NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE 169 



congregate, and, leaving the moors and marshes, betake 

 themselves to downs and sheep-walks. 



Two years ago l last spring the little auk was found 

 alive and unhurt, but fluttering and unable to rise, in 

 a lane a few miles from Alresford, where there is a great 

 lake : it was kept a while, but died. 2 



I saw young teals 3 taken alive in the ponds of Wolmer- 

 forest in the beginning of July last, along with flappers, 

 or young wild-ducks. 



Speaking of the swiftf that page says "it's drink the 

 dew ; " whereas it should be " it drinks on the wing ; " 

 for all the swallow kind sip their water as they sweep 

 over the face of pools or rivers : like Virgil's bees, they 

 drink flying ; " flumina summa libant" In this method of 

 drinking perhaps this genus may be peculiar. 



Of the sedge-bird 5 be pleased to say it sings most 

 part of the night ; its notes are hurrying, but not un- 

 pleasing, and imitative of several birds ; as the sparrow, 

 swallow, skylark. When it happens to be silent in the 

 night, by throwing a stone or clod into the bushes where 

 it sits you immediately set it a-singing ; or in other words, 

 though it slumbers sometimes, yet as soon as it is 

 awakened it reassumes its song. 



1 British. Zoology, vol. i. p. 409. [G. W.] 



2 The Little Auk (Alle alle of modern writers). [R. B. S.] 



3 British Zoology, vol. i. p. 475. [G. W.] See Letter XV to Barrington. 

 [R. B. S.] 



4 British Zoology, vol. ii. p. 15. [G. W.] 5 Ibid., p. 16. [G. W.] 



