a distance from land ; but notices of their appearance should be 

 received with caution, as they may come from persons who do not 

 know the various species sufficiently. Supposing the Starling 

 has two broods in the year, unless a great portion of them do 

 migrate and do not return to this country, they would increase 

 in numbers far more than they do. In autumn, when in large 

 flocks, and they fly about in their singular manner, may they 

 not be preparing for a long flight ? They often fly and wheel 

 about for a considerable time in the evening before settling to 

 rest, and at that season there certainly appear to be in places 

 many more than when they return to their breeding places in 

 the early spring, even taking into consideration that they are 

 then more scattered about. In the autumn most water birds get 

 very fat ; this seems to be a provision of nature to enable them 

 to withstand the cold and scarcity of food in case of severe wea- 

 ther. Nature has probably given birds the power of knowing 

 when a severe storm is approaching. How few birds, both in 

 numbers and species, particularly land birds, are to be seen after 

 a long continuance of hard weather early in winter. In open 

 winters like the past some birds, as the Peewit, are never totally 

 absent ; but when a severe and general storm comes early and 

 lasts a long time, do such birds not leave the country entirely, 

 but return immediately on the weather becoming mild? Many 

 species probably migrate backwards and forwards as they can 

 procure food, as the Grey Geese, Teal, Plovers, and others. As to 

 their being able to fly long distances in a very short space of time 

 there cannot be any doubt. I think hard weather presses birds 

 most when it has not been very severe during early winter, so 

 as to drive them away ; but about February, when a great por- 

 tion of their autumnal condition is lost, if they are then caught 

 by a severe storm they seem not to be inclined to leave the 

 country, or probably wait on, expecting mild weather till they 

 are too weak to get away, and sometimes get very much reduced, 

 and perhaps perish, but Nature has taken care generally to have 

 sufficient of each species in different localities to make up for all 

 casualties. For instance, if it were possible for all the birds of 

 the most of the species we have in some particular tract of coun- 



