourhood of 

 Bath, I was often convinced, as were feveral of my ac- 

 quaintance, that we obferved the Nightingales in win- 

 ter hopping about the hedges in that neighbourhood ; 

 but I cannot fay that I ever ,fliot any of them at that 

 feafon of the year, though I have heard the bird catch- 

 ers fay that they got them fometimes with other fmall 

 birds, during rigorous winters. Perhaps this hint may 

 induce people in the fouth-weft parts of England, 

 where Nightingales are common, to enquire in this 

 manner about their frequentation during the winter. 



Mr Barrington afTures us, that he was informed by 

 a perfon well acquainted with this bird, that he has 

 frequently obferved them during the M'inter ; and the 

 treatife entitled, Aidologtie, publiihed at Paris 1751J in- 

 forms us, that they have been frequently feen in France 

 during the fame feafon. 



Sir Robert Sibbald, in his natural hiftory, afTerts the 

 Nightingale to have been heard in Scotland. His pa- 

 triotifm may have fafcinated the good Dodlor's ear, or 

 he may have blundered like a good honeft Scot, who, 

 being joked by an Englilhman on the want of the fv/eet 

 Nightingale in Scotland, " Hoot awa maun,'"' faitl 

 Sawney, "have na wee the Nightingale, think ye, in 

 Scotland?" <'Have you faith," faid John, "pray what 

 kind of note has he ? Is it like our Nightingale's note ?'* 

 ** I diiina ken," faid Sawney, " as to that maun, but 



