THE WHEATEAR. 5 



the squire, in supplying his Majesty's table with 

 these delicacies, may have had something to do 

 with the creation of the baronetcy. 



The abundance of Wheatears at certain 

 seasons on the Hampshire downs was noticed 

 by Gilbert White in a letter to the Hon. Daines 

 Barrington in Dec. 1773. Since this excellent 

 naturalist penned his observations, however, 

 many changes in the haunts and habits of birds 

 have been remarked. For example, the Haw- 

 finch, which he referred to as " rarely seen in 

 England, and only in winter," is now found to 

 be resident throughout the year, and nesting 

 even in the proximity of London and other 

 large cities. The Landrail, which he noted as 

 " a bird so rare in this district that we seldom 

 see more than one or two in a season, and those 

 only in autumn," is now so plentiful in the same 

 neighbourhood that I have shot as many as 

 half a dozen in one day in September, within 

 a few miles of Selborne. The Common 

 Bunting, which in 1 768 was considered to be a 

 " rare bird " in the district referred to, may now 



