T'he Natural History of Selborne 203 



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 fugam se conjiciunt; ne earutn 

 unicam quidem inter nos habitantem invenire possimus; ut enim 

 cestate in australibus degere nequeunt ob defectum lutnbricorum, 

 terramque siccam; ita nee in frigidis ob eandem causani" says 

 Ekmarck 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 

 " Amrenitates Academicae," vol. iv., 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 marshy and boggy grounds), must in 

 winter forsake the more northerly parts of Europe, or perish 

 for want of food. 1 



I am glad you are making inquiries from Linnaeus concern- 

 ing 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." 



Faunists, as you observe, are too apt to acquiesce in bare 

 descriptions, and a few synonyms : the reason is plain ; 

 because all that may be done at home in a man's study, but 

 the investigation of the life and conversation of animals is a 



1 The question of food-supply has far more to do with the migrations of 

 birds than mere climate. ED. 



