OF SBLBOBNE. 20 



martins and red-wing fieldfares were flying in sight together ; 

 an uncommon assemblage of summer and winter-birds. 



A little yellow bird (it is either a species of the alauda 

 trivialis, or rather perhaps of the motacilla trochilus) still 

 continues to make a sibilous shivering noise in the tops of 

 tall woods. The stoparola of Ray (for which we have as yet 

 no name in these parts) is called, in your Zoology, the fly- 

 catcher. There is one circumstance characteristic of this 

 bird, which seems to have escaped observation, and that is, 

 that it takes it's stand on the top of some stake or post, from 

 whence it springs forth on it's prey, catching a fly in the air, 

 and hardly ever touching the ground, but returning still to 

 the same stand for many times together. 



I perceive there are more than one species of the motacilla 

 trochilus: Mr. Derham supposes, in Ray's Philos. Letters, 

 that he has discovered three. In these there is- again an 

 instance of some very common birds that have? as yet no 

 English name. 



Mr. Stillingfleet makes a question whether the black-cap 

 (motacilla atricapilla) be a bird" of passage or got : I think 

 there is no doubt of it : for, in April, in the very first fine 

 weather, they come trooping, all at once, into these parts, but 

 are never seen in the winter. They are delicate songsters. 



Numbers of snipes breed every summer in some moory 

 ground on the verge of this parish. It is very amusing to 

 see the cock bird on wing at that time, and to hear his 

 piping and humming notes. 



I have had no Opportunity yet of procuring any of those 

 mice which I mentioned to you in town. The person that 

 brought me the last says they are plenty in harvest, at which 

 time I will take care to get more ; and will endeavour to 



swallows have again disappeared. 28th. The swallows have entirely 

 vanished. It is probable that the swallows which thus reappeared after 

 more than a fortnight's absence, being young, and consequently with com- 

 paratively less powers of flight, were driven back from the coast by the 

 tempestuous winds from the southward, which have prevailed for nearly 

 that period, and that they returned to make a more successful attempt at 

 migration on the occurrence of more tranquil weather." T. B.] 



