The Natural History of Selborne 419 



POULTRY. 



MANY creatures are endowed with a ready discernment to 

 see what will turn to their own advantage and emolument ; and 

 often discover more sagacity than could be expected. Thus 

 my neighbour's poultry watch for waggons loaded with wheat, 

 and running after them, pick up a number of grains which are 

 shaken from the sheaves by the agitation of the carriages. 

 Thus, when my brother used to take down his gun to shoot 

 sparrows, his cats would run out before him, to be ready to 

 catch up the birds as they fell. 



Trie earnest and early propensity of the gallinge to roost 

 on high is very observable, and discovers a strong dread 

 impressed on their spirits respecting vermin that may 

 annoy them on the ground during the hours of darkness. 

 Hence poultry, if left to themselves and not housed, will 

 perch the winter through on yew-trees and fir-trees; and 

 turkeys and guinea-fowls, heavy as they are, get up into 

 apple-trees ; pheasants also in woods sleep on trees to avoid 

 foxes ; while pea-fowls climb to the tops of the highest trees 

 round their owner's house for security, let the weather be ever 

 so cold or blowing. Partridges, it is true, roost on the 

 ground, not having the faculty of perching; but then the 

 same fear prevails in their minds : for, through apprehension 

 from pole-cats and stoats, they never trust themselves to 

 coverts, but nestle together in the midst of large fields, far 

 removed from hedges and coppices, which they love to haunt 

 in the day, and where at that season they can skulk more 

 secure from the ravages of rapacious birds. 



As to ducks and geese, their awkward splay web-feet forbid 

 them to settle on trees : they therefcre in the hours of dark- 

 ness and danger, betake themselves to their own element the 

 water, where amidst large lakes and pools, like ships riding 

 at anchor, they float the whole night long in peace and 

 security. WHITE. 



Guinea-fowls not only roost on high, but in hard weather 



