170 



THE NATURAL HISTORY 



[LETT. 



but rejected the common mice ; and that his cats ate the 

 common mice, refusing the red. 



Eedbreasts sing all through the spring, summer, and autumn. 

 The reason that they are called autumn songsters is, because in 

 the two first seasons their voices are drowned and lost in the 

 general chorus ; in the latter their song becomes distinguishable. 

 Many songsters of the autumn seem to be the young cock red- 

 breasts of that year: notwithstanding the prejudices in their 

 favour, they do much mischief in gardens to the summer-fruits. 

 They eat also the berries of the ivy, the honeysuckle, and the 

 Euonymus Ev/ropwus, or spindle-tree. 



The titmouse, which early in February begins to make 

 two quaint notes, like the whetting of a saw, is the marsh 



LONG-TAILED TITMOUSE S EGO. 



HOBIX REDBREASTS BOG. 



titmouse ; the great titmouse sings with three cheerful joyous 

 notes, and begins about the same time. 



Wrens sings all the winter through, frost excepted. 



House-martins came remarkably late this year both in Hamp- 

 shire and Devonshire. Is this circumstance for or against either 

 hiding or migration ? 



Most birds drink sipping at intervals; but pigeons take a 

 long-continued draught, like quadrupeds. 



Notwithstanding what I have said in a former letter, no 

 gray crows were ever known to breed on Dartmoor: it was 

 my mistake. 



The appearance and flying of the Scarabccits solstitialis, or 

 feruchafer, commence with the month of July, and cease about 

 the end of it. These scarabs are the constant food of capri- 

 mulgi, or fern-owls, through that period. They abound on 

 the chalky downs, and in some sandy districts, but not in 

 the clays. 



