The Natural History of Selborne 55 



<Sdk-tail 



great flocks of them, feeding on haws, appeared in this 

 kingdom in the winter of I685- 1 



The mention of haws puts me in mind that there is a total 

 failure of that wild fruit, so conducive to the support of many 

 of the winged nation. For the same severe weather, late in 

 the spring, which cut off all the produce of the more tender 

 and curious trees, destroyed also that of the more hardy 

 and common. 



Some birds, haunting with the missel-thrushes, and feeding 

 on the berries of the yew tree, which answered to the descrip- 

 tion of the merula torquata, or ring-ouzel, were lately seen in 

 this neighbourhood. I employed some people to procure me 

 a specimen, but without success. (See Letter XX.) 



Query. Might not canary birds be naturalised to this 

 climate, provided their eggs were put, in the spring, into 

 the nests of some of their congeners, as goldfinches, green- 

 finches, &c. ? Before winter perhaps they might be hardened, 

 and able to shift for themselves. 



About ten years ago I used to spend some weeks yearly at 



1 The Bohemian wax-wing, an occasional visitor to England, appears at 

 long intervals in considerable numbers. ED. 



