LINNETS. 51 



the compliment, and expect to have my curiosity gratified by 

 your living much more to the north. 



For many years past, I have observed, that towards 

 Christmas vast flocks of chaffinches have appeared in the 

 fields many more, I used to think, than could be hatched 

 in any one neighbourhood. But, when I came to observe 

 them more narrowly, I was amazed to find that they seemed 

 to me to be almost all hens.* I communicated my suspicions 

 to some intelligent neighbours, who, after taking pains 

 about the matter, declared that they also thought them 

 mostly all females ; at least fifty to one. This extraordinary 

 occurrence brought to my mind the remark of Linnaeus, that 

 " before winter, all their hen chaffinches migrate through 

 Holland into Italy." Now, I want to know from some 

 curious person in the north, whether there are any large 

 flocks of these finches with them in the winter, and of 

 which sex they mostly consist ? For, from such intelligence 

 one might be able to judge whether our female flocks 

 migrate from the other end of the island, or whether they 

 come over to us from the continent. 



We have, in the winter, vast flocks of the common linnets, 

 more, I think, than can be bred in any one district. These, 

 I observe, when the spring advances, assemble on some tree 

 in the sunshine, and join all in a gentle sort of chirping, as 

 if they were about to break up their winter quarters, and 

 betake themselves to their proper summer homes. It is well 

 known, at least, that the swallows and the fieldfares do con- 

 gregate with a gentle twittering before they make their 

 respective departures. 



You may depend on it that the bunting, emberiza miliaria, 

 does not leave this country in the winter. In January, 

 1767, I saw several dozens of them, in the midst of a severe 

 frost, among the bushes on the downs near Andover : in our 

 woodland enclosed districts it is a rare bird.f 



* Cock chaffinches are found all the year through, although they probahly 

 make partial migrations. One is now feeding (January 5th) before my window, 

 and as a boy I have constantly taken them when out batfowling. ED. 



{* Sir W. Jardine says, that, a proportion of the common buntings do 

 not migrate ; but we certainly receive a considerable number at the great 

 general migration, at the commencement of winter, most probably from 

 Sweden and Norway. They generally breed and frequent unenclosed countries, 

 and assemble in flocks during winter. Eo, 



B2 



