126 OF INSTINCT. SECT. XVI. 12. 3. 



Quails (tetrao coturnix, Lin.) are birds of pafTage from the 

 coalt of Barbary to Inly, and have frequency fettled in large 

 fhoals on (hips fatigued \vith their flight. (Ray, Wifdo'n of 

 God, p. 129. Derham Phyfic, Theol. v. ii. p 178.) Dr Ruf- 

 fel, in his hitlory of Aleppo, obferves that the fwailows vifit that 

 country about the end of February, and having hatched their 

 young difappear about the end of July ; and returning again 

 about the beginning of October, continue about a fortnight, and 

 then again difappear. (P 70.) 



When my late friend Dr. Chambres of Derby was on the 

 iiland of Caprea in the bay of Naples, he was informed that great 

 flights of quails annually fettle on that ifland about the begin- 

 ning of May, in their oalTage from Africa to Europe. And that 

 they always come when the fouth-eaft wind blows, are fatigued 

 when they red on this ifland, and are taken in fuch amazing 

 quantities and fold to the Continent, that the inhabitants pay 

 the bilhop his ftipend out of the profits arifing from the fale of 

 them 



The flights of thefe birds acrofs the Mediterranean are record- 

 ed near three thoufand years ago u There went forth a wind 

 from the Lord and brought quails from the fea, and let them fall 

 upon the camp, a day's journey round about it, and they were 

 two cubits above the earth," (Numbers, chap, ii ver. 31.) 



In our country, Mr. Pennant, informs us, that fome quails 

 migrate, and others only remove from the internal parts of the 

 ifland to the coafts, (Zoology, oftavo, 210.) Some of the ring- 

 doves and (lares breed here, others migrate, (ibid. 510, 511.) 

 And the flender billed fmall birds do not all quit thefe kingdoms 

 in the winter, though the difficulty of procuring the worms and 

 infecls, that they feed on, fuppiies the fame reafon for migra- 

 tion to them all, (ibid. 511.) 



Linnaeus has obferved, that in Sweden the female chaffinches 

 quit that country in September, migrating into Holland, and 

 leave their mates behind till their return in fpring. Hence he 

 has called them Fringilla cselebs, ( Amoen. Acad. ii/42. iv. 595. ) 

 No win our climate both fexes of them are perennial birds. And 

 Mr. Pennant obferves that the hoopoe, chatterer, hawfinch, and 

 crofs-bill, migrate into England fo rarely, and at fuch uncertain 

 times, as not to deferve to be ranked among our birds of paf- 

 fage, (Zool. 8vo. 511.) 



The water fowl, as geefe and ducks, are better adapted for 

 long migrations, than the ..other #fi>es of birds, as, when the 

 weather is calm, they can notot% reft themfelves, or fleep upon 

 the ocean, but poflibly procure f%me kind of food from it. 



Hence in Siberia, as foon as f&e lakes are frozen, the water 



fowlj 



