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one in D, the other in D sharp, who made a disagreeable 

 concert : he afterwards heard one in D sharp, and about 

 Wolmer-forest some in C. As to nightingales, he says 

 that their notes are so short, and their transitions so rapid, 

 that he cannot well ascertain their key. Perhaps in a cage, 

 and in a room, their notes may be more distinguishable. 

 This person has tried to settle the notes of a swift, and of 

 several other small birds, but cannot bring them to any 

 criterion. 



As I have often remarked that redwings are some of 

 the first birds that suffer with us in severe weather, it is 

 no wonder at all that they retreat from Scandinavian 

 winters : and much more the ordo of grallae, who, all to a 

 bird, forsake the northern parts of Europe at the approach 

 of winter. " Grallae tanquam conjuratae unanimiter in fugam 

 se conjiciunt; ne earum unicam quidem inter nos hahitantem 

 invenire possimus ; ut enim aestate in austraUhus degere 

 nequeunt oh defectum lumhricorum, terramque siccam; ita nee in 

 frigidis oh eandem causam,'' says Eckmarck the Swede, in 

 his ingenious little treatise called Migrationes Avium, 

 which by all means you ought to read while your thoughts 

 run on the subject of migration. See Amoenitates 

 Academic ae, vol. 4, p. <^(i'^. 



Birds may be so circumstanced as to be obliged to migrate 

 in one country and not in another : but the grallae, (which 

 procure their food from marshes and boggy grounds) must 

 in winter forsake the more northerly parts of Europe, or 

 perish for want of food. 



I am glad you are making inquiries from Linnaeus con- 

 cerning the woodcock : it is expected of him that he should 

 be able to account for the motions and manner of life of 

 the animals of his own Fauna. 



Faunists, as you observe, are too apt to acquiesce in 

 bare descriptions, and a few synonyms : the reason is 

 plain ; because all that may be done at home in a man's 

 study, but the investigation of the life and conversation of 

 animals, is a concern of much more trouble and difficulty, 

 and is not to be attained but by the active and inquisitive, 

 and by those that reside much in the country. 



