OBSERVATIONS ON BIRDS. 



BIRDS IN GENERAL. 



IN severe weather, fieldfares, redwings, sky-larks, 

 and tit-larks, resort to watered meadows for food ; 

 the latter wades up to its belly in pursuit of the pupae 

 of insects, and runs along upon the floating grass and 

 weeds. Many gnats are on the snow near the water : 

 these support the birds in part. 



Birds are much influenced in their choice of food 

 by colour * ; for though white currants are much 

 sweeter fruit than red, yet they seldom touch the 

 former till they have devoured every branch of the 

 latter. 



Redstarts, fly-catchers, and black-caps, arrive 

 early in April. If these little delicate beings are 



* Mr. White has remarked, page 51, " that food has great 

 influence on the colour of animals." The dark colour in wild 

 birds is a great safeguard to them against their enemies ; and 

 this is the reason, that, among birds of bright plumage, the 

 young do not assume their gay colours till the second or third 

 year, as the cygnet, the gold and silver pheasants, &c. The 

 remarkable change of plumage among the gull tribe, is a curious 

 and intricate subject. Is the circumstance mentioned by Mr. 

 Pegge true, " that butterflies partake the colour of the flowers 

 they feed on ?" I think not. See Anonymiani, p. 469. 



MITFORD. 



