OF SELBORNE. 163 



morning to feed. They leave us early in spring; where 

 do they breed ? 



The people of Hampshire and Sussex call the missel- 

 bird 7 the storm-cock, because it sings early in the 

 spring in blowing showery weather; its song often 

 commences with the year: with us it builds much in 

 orchards. 



A gentleman assures me he has taken the nests of 

 ring-ousels 8 on Dartmoor: they build in banks on the 

 sides of streams. 



Titlarks 9 not only sing sweetly as they sit on trees, 

 but also as they play and toy about on the wing; and 

 particularly while they are descending, and sometimes 

 as they stand on the ground 10 . 



Adanson's 11 testimony seems to me to be a very poor 

 evidence that European swallows migrate during our 

 winter to Senegal; he does not talk at all like an 

 ornithologist ; and probably saw only the swallows of 

 that country, which I know build within Governor 

 O'Hara's hall against the roof. Had he known Eu- 

 ropean swallows, would he not have mentioned the 

 species 12 ? 



7 British Zoology, vol. i. p. 223. 8 p. 229. 9 Vol. ii. p. 236. 



10 It is a frequent habit with this sweet songster to mount high into the 

 air from one tree, and to sing as it descends to another. It also frequently 

 sings in descending from the top of a tree to a stake in a hedge or even 

 to the ground. G. D. 



11 British Zoology, vol. ii. p. 242. 



12 Concerning swallows, the reader will see, that Mr. White appears 

 to incline more and more in favour of their torpidity, and against their 

 migration. Mr. D. Barrington is still more positive on the same side of 

 the question. See his Miscellanies, p. 225. The ancients generally 

 mention this bird, as wintering in Africa. See Anacreon, Xy. ed. Brunck. 

 p. 38. The Rhodians had a festival called %\i^6vta, when the boys 

 brought about young swallows ; the song which they sang may be seen 

 in the works of Meursius, vol. iii. p. 974, fol. 



"Gpa ayovaa, Kal KaXovQ 'Eviavrovg 

 Em ydcrrepa \evica K a-m v&ra /weXaiva. 



" He comes ! he comes ! who loves to bear 

 Soft sunny hours, and seasons fair ; 



M2 



