144 The Natural History of Selborne 



the common mice ; and that his cats ate the common mice, refusing 

 the red. 



Red-breasts sing all through the spring, summer, and autumn. 

 The reason that they are called autumn songsters is, because in 

 the two first seasons their voices are drowned and lost in the 

 general chorus ; in the latter their song becomes distinguishable. 

 Many songsters of the autumn seem to be the young cock 

 red-breasts of that year : notwithstanding the prejudices in 

 their favour, they do much mischief in gardens to the summer- 

 fruits.* 



The titmouse, which early in February begins to make two quaint 

 notes, like the whetting of a saw, is the marsh titmouse : the great 

 titmouse sings with three cheerful joyous notes, and begins about 

 the same time. 



Wrens sing all the winter through, frost excepted. 



House-martins came remarkably late this year both in Hampshire 

 and Devonshire : is this circumstance for or against either hiding or 

 migration ? 



Most birds drink sipping at intervals ; but pigeons take a long 

 continued draught, like quadrupeds. 



Notwithstanding what I have said in a former letter, no grey 

 crows were ever known to breed on Dartmoor ; it was my 

 mistake. 



The appearance and flying of the Scarabxus solstitialis^ or fern- 

 chafer, commence with the month of July, and cease about the end 

 of it. These scarabs are the constant food of Caprimulgi, or fern- 

 owls, through that period. They abound on the chalky downs and 

 in some sandy districts, but not in the clays. 



In the garden of the Black Bear inn in the town of Reading is a 

 stream or canal running under the stables and out into the fields 

 on the other side of the road : in this water are many carps, 

 which lie rolling about in sight, being fed by travellers, who amuse 

 themselves by tossing them bread ; but as soon as the weather 

 grows at all severe these fishes are no longer seen, because they 



* They eat also the berries of the ivy, the honeysuckle, and the Euonymus 

 europteuf, or spindle-tree. 



