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 birds of passage 

 (as we have reason to suppose they are, because they are 

 never seen in winter), how could they, feeble as they seem, 

 bear up against such storms of snow and rain, and make 

 their way, through such meteorous turbulence, as one should 

 suppose would embarrass and retard the most hardy and 

 resolute of the winged nation ? Yet they keep their ap- 

 pointed times and seasons ; and, in spite of frosts and winds, 

 return to their stations periodically, as if they had met with 

 nothing to obstruct them. The withdrawing and appearance 



* 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. 



