172 NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE 



his dogs devoured all the little red mice that they could 

 catch, but rejected the common mice ; and that his cats 

 ate the common mice, refusing the red. 



Red-breasts sing all through the spring, summer, and 

 autumn. The reason that they are called autumn songsters 

 is, because in the two first seasons their voices are drowned 

 and lost in the general chorus ; in the latter their song 

 becomes distinguishable. Many songsters of the autumn 

 seem to be the young cock red-breasts of that year : not- 

 withstanding the prejudices in their favour, they do much 

 mischief in gardens to the summer-fruits. 



The titmouse, which early in February begins to make 

 two quaint notes, like the whetting of a saw, is the marsh 

 titmouse : the great titmouse sings with three cheerful 

 joyous notes, and begins about the same time. 



Wrens sing all the winter through, frost excepted. 



House-martins came remarkably late this year both in 

 Hampshire and Devonshire: is this circumstance for or 

 against either hiding or migration ? 



Most birds drink sipping at intervals ; but pigeons take 

 a long continued draught, like quadrupeds. 



Notwithstanding what I have said in a former letter, 

 no grey crows were ever known to breed on Dartmoor ; 

 it was my mistake. 



The appearance and flying of the Scarabceus solstitialis, 

 or fern-chafer, commence with the month of July, and 

 cease about the end of it. These scarabs are the constant 

 food of caprimulgi, or fern-owls, through that period. They 

 abound on the chalky downs and in some sandy districts, 

 but not in the clays. 



In the garden of the Black-bear inn in the town of 

 Reading is a stream or canal running under the stables 

 and out into the fields on the other side of the road : 

 in this water are many carps, which lie rolling about in 

 sight, being fed by travellers, who amuse themselves by 

 tossing them bread ; but as soon as the weather grows 

 at all severe these fishes are no longer seen, because they 

 retire under the stables, where they remain till the return 



