206 



BRITISH LAND BIRDS. 



determine, as far as possible, the exact times of 

 their appearance and disappearance. In this 

 manner much valuable information has been col- 

 lected, and data furnished of great importance to 

 the student.* Let none suppose, however, that 

 there is so much on record already upon this and 

 kindred habits of birds, that there is nothing more 

 to be learned. The great naturalist, Bay, has 

 observed, that, so rich is nature, that a man born 

 a thousand ages hence will still find enough left for 

 him to do and notice, t and the author from whom 

 we have just now quoted (White) begins a letter 

 giving an account of that rare bird the stilt-plover, 

 which he had just procured in his own neighbour- 

 hood in these words : " It is now more than forty 



* Bishop Stanley gives 

 the most common of our 

 dates of their appearance 



the annexed short list of a few of 

 migratory birds, together with the 

 and departure as observed by him. 



f ' Philosophical Letters/ p. 35. 



