490 The philosophy 



< Their young are fo often found in England, that we doubt 

 ' whether they ever entirely leave this ifland*. 



7. The jack-fnipe. This bird, which is very common in 

 Scotland, and frequents the banks of rivers and lakes, is rank- 

 ed by Mr. White as a winter bird of paflage, without men- 

 tioning either the time of its arrival or departure ; and Mr. 

 Pennant is entirely filent on the fub;e6l f . 



8. The wood-pigeon. Mr. White, without mentioning 

 either the time of their appearing or difappearing, tells us, 

 that « they feldom appear till late ; nor in fuch plenty as 

 <formerlyf.' 



9. The wild-fwan. During hard winters, this bird fre- 

 quents the coafts of Britain in large flocks ; but, from any 

 information we have been able to obtain, it docs not breed in 

 our ifland. Martin, in his Hiftory of the Hebrides, or Wef- 

 tern IflesH, informs us, that wild fwans arrive in great num- 

 bers in Lingey, one of the Hebrides, in the month of Octo- 

 ber, and remain there till March, when they retire more 

 northward to breed. For this purpofe, the fwans like moft 

 other water-fowls, prefer fuch places as are leaft frequent- 

 ed by mankind. During fummer, the lakes, marfhes, and 

 forefts of Lapland are filled with myriads of water-fowls. In 

 that northern region, fwans, geefe, the duck tribe, goofand- 

 ers, divers, &c. pafs the fummer •, but in autumn they re- 

 turn to us, and to other more hofpitable fliores§. 



10. The wild-goofe. The wild geefe, it is probable, breed 

 in the retired regions of the north. They arrive here in 

 the beginning of winter, and frequently feed on our corn 

 grounds. They fly at a great heighth, and obferve regulari- 



♦ Pennant's BrkiHi Zoology, vol a, page 358. 8vo. 

 f White's Natural Hiftory of Selborne, page 1 17 ; and Pennant's Britifh Zoo^ 

 logy, vol. 2. page 359. 8vo. / 



% White's Natural Hiftory of Selborne, page 117. 



{) Delcription of the Weftern Ifles, page 71. 

 ^ Linn, Flora Lapponica, page 273. Qeuvreg de Maupertuis,tom. 3. page J41. 



