SPARROW KIND. 143 



of the soft bil.ed birds, but it usually holds longer ; and, in a cage, these 

 birds are more easily fed, and hardy. 



This class of small hirds, like all the greater, has its wanderers, thai 

 leave us for a season, and then return, to propagate, to sing, or to em- 

 hellish the landscape here. Some of this smaller kind, indeed, are 

 called birds of passage, that do not properly come under the denomi- 

 nation ; for though they disappear in one place, they never leave the 

 kingdom, but are seen somewhere else. But there are many among 

 them that take longer flights, and go to a region colder or warmer, as 

 it suits their constitutions. The fieldfare, and the red-wing breed, pass 

 their summers in Norway, and other cold countries, and are tempted 

 hither to our mild winters, and to those various berries which then 

 abound with us, and make their principal food. The hawfinch and the 

 crossbill are uncertain visitants, and have no stated limes of migration. 

 Swallows of every species disappear on the approach of winter. The 

 mightingale the blackcap, the fly-catcher, the willow wren, the wheat- 

 ear, the whin-chat, and the stone-chatter, leave us long before the ap- 

 proach of winter; while the siskin and the linnet only forsake us when 

 our winters are more than usually severe. All the rest of the smaller 

 tribe never quit this country ; but support the severest rigours of the 

 climate. 



Yet it must not be supposed that the manners of our little birds pre- 

 vail in all other countries ; and that such kinds as are stationary with 

 us, never wander in other parts of Europe: on the contrary, it happens 

 that many of those kinds which are birds of passage in England, are 

 seen, in other places, never to depart, but to make one country their 

 fixed residence, the whole year round. It is also frequent, that some 

 birds, which with us are faithful residents, in other kingdoms put on the 

 nature of birds of passage, and disappear for a season. 



The swallow, which with us is particularly remarked for being a bird 

 of passage, in Upper Egypt and in the island of Java, breeds and con- 

 tinues the whole year, without ever disappearing. Larks, that remain 

 with us the year throughout, are birds of passage in Sweden ; and for 

 sake that climate in winter to return again with the returning spring 

 The chaffinch, that with us is stationary, appears during the winter in 

 Carolina and Virginia ; but disappears totally in summer, to breed in 

 the more northern regions. In Sweden, also, these little birds are seen 

 returning, at the approach of spring, from the warmer climates, to pro- 

 pagate ; which, being accomplished by the latter end of autumn, the 

 males and females separate ; the males to continue among their native 

 snows, the females to seek a warmer and gentler winter. On this oc- 

 casion, they are seen in flocks, that darken all the air, without a single 

 male among them, making their way into the more southern regions ot 

 Denmark, Germany, and Holland. In this Amazon-like retreat, thou- 

 sands fall by the way ; some by fatigue, some by want ; but the greatest 

 number by the nets of the fowler; the taking them being one of the 

 chief amusements among the gentry where they pass. In r.hort, the 

 change of country with all this little tribe, is rather a pilgrimage than a 

 journey ; a migration rather of necessity than of choice. 



