352 OBSERVATIONS 



the wisdom of God in the creation as conspicuously 

 as the hird before mentioned. These birds were the 

 greater and lesser crested grebe (podiceps cristatus et 

 auritus.) What surprised me most was, that the first 

 of these birds was found alive on dry ground, about 

 seven miles from the sea, to which place there was 

 no communication by water. How did it get so far 

 from the sea, its wings and legs being so ill adapted 

 either to flying or walking ? The lesser crested grebe 

 was also found in a fresh water pond, which had no 

 communication with other water, at some miles dis- 

 tance from the sea. 



MARKWICK. 



STONE-CURLEW. On the 27th of February, 1788, 

 stone-curlews were heard to pipe; and on March 1st, 

 after it was dark, some were passing over the village, 

 as might be perceived by their quick short note, 

 which they use in their nocturnal excursions by way 

 of watch- word, that they may not stray and lose 

 their companions. 



Thus we see, that, retire whithersoever they may 

 in the winter, they return again early in the spring, 

 and are, as it now appears, the first summer birds 

 that come back. Perhaps the mildness of the season 

 may have quickened the emigration of the curlews 

 this year. 



They spend the day in high elevated fields and 

 sheep-walks ; but seem to descend, in the night, to 

 streams and meadows, perhaps for water, which their 

 upland haunts do not afford them. WHITE. 



On the 31st of January, 1792, I received a bird 

 of this species, which had been recently killed by 

 a neighbouring farmer, who said that he had fre- 

 quently seen it in his fields during the former part of 

 the winter : this perhaps was an occasional straggler, 



