46 The Natural History of Selborne 



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Mr. Stillingflcet makes a question whether the black-cap 

 (motacilla atricapilla) be a bird of passage or not : I think 

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

 [marshy] 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 1 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 put the 

 matter out of doubt whether it be a nondescript species or not. 



I suspect much there may be two species of water-rats. 

 Ray says, and Linnaeus after him, that the water-rat is web- 

 footed behind. Now I have discovered a rat on the banks 

 of our little stream that is not web-footed, and yet is an 

 excellent swimmer and diver : it answers exactly to the mus 

 amphibius of Linnaeus (see Syst. Nat.) which he says " natat 

 in fossis et urinatur" I should be glad to procure one 

 " plantis palmatis" Linnaeus seems to be in a puzzle about 



1 Harvest-mice. ED. 



