THE SPARROW KIND. 137 



distant voices of quadrupeds and birds ; but all is profoundly dead and 

 solemn. Now and then, indeed, the traveller may be roused from 

 this lethargy of life by the voice of a heron, or the scream of an eagle ; 

 but his sweet little friends and warblers have totally forsaken him. 



There is still another reason for these little birds avoiding the 

 depths of the forest, which is, that their most formidable enemies 

 usually reside there. The greater birds, like robbers,' choose the 

 most dreary solitude for their retreat; and if they do not find, they 

 make a desert all around them. The small birds fly from their ty- 

 ranny, and take protection in the vicinity of man, where they know 

 their more unmerciful foes will not venture to pursue them. 



All birds, even those of passage, seem content with a certain dis 

 tnct to provide food and centre in. The red-breast or the wren sel 

 dom leaves the field where it has been brought up, or where its young 

 have been excluded ; even though hunted, it Hies along the hedge, 

 and seems fond of the place with an imprudent perseverance. The 

 fact is, all these small birds mark out a territory to themselves, which 

 they will permit none of their own species to remain in ; they guard 

 their dominions with the most watchful resentment, and we seldom 

 nnd two male tenants in the same hedge together. 



Thus, though fitted by Nature for the most wandering life, these 

 little animals do not make such distant excursions, during the season 

 of their stay, as the stag or the leveret. Food seems to be he only 

 object that puts them in motion, and when that is provided for them 

 in sufficient plenty, they never wander. But as that is seldom perma- 

 nent through the year, almost every bird is then obliged to change its 

 abode. Some ara called birds of passage, because they are obliged 

 to take long journeys for this purpose ; but, strictly speaking, almost 

 every other kind are birds of passage, though their migration may not 

 be to places so remote. At some particular season of the year, all 

 small birds migrate either from one country to another, or from the 

 more inland provinces toward the shore. 



There are several persons who get a livelihood by watching the 

 seasons when our small birds begin to migrate from one country to 

 another, and by taking them with nets in their passages. The birds 

 are found to fly, as the bird-catchers term it, chiefly during the month 

 of October, and part of September and November. There is also an- 

 other flight in March, which is much less considerable than that in 

 autumn. Nor is it less remarkable that several of these species of 

 flight-birds make their appearance in regular succession. The pip- 

 pet, for instance, begins its flight every year about Michaelmas, when 

 they are caught in greatest numbers. To this the wood-lark succeeds 

 and continues its flight till towards the middle of October ; other birds 

 follow, but are -not so punctually periodical ; the green-finch does not 

 begin till the frost obliges it. to seek for a change. These birds, du- 

 ring those months, fly from day-break till twelve at noon ; and there 

 is afterwards a small flight from two till night. Such are the seasons 

 of the migration of the birds which have been usually considered as 

 stationary, and on these occasions they are caught in great abundance. 

 as they are on their journey. But the same arts used to allure them 

 upon other occasions, would be utterly fruitless, as they avoid the 

 nets with the most prudent circumspection. The autumnal flight 



VOL. III. M 



