XXVII.] 



OF SELBORNE. 



89 



Birds that sing as they fly are but few : 



Skylark, 

 Titlark, 



Woodlark, 

 Blackbird, 

 White-throat, 



Swallow, 

 Wren, 



RAII NOMINA. 



Alauda vulgaris: 

 Alauda pratorum : 



Alauda arborea : 

 Merula : 

 Ficedula affinis : 



Hirundo domestica: 

 Passer troglodytes: 



Rising, suspended, and falling. 

 f In its descent ; also sitting OH 

 < trees, and walking on the 

 ( ground. 



( Suspended ; in hot summer nights 

 ( all night long. 



Sometimes from bush to bush. 



Uses when singing on the wing 

 odd jerks and gesticulations. 



In soft sunny weather. 



Sometimes from bush to bush. 



Birds that breed most early in these parts : 



Raven, 



Song-thrush, 



Blackbird, 



Book, 



Woodlark, 



Ring-dove, 



Corvus : 



Turdus : 



Merula : 



Comix frugileya : 



Alauda arborea: 

 ( Paliimbm torqva- 

 \ tus: 



Hatches in February and March. 



In March. 



Ditto. 



Builds the beginning of March. 



Hatches in April. 



Lays the beginning of April. 



All birds that continue in full song till after Midsummer 

 appear to me to breed more than once. 



Most kinds of birds seem to me to be wild and shy somewhat 

 in proportion to their bulk ; I mean in this island, where they are 

 much pursued and annoyed : but in Ascension Island, and many 

 other desolate places, mariners have found fowls so unacquainted 

 with a human figure, that they would stand still to be taken ; 

 as is the case with boobies, &c. As au example of what is 

 advanced, I remark that the golden-crested wren (the smallest 

 British bird) will stand unconcerned till you come within three 

 or four yards of it, while the bustard (olis), the largest British 

 land fowl, does not care to admit a person within so many 

 furlongs. 



SELBORNE, Nov. 2, 1769. 



VOL. I. 



