OF SELBORNE. 189 



keys, in Gr flat, or F sharp, in B flat and A flat. He heard 

 two hooting to each other, the one in A flat, and the other in 

 B flat. Query: Do these different notes proceed from dif- 

 ferent species, or only from various individuals ? The same 

 person finds upon trial that the note of the cuckoo (of which 

 we have but one species) varies in different individuals ; for, 

 about Selborne wood, he found they were mostly in D : he 

 heard two sing together, the one in D, the other in D sharp, 

 who made a disagreeable concert : he afterwards heard one 

 in D sharp, and about Wolmer-forest some in C. As to 

 nightingales, he says that their notes are so short, and their 

 transitions so rapid, that he cannot well ascertain their key. 

 Perhaps in a cage, and in a room, their notes may be more 

 distinguishable. This person has tried to settle the notes of a 

 swift, and of several other small birds, but cannot bring them 

 to any criterion. 



As I have often remarked that redwings are some of the 

 first birds that suffer with us in severe weather, it is no 

 wonder at all that they retreat from Scandinavian winters : 

 and much more the ordo of grallce, who, all to a bird, forsake 

 the northern parts of Europe at the approach of winter. 

 " Grallce tanquam conjuratce unanimiter in fug am se conjiciunt; 

 11 ne earum unicam quidem inter nos habitantem invenire possi- 

 11 mus ; ut enim cestate in amtralibus degere nequeunt ob defec- 

 " turn lumbricorum, terramque sic cam ; ita nee in frigidis ob 

 " eandem causam" says Eckmarck the Swede, in his ingenious 

 little treatise called Migrationes Avium, which by all means 

 you ought to read while your thoughts run on the subject of 

 migration. See Amcenitates Academicce, vol. 4, p. 565. 



Birds may be so circumstanced as to be obliged to migrate 

 in one country and not in another : but the grallce, (which 

 procure their food from marshes and boggy grounds) must in 

 winter forsake the more northerly parts of Europe, or perish 

 for want of food. 



I am glad you are making inquiries from Linnceus con- 

 cerning the woodcock : it is expected of him that he should 

 be able to account for the motions and manner of life of the 

 animals of his own Fauna. 



