203 



from one of these motives that birds of passage, every 

 year, forsake us for some time, and make their regular 

 returns. The cause of their retreat is, either scarcity 

 of food, or the want of an asylum from man, during 

 the time of courtship and bringing up their young. 

 Thus the starling, at Sweden, at the approach of 

 winter, finding subsistence no longer, descends into 

 Germany ; and the hen chaffinches of the same country 

 are seen to fly every year through Holland, to pass 

 their winter in a milder climate. Others prepare for 

 longer journeys. Thus the quails, in spring, forsake 

 the heats of Africa for the milder sun of Europe ; and 

 when they have passed the summer with us, steer their 

 flight to enjoy, in Egypt, the temperate air. This 

 with them seems a preconcerted undertaking. They 

 unite together in some open place, for sorue days be- 

 fore their departure, and, by an odd kind of chatter- 

 ing, seem to debate on the method to proceed ; then 

 they all take flight together, and often in such num. 

 bers, that to mariners at sea, they seem like a cloud 

 upon .the horizon. The strongest, and by far the 

 greatest number, make good their intention; but 

 many there are, who gro\v weary in the way, and 

 drop dosvn into the sea, and sometimes upon the decks , 

 of ships. 



Of the vast quantity of water fowl that frequent our 

 shores, few are known to breed here. The cause that 

 urges them to leave us seems to be, not merely the 

 want of food, but the desire of a secure retreat. Our 

 country is too populous for birds so shy, as the great- 

 est number of these are. When great part of our 

 island was an uncultivated tract of woods and marshes, 

 many species of birds, w!>ich now migrate, remained 

 with us the whole year. The great Heron and the 

 Crane, that have now forsaken this country, in former 

 times bred familiarly in our marshes. Their nests^ 

 like those of most cloven-footed water-fowl, were built 

 on the ground, and exposed to every invader; but as 

 (economy increased, theseaniuials were more and 



