148 The Natural 'History of Selborne 



The song of the redstart is superior, though somewhat like 

 that of the white-throat ; some birds have a few more notes 

 than others. Sitting very placidly on the top of a tall tree in 

 a village, the cock sings from morning to night : he affects 

 neighbourhoods, and avoids solitude, and loves to build in 

 orchards and about houses ; with us he perches on the vane 

 of a tall maypole. 



The fly-catcher is of all our summer birds the most mute 

 and the most familiar ; it also appears the last of any. It 

 builds in a vine, or a sweetbrier, against the wall of a house, 

 or in the hole of a wall, or on the end of a beam or plate, and 

 often close to the post of a door where people are going in 

 and out all day long. This bird does not make the least 

 pretension to song, but uses a little inward wailing note when 

 it thinks its young in danger from cats or other annoyances ; 

 it breeds but once, and retires early. 



Selborne parish alone can and has exhibited at times more 

 than half the birds that are ever seen in all Sweden ; the former 

 has produced more than one hundred and twenty species, the 

 latter only two hundred and twenty-one. Let me add also 

 that it has shown near half the species that were ever known 

 in Great Britain.* 



On a retrospect, I observe that my long letter carries with 

 it a quaint and magisterial air, and is very sententious ; but 

 when I recollect that you requested stricture and anecdote, I 

 hope you will pardon the didactic manner for the sake of the 

 information it may happen to contain. 



* Sweden 221, Great Britain 252 species. [Many more are now known 

 ED.] 



