OBSERVATIONS ON BIRDS. 



BIRDS IN GENERAL. 



IN severe weather, fieldfares, redwings, skylarks, and 

 titlarks, resort to watered meadows for food : the latter 

 wades up to its belly in pursuit of the pupae of insects, 

 and runs along upon the floating grass and weeds. 

 Many gnats are on the snow near the water; these sup- 

 port the birds in part. 



Birds are much influenced in their choice of food by 

 colour, for though white currants are a much sweeter 

 fruit than red, yet they seldom touch the former till they 

 have devoured every bunch of the latter. 



Redstarts, flycatchers, and blackcaps, arrive early in 

 April. If these little delicate beings are birds of pas- 

 sage (as we have reason to suppose they are, because 

 they are never seen in winter) how could they, feeble 

 as they seem, bear up against such storms of snow and 

 rain, and make their way through such meteorous tur- 

 bulences, as one should suppose would embarrass and 

 retard the most hardy and resolute of the winged nation? 

 Yet they keep their appointed times and seasons ; and 

 in spite of frost and winds return to their stations pe- 

 riodically, as if they had met with nothing to obstruct 

 them. The withdrawing and appearance of the short- 

 winged summer birds is a very puzzling circumstance 

 in natural history ! 



When the boys bring me wasps' nests, my bantam 

 fowls fare deliciously, and when the combs are pulled 

 to pieces, devour the young wasps in their maggot 

 state with the highest glee and delight. Any insect- 

 eating bird would do the same ; and therefore I have 

 often wondered that the accurate Mr. Ray should call 



